Paulins Kill Partnership Wild and Scenic River Project

Protecting the Paulins Kill: A Foodshed Alliance Initiative

Welcome and thank you for joining us in following our progress and discovering why we believe the Paulins Kill – cherished for its natural beauty, rich history, cultural significance, ecological importance, and recreational opportunities – may deserve the benefits of inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic River Program.

The Paulins Kill Watershed spans 176.85 square miles across Warren and Sussex Counties, supporting farms, businesses and communities in Knowlton, Blairstown, Hardwick, Frelinghuysen, Stillwater, Fredon, Newton, Hampton, Branchville Borough, Frankford, Lafayette, Sparta, and Andover Township. Originating near Newton, the river flows north before curving southwest. As New Jersey’s third largest tributary to the Delaware River, it follows the Musconetcong River and Maurice River. 

Welcome to the Paulins Kill

An Introduction to the Paulins Kill

The History of the Paulins Kill

The Transformation of the Paulins Kill

The Paulins Kill’s Future Can Still Be Written

photo by Richard de Wit

In 1968, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act was signed into law to protect “certain selected rivers that possess outstandingly remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, historic, cultural, or other similar values (ORVs) in their free-flowing condition, for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.”

For “Partnership Rivers”—those that flow through non-federal lands owned by private citizens, non-profits, municipalities, counties, and the state—legislation ensures that no land can be taken by condemnation, and existing private property rights and local land-use ordinances remain fully intact.

This designation process and its benefits include:

• Federal funding and a framework for all participating municipalities, counties, and organizations to collaborate on developing a Paulins Kill Wild and Scenic Management Plan.

• Federal funding for the administration of the Management Plan that will likely focus on conservation priorities enhancing its high water quality and preserving the outstandingly remarkable values: 

• • Cold, healthy waters that support trout populations

  • Recreational assets, such as the Paulinskill* Valley Trail and the September 11th National Memorial Trail.

  • Historic and cultural treasures, including sites listed or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

  • Ecological resources, such as Natural Heritage Priority Sites, which protect threatened and endangered species, their habitats, and native plant life.

  • Outreach and educational efforts that harness community pride and national recognition, by acknowledging the river as a vital resource with outstanding natural and cultural significance.

  • Support for sustainable tourism and economic development, promoting responsible growth and environmental stewardship.

As part of our commitment to environmental stewardship, the Foodshed Alliance’s Paulins Kill Watershed Program is leading this initiative in collaboration with local municipalities and organizations. Together, we are dedicated to protecting and preserving this natural treasure for future generations in a way that does not impose on private land use rights. 

Questions? Contact Tara Mezzanotte at Tara@foodshedalliance.org.

* The U.S. Geological Survey Board of Geographic Names decided that the official spelling of the name would be Paulins Kill in 1898.[1] Other spellings (Pawlins Kill or Paulinskill) have remained in common use. Kill is a Dutch word for “stream”.[13]

The Paulinskill Valley Trail, co-aligned with the September 11th National Memorial Trail, owned by New Jersey, managed by the New Jersey Kittatinny Valley State Park, and supported by the Paulinskill Trail Committee uses the one-word spelling (“Paulinskill”).