In July of 2021, a tornado ripped a path of destruction up and over the ridge of Baldpate Mountain. It also did some mighty damage at Howell Farm and neighboring properties to the north of the preserve. On Baldpate, the tornado dropped approximately 200 acres of forest, a preserve that has been celebrated for its contiguous woods, the rare species it supports, and the anchor of undisturbed habitat it provides in the western Sourland Mountains. And by dropped, I mean that the event took out mature canopy trees and pre-1930’s old forest, and laid it out flat. From the sky, it looked as if giants had played a game of pick-up sticks and left for something more fun mid-game. The destruction was unlike anything we had seen here in Central Jersey during our lifetimes.
Initial Restoration Efforts
Access to the public was immediately restricted, due to the extremely dangerous conditions in the park. Long stretches of the Northwest Loop and Summit Trail were layered with piles of downed trees. Three years later, from the trails that have since been cleared, hikers can easily spot areas where the once canopied forest has been leveled except for a few lucky individual trees.
Forest ecologists and restoration experts from a variety of agencies and organizations were brought to Baldpate to experience the portions of forest struck by the tornado to help the County determine best steps forward. This situation was novel to every conservation professional there. And, at the time, the group had felt as though monitoring the impacted forest was the best path forward.
Challenges in Regrowth and New Restoration Plans
Three years have passed since this natural disaster, and the woodlands that were impacted are not responding with the natural regeneration that all had hoped. But, in that time, Mercer County’s Stewardship Department had been planning a restoration effort for a significant portion of the tornado-damaged old forest.
The County applied for a grant from the U.S. Forest Service in June 2022 to address canopy loss caused by emerald ash borer and severe weather events like the tornado. The $625,000 grant was awarded in 2023 and will be used to fund the installation of deer fence and restoration plantings at Baldpate Mountain in the tornado-damaged area.
Upcoming Restoration and Deer Exclosure
Beginning this fall, a 50-acre reforestation initiative will commence on the north side of Baldpate, within the damaged woodlands; it is an effort to grow and protect future forest canopy and healthy woodland. The project is multi-faceted, beginning with the installation of a deer exclosure after the fall bird migration season.
Previous deer density surveys performed using drones equipped with infrared lenses have informed the County that deer are present in the tornado-damaged forest and firsthand observations from land stewards confirm that forest regeneration is impaired in the project area. This enormous fence will keep deer from negatively impacting future regeneration of native plant species and the growth of trees and shrubs to be planted as part of the restoration. This fence will also serve to protect the variety of state-listed plant species that previously found refuge on the site.
Invasive Species Control and Long-Term Restoration
FoHVOS will partner in the restoration by performing invasive plant control, another daunting task, as invasive shrubs are reaching heights 3-4′ and 5-6′. Species like wineberry, mulitflora rose, linden viburnum, and vine honeysuckle dominate areas once dense with native herbaceous cover. Vine honeysuckle grows atop other shrubs and downed trees and has created a blanket effect in the woodlands, succumbing growth of native understory plant species. Invasive species control will take time, due to the significant presence of these species, but once eradication of the invasive plant community has been completed, planting efforts will commence. Mercer County has committed to continuing efforts to control invasive plants that show up in the years following planting.
Yes, fence installation will create a temporary disturbance to the forest and its inhabitants, but is scheduled to take place outside of the most sensitive seasons of the year. The long-term payoff from protected, native regenerating forest and biodiversity is worth it. Protection of young native plants–both those installed by people and naturally regenerating ones–is essential for plant survival, given the significant deer population in the region.
Previous Restoration Successes
This is not the first reforestation effort including deer fence that Baldpate has experienced. In 2010, ten acres of land, along the ridge of Baldpate were fenced and planted in an effort to grow forest that would fill in a large multi-acre canopy gap, thereby fortifying and extending the benefits of contiguous and interior forest. This restoration today is dense with tulip poplars and other native trees.
Across the street from Baldpate, a larger 40-acre reforestation project took place in 2012, and today without the impact of overabundant deer, the site is diverse with young trees, berry-producing shrubs, and wildflowers. This site is also well on its way to becoming a forest. In fact, earlier this month, a veery fledgling was banded at the preserve’s bird banding station, by Wild Bird Research Group. This is quite exciting as veery are a bird species reliant on interior forest (not just forest edges or small woodlands) and is a species of concern within New Jersey. This fencing strategy is an extension of an already successful restoration project at the mountain, and we expect a repeat of the previous reforestation successes.
Looking Forward: Community Involvement and Future Updates
FoHVOS looks forward to participating in this unique and challenging restoration effort – we’ve been partnering with Mercer County Park Commission for 15 years – and have never turned down the opportunity to create impactful and positive change together on our local ecology, so why would we start now?! FoHVOS will continue to share updates on this exciting project on their social media platforms, and on their constant contact mailings. We hope the community will join us in celebrating the conservation efforts being made to preserve the special places of our Valley.
Feature image caption: Aerial imagery taken from a drone in 2021 of the forest damage after the tornado.
