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Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 1

Report for PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources,Project # BRC-TAG-19-141

Completed by Pennsylvania Environmental Council with Support from Bensalem Greenway Ecological Restoration Advisory Committee

Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization ReportDecember 2017

2 Pennsylvania Environmental Council

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Introduction

Grant Tasks

Task 1. Ecological Restoration Assessment and Prioritization

Task 1.1 Stakeholder Outreach

Task 1.2 Data Collection and Site Visits

Task 1.3 Confirmation of Prioritization Factors and Site Ranking

Task 1.4 Wetland Delineation and Ecological Analysis

Task 1.5 Identification of Ecological Restoration Priorities

Task 2. Landowner Outreach and Engagement

Steps to Finalize Preliminary Draft Report

List of Tables, Appendices & Figures

References

Appendices

Appendix A. Bensalem Greenway Ecological Restoration Advisory Committee

Appendix B. Neshaminy State Park Ecological Enhancement Design Concepts

Appendix C. Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PINDI) Receipts & Agency Review Letters

Appendix D. Philadelphia Water Assessment of Shoreline Ecological Restoration

Appendix E. Wetland Delineation Maps

Appendix F. Army Corps of Engineers Wetland Jurisdictional Determination

Appendix G. AD Marble Bog Turtle Report

Appendix H. Detailed Score Sheet

Appendix I. Stakeholder and Public Meeting Notes 83

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This project was financed in part by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program, Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund, under the administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.


Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC)

prepared this draft Bensalem Greenway

Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report

under Pennsylvania Department of Conservation

and Natural Resources (DCNR) grant # BRC-

TAG-19-141. Ecological restoration opportunities

along the Bensalem Greenway were assessed

and prioritized including areas along and nearby

the Delaware River. The goal of this assessment

is to identify and promote ecological restoration

opportunities as the greenway trail is planned and

developed. The conservation and restoration of

Delaware Riverfront and nearby upland habitats

will enable trail users to see and experience

aquatic and terrestrial natural resources as they

bike, walk, and/or otherwise enjoy the greenway.

The greenway study area consists of Bensalem

Township between Neshaminy and Poquessing

Creeks, from the Delaware River back to the

Amtrak rail corridor. Unique habitats in the study

area include Atlantic Coastal Plain forests and

wetlands. This includes pockets of imperiled

sweet gum-oak forests and rare freshwater tidal

wetlands.

To complete this work, PEC assessed ecological

resources and related site conditions in the

study area using existing studies and collecting

additional information through site visits, a river’s

edge paddle survey, and Google Earth reviews.

PEC correlated this resource inventory with

parcel ownership to identify ecological restoration

and enhancement opportunities. To do this PEC

applied habitat, site-wide, and recreational scoring

criteria to assess current conditions and estimate

the potential “ecological uplift” that could follow

restoration activities.

PEC calculated current condition and potential

ecological uplift scores for 37 riverfront parcels

Executive Summary

and 57 upland parcels. PEC reviewed these

scores to identify higher priority ecological

restoration opportunities. The higher priority

restoration opportunities include:

• Sites along the banks of the Delaware River

and Neshaminy Creek with forested and

wetland habitats that are currently state

and county parklands, as well as larger

private land holdings such as the Waterside

Development that have riverfront intertidal

wetlands. Examples of ecological restoration

opportunities include enhancement and

expansion of intertidal wetlands, and

enhancement of forest understory;

• Upland areas including public and private

lands with coastal plain forests and wetlands

could receive similar restoration treatments.

Sections of small tributary streams within these

reaches that currently flow through concrete channels could also be graded and planted to

restore more natural pools and riffles;• Wetland areas interspersed within commercial

areas could also be enhanced and restored;

• Connections within and between waterfront

and forested habitat corridors could also be

better connected to improve habitat corridors.

PEC conducted a more focused evaluation of the

greenway trail alignment through Bucks County

Park and Andalusia Foundation lands in the

center of the greenway. These parcels are mostly

undeveloped and contain wetlands and coastal

plain forests. PEC contracted with AD Marble to

complete a wetland delineation, bog turtle habitat

assessment, and other species of special concern

review in order to locate an alignment on these

two properties that avoids and minimizes trail

construction impacts. Based on the results of these

assessments a 50 foot wide trail alignment area

was identified through which a 10 to 12 foot wide

trail will be located.

PEC initiated and is continuing to conduct

landowner outreach and engagement efforts

to promote restoration projects. PEC issued a

preliminary draft report for review and comment

among advisory committee stakeholders,

landowners in the study area, and other public and

private stakeholders. PEC notified landowners with higher priority restoration sites about the

study and inquired about their interest in pursuing

restoration opportunities. Three public meetings

were held to present report findings. PEC incorporated comments recieved from Advisory

Committee members and other stakeholders. This

draft final report is being submitted to PA DCNR for final review and approval.


Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC)

initiated work on this Bensalem Greenway

Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report

project in May of 2014 under a Pennsylvania

Department of Conservation and Natural

Resources (DCNR) grant (Project # BRC-

TAG-19-141). One goal of the DCNR grant is

to assess and prioritize ecological restoration

opportunities along the Bensalem Greenway

including sites on and adjacent to the Delaware

River. PEC’s William Penn Foundation Trails and

Greenway grant also supports this ecological

restoration work.

The Bensalem Greenway is a part of the East

Coast Greenway, an initiative to create a multi-

use trail system that links cities and towns

along the Eastern Seaboard from Maine to

Florida. PEC is working with Bensalem Township

and other partners on East Coast Greenway

trail development in Pennsylvania between

Morrisville and Marcus Hook. The Bensalem

Greenway portion of the trail follows the State

Road corridor for approximately four miles; this

corridor is parallel to and a short distance from

the Delaware River.

