Barnegat Bay

The Forked River Mountains - A New Jersey Wilderness

The Forked River Mountains in the New Jersey Pine Barrens are an unexpected wilderness located in southeastern Ocean County.  It is made up of tens of thousands of acres of Pine Barrens forest and wetlands.  Some of this land is permanently protected in public and non-profit ownership as the Forked River Mountain Preserve, but some is still in private ownership and is threatened with conversion to housing development.  The Interboro Property is a critical link in this matrix of protected and unprotected land. 

New Jersey Conservation Foundation has been working for over a decade to preserve the Forked River Mountain wilderness.   The Interboro property totals approximately 620 acres (map).  The property is entirely forested with no history of development or other significant disruption. Pine-oak forest dominates the property with some significant stands of Atlantic White Cedar in the lower areas along the North Branch of the Forked River. This area is known to be habitat for a number of rare and endangered Pine Barrens species such as Pine Barrens tree frog Hyla andersonii, Knieskern’s beaked-rush Rynchospora knieskernii, northern pine snake Pituophis melanoleucus and curly grass fern Schizaea pusilla.

A portion of the Interboro Property is located in the Oyster Creek sub-watershed which was recently given additional protections from the Pinelands Commission through a zoning change to better protect the species diversity and high water quality of the area.

The landowner is reviewing the option agreement. If signed and approved, NJCF will have six months to exercise the option and another six months to close.  NJCF will hold fee simple title to the property and mange it as part of their Forked River Mountain Preserve.  Depending on the State’s ability to fund this acquisition, the NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife may hold a partial interest in the property as well.  Anticipated partners for this project include the Nature Conservancy, Ocean County Natural Lands Trust, NJDEP Green Acres Program, the Pinelands Commission as well as a partial bargain sale on the part of the landowner.

Not yet available.