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By EILEEN SULLIVAN
Courier-Post Staff
The coveted 25.8 acre MacArthur Tract, nestled between a strip mall, a busy road and high-rise apartments, has some of the oldest and largest trees in the state, according to state foresters.
One of those trees is a 298-year-old American beech with a 13-foot circumference - the biggest such tree in South Jersey and the second-biggest in the state, David L. Johnson, assistant regional forester for the state, said.
A Rhode Island arborist stumbled upon the tract earlier this year after attending a funeral of a family friend in Haddonfield. Familiar with old growth forests, Matthew Largess knew he walked into something grand.
``Walking into this forest was a life-changing experience,'' Largess wrote in a report after visiting the site in February. ``This is a last remnant of what New Jersey looked like in the pre-Colonial period. Its value is priceless and scientific information is limitless.''
Since February, the forest has received much attention because it is a site for potential township athletic fields. Environmentalists want to spare the rare tract of land from any kind of development. Instead of using six acres to build fields, the township athletic association has agreed to use less and only build two fields. State tree experts say the agreement will not compromise the health of the forest.
Whether athletic fields are built there or not, the township knows the MacArthur Tract is a great treasure and wants to maximize its potential.
``We've always recognized that it's a community asset. Now we realize it's an even bigger asset in terms of having something special,'' Mayor William Park said. ``It's a great thing to have in the community. We're going to do everything we can to make sure we protect it. Even if there are fields built there, we're going to do everything we can to make sure it's environmentally safe. We want to do our best to preserve.''
Local environmentalists have been receiving calls from regional scientists and arborists interested in studying the forest. These scientists are calling from all over - Harvard, Villanova and Drexel universities and the Academy of Natural Sciences, for example.
Trails to be built
Fred Stine, one of the environmentalists involved with the tract, said many township residents also are behind the push to save the trees.
``In our society today, there's just not that many things that are left behind that are this old,'' Stine said. ``It would be like finding a 300-year-old house that's in pretty decent shape - you would go out of your way to preserve and protect that.''
He added, ``To be known as a tree city would be quite an accomplishment and maximize on the luck of nature.''
The township has already applied for a grant from the county to pay for building trails in the forest, Park said.
And the township commissioners will vote on an ordinance this month to create an environmental commission, Park said. He plans to ask Stine to sit on the commission of up to seven members.
The environmental commission would serve in an advisory capacity, for example, aiding the township in fixing an outfall pipe currently jeopardizing the tract and planting more trees throughout the township, Park said.
``We plan to move forward with making that area a nicer place for people to visit and for kids to study,'' Park said.
Park said the township could even incorporate the trees in a future township slogan.
Stine said he hopes these trees become the central focal point of the town. He said that Moorestown, in Burlington County, has an arborist on staff, and Stine would like to see something similar to this in Haddon Township.
``Overall, most people see the discovery of these trees as a real plus for the town,'' he said.
Stine hopes to see more than just nature trails in the MacArthur Tract. He would like to see interactive climbing and ``rooting around.''
State arborists have really only touched upon the size and age of the trees, Stine said. There is so much more to be learned about the habitat and wildlife that exists there as well.
He said, ``I think we've really just scratched the tip of the iceberg.''