Princeton Pursues $300K Grant To Clear Invasive Species, Plant Native Trees On Princeton Ridge

PRINCETON, NJ — The Princeton Council has unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the municipality to apply for a $300,000 state grant to restore a five-acre section of invasive-dominated land at Princeton Ridge East into a native deciduous forest.

The application, due Feb. 27, targets the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Green Acres Stewardship Grant Program. If awarded, the state would provide $150,000, with Princeton matching that amount through a combination of open space funding, staff salaries and volunteer labor.

The two-year project is known as the Princeton Ridge East Reforestation Project.

The project site is located within a 90-acre preserve acquired approximately one year ago at 725 Herrontown Road, at the intersection of Herrontown Road and Mount Lucas Road. The five-acre restoration area is currently overrun by invasive shrubs including multiflora rose, privet and Japanese honeysuckle, with dead ash trees visible throughout.

Three abandoned structures on the property — a residence and two outbuildings — are slated for demolition in the summer of 2026, and officials said the timing provides a natural opportunity to begin restoration work.

"This is the next phase," said Council President Michelle Pirone Lambros. "We've done acquisition of open space through our open space fund, and the next step is stewardship. I think it's the right direction for the town to go in."

Under the proposed plan, crews would use manual methods to clear invasive species in the fall of 2026, followed by targeted herbicide treatments in the spring or summer of 2027 once vegetation has fully leafed out and can be properly identified.

Licensed professionals would perform the herbicide work. In the fall of 2027, the municipality would plant 4,200 native trees and 1,000 native shrubs, and seed the ground with native grasses and wildflowers to discourage invasive regrowth.

The project is expected to clear approximately five acres of invasive species and restore what is currently classified as a shrub and scrub habitat to a deciduous upland forest. Officials said the high-density planting approach would encourage faster tree growth and provide denser shade to suppress future invasive regrowth.

Presenting the plan to the council, municipal arborist Inga Reich said the project would also benefit the surrounding forest by reducing wind edge effects and serve as a seed bank for neighboring areas. Long-term outcomes include improved soil stability, reduced stormwater runoff toward nearby wetlands — which carry 150-foot buffer protections — and increased carbon sequestration.

Environmental safeguards built into the plan include scheduling manual vegetation removal for late fall to avoid disturbing nesting birds, conducting a herpetofauna survey before work begins to protect turtles and other slow-moving wildlife, and restricting machinery use during wet soil conditions. All equipment entering the site would be tracked.

Councilman Leighton Newlin praised the presentation as the council's first detailed look at open space management.

"This is the first time we've really seen what goes into management of open space and species and making it better for people to enjoy," Newlin said.

Newlin also asked whether the site would connect to other open spaces beyond Autumn Hill. Reich said the project area is close to both Herrontown Woods and Autumn Hill, and that a right-of-way along Mount Lucas Road could eventually allow trail connections to sidewalks leading into downtown Princeton. She added that the municipality hopes to secure an easement for a trail connection through open space on the Montgomery side and along Herrontown Lane.

The resolution authorizes Mayor Mark Freda to submit the grant application, provide required documents and serve as the authorized correspondent for the project. The municipality has committed to providing its $150,000 matching share regardless of the final state funding award.

If the project does not move forward, officials warned the invasive species already dominating the site would continue to spread, making future management more costly and difficult.

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