Threatened & Endangered Species Habitat Evaluation, Ocean County, NJ
Sovereign completed a threatened and endangered (T&E) species habitat evaluation for the Ocean County Parks and Recreation Department at the Robert J. Miller Airpark Fairgrounds in Ocean County, NJ. OCP&R intended to develop portions of a 40 acre site, which is located within the New Jersey Pinelands, by constructing a multi-purpose building and a pole barn. The Pinelands Commission requested a T&E species habitat evaluation for 10 species.
After completing a records review, Sovereign ecologists conducted a field survey to evaluate the habitat type and quality on site and in nearby areas. The site offered few habitat traits amenable to the threatened and endangered species specified by the Pinelands Commission and Township land use ordinances. Sovereign ecologists determined that the construction of permanent structures would not result in changes to existing local populations of T&E species. Sovereign addressed the County’s concerns quickly and effectively, ensuring that the project could progress with the approval of the NJ Pinelands Commission.