Old Glouco golf course to become state park

Three years ago, residents of Deptford and Mantua started planting lawn signs in front of their homes that read "Save Maple Ridge," the former golf course that they and Gloucester County officials were lobbying to preserve as a state park.

The signs were aimed to draw attention to efforts to protect the 112-acre parcel from development. When a representative from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection first visited to walk the rolling hills and fields, he drove past hundreds of the signs, said Rich Dilks, who helped lead the grassroots preservation movement.

"He said, 'I knew I was getting close when I saw those,' " said Dilks, chairman of the Wenonah Environmental Commission and Friends of Maple Ridge. "It made an impression. He saw how many people were committed to saving this land."

On Friday, state officials announced that the land would become the county's first state park, bringing an end to an almost seven-year battle by local and county officials, environmental groups, and residents. The DEP this week finalized a $3.2 million purchase of the property, which is in both townships and also abuts Wenonah. Once owned by former quarterback Ron Jaworski and known as the Eagles Nest, the land is home to songbirds, fishing ponds, and other habitats.

"The state took this on in part because of the strong grassroots movement," said Christine Nolan, executive director of the nonprofit South Jersey Land and Water Trust, which partnered with Friends of Maple Ridge in 2010. "It's a beautiful location, and it's in a very populated area, so it's a place where people will enjoy the park for generations."

Dilks, 68, a Wenonah resident who has been part of the preservation project since its inception in 2008, said the victory was the product of hard work and cooperation among three municipalities, government leaders and countless volunteers.

"For a long time, we didn't know if we were going to succeed or not," Dilks said. "But what we took from it was, you just don't give up. If there's the slightest chance of success, you keep going."

The former Maple Ridge course, which closed in 2006, will join 35 other golf courses in the state preserved as open space. Over the years, officials have called the land Tall Pines State Preserve, though no formal name has been chosen. Gloucester County will manage the preserve, which will be used for activities like running, bicycling, walking, and fishing.

Washington-based developer IBG Partners bought the land after the golf course closed and planned to build 143 houses on the site, to the dismay of many residents. In 2008, when the housing market slumped, Wenonah golfer Chuck Forsman called the company to ask it to consider releasing the land. After IBG ran into conflicts with Deptford officials over its proposal, the company agreed to sell.

The next major hurdle was funding. Ken Atkinson, director of the county Office of Land Preservation, said the number of agencies and municipalities involved also presented potential challenges, from environmental surveys to funding problems.

"The more partners you have, the more issues you have to deal with," he said. "But everyone worked together. We shared the same goal."

The DEP's Green Acres program eventually provided $983,500 for the purchase, while Gloucester County provided $1.65 million. South Jersey Land and Water Trust contributed $350,000 and Mantua Township $25,000. The Friends of Maple Ridge raised $125,000, and the Frank H. Stewart Trust provided $250,000.

Nolan said the next step is to restore the park: cutting back grass that has taken over the golf course, removing invasive weeds, planting trees. Though the land has technically been closed to the public since 2006, locals often stroll the paths and fish there. Over the years, neighbors have kept a sharp eye on the area, Nolan said, quickly reporting any illegal dumping or cars driving where they shouldn't.

Bird-watchers have counted as many as 128 species on the land, Dilks said, including bald eagles and rare hawks.

"This will give the people who are living here, and the people who will live here, a chance to experience the natural world," he said. "We got a really good thing done."

asteele@phillynews.com

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