Great Swamp Watershed Association and Save Noe Pond Join Forces to Protect Wetlands and Wildlife from Development

New Alliance Will Advocate to Preserve the Sensitive Ecosystem at and Around Historic Noe Pond

Morristown, NJ — December 14, 2020 — Today the Great Swamp Watershed Association (GWSA) and Save Noe Pond, a grassroots coalition, announced that the two groups will join forces to protect the delicate ecosystem in and around Noe Pond from devastation as a result of anticipated construction and overdevelopment. This alliance will focus on educational efforts and advocacy to build support in opposition to development of the property in Chatham Township, New Jersey, which is adjacent to the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge (GSNWR).

Noe Pond sits on a 35-acre site that directly borders the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. Much of the site is wetlands and the defining feature is the three-and-a-half-acre farm pond.

“Noe Pond has been a part of Chatham’s history and culture since the American Revolution,” stated Sally Rubin, GSWA Executive Director. “GSWA will advocate to protect Noe Pond from potential excessive development that could have detrimental effects on the substantial wetlands on the property and the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.”

The historic Noe Pond property was originally part of a larger 800-acre tract of land that was home to a dairy farm and a rose business in the late 1800s, with the Noe greenhouses becoming a focal point of the American rose-growing industry. Noe Pond itself provided water for the dairy farm and rose business and served as an oasis for families from miles around during warmer weather while supplying ice to the local community during winter months. In 1955, the Noe Pond Club was founded on the property as a swimming and recreation club for local families and quickly became a cornerstone of the local community.

In September 2020, after more than 65 years of operation, the property owners shocked members, employees, and a broad community of diverse stakeholders when they announced the sale of the property to a real estate developer. A grassroots coalition formed under the banner Save Noe Pond, which is dedicated to protecting the property from development that could bring substantial harm to the wetlands and wildlife on and around the property and the adjacent Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge.

“Noe Pond and its surrounding fields and forest have been enjoyed by generations of families in our community,” said Rich Rein, spokesperson for Save Noe Pond. “Destroying this delicate ecosystem by building a large scale residential real estate development is an attack on our environment and our community.” Rein concluded, “We are thrilled that the Great Swamp Watershed Association will join in our mission to educate the public about this proposal and help protect Noe Pond’s future.”

For nearly 40 years, GSWA Great Swamp Watershed Association has remained dedicated to protecting and improving the water resources of the Passaic River region, from the Great Swamp headwaters to Newark Bay, for present and future generations. Through education, advocacy, science, land preservation, and stewardship, in collaboration with partners, we work to instill our communities with an awareness of water’s effect on health and the beauty of the environment, from source to sea.