Want to Lease the Rockport Game Farm Property?

The Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife is looking for ideas from individuals and organizations that may be interested in leasing the former Rockport Game Farm in Mansfield Township, Warren County.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife last year closed the facility, which reared pheasants, due to the cost of complying with recent changes to U.S. Department of Agriculture avian influenza control requirements.

The 160-acre facility, situated within the 1,380-acre Rockport Wildlife Management Area and just minutes from Hackettstown, had been in operation for more than 100 years. Game pheasants reared at the facility were known as Rockport Rockets.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife has issued a Request for Expressions of Interest for projects that are compatible with the rural environment of this part of the state. The goal is to eventually bid out the site for agricultural purposes to a bidder that can improve and utilize the site while providing lease revenue to the DEP.

“Located amid picturesque rolling hills and farmland, the Rockport Game Farm is a wonderful property that could be re-utilized for a number of purposes such as a farm, to raise poultry, a tree nursery, or even a vineyard,” said Division of Fish and Wildlife Director Larry Herrighty. “We are very eager to gather ideas on how this property can remain in active, productive use that is compatible with its rural surroundings.”

The 160-acre game farm consists of a number of structures, including a barn, a garage, rearing pens and houses, a pole barn, and brooder and incubator building.

Diverse uses are welcome provided they cause no detrimental environmental impacts. Those interested should note that the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited on land owned by the Division of Fish and Wildlife but that the rule may be relaxed if a bidder can show the potential for significant revenue.

For details and to view the full Request for Expressions of Interest, visit www.njfishandwildlife.com/news/2019/rockport_rfei.htm

Source: https://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2019/19_0002.htm

Looking for Volunteers at Rockport Game Farm

This request was sent to NJDEP WCC volunteers by Paul Ritter, Supervising Biologist at the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife. If you're unfamiliar with the WCC, it is open to anyone 18 years of age and older. It is the largest natural resource management volunteer group in the state. If you are interested, you can obtain an application form along with more information online at http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/wcchome.htm

The Rockport Pheasant Farm is a 492-acre facility (within the 1,202-acre Rockport Wildlife Management Area) operated by the N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife. The facility produces approximately 55,000 ring-necked pheasants each year for the sporting public (no pheasants are sold to the public). Acquisition of the property began in 1912 and was completed in 1925. The first release of Rockport pheasants was made in 1923. Since 1923 over 2 million pheasants have been raised at Rockport.

The volunteer request:

As you may recall the Rockport Game Farm sustained catastrophic damage during the October 2011 snowstorm. Since March, the Rockport crew has been working on production of this year's pheasant crop for stocking in the fall starting with egg collection, hatching, brooding and range pen operations. They have completed demolition of the damaged pens and along with assistance from the Bureau of Land Management, have partially completed reconstruction of new pens and runways. Much work still needs to be completed before the upcoming pheasant season and we need your assistance to complete this monumental task on time!

We are looking for volunteers who have specific skills in carpentry, plumbing and grounds maintenance. The ideal candidates for this request should be self-motivated and willing to work on their own with limited supervision.

Carpentry skills required include load bearing wall construction and door installation on load bearing walls.
Plumbing skills needed include sink and toilet repair / installation.
Grounds Maintenance skills include the operation of riding mower equipment and gas powered weed trimmers.

This work will need to be performed between the hours of 8:00 am and 2:00 pm.

If you have the required skills for any of the above listed types of work and are interested in volunteering your services at the Game Farm, please leave your name and a telephone number on the answering machine at 908-852-3461 by September 14th with your interests. Because the staff is generally on the Farm and not in the office, leave your contact information and Rockport staff will call you back.