Construction related noise and activity are temporary in nature and are not expected to result in long term adverse impacts to local wildlife populations. No lighting, operational noise, or traffic conditions are anticipated to materially alter wildlife movement or behavior beyond existing suburban baseline conditions.
Based on the site context, absence of documented sensitive species habitat, limited extent of disturbance, and incorporation of vegetation preservation measures, the proposed project is not anticipated to result in significant adverse impacts to wildlife resources.
Wildlife impacts are minimized by concentrating development within previously disturbed and interior portions of the site, thereby reducing loss of intact upland habitat and maintaining perimeter wooded areas that provide refuge and movement opportunities for common wildlife species. Limits of disturbance are clearly delineated to prevent unnecessary encroachment into preserved areas and environmentally constrained zones. The Landscape and Tree Save Plan establishes vegetation preservation areas, tree protection measures, and restoration planting that maintain habitat structure and ecological function following construction.
Development will occur outside of freshwater wetlands, wetland buffers, riparian zones and waterways. Existing drainage patterns and undisturbed woodland areas are preserved to maintain localized habitat connectivity and foraging opportunities. Construction related impacts are temporary and are minimized through phased clearing, prompt site stabilization, and adherence to approved soil erosion and sediment control measures. Lighting and operational activity are consistent with surrounding residential development and are not expected to introduce significant new disturbance beyond existing baseline conditions.
Overall, the project minimizes wildlife impacts through habitat preservation, controlled disturbance limits, vegetation protection, and short duration construction effects.
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. Based on these records, occurrences for the threatened or endangered species are documented within the local area (refer to Figure 13: Landscape Project (v3.4) Map for a depiction of local habitat polygons. The search did not identify any documented rare plant species, rare ecological communities, or Natural Heritage Priority Sites located directly on the project parcel. No vernal pool habitat or mapped rare stream habitat was identified on site.
The Landscape Project mapping indicates the presence of mapped occupied habitat for the Northern Pinesnake (Pituophis melanoleucus melanoleucus), timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) and breeding habitat for the barred owl (Strix varia) on the project site. The mapping reflects habitat suitability and documented occupancy within the broader landscape patch and does not represent confirmation of individual animals at a specific point location.
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.