State Endangered reptile; as well as Red-headed Woodpecker (Melanerpes erythrocephalus), a State Threatened breeding species. These records reflect habitat suitability and known occurrences within the surrounding landscape rather than confirmed presence on the project site.

No other threatened or endangered wildlife species, rare plant species, or sensitive ecological communities were documented as occurring directly on the site based on the NHP and Landscape Project review. The report notes that database information reflects existing records and mapping and does not replace the need for site-specific field investigations where warranted by regulatory agencies or permitting requirements.

DuBois reviewed the NJDEP GIS Natural Heritage Priority Sites Maps. The Natural Heritage Priority Sites Coverage was created to identify critically important areas to conserve New Jersey's biological diversity, with particular emphasis on rare plant species and ecological communities. According to the NJDEP, the site and surrounding areas lie outside of any Natural Heritage Priority Sites.

Dubois also reviewed the NJDEP GIS Natural Heritage Grid Map for data on rare plant species and ecological communities. The Natural Heritage Grid Map divides each U.S.G.S. quadrangle map into one hundred (100) cells, with each cell ranging from three hundred fifty-eight (358) to three hundred seventy-two (372) acres in size. If a rare plant or ecological community is documented anywhere within a cell, then the entire cell will be coded for the occurrence. Each grid cell is coded into one (1) of four (4) categories: 1) S – the location is precisely known within the cell; 2) M – the location is not precisely known but the documented location is only known to within 1.5 miles; 3) BOTH – both precisely known and less precise occurrences are found within the same cell; and 4) NONE – the cell does not contain any documented records. The site and surrounding area fall outside of any coded grid cells with occurrences for rare plant species or ecological communities.

NJDEP Office of Natural Lands Management, Natural Heritage Program (NHP) Database records for potential threatened/endangered species occurrences, as well as NJDEP Landscape Project Mappings which depict habitat polygons used to value areas for potential critical wildlife habitat were reviewed to obtain a list of species with potential to occur within the local area. A review of the NJDEP Natural Heritage Program database and Landscape Project Version 3.4 mapping identified several rare plant species and wildlife species documented within approximately one-half mile of the project site, although none are confirmed directly on the parcel refer to (Figure 13: Landscape Project v3.4 Map and Appendix C: Natural Heritage Program Response). One rare vascular plant species, Curtiss' Three-awn Grass (Aristida dichotoma var. curtisii), has been recorded in the vicinity of the site. This species carries a regional conservation status and was last documented 1 mile southwest of South Lakewood as well as from intersection of West Cross Street (County Route 626) and Prospect St (County Route 628), 0.9 mile east of where South Hope Chapel Road (County Route 547) crosses over Toms River, indicating potential habitat presence in the broader landscape but not on the subject parcel.

Following a field review and desktop habitat assessment, the site was evaluated for its potential to support timber rattlesnake, northern pine snake, red-headed woodpecker, and Pine Barrens treefrog.

The subject property consists entirely of upland habitat, characterized as mixed oak-pine upland forest, and is surrounded by existing residential and commercial development to the north, south and east. There are no rock outcrops, talus slopes, wetland complexes, mature forest cores, or unfragmented forest tracts on-site or immediately adjacent that would provide critical elements for denning, foraging, nesting, or roosting.