Sterling Forest Analysis @ CRSSA (1995-1998)

Grant F. Walton Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis, Rutgers University

	STERLING FOREST: An Ecological Analysis

	Research and Analysis from 1995 to 1998 Principal Investigator: Dr. Richard Lathrop Co-Principal Investigator: John A. Bognar Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis, Cook College, Rutgers University

At the outset of 1998, Sterling Forest was the largest privately-owned, undeveloped parcel of land within commuting distance of New York City. Plans for developing the majority of the forest forged a unique bi-state coalition from local citizen grassroots groups to the highest levels of state and federal government. In 1998, 15,800 acres of land were purchased and preserved as open space. Since that time, the remaining lands have since been purchased to remain as protected open space.

OVERVIEW

The interior forest habitat of the New York-New Jersy Highlands is being increasingly recoginzed as having significant biodiversity value. Satellite remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) were used at the Grant F. Walton Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis (CRSSA), Rutgers University, to undertake an inventory of forest habitat and an assessment of forest fragmentation in the New York-New Jersey Highlands region. The NY-NJ Highlands has a forest cover of 62-65%, but due to fragmentation only 20% of the total forest area is considered prime forest habitat.

As part of its Highlands forest study, CRSSA also applied its expertise of geo-spatial technologies to perform an ecological analysis of Sterling Forest. The results were incorporated into land preservation efforts by non-profit and government groups concerned with impacts of imminent plans for development of Sterling Forest.

The Trust for Public Land and the Open Space Institute were instrumential in coordinating the 1998 purchase of 15,800 acres of land in Sterling Forest with funds obtained from various government and private sources. The remaining lands have since been purchased to remain as open space.

The preservation of Sterling Forest and other large tracts of contiguous forest within the New York - New Jersey Highlands was crucial for many reasons including: 1) maintaining viable populations of a number of forest-dependent species in the NY/NJ Highlands, 2) protecting drinking water for nearly a quarter of New Jersey's residents, 3) helping to maintain a critical missing link in a greenway stretching unbroken from the Hudson to the Delaware Rivers.

LINKS

[ CRSSA Highlands Web ]

MAPS
	Location of Sterling Forest Within the New York Metropolitan Tri-State Area \| (small GIF)
	Satellite-Derived Forest Cover Map of The New York / New Jersey Highlands \| (small GIF)
	Sterling Forest:Critical Watershed and Open Space for New York and New Jersey
	Interpreting and Analyzing Satellite Imagery to Map the Land Cover of Sterling Forest
	Environmental Limitations to the Development of Sterling Forest
	Protected Land and Retained Development Parcel
CRSSA Maps 2-6 were included in the American Museum of Natural History's Biodiversity Exhibit (opened 1998)

CONTACT

Rick Lathrop (CRSSA Director), lathrop@crssa.rutgers.edu
John Bognar, johnb@crssa.rutgers.edu
Grant F. Walton Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis, Rutgers University


	Grant F. Walton Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis 14 College Farm Road Cook College, Rutgers University New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901-8551 732 932 1582 http://www.crssa.rutgers.edu/ web site composed by Rick Lathrop, John Bognar Originally composed 1998. New Layout: October 2002