Meadow Creek

Hunterdon Land Trust Alliance (HLTA) received a donation of a conservation easement on a portion of Meadow Creek Farm in Delaware Township in March 2003. Landowner Jeffrey Faigle preserved a large portion of his farm with his donation of a 14-acre conservation easement to HTLA. The 19-acre property consists primarily of deciduous forest bordering the Lockatong Creek. Mr. Faigle retained a five-acre "residential exclusion" that is not covered by the easement.

The conservation easement retires the development rights to the land ensuring the land will remain as open space in perpetuity. One acre of the protected land has been set aside for a future public trail. The benefit of this gift is amplified beyond saving this special land. Through Mr. Faigle's generous donation, HLTA will receive "donation credits" from the New Jersey Green Acres Program, which can be used to match other land preservation grants received for projects along the Lockatong Creek. When asked why he donated a conservation easement to HLTA, Jeffrey Faigle answered, "Preserving the property is the right thing to do."

The Lockatong Creek, an area of unspoiled beauty and significant natural resources, is one of HLTA's priority target areas for preservation. It is thirteen miles long and flows south through farms and woodlands in Franklin, Kingwood and Delaware Townships, providing drainage for a 28 square-mile watershed. It empties into to the Delaware & Raritan Canal, making it an important source of drinking water for the region. However, the argillite geology deters groundwater recharge and increases the importance of the forest to buffer impairments to water and habitat quality. The riparian woodland environment provides habitat for deer, turkeys, owls, red tail hawks, and the threatened long-tailed salamander.