Recipient Organization
STATE UNIV OF NEW YORK
(N/A)
SYRACUSE,NY 13210
Performing Department
Natural Heritage Program
Non Technical Summary
The purpose of this Work Plan (Plan) is to provide background information and an overview ofprocedures for a flora survey as part of an ecological inventory of Bearfort Mountain NaturalArea (BMNA). BMNA encompasses 1,363 acres (ac) and is located in Wawayanda State Park,Passaic County, New Jersey (Figure 1). This Plan is based on a scope of work (dated 16 October2014) developed cooperatively between New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection(NJDEP) and Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company, L.L.C. (Tennessee) to implement mitigationconditions for approval of a gas pipeline right-of-way (ROW) expansion across BMNA.The ecological inventory of BMNA (Project) includes two primary components: (1) geographicinformation service (GIS) mapping and releve sampling of ecological community types and (2)inventory of rare plant and rare animal species, including rare species at the federal and statelevel. Initial surveys for the ecological community mapping and releve sampling were conductedin August through October 2014.This document addresses activities related to the survey of flora portion of the Project. Separatework plans are developed for each of the planned species/group surveys. This Plan providesbasic task information (Section 2.0), personnel (Section 3.0), access and coordination (Section4.0), methods (Section 5.0), notification procedures for unexpected delays or changes to surveys(Section 6.0), data processing and quality assurance-quality control (QA/QC) (Section 7.0),safety (Section 8.0), and equipment (Section 9.0).Awarded Start Date: 4/1/15Sponsor: Tetra Tech Incorporated
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
The purpose of this Work Plan (Plan) is to provide background information and an overview ofprocedures for a flora survey as part of an ecological inventory of Bearfort Mountain NaturalArea (BMNA).
Project Methods
Surveys will be conducted May through October of the 2015 and 2016 growing seasons todocument occurrences of target plant species. Target species include all species listed on the Listof Endangered Plant Species and Plant Species of Concern(http ://www.n j .gov I dep/parksandforests/natural/heritage/ spp lant.html). All plant speciesobserved will be recorded to develop a comprehensive list of the flora for BMNA. This list willbe submitted with deliverables as specified in the Project scope of work.Rare plant and wildlife species, as well as invasive plant species, and rare ecologicalcommunities observed at any time during fieldwork will be documented. Rare and invasive plantspecies are any species included on the following lists:> New Jersey's Endangered and Threatened Wildlife(http://www.nj .gov /dep/fgw/tandespp.htm ),> Wildlife Species of Special Concern in New Jersey (http://wp/fgw/spclspp.htm),> Prioritized Listing of New Jersey's Nonindigenous Plant: Categories 1-1 and 1-2(http://www.nj.gov/dep/njisc/docs/Final%20NJ%20Strategic%20Management%20Plan%20for%20Invasive%20Species%20 11.09.pdf)In the event that rare or invasive species are encountered during the surveys, the observationswill be recorded in accordance with New Jersey Natural Heritage Program procedures using thefollowing field forms (Appendix B):> Rare Plants: Natural Heritage Program Rare Plant Species Reporting Form> Rare Fauna: New Jersey Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP) RareWildlife Sighting Report Form> Invasive Species: New Jersey Invasive Species Strike Team (NJISST) Field Data Sheet> Rare Communities: New Jersey Natural Heritage Program Ecological CommunityReporting Forms (Community Form 1: Site Survey Summary of Plots, Community Form 2: Community Element Occurrence Record, and Community Form 3: Community PlotData).Digital photographs (with a date associated with the photo) of repmied rare and invasive taxaand rare communities will be taken when possible and a global positioning system (GPS) unitwill be used to record coordinates of the occurrence. If a native or invasive taxon of questionableidentification or that which constitutes an unusual or unique find (e.g., new to the state, outsideof its range, etc.) is encountered, collection of a voucher specimen will be completed inaccordance with NJDEP Natural Heritage Program procedures (Appendix D).Occurrences of plant species in the List of Endangered Plant Species and Plant Species ofConcern with a ranking of SH or SH.1 (historic), SX or SX.1 (extirpated), or S 1 or S 1.1 and/orextirpated or rare animal species not expected to be found in New Jersey will be reported to theNJDEP contact by phone or email within one (1) week of discovery and will include a digitalphotograph of the species (if available) and GPS coordinates of the location.