162 acre Weber tract preserved in Kinnelon Borough

6/23/2011

Weber tract preserved, newest addition to the Morris County park system

A 162 acre Weber Tract in Kinnelon Borough has been preserved in a partnership with The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, Morris County Park Commission, Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and the State of New Jersey. This property is the culmination of a multi-year effort to protect this critically situated land in the New Jersey Highlands.

The Borough will own 100 acres of the property for recreation (for hiking and bird watching) and natural resource protection and a 62 acre portion of the land will be added to Morris County’s Silas Condict County Park. Located within the New Jersey Highlands Preservation Area, this site features steep slopes, scenic ridgelines, bluffs and wetlands.

The property is located on Maple Lake Road, near Route 23 and Kinnelon Road. Its mountainous terrain affords exceptionally scenic views of the surrounding landscape. This land will become part of an interconnected greenbelt that extends north from the Silas Condict County Park into neighboring West Milford Township. This property provides habitat for a diverse collection of species on the federal and state threatened and endangered species list. Protecting this land prevents fragmentation of the forested landscape which is one of the greatest threats to New Jersey’s wildlife habitat.