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268 acres preserved as open space in Sussex County

Two new preserves safeguard region’s natural resources, offer valuable green space for the public to enjoy

FRANKFORD TOWNSHIP, NJ — The Greater Culver Lake Watershed Conservation Foundation (GCLWCF) announced today that it has permanently protected 268 acres of land in Frankford Township, Sussex County. The preserved land consists of two properties: the 95-acre former Culver Lake Golf Course, now called “Culver Brook Preserve”; and an adjacent 173-acre forested parcel, which has been dubbed “Culver Brook Preserve East.” These new preserves will not only safeguard the natural resources and beauty of the region, but also offer valuable green space for the public to enjoy.

Funding for the purchases of the two properties was provided by GCLWCF, New Jersey Conservation Foundation (NJ Conservation), the Open Space Institute’s (OSI) Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund (DRWPF), the New Jersey Green Acres Program, the Sussex County Open Space Fund, and Frankford Township.

The former golf course, which was acquired by GCLWCF in December 2024, will be “rewilded” — or returned to a more natural state — so that members of the public can enjoy walking trails, ponds, and meadows. The existing golf paths on what is now Culver Brook Preserve will become the backbone of a new trail system.

Grant funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Natural Resource Restoration has been secured by the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority-Wallkill River Watershed Management Group (SCMUA-WRWMG) to implement natural resource conservation practices on Culver Brook Preserve. This funding will be used to restore, reforest, and enhance 20 acres — nearly 1/5 — of the property. Among other initiatives, the plans include planting native trees and shrubs; installing an educational kiosk along with interpretive signage throughout the site; as well as adding a wildlife viewing platform overlooking an open meadow.

Culver Brook Preserve — along with Culver Brook Preserve East, which was acquired by GCLWCF in 2023 — will help restore and protect the Culver Brook, which flows to the Paulinskill River, a tributary of the Delaware River; enhance habitat connectivity for threatened and endangered species; and increase outdoor recreational opportunities for residents and visitors of Sussex County.

Culver Brook Preserve East has also been designated as a “core area” by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Connecting Habitat Across New Jersey (CHANJ) project. CHANJ represents a strategic plan for wildlife conservation by identifying key areas and actions needed to achieve habitat connectivity throughout New Jersey.

"I can enthusiastically state on behalf of my fellow trustees that we are all extremely excited about having been able to preserve these two properties. Not only for the protection of the watershed, but for the outdoor recreational enjoyment by the general public,” said Rick Ferruggia, president of GCLWCF. “We very much look forward to organizing members of the community to lend a helping hand to begin the rewilding process.”

On Saturday, April 26 at 11 a.m., the public is invited to join SCMUA-WRWMG’s Kristine Rogers and Nathaniel Sajdak, on a tour of Culver Brook Preserve to learn about the restoration plan for the property, and discover ways to help support the effort. Those attending the tour should enter the preserve from the access point off of East Shore Road in Branchville, across the street from the Normanoch Clubhouse. Attendees are advised to wear shoes they do not mind getting muddy. For more information about the tour, contact Kristine Rogers at krogers@scmua.org.

"NJ Conservation is thrilled to have partnered on this important project in the North Jersey Highlands," said Alison Mitchell, executive director of NJ Conservation. "We are grateful to have been able to contribute grant funding through our longtime partnership with OSI as part of our decades-long preservation work in the Highlands region."

Launched in 2014 with funding from the William Penn Foundation’s Delaware River Watershed Initiative, OSI’s DRWPF has protected more than 25,000 acres of forested land to safeguard water quality in the Delaware River Watershed, a source of drinking water for approximately 15 million people — including residents of northeastern Pennsylvania, Trenton, Philadelphia, Wilmington, and New York City.

“This project was a rare opportunity to support a re-wilding effort aimed at improving water quality on this large property,” said Bill Rawlyk, OSI’s senior program manager. “As a developed site, the project initially would not have qualified for our funding, but this fantastic group of partners worked hard with us to make sure the land will be restored and reforested to OSI’s Delaware River Watershed Protection Fund standards. As noted, this land will now support more wildlife, produce cleaner water, and provide high quality public recreation in a much more natural setting.”

“Green Acres is pleased to have assisted Greater Culver Lake Watershed Conservation Foundation through our highly successful Local and Nonprofit Assistance Program, which provided major grants to fund these important acquisitions,” said Martha Sullivan Sapp, director of Green Acres. “These preserved properties will help protect critical forest, wildlife habitat, and wetland areas, as well as water quality in trout-maintenance streams and Culver Lake, while providing numerous trails for people to enjoy.”

Working in close partnership with GCLWCF and USFWS, SCMUA-WRWMG will coordinate numerous community planting events at Culver Brook Preserve over the next two years that are aimed at raising awareness about the property and the ongoing restoration efforts there.

“This project represents a tremendous example of conservation organizations and community partners collaborating to leverage technical and financial resources to acquire, permanently protect, and now rehabilitate a valuable piece of open space property for everyone to enjoy,” said Nathaniel Sajdak, SCMUA-WRWMG’s watershed director. “It is very exciting to be able to create a hands-on opportunity for local residents and outdoor enthusiasts to be actively engaged in the physical work needed to help improve the ecological health of this new public preserve.”

If you are interested in helping with plantings and projects to highlight the flora and fauna of the Preserve, or would like information about dedicating memorial trees or benches, please send an email to info@gclwcf.org. For more information about the proposed restoration projects for Culver Brook Preserve, please contact Nathaniel Sajdak, SCMUA-WRWMG’s watershed director, at nsajdak@scmua.org; or Kristine Rogers, SCMUA-WRWMG’s watershed programs manager, at krogers@scmua.org.

About the Greater Culver Lake Watershed Conservation Foundation

The mission of the Greater Culver Lake Watershed Conservation Foundation (GCLWCF) is to protect and preserve the greater watershed environment of the Northern Paulinskill River including the sub watersheds of Lake Owassa and Culver Lake. GCLWCF was formed in 2017 to help protect the water of Culver Lake as well as that of other lakes, streams and rivers found in its watershed. The Foundation is a community-based volunteer tax exempt public charity under IRS 501(c)(3).