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| Name of Project: |
Braddock Enterprises |
Geographic Fund: |
Delaware Bay |
| Location of Project: |
Middle
Township, Cape May County |
|
Watershed Management Area (WMA): |
#16 Cape May
|
Type of Project: |
Land Preservation |
|
Size: |
437 acres
|
| Nonprofit Organization: |
The
Conservation Fund |
|
Status: |
This purchase closed in December of 2008. |
| Total Project Cost: |
$6.4 million |
| Funds Raised: |
$4.8 million |
| Funds Needed: |
$1.6 million |
|
Leverage: |
Not yet available |
| PROJECT SIGNIFICANCE |
The
Braddock site is located inside the legislative Boundary of
the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge. This property includes
lands with extremely high natural resource value. The Refuge
land protection plan considers this a priority 1 acquisition.
The property is also listed as a priority acquisition under
the NJ DEP Landscape project due to the presence of top ranked
emergent wetland, forested wetland and forest habitat.
Given its
strategic location, Cape May features internationally significant
wetlands and migratory waterfowl habitat. The Refuge has been
designated as a flagship refuge of the North American Waterfowl
management plan, as part of the Wetlands of International Importance
under the Ramsar convention. It is also an important Western
Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site, and part of The New
Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail. The American Bird Conservancy
has identified the Refuge as a Globally Important Bird Area.
|
| PROJECT DESCRIPTION |
|
The
Refuge currently encompasses 11,000 acres of critical habitat
for 12 species of federally listed threatened and endangered
species. Lands could be included to encompass a total of 21,000
acres. The
Conservation Fund is planning to acquire the Braddock property
and convey it to the US Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion
into the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge. Once in their
hands, stewardship of the property will be guided by their
Comprehensive Conservation Plan as adopted in 2004. The refuge
vision states that “Cape May National Wildlife Refuge will
continue to contain some of the most important migratory bird
habitat in the National Wildlife Refuge system. It will continue
to be a focal point for the protection, management, restoration
and enjoyment of migratory birds and other Federal Trust resources
in coastal New Jersey. The Refuge will provide stop-over
and wintering habitats of sufficient size and quality to assist
in maintaining migratory birds in the Atlantic Flyway.” |
| FUNDING |
The Conservation Fund received funding from the Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund, a North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant, the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy, and the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Conservation Fund wishes to express its gratitude to the New Jersey Audubon Society and to The Nature Conservancy, for invaluable assistance with obtaining funding.
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