Ocean County Leader

Wilderness Wednesday in Ocean County 

The Cedar Branch II property is just over 8 ½ acres of vacant woodlands and wetlands located off West Veterans Highway in Jackson Township. The property is located within the Pinelands National Reserve and adjacent to 204 acres of county open space. NJDEP’s Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area is located close by providing visitors a pleasant hike through all the connected land. Unimproved Prospertown Road provides access to the property. The property was acquired by the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Fund in partnership with Jackson Township. Based on the history of adjacent properties, it is assumed that this property was once a working cranberry bog. Now, the surrounding area consists of residential and minor commercial development. A tributary stream of Toms River runs across the central portion of the site with additional tributary streams of Toms River found on the eastern portion. The property is situated within the Toms River watershed of Watershed Management Area 13 (Barnegat Bay). Now, passive recreation activities such as walking, nature study, and observation of the many species that reside here is encouraged. The Cedar Branch II property was added to the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust program in May 2021. The program now totals over 26,300 acres of preserved open space throughout the county. 

Learn more about Land Trusts below. https://www.planning.co.ocean.nj.us/frmEPNaturalLandTrust

Original source can be found here.