123 Acres Preserved in Rockaway Township Through $1.04M Grant
The Wildcat Ridge Preserve, a 123-acre wooded tract in Rockaway Township, has officially been preserved as open space following a sale closing on a project funded through a $1.04 million grant from the Morris County Open Space Preservation Trust Fund.
The grant, approved by the Morris County Board of County Commissioners, enabled The Land Conservancy of New Jersey to secure the property. The closing on March 12, 2026 represents the first finalization of purchases involving three open space grants approved in November, authorizing nearly $7 million to preserve 192.3 acres across three municipalities.
“This continues a preservation effort that reflects Morris County’s long-standing commitment to protecting the character and natural beauty of our communities,” said Commissioner Thomas Mastrangelo, liaison to the Office of Planning and Preservation. “Open space enhances quality of life, and our trust fund provides municipalities and nonprofit partners the opportunity to secure funding for meaningful land preservation projects.”
Surrounded on three sides by state-owned lands within the Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area, the newly preserved parcel expands and reinforces a contiguous network of protected lands in northern Morris County. The Wildcat Ridge Wildlife Management Area encompasses more than 6,300 acres of forests, streams, lakes and in Rockaway Township, offering extensive nature-based recreational opportunities for the public.
Watch the Wildcat Ridge Preserve Video
The preserved property consists primarily of mature upland deciduous forests and includes a two-acre pond that drains into Burnt Meadow Brook. As one of the few remaining unprotected forested tracts in the immediate area, the land plays a key role in supporting wildlife habitat, protecting water resources and maintaining the region’s ecological integrity.
The acquisition also provides a buffer to the Morris County Park Commission’s West Morris Greenway located on the Egbert’s Lake Tract in Rockaway Township, located immediately to the north.
Since voters established the Open Space Trust Fund in 1994, Morris County has preserved more than 18,300 acres through more than $300 million in grant funding.
To learn more about the Morris County Preservation Trust Fund, visit Preservation Trust Fund – Morris County, NJ.
Source: Morris County Government
