PMI Tract

Fredon Township, Sussex County, NJ

135-acres

Located south of Newton, New Jersey and north of Whittingham Wildlife Management Area.

Directions:

US 80 west to the exit for Route 206 north. Turn left on Route 618 in Springdale; pass by an entrance for Whittingham Management Area.  Turn right at the stop sign onto Ridge Road (Route 519) north. Most of the property is located on the right hand side (east side) north of Meadow Lane and south of Douma Drive (north of green mileage marker 63). At the northern end, at the end of the field is a informal trail one can hike.

On the opposite side (west) of Route 519 is the land of Valley View Farm which can also be hiked. 

History:

Previous owners of PMI had applied to the Township for approval to construct 183 patio homes and 18 single-family residences and a wastewater treatment facility.

2001 (June)  --  The Nature Conservancy acquired the property at about $11,000/acre.

Nearby is Valley View Farms, a 198-acre property with similar characteristics. TNC purchased the property in October, 2000, for approximately $14,000/acre.

Habitats:

wooded uplands, limestone ridges, and agricultural fields (it serves as a major groundwater source for the nearby Muckshaw Ponds)

Trails:

7/09/04.  Headed south and southwest along the side of the field by the woods edge.  Came to a powercut; descending south; still heading southwest with a field on the left (private property); at a fork in the path I go left (south); up and along a  ridge; came to a side path on the left and decided to take it.

Walked through a field being overtaken with autumn olive; busted through to a T-intersection; go right (northwest); heading uphill; the path took me in a loop back to the shrubby field and then back to the fork from which I started.

Back on the original trail I take it for a short walk but it dead ends suddenly (if one climbs uphill, as I did, one will come to someone's backyard); turned around heading back to the fork in the path.

Heading back and seeking a different return path to the parking area, I took a left fork heading away from the agricultural fields below. Came to another backyard.

Retraced my steps and then saw a beautiful mowed lawn path between two hedges; I had my doubts that the path would take me back, but walked on it anyway, because it was so pleasant looking; see a church steeple in the distance; what do you know  -- I arrived back at the power cut; took a left turn and walked uphill along the field back to the parking area.

PLANT LIST:
Dr. Patrick L. Cooney
* = plant blooming on the date of the field trip, 7/09/04

Trees:
Acer platanoides (Norway maple)
Acer rubrum (red maple)
Acer saccharum (sugar maple)
Ailanthus altissima (tree-of-heaven)
Betula lenta (black birch)
Betula populifolia (gray birch)
Carya ovata (shagbark hickory)
Carya tomentosa (mockernut hickory)
Cornus florida (flowering dogwood)
Fagus grandifolia (American beech)
Fraxinus americana (white ash)
Juniperus virginiana (red cedar)
Liriodendron tulipifera (tulip tree)
Morus alba (white mulberry)
Ostrya virginiana (American hop hornbeam)
Prunus serotina (black cherry)
Quercus palustris (pin oak)
Quercus rubra (white oak)
Quercus velutina (black oak)
Sassafras albidum (sassafras)
Ulmus americana (American elm)

Shrubs and Sub-shrubs:
Berberis thunbergii (Japanese barberry)
Elaeagnus umbellata (autumn olive)
Ligustrum sp. (privet)
Lindera benzoin (spicebush)
Lonicera morrowii (Morrow honeysuckle)
Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac)
Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose)
Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry)
Rubus phoenicolasius (wineberry)
Rubus sp. (blackberry)
Vaccinium sp. (blueberry)

Vines:
Celastrus orbiculatus (Asiatic bittersweet)
Menispermum canadense (Canada moonseed)
Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper)
Polygonum scandens (climbing bindweed)
Toxicodendron radicans (poison ivy)
Vitis sp. (grape)

