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Princeton council authorizes Green Acres stewardship grant submission for Princeton Ridge East
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Summary
After a presentation and public hearing, Princeton’s mayor and council voted to submit a $300,000 stewardship grant application to the New Jersey Green Acres program for forest restoration at Princeton Ridge East, with a $150,000 municipal match and commitments to map sensitive habitat raised by residents.
Princeton’s mayor and council voted Feb. 23 to submit a Green Acres Stewardship Grant application to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection seeking $150,000 toward a $300,000 forest restoration project at Princeton Ridge East, 725 Harrington Road. The council approved a resolution authorizing the submittal after a staff presentation and a public hearing that raised wildlife and equipment‑use concerns.
The project, as described by town staff, is a two‑year stewardship program that would remove invasive shrubs on roughly five acres, plant about 4,200 native trees and 1,000 native shrubs, and establish monitoring and site stewardship. Green Acres is identified in the application as providing 50% of the project funding; the town would provide the other $150,000, partly through staff time and volunteer labor, officials said. The application deadline listed in the presentation is Feb. 27.
Inge (open space staff) said crews would avoid wetlands and 150‑foot riparian buffer zones, conduct manual invasive removal in late fall to limit wildlife impacts, and survey for turtles and other slow wildlife before work begins. Inge also said demolition of three on‑site structures is likely in 2026 to allow safe public access and follow‑up stewardship work. “We will definitely take these [public] comments into account, and I will also map that pool,” Inge said, referring to a pond noted by neighbors.
At the public hearing, homeowner Lisa urged the town to add a pond to the project map because, she said, it hosts “one of the largest populations of the spotted salamanders” on the Princeton Ridge and asked that the town minimize tracked machines and use herbicides sparingly and seasonally to avoid runoff and impacts to amphibian eggs and larvae. Steven, another remote commenter, echoed calls to limit heavy machinery and suggested preserving some grassland habitat and avoiding unnecessary demolition of historic barns.
Council member Layton moved to approve a resolution authorizing the grant submittal; Councilmember Michelle seconded. The resolution carried on a roll‑call vote.
Next steps: staff will finalize and submit the Green Acres Stewardship Grant application and follow up with residents who identified the pond so the project team can map and avoid sensitive areas. If funded, the project will proceed under the stewardship timetable described in the application.