As the greenway trail is planned and developed,

trail developers are pursuing opportunities to

link trail users to adjacent and nearby cultural,

historical, recreational, and natural resource

points of interest. This report documents

activities performed by PEC and partners to

assess natural resource features and identify

ecological restoration opportunities along

the Bensalem Greenway alignment, focusing

on the Delaware River shoreline and nearby

uplands. PEC considered the study area to be

Bensalem Township land between Neshaminy

and Poquessing Creeks, from the Delaware River

back to the Amtrak rail corridor (Figure 1).

To complete this work, PEC assessed ecological

resources and related site conditions along

the Bensalem Greenway corridor using existing

information and collecting additional information

via site visits and a shoreline survey. PEC

correlated this resource inventory with parcel

ownership to identify ecological restoration and

enhancement opportunities.

PEC has and will continue to integrate the

findings of this work into regional and local initiatives focused on land revitalization,

recreation, and ecological restoration. This

work complements work completed by PEC just

down river in Philadelphia (see Philadelphia

North Delaware River Greenway Ecological

Assessment and Prioritization Report,

November 2009). PEC and partners have

initiated ecological restoration projects following

recommendations made in that 2009 report

(e.g. Glen Foerd stream bank restoration and

Bridesburg Riverfront Park). Likewise, efforts to

initiate ecological restoration projects along the

Bensalem reach are also underway.

Introduction

Neshaminy State Park Delaware River Shoreline



This report aligns with DCNR Project # BRC-

TAG-19-141 scope of work Tasks 1 and 2 as

follows:

Task 1 Ecological Restoration Assessment and

Prioritization

Task 1.1 Stakeholder Outreach: Summary of

outreach effort that focused on stakeholders

who own and manage land, and on

organizations and agencies that collect or

who have access to natural resource data.

This included the formation of an Advisory

Committee.

Task 1.2 Data Collection and Site Visits:

Summary of available natural resource reports,

GIS layers, and other information. Identification and collection of additional data needed for site

prioritization and ranking.

Task 1.3 Confirmation of Prioritization Factors and Site Ranking: PEC adapted prioritization

factors used to evaluate tidal, riverbank, and

adjacent upland areas along the Philadelphia

North Delaware River Greenway. PEC updated

these factors to reflect data available for the Bensalem Greenway area, and to address

the wider upland footprint considered for the

Bensalem riverfront. Habitat, site-wide and

recreational prioritization factors and scoring

criteria were used to rank ecological restoration

opportunities.

Task 1.4 Wetland Delineation and Ecological

Analysis: PEC and the project team including

subcontractor AD Marble conducted a more

focused investigation of wetlands, bog turtle

habitat, and species of concern on Bucks County

and Andalusia Foundation lands that are on

the proposed greenway trail alignment. This

includes the Bucks County-owned park land on

the south side of State Road between Station

Avenue and Gravel Pike, contiguous Bucks

County park land on the north side of State Road

from Gravel Pike to Kings Lane, and Andalusia

Foundation property on the north side of State

Road. This delineation and assessment work

was conducted to determine the best route for

the greenway trail through these open space

properties.

Task 1.5 Identification of Ecological Restoration Priorities: Drawing from Task 1 data collection

activities, the habitat, site-wide and recreational

prioritization factors were applied to individual

parcels in the study area to identify ecological

restoration opportunities.

Task 2 Landowner Outreach and Engagement

Landowners for some of the larger parcels in

the Bensalem Greenway area were included on

the Advisory Committee. Additional landowner

outreach is underway based on the preliminary

findings of the ecological assessment and prioritization report. Landowner outreach and

engagement is focusing on two goals:

• The first goal is to gain landowner approval for decisions made regarding the alignment

of the greenway trail on their properties;

• The second goal is to identify landowners

interested in pursuing ecological restoration

and stewardship projects on their property,

focusing on those with higher priority

ecological restoration opportunities.

Grant Tasks

Bucks County Park Shoreline Trail


Task 1.1 Stakeholder Outreach

PEC formed an Advisory Committee for the

ecological assessment and prioritization work

(see list of members in Appendix A). The

Advisory Committee includes representatives

from agencies, local governments, non-profits, and landowners. Landowners such as Bucks

County Parks and the Andalusia Foundation

were also periodically updated on the status of

project activities.

PEC has coordinated with the Committee

via emails, phone calls, site visits, and

teleconferences/meetings. Committee members

have provided information on available resource

documents and GIS layers, and commented

on ecological restoration assessment and

prioritization criteria. PEC continues to work with

Committee members to prepare this report and

to access individual parcels for assessment and

project promotion activities.

PEC also contacted landowners in the study

area by letter, focusing on those with higher

priority ecological restoration opportunities.

Landowners were invited to review the study’s

findings, receive a site visit to evaluate ecological restoration opportunities on or near

their property, and attend a public meeting.

Specific landowner engagement activities are summarized under the Task 2 Landowner

Outreach and Engagement section of this

report.

Task 1. Ecological Restoration Assessment and Prioritization

Task 1.2 Data Collection and Site Visits

PEC surveyed the Advisory Committee and conducted internet searches to identify and compile

available reports, GIS layers, and other information containing information on site conditions,

ecological and natural resource features, land use, and parcel ownership. Site visits were also

conducted to gather additional information. These data were compiled and applied to the ecological

restoration site assessment and prioritization protocol defined in Task 1.3.

Neshaminay State Park Delaware River Shoreline


Resource Documents

Resource documents identified by the Advisory Committee and/or through internet searches are

listed in the Reference Section. A summary of

the documents and preliminary findings are as follows:

PA Natural Heritage Program Interactive Map

accessed March 2015 and April 2016

The Program identifies seven Natural Heritage Areas (NHA) in the study area including those

listed below with their locations shown on Figure

2:

1. Neshaminy State Park: Tidal marsh and

mature coastal plain forest;

2. Neshaminy Creek fresh water tidal marsh

and river bank just above State Road Bridge;

3. Columbus Country Club: Small riverfront wetland and disturbed riparian forest;

4. Pen Ryn and Bucks County Parks River

Access: Sweet gum-oak coastal plain forest,

freshwater intertidal mudflat;5. Pen Ryn Woods: Low, wet coastal plain

woods, sweet gum-oak coastal plain and

three plant species of concern;

6. Mud Island: Fresh water tidal marsh

community;

7. Delaware River Shoreline around and

downriver from Mud Island: Freshwater tidal

habitat with species of concern such as salt-

marsh water-hemp and subulate arrowhead.