Broad-leaved Herbs:
Achillea millefolium (yarrow) *
Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard) *
Allium vineale (field garlic)
Ambrosia artemisiifolia (common ragweed)
Amphicarpaea bracteata (hog peanut)
Apocynum cannabinum (Indian hemp) *
Arabis glabra (tower mustard)
Arctium sp. (burdock)
Artemisia vulgaris (mugwort)
Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) *
Barbarea vulgaris (common wintercress)
Bidens comosa (tufted beggar ticks)
Carduus acanthoides (plumeless thistle) *
Centaurea maculosa (spotted knapweed) *
Chelidonium majus (celandine) *
Chrysanthemum leucanthemum (ox-eye daisy) *
Cichorium intybus (chicory) *
Cimicifuga racemosa (bugbane) *
Circaea lutetiana (enchanter's nightshade) *
Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle) *
Cirsium vulgare (bull thistle)
Collinsonia canadensis (horsebalm)
Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace) *
Desmodium glutinosum (pointed-leaved tick trefoil) *
Dianthus armeria (Deptford pink) *
Erigeron annuus (daisy fleabane) *
Eupatorium rugosum (white snakeroot) *soon
Euphorbia cyparissias (cypress spurge)
Euthamia graminifolia (grass-leaved goldenrod)
Galium mollugo (wild madder)
Geum canadense (white avens) *
Hackelia virginiana (Virginia stickseed) *
Helianthus divaricatus (woodland sunflower) *
Hesperis matronalis (dame's rocket) *
Hypericum punctatum (spotted St. Johnswort) *
Impatiens sp. (jewelweed)
Lactuca canadensis (wild lettuce)
Leonurus cardiaca (motherwort) *
Linaria vulgaris (butter-and-eggs) *
Medicago lupulina (black medick) *
Melilotus alba (white sweet clover) *
Monarda fistulosa (wild bergamot)
Monotropa indica (Indian pipe)
Nepeta cataria (catnip) *
Osmorhiza claytonii (sweet Cicely)
Oxalis sp. (yellow wood sorrel) *
Penstemon digitalis (foxglove beardtongue) *
Phryma leptostachya (lopseed) *
Phytolacca americana (pokeweed) *
Pilea pumila (clearweed)
Plantago lanceolata (English plantain) *
Plantago major (common plantain)
Podophyllum peltatum (mayapple)
Polygonum cespitosum (cespitose knotweed) *
Polygonum virginianum (jumpseed)
Potentilla recta (rough-fruited cinquefoil)
Potentilla simplex (common cinquefoil)
Prunella vulgaris (self-heal) *
Rudbeckia hirta var. pulcherrima (black-eyed Susan) *
Rumex crispus (curled dock)
Rumex obtusifolius (broad dock)
Satureja vulgaris (wild basil) *
Silene latifolia (white campion) *
Solanum carolinense (horse nettle)
Solidago flexicaulis (zig-zag goldenrod)
Solidago juncea (early goldenrod)
Taraxacum officinale (common dandelion)
Thlaspi sp. (pennycress)
Trifolium aureum (yellow clover) *
Trifolium hybridum (alsike clover) *
Trifolium pratense (red clover) *
Trifolium repens (white clover) *
Urtica dioica var. procera (tall nettle)
Verbascum thapsus (common mullein)  *
Verbena urticifolia (white vervain) *
Veronica officinalis (common speedwell)

Grasses:
Bromus inermis (smooth brome grass)
Dactylis glomerata (orchard grass)
Elymus sp. (wild rye grass)
Elytrigia repens (quack grass)
Microstegium vimineum (Japanese stilt grass)
Phalaris arundinacea (canary reed grass)
Phleum pratense (timothy)

Rushes:
Juncus tenuis (path rush)

Sedges:
Carex laxiflora type (loose-flowered sedge type)
Carex pensylvanica (Pennsylvania sedge)
Carex vulpinoidea (fox sedge)

Ferns and Fern Allies:
Athyrium filix-femina (lady fern)
Onoclea sensibilis (sensitive fern)
Polystichum acrostichoides (Christmas fern)
Pteridium aquilinum (bracken fern)