Meeting called to order at 7:30pm.

After postponing the June/July monthly meetings, the conservancy reconvened for the August meeting. There was a nice turnout for the end of the summer season meeting.

The first order of business discussed was an update on the meadow restoration. The Parks Department has mowed the mugwort down and has collected debris piles that have been collected by conservancy members. Parks Dept. has also filled in a 200’ trench along with removing concrete and rocks from the restoration site. There are still metal pipes/rebar that are stuck in the ground that need to be removed. The Parks Dept. and the county want to hold a ceremony in the fall for the meadow restoration program.

Next item discussed was the reservation’s western entrance issue. Apparently the developers/county/and towns have not fully thought of an entrance from the west side of the reservation. The development plans do not have an access on paper. A meeting is going to be planned to get all parties involved, including the conservancy, together to discuss the western entrance to come up with a solution that benefits everybody. More updates on this issue at next month’s meeting.

The last item on the agenda was a presentation by Tom Wells, who id the Director of Government Relations for the Nature Conservancy in New Jersey. Tom discussed the Nature Conservancy, foreign invasive plants and threats to biodiversity in New Jersey. The Nature Conservancy has preserved 58,000 acres in New Jersey along with creating 37 nature preserves. The Nature Conservancy’s mission is to preserve plants and animals by protecting the lands and waters that are needed for their survival. Tom listed some threats to biodiversity in New Jersey and they included:

• land development
• invasive species
• wild fires
• white tailed deer over population
• horseshoe crabs decreasing numbers

Meeting adjourned at 9:00pm.

Minutes prepared by Secretary: Brian Glennon