The Natural Heritage Area web site also provides

a description of the Sweet Gum – Oak Coastal

Plain Forest, noting that this type of forest

is restricted to the level, sandy soils of the

Coastal Plain. Characteristic species include

Liquidambar styraciflua (sweet gum), Quercus falcate (southern red oak), Quercus phellos (willow oak), Quercus alba (white oak), Fagus grandifolia (American beech), Acer racemosa

(fetter-bush), Lyonia mariana (stagger-bush),

Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepper bush), Kalmia

latifolia (mountain laurel), and sometimes Ilex

opaca (American holly) (Terrestrial & Palustrine

Plant Communities of Pennsylvania, by Jean

Fike).

Bucks County, Pennsylvania Natural Areas

Inventory Update, March 2011

The Bucks County Natural Areas Inventory

lists the study area as being in the Atlantic

Coastal Plain Conservation Landscape. This

physiographic province falls in a narrow band

along the Delaware River in southeastern

Pennsylvania. This area is located in the upper

reaches of the Delaware Estuary. While it has

a tidal gradient (high to low tide) of nearly 2

meters, the water is considered fresh with

chloride levels below 250 ppm. The Natural

Areas Inventory documents that remaining

pockets of coastal plain forests are found in

the study area at Neshaminy State Park and

Pen Ryn Woods, including critically imperiled

sweetgum – oak coastal plain forests.

The Inventory also lists critically imperiled

freshwater intertidal marsh, with expanses of

tidal marsh located along the lower section of

Neshaminy Creek and in Neshaminy State Park.

Core areas identified for protection in the Inventory include:

• Neshaminy State Park including the

freshwater tidal marshes that border

Neshaminy Creek and the Delaware River

(Natural Heritage Area 1 on Figure 2);

• The eight acre parcel along Neshaminy

Creek just to the Northwest (upstream) of

the State Road Bridge is described as an

excellent example of high marsh featuring a

large stand of wild rice, a Pennsylvania rare

species, plus other state endangered plants

(Natural Heritage Area 2 on Figure 2);

• Pen Ryn Woods and Station Avenue River

Access, which includes 75 acres of mature

forests including mature sweet gum – oak

coastal plain forests, sand barrens on old

dredge soil deposits, and small wetland

areas. While bulk heads have eliminated

tidal marsh, the Inventory recommends that

now deteriorating walls be removed in places

to allow for the restoration of tidal marsh

(Natural Heritage Area 4 on Figure 2).

Bucks County Open Space and Greenways Plan

(2011)

The Bucks County Open Space and Greenway

Plan lists the East Coast Greenway, which

includes the Bensalem Greenway where it

traverses Bensalem Township along State Road.

The Plan also includes the Neshaminy Main

Stem-Lower Bucks County Greenway, with its

third segment entering the study area along

Haunted Lane and ending at Neshaminy State

Park.


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Woods

4. Pen Ryn &

River Access

6. Mud Island

7. Deleware

River Shoreline

Figure 2. Bensalem Greenway

Natural Heritage AreasBensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

N

Natural Heritage AreasSTUDY AREA

Image Source: NAID2015 Dept of Agriculture

Data Source: PA Natural Heritage Program (PNHP)


Bensalem Greenway Master Plan, September

2012

This document details a preferred alignment for

the Bensalem Greenway Trail along the State

Road Corridor. The document recognizes that

the future trail may bring the public into close

proximity to sensitive natural areas, offering

opportunities for educational and interpretive

engagement. The document also notes that the

protection and conservation of sensitive natural

resources should remain a priority of the trail

plan. Figure 3 shows Bensalem Greenway and

Neshaminy Creek Greenway trail alignments.

Bucks County Waterfront Revitalization Plan, February 2005

This Waterfront Revitalization Plan “seeks to

improve access to the riverfront and promote

targeted economic development. It envisions

a vibrant and accessible waterfront with a

public riverwalk flanked by natural areas, stable existing communities complemented by vibrant

new businesses and residential uses.” The

plan calls for increasing and improving public

access to the Delaware River, and fostering

environmental sustainability by restoring

riverbanks and floodplains to more natural conditions. The plan calls for restoration of

the Delaware River throughout the study area;

Tidal Delaware River Water Trail Map and Guide

The Tidal Delaware River Water Trail runs

through the study area (From river mile 111

at Poquessing Creek to river mile 116 at

Neshaminy State Park. This reach of the water

trail is shown on the Philadelphia Section

Map (River Miles 113-90) and the Trenton-to-Philadelphia Section Map (River Miles 137-112). The water trail maps show boat ramps,

kayak launch sites, and points of interest such

as parks and historical sites. See http://www.

tidaltrail.org/trail-map for Tidal Delaware River

Water Trail maps.

The Plan further includes the Tidal Delaware

River Water Trail. Tidal Delaware River Water

Trail maps and web site(http://wwwtidaltrail.org)

show the locations of boating access and points

of interest in the study area.

Lower Delware River Conservation Plan,

September 1999

The Conservation Plan includes management

options for municipal and regional

implementation. The Plan identifies Bensalem Township key projects and implementation

strategies that relate to Delaware River

restoration, including the following:

• Study need for riparian restoration and

erosion/sediment controls and implement

a demonstration project on a selected

municipal site;

• Update Township Comprehensive plan and

zoning/subdivision ordinance to address

preservation and conservation of existing

significant and sensitive natural features;• Acquire properties and access easements

to complete greenway protection efforts and

develop a recreational trail network.

restoration guidelines include:

• Preserve existing intact floodplain and natural stream banks;

• Reduce impervious material with the 100-

year flood plain;• Develop stream bank restoration projects;

• Promote native plant usage for stabilization

of river banks;

• Remove human-made impediments or

impoundments and then re-plant native

species;

• For all new development and

redevelopment, mandate a 100-foot riparian

buffer along the Delaware River and its

tributaries, populated with native plant

species.

The Plan shows public park and open space

lands at Salem Harbour, Pen Ryn Manor, and

Neshaminy State Park.

Bensalem Township Open Space Plan (2002)

(with 2010 updates).

The Open space plan includes designated open

space at Neshaminy State Park and Pen Ryn

(currently state and county parks, respectively).

The plan has three goals:

• Create linkages between people and parks

(including creating Delaware River Trail and

the purchase of key properties to safely

access the Delaware River);

• Implement a natural resource protection

strategy (including the establishment of a

minimum riparian buffer overlay district,

and a grant funding program for voluntary

restoration of stream banks and habitat);

• Establish safe access to the waterfront.


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SalemSalemHarborHarbor


Proposed TrailsBensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Proposed Trails

STUDY AREA


Bensalem East Coast Greenway

Neshaminy Creek Greenway

Other East Coast Greenway Trail Segments


Bucks County Comprehensive Plan, 2011

The Bucks County Comprehensive Plan “seeks

to set forth a common vision of the future of

Bucks County and to coordinate, educate,

and guide development and preservation in

appropriate areas of the county.

Map 6 in the Plan places the study area

in the Atlantic Coastal Plain Conservation

Landscape. Map 8 in the Plan identifies Water Quality Classifications for Streams, showing the Delaware River, Poquessing Creek, and

Neshaminy Creek as warm water fisheries and with Migratory Fishes. Map 5 (not to scale) in

the Plan envisions Future Land Uses including

a Natural Resource/Conservation Area along

the Delaware River, Neshaminy Creek, and

Poquessing Creek in the Bensalem Township

area (see Figure 4). The Future Land Use map

also shows Employment Areas further inland

in the Township, and Mature Suburban Areas

along the southern reach of the Delaware River

shoreline in Bensalem and further inland.

The Comprehensive plan also maps current

land use, showing a diverse mix of residential,

commercial, manufacturing, undeveloped, and

publically owned uses. Bensalem Township

designated land uses are shown on Figure 5.



Land UseBensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Data Source: PASDA, Bensalem GIS

Land Use Categories

RURAL RESIDENTIAL

SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL

MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL

COMMERCIAL

MINING & MANUFACTURING

CIVIC & INSTITUTIONAL

TRANSPORTATION

AGRICULTURAL

PARKS, REC, & PROTECTED OPEN SPACE

VACANT

STUDY AREA

PARCELS



Neshaminy Creek Crossing Project East Coast

Greenway (ECG) Feasibility Study & Ecological Assessment, December 2013

This document assesses the feasibility of

potential Bensalem Greenway Trail routes where

the trail crosses Neshaminy Creek between

Bristol Township and Bensalem Township. The

document also identifies ecological restoration opportunities in Neshaminy Creek Park near the

trail alignments. Four ecological enhancement

opportunities are listed below; design concepts

for the enhancements provided in Section 6

of the Neshaminy Creek Crossing report are

included in Appendix B.

• Area 1 Wetland Creation

• Area 2 Vernal Pool Creation

• Area 3 Reforestation• Area 4 Delaware River Erosion Control

Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI)

Project Environmental Review Receipts for Bensalem Greenway Corridor

PEC first ran a PNDI search for the Bensalem Greenway study area on April 9, 2013, considering the broader footprint of land from

the Delaware River’s edge inland to the Amtrak

right of way (1,365.5 acres). The PNDI Project Environmental Review Receipt required further

review from the PA Game Commission, the

PA Fish and Boat Commission, and the PA

Bureau of Forestry. The Receipt included a

list of DCNR botanical species with a current

status of “Special Concern,” “Threatened,” or

“Endangered.”

PEC ran a second PNDI search on January 23, 2014, that focused more narrowly on the trail

alignment along State Road (253.4 acres). The Receipt included a similar conclusion as that

noted above for the broader study area PNDI

search.

A third PNDI search was conducted by AD Marble

on November 6, 2015, focusing just on

The Bensalem Greenway trail alignment,

Section B, Segments 10 & 11. This area

includes Bucks County park land and Andalusia

property along State Road 9 (72.4 acres). The

Receipt required further review by the PA Fish

and Boat Commission and DCNR. AD Marble

contacted the PA Fish and Boat Commission,

who responded that “given the nature of the

proposed project, the immediate location,

or the current status of the nearby element

occurrence(s), no adverse impacts are expected

to the species of special concern.” A similar

letter submitted to DCNR indicated species or

resources of concern are located in the project

vicinity, including Quercus phellos (willow oak), Quercus falcata (southern red oak), Woodwardia areolata (netted chainfern), and Leucothoe

racemosa (swamp dog-hobble).

Copies of the PNDI Receipts and PA Fish and

Boat Commission and DCNR review letters are

included in Appendix C.

Bensalem Waterfront Master Plan (Bensalem 2018 Regulating Code for River Renaissance in New Bensalem; electronic version provided by

Matt Takita of Bensalem Township)

PEC reviewed the draft version of the Bensalem

2018 Regulating Code for River Renaissance

in New Bensalem. This Code was developed for

a waterfront redevelopment master plan; see

Figure 6 Master Plan). The Plan includes a T-1

Natural Transect Zone and associated reserved

open space. Recommendations for ecological

restoration within the Natural Transect Zone

are provided in the Task 1.5 section, including

recommendation that the Natural Resource

Transect and reserved open space areas

establish and/or maintain continuity and

connections between adjacent natural resource

areas such as open space lands, the Delaware

Riverfront, and stream corridors.

Salem Harbour Delaware River Shoreline


Neshaminy State

Park

Pen Ryn

Woods

Figure 6. Bensalem 2018 Master PlanFigure 6. Bensalem 2018 Waterfront Master Plan


GIS Layers

PEC searched for GIS layers that show resources, land uses, and other features in the study area.

PEC used the GIS information to support the ecological restoration assessment and prioritization

work. PEC obtained GIS layers from the Pennsylvania Spatial Data Clearing House (PASDA),

Bensalem Township, and AD Marble (via grant subcontract). The GIS layers and other map resources

compiled and consulted for the assessment/prioritization work are listed in Table 1.

Table 1. GIS & Map Resources

Description Source

National Wetland Inventory U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (US FWS) (2009)

Flood Plains Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (2012)

Land Use Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) (2015)

Streams/Water features PA Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) (2015)

Aquatic Resources AD Marble Map drawing from USFWS NWI 2015, FEMA 2013, & PASDA data layers

Topography (2ft intervals) DVRPC (2005)

Parks PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (2015)

Cultural ResourcesCultural Resources Geographic Information System (CRGIS);

PA Department of Transportation; and PA Historical & Museum Commission (2012)

Aerial Photography U.S. Department of Agriculture NAID (2015)

Riparian Buffer Assessment Heritage Conservancy (2012)

Soils U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service (2012)

Bensalem Boundary

Bensalem Township (April 29, 2015 except May 18, 2015 for Parcels)

Road Centerlines

Right of Ways

Hydrology

Parcels

Parcel Boundaries & LandownersBucks County Bucksviewer parcels map at https://gisweb.co.bucks.pa.us/apps/bucksviewer https://

gisweb.co.bucks.pa.us/apps/Bucksviewer/

Potential Hazardous Waste Sites PA DEP – eMapPA (February 2017)

Navigation map National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) (2015)


Site Visits

Table 2. Site Visits

2014

June 16thWetland delineation request for proposal (RFP) tour of Bucks County

and Andalusia properties.

November 4th

Field view with Heritage Conservancy Staff (Kris Kern) to review

Neshaminy Creek and Bensalem Creek collaboration opportunities

and view proposed trail linkages within Lower Bucks County.

2015

March 16thField visit with DCNR state and regional officials to review and prioritize ecological restoration opportunities in Neshaminy State Park.

April 28thSite tour with AD Marble to assess Bucks County and Andalusia

wetlands.

June 10thSite visit (PEC and AD Marble) to walk trail alignment through Bucks

County and Andalusia properties.

August 20th Waterside Property and Salem Harbour site visits.

S e p t e m b e r

29th

Waterfront kayak tour of study reach between Neshaminy State Park/

Neshaminy Creek and Salem Harbour/Poquessing Creek.

October 30th Site walk on Pen Ryn and Andalusia properties.

2016March 16th Driving tour of entire study area.

May 26thDriving tour of trail alignment for review of green infrastructure

opportunities associated with trail right of way.

In addition to the above data collection effort, PEC conducted the following site visits to collect

additional information for the ecological prioritization and assessment work (see Table 2):

In addition to the site visits, PEC conducted site analyses using Google Earth. The following

categories of data were collected during the field visits and Google Earth analyses and incorporated into the prioritization/assessment work.

• Photographs (including photo logs);

• Presence of shoreline structures such as bulkheads and riprap;

• General types of shoreline vegetation such as mowed grass, meadows, or riverbank forests.

Bensalem Greenway Parcels Included in Ecological Prioritization Study

PEC considered a subset of the total parcels

present in the Bensalem Greenway study area.

PEC accessed Bensalem Township’s GIS parcel

layer to view the ownership patterns associated

with the study area. As shown in Figure 1,

the study area includes Bensalem Township

land between Neshaminy and Poquessing

Creeks, from the Delaware River back to the

Amtrak rail corridor. PEC included riverfront

and upland parcels in prioritization assessment

with the exceptions of commercial and smaller

residential parcels that are mostly covered with

impervious surfaces in the form of buildings,

roads, parking lots, and other structures.

Figure 7 shows the parcels included in the

prioritization assessment; they include riverfront

parcels numbered R-1 to R-37, and upland parcels numbered U-1 to U-57.


Nesham

iny Creek

Trib

utar

y of

Nes

ham

iny

Cre

ek

Po

qu

essi

ng

Cre

ek

State Rd

Marshall L

n

Street R

d

Statio

n A

ve

Hau

nted

Ln

/Totem

Rd

State Rd

Tennis Ave

Delew

are

Express

way (9

5)

Win

ks Ln

Deleware River

Trib

utar

y of

Nes

ham

iny

Cre

ek

Po

qu

essi

ng

Cre

ek

State Rd

Marshall L

n

Street R

d

Statio

n A

ve

Hau

nted

Ln

/Totem

Rd

State Rd

Tennis Ave

Delew

are

Express

way (9

5)

Win

ks Ln

Nesham

iny Creek

Trib

utar

y of

Nes

ham

iny

Cre

ek

Po

qu

essi

ng

Cre

ek

State Rd

Marshall L

n

Street R

d

Statio

n A

ve

Hau

nted

Ln

/Totem

Rd

State Rd

Tennis Ave

Delew

are

Express

way (9

5)

Win

ks Ln

Deleware River

Trib

utar

y of

Nes

ham

iny

Cre

ek

Po

qu

essi

ng

Cre

ek

Marshall L

n

Street R

d

Statio

n A

ve

Hau

nted

Ln

/Totem

Rd

State Rd

Tennis Ave

Delew

are

Express

way (9

5)

Win

ks Ln

R-1

R-2

R-18

R-32

R-29

R-31R-30

R-28R-27

R-26

R-25R-24

R-23R-22

R-21R-19R-20

R-33

R-17

R-16R-15

R-14

R-13

R-12R-11

R10

R9

R-8

R-7R-6

R-5

R-4

R-3

R-34

U-1U-2

U-3 U-4U-5

U-7U-6

U-8U-9

U-14

U-11

U-12

U-13

U-10

U-15

U-16

U-18U-20

U-21

U-22U-23

U-19

U-17

U-57

R-37

U-25

U-26

U-27

U-28

U-29

U-54

U-55U-56

U-24

U-31

U-30

R-35

U-43

U-40U-41

U-46

U-37U-36

U-45

U-50

U-47

U-49

U-48

R-36

U-53

U-35U-34

U-33

U-32

U-39U-38

U-42U-44

U-51

U-52


Land UseBensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Data Source: PASDA, Bensalem GIS

Land Use Categories

RURAL RESIDENTIAL

SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL

MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL

COMMERCIAL

MINING & MANUFACTURING

CIVIC & INSTITUTIONAL

TRANSPORTATION

AGRICULTURAL

PARKS, REC, & PROTECTED OPEN SPACE

VACANT

STUDY AREA

PARCELS


Parcels Included In Study

UPLAND PARCELS (U)

RIVER-FRONT PARCELS (R)

STUDY AREA

PARCELS


Parcels Included in StudyBensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania


• Sections of riverfront and uplands that

include larger (multi-acre) residential and

State/County park parcels with open space

and natural resource features;

• Much of the shoreline along the downriver

reach of the study area has steeper slopes

and bulkheads/walls that limit opportunities

to expand intertidal wetlands;

• Sections of riverfront and uplands that

are developed with small, more densely

developed residential lots and commercial/

industrial enterprises, limiting restoration

opportunities;

• Wetland areas interspersed within the

centrally located commercial industrial

area just south of State Road. Planned

redevelopment in this area may offer

opportunities to restore and enhance habitat

areas and corridors within these upland and

riverfront areas.

Summary of Resource Documents, GIS Layers, and Site Visits

Past planning and natural resource assessment

documents have identified unique habitats in the study area such as Atlantic Coastal Plain

forests and freshwater intertidal wetlands. These

include pockets of imperiled sweetgum-oak

coastal plain forests. Likewise, Pennsylvania

Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) Reviews report

a suite of threatened, endangered, and special

concern plants including aquatic, terrestrial, and

wetland species.

Because of the uniqueness and rareness of

these habitats, the planning documents call for

conservation and restoration measures (e.g.

Coastal Plain Conservation Landscape called

for in the Bucks County Comprehensive Plan,

including a Natural Resource/Conservation

Area along the Delaware River and tributaries).

Likewise, the Bucks County Waterfront

Revitalization Plan recommends increasing

and improving public access to the Delaware

River, and restoring riverbanks and floodplains. Bensalem Township’s Open Space Plan seconds

these recommendations, calling for linkages

between people and parks, and natural resource

protection including a riparian buffer overlay

district.

GIS layers highlight the locations of key natural

resource features such as wetlands, floodplains, and forest cover. Site visits and aerial (Google

Earth) views provide a general overview of the

current land use in the study area, including:

Task 1.3 Confirmation of Prioritization Factors and Site Ranking

PEC adapted prioritization factors used to

evaluate tidal, riverbank, and adjacent upland

areas along the Philadelphia North Delaware

River Greenway (2009). Stakeholder outreach

during the North Delaware River Greenway

assessment resulted in the identification of 11 general ecological restoration site-screening

criteria (see Table 3).

Table 3. Ecological Restoration Site

Screening Criteria

1. Bathymetry and benthic classification2. Shoreline type (engineered/natural)

3. Wetlands (freshwater tidal)

4. Species and habitat (fish, birds, other)5. Vegetation

6. Site access (for restoration and public)

7. Contaminant proximity (CSO’s, hazmat,

invasive)

8. Disturbance from wakes and currents

9. Operation/maintenance issues

10. Presence of cultural resources

11. Willing land-owners

These general criteria were further developed

into habitat, site-wide, and recreational

assessment and prioritization factors. PEC

updated the factors used for the adjacent North

Delaware River Greenway reach to reflect data available for the Bensalem Greenway area, and

to address the wider upland footprint considered

for the Bensalem riverfront. High, medium, and

low scores were assigned to each factor. The

updated habitat, site-wide, and recreational

prioritization categories and scoring criteria are

included in Tables 4, 5, and 6, respectively.


Table 4: Habitat Scoring Factors

Location on

Riverfront

Gradient

Habitat

Features

Scoring Criteria Score

High = 3 Medium = 2 Low = 1

Upland

Forested,

scrub-

shrub,

meadow,

mowed turf

Size of parcel Greater than 5 acres 1 to 5 acres Less than 1 acre

Diversity of vegetation

Diverse, mixed aged, native

species, limited development (e.g.

single residence, less than 10

percent cover)

Patchy, mix of native and

ornamental/invasive species,

moderate development (10 to 40

percent)

Monoculture, ornamental (e.g. turf

grass) or invasive species, or more

than 40% covered by building/road

Natural resource features

High value, rare resources (e.g.

vernal pool, wetlands, mature

trees)

Present (e.g. mixture of native

plants and non-native/invasive

species)

None

Connectivity to adjacent

natural lands/habitats (e.g.

forests, native meadow,

buffered riparian corridors);

Length and characteristics

of edge (developed, invasive

species entry point)

Connected to surrounding habitat/

wildlife corridor with minimial edge

(forest, wetland, river/stream

corridor)

Connected to adjacent habitat

(but with over 50 % edge with

development/cleared land/high

invasive species potential)

Habitat island (isolated parcel)

Riparian

Forested,

scrub-

shrub,

meadow,

mowed turf

Vegetated riparian bufferExtensive shoreline cover (>90

%), width over 100 feet, forested

Moderate shoreline cover

(>50%) and/or single row of

trees (>90%)

Spotty or no trees/shrubs

Bank stability

Stable, evidence of erosion or

bank failure absent or minimal

(considering either natural or

hardened shorelines)

Moderate stability, areas of

erosion notedUnstable, many eroded areas

Excavation to achieve 5 to 1

slope or lesser slope (goal is

to restore living shorelines/

tidal wetlands)

Currently slope is less than 5 (run)

to 1 (rise)

Currently slope is 5 (run) to 1

(rise)

Areas with greater than 5 (run) to 1

(rise) slope

Intertidal

High marsh

vascular

plants,

low marsh

succulent

plants

Presence of intertidal wetlands Wetland along full shoreline Wetland on part of shoreline None on site

Shoreline armoring (e.g.

bulkhead, rip rap, natural)Lower armoring (0 to 25%)

Moderate armoring (25 to 75%

armoring; smaller riprap that

allows connection between

upland and intertidal)

Heavy armoring (75 to 100 %

armoring with bulkhead or large

riprap)

Protection from currents/

wakes

Well protected in cove, side

channel, or by on-site structures

Moderate protection (e.g. wave

deflection by nearby structures) Exposed

Hard or soft

bottom,

submerged

aquatic

vegetation

Submerged aquatic vegetation

(SAV)

Thriving (SAV prefers 3-5 foot

depth range)Small pockets Minimal

Substrate type

Complex habitat, can support

multiple communities with high

diversity and resiliency; contains

multiple substrate types; devoid of

trash, litter, other debris

More uniform habitat of one

or two substrate types, likely

supports lower community

diversity; devoid of trash, litter,

other debris.

Primarily trash and litter or

old infrastructure/fill/sea wall; looks resistant to community

development; would need larger

remediation effort.


Explanation of Habitat Scoring Factors

Each of the Figure 7 parcels in the study area

were evaluated and assigned scores for the

habitat factors. For selected habitat factors

shown in Figure 4 (that is, size of parcel,

protection from wakes, submerged aquatic

vegetation, and substrate), the same score

was assigned for both pre- and post-restoration

conditions. For the remaining criteria, separate

scores were assigned for pre- and post-

restoration conditions, under the assumption

that these variables are more subject to change

through restoration (e.g., you can excavate, you

can remove riprap, and you can plant a wider

riparian buffer). By making these changes, your

goal will be to increase the ecological value of

the shoreline or upland parcel.

The following considerations were made for

selected scoring criteria (as shown in Table 4):

• For diversity of vegetation, higher post

restoration scores were assigned for parcels

that currently have unpaved areas of

marginal habitat such as turf grass, fields, or forests with limited understory. Planting

native species in these areas would increase

diversity.

• For natural resource features, as the key

natural resource features reported in the

area are wetlands, higher post restoration

scores were assigned for parcels that have

the potential to expand/enhance existing

wetlands located within the upland matrix.

• For connectivity to adjacent natural lands/habitats, higher post restoration scores were

assigned for parcels that have the potential

to connect restored habitat areas with

adjacent habitat corridors.

• For vegetated riparian buffer, higher post

restoration scores were assigned if the

potential exists to create, extend or widen

a vegetated riverfront buffer on the parcel.

Parcels with tributary streams were also

assessed for current and future riparian

buffer habitat scores.

• For bank stability, higher post restoration

scores were assigned for parcels with eroded

areas that can be stabilized through grading

and replanting efforts.

• For the excavation to restore living shorelines requirement, PEC considered a

5 (run) to 1 (rise) or lesser slope as more

preferable for bank restoration (i.e. would

not require extensive grading to expand

riverfront wetlands). Higher post restoration

scores were assigned if the parcel had 5

to 1 or lesser slopes, and if there are no

structures (e.g. sea walls), land uses (e.g.

development right up to shoreline edge), or

existing riparian buffers (e.g. that we would

not want to disturb) that would discourage

bank restoration.

• For presence of tidal and non-tidal wetlands,

the same score was assigned for both

pre- and post-restoration conditions. The

potential for future expansion of wetlands is

addressed under other criteria (i.e. potential

to excavate and protection from currents/

wakes).

• For shoreline armoring, scores were

estimated from aerial photos and field observations; no linear measurements of

shoreline armoring were made. Higher post

restoration scores were assigned for parcels

that have the potential to reduce armoring

(for example, if they are not developed right

up to the armored areas and do not have

steeper slopes).

• For protection from currents/wakes, scores

were estimated from field observations, with some confirmation provided by presence of existing wetlands that are buffered from

high-energy environment. Higher post-

restoration scores were assigned where

the construction of a marsh sill or other

structure might be feasible, increasing

shoreline protection.

• For submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV),

higher post-restoration scores were assigned

if shoreline protection might be feasible,

thereby increasing habitat complexity

including improvements in SAV.

• For substrate type, higher post-restoration

scores were assigned if shoreline protection

might be feasible, leading to increased

substrate complexity via active restoration or

natural processes.

Bucks County Park Tributary


Table 5: Site-Wide Scoring Factors



1. Landowner interested in

restoration

High interest Medium interest Low interest or level of

interest unknown

2. Proximity to Contaminants

(including CSO’s, brownfields, chemical point sources, trash

collection points, outfalls and

intakes, and/or invasive plants).

None present on or

adjacent to site

Moderate potential

for contaminant

impacts (e.g.

adjacent

brownfields or stormwater runoff

pathway)

Present with adverse

impacts occurring

or likely to occur

(e.g. documented

contamination above

adverse effect levels)

3. Availability of follow-up for

O/M and stewardship.

Public site with O/M

staff or Friends Group

Private site with

O/M staff

Isolated site, little O/M

resources

4. Linear feet of shoreline

(based scoring on Philadelphia

Water assessment of ecological

restoration sites)

Greater than 1,500

feet

1,500 to 500 feet Less than 500 feet

5. Presence of threatened/

endangered/ listed species

Known to be present Potentially present No documentation of

presence

Explanation of Site-Wide Scoring Factors

Each of the Figure 7 parcels in the study area

were evaluated and assigned scores for the site-

wide factors, as shown in Table 5. Before and

after restoration scores were not estimated for

the site-wide factors, as for the most part these

factors are more static (though we do hope

that factors such as landowner willingness can

change through education and outreach). The

following considerations were made for scoring

criteria (as shown in Table 5):

• The willingness of landowner score was

estimated based on PEC’s current limited

knowledge of landowner interest. The scores

will be revised as landowner outreach is

expanded.

• The proximity to contamination factor score was estimated based on proximity

to potential hazardous waste concerns. PA

Department of Environmental Protection

eMap PA information was reviewed, showing

the presence of Toxic Release Inventory

sites, Brownfields, and Storage Tanks. Google Map information was also reviewed

to identify facilities that manage vehicle

fleets. Scores of 3 or 2 were assigned. No scores of 1 were assigned, as the available

information could not be used to confirm contamination.

• The availability of follow-up for O/M/Stewardship score was assumed based

on whether the site is a public/private

institution with land management staff

(score 2 to 3), or a private site (assumed score of 1).

• Linear feet of shoreline is viewed as

a physical factor, with longer and thus

potentially larger habitat areas scoring

higher. The scoring criteria (<1,500, 500

to 1,500, >500) were derived from a

Philadelphia Water assessment of ecological

restoration sites along the City’s shoreline

(see Appendix D).

• The presence of listed species score was

estimated based on the results of the

Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory

(PNDI) reports for the study area. A total

of 27 plant species were listed in the PNDI

reports as DCNR species, threatened

species, and endangered species (see

Appendix C). These include aquatic, wetland,

and terrestrial plant species, with the

majority being plants that occur in wetter

habitats such as marshes, swamps, mud

flats, shorelines, wetlands, and ditches. Others include plants such as southern red


Table 6: Recreation Scoring Factors



1. Potential for Public

access to see/experience

restored resources

High current and/

or future use (e.g.

park with multiple

passive and active

uses including

fixed facilities such as boat launch or

interpretative trails)

Moderate current and/

or future use (e.g. public

access for passive/active

uses such as observation

area or trail access)

Limited/no current use

or future recreational

opportunities

2. Resources that have or

require buffer/separation

from public access (e.g.

threatened species)

Buffer present that

protects species

(e.g. inaccessible,

protected land)

Some buffer/protection No protection

3. Opportunity for green

infrastructure with

habitat elements to be

incorporated into East

Coast Greenway Trail

alignment.

Parcel includes or

is directly adjacent

to trail right-of-

way (ROW) and

has space readily

available for green

infrastructure

Parcel includes or is

directly adjacent to trail

ROW and but would

have constraints on

installation of green

infrastructure (e.g. based

on land use, size of site)

No potential for

green infrastructure

associated with trail

ROWExplanation of Recreation Scoring Factors

Human recreational use along the Delaware

River waterfront area is a significant factor to consider when identifying ecological restoration

opportunities. The Bensalem Greenway section

of the East Coast Greenway trail will traverse

the area, using mostly the State Road alignment

but offering connections to public access points

along the river. PEC views human use of the

riverfront as a driving factor in this ecological

restoration initiative. In additional to improving

fish and wildlife habitat, ecological restoration will improve recreational opportunities for a

sizable urban population in the area. Examples

of recreation include fishing, bird watching, hiking/biking, and nature study, along with more

passive uses/enjoyment of natural river views.

The following considerations were made for

the Table 6 scoring factors; before and after

restoration scores were not estimated:

• The potential for public access score

focused on public access points along the

river including parks and other open space

accessible to the public.

• The resources requiring buffering from public access score considered where

there was upland (e.g. forest) or shoreline

(e.g. wetland) habitat areas that were not

accessible to the public, offering some

degree of buffer protection to species using

the habitat.

• The opportunity for green infrastructure score focused on the proposed trail

alignment, considering where the narrow

(i.e. 10 feet) buffer along the trail could

potentially incorporate green infrastructure

such a vegetated bioswale or rain garden.

oak, willow oak, and American holly that

occur in the sweet gum-oak coastal plain

forest, which is itself a plant community

identified in the PNDI reports as a Special Concern Resource. Based on the potential

for listed species, scores of at least 2 were

assigned, and scores of 3 were assigned when the parcel is located in a designated

Natural Heritage Area.


Task 1.4 Wetland Delineation and Ecological Analysis

The Bensalem Greenway reach includes several

parcels with extensive coastal plain forested

wetlands. These properties fall within proposed

Segments 10 and 11 of Section B and part of

segment 12 from Section C of the Bensalem

Greenway Master Plan (see Figure 8). They

include the Bucks County-owned park land on

the south side of State Road between Station

Avenue and Gravel Pike, contiguous Bucks

County park land on the north side of State Road

from Gravel Pike to Kings Lane, and Andalusia

Foundation property on the north side of State

Road.

These areas were identified early in the Greenway planning process as high priority

habitat areas. As a result, the DCNR grant

included wetland delineation and ecological

analysis tasks focused on determining the

best route for the greenway trail through these

properties. These lands provide an opportunity

for trail users to experience unique and rare

coastal plain habitats. The wetlands also provide

a challenge on how to best site the greenway

trail as it passes sensitive resource features.

Following a competitive bidding process, PEC

tasked subcontractor AD Marble to evaluate

potential trail right of ways through the Bucks

County and Andalusia properties. AD Marble

delineated wetlands, assessed for the presence

of bog turtle habitat, and assessed for the

presence of threatened and endangered

Segment 10

Segment 11

Segment 12

Section B

Section C

Proposed Crossing at Gravel Pike

State Rd

Statio

n A

ve

State Rd

Tennis Ave

Delew

are

Express

way (9

5)

Deleware River

State Rd

Statio

n A

ve

State Rd

Tennis Ave

Delew

are

Express

way (9

5)

State Rd

Statio

n A

ve

State Rd

Tennis Ave

Delew

are

Express

way (9

5)

Deleware River

Tennis Ave

Delew

are

Express

way (9

5)

Bucks

County

Property

Bucks

County

PropertyBucks

County

