TNC have recently tripled the size of the goal to 96,000 acres, to which it recently added 189 acres of field and forest in the Mount Pleasant section of Knowlton Township in Warren County, and 248 acres of rolling hills and forest in Hampton Township in Sussex County, the latter of which being the focus of TNC conservation attempts for two decades.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are building Bobcat Alley piece by piece in a state where the land parcel sizes are modest, but cost is at a premium,\u201d said Barbara Brummer, TNC\u2019s New Jersey State Director, in a statement announcing the new acquisition.<\/p>\n \u201cThe project takes patience, commitment and teamwork, and we truly appreciate the partners that stepped up to help us protect these beautiful and critical natural areas for wildlife and people.\u201d<\/p>\n The objective of the tripling in size is to connect the New Jersey section of Bobcat Alley to existing protected areas in New York\u2019s Hudson River Valley and Pennsylvania\u2019s Appalachian areas.<\/p>\n The Kittatinny Ridge contains large, mature, and undisturbed forests along this mountainous span in northwestern New Jersey and is prime habitat for roaming species like bobcats, black bears, and red foxes.<\/p>\n The Southern Highlands contain important intact stands of oak, beech, maple, and hickory where gray foxes, barred owl and river otter thrive. The forests protect drinking water for most residents of northern New Jersey, and the Pequest and Musconetcong Rivers, which are stronghold habitats for brook trout, New Jersey\u2019s state fish and only native trout.<\/p>\n The Southern Highlands are at much greater risk of development than Kittatinny. All of New Jersey\u2019s land is predicted to be either developed or protected come the end of the century.<\/p>\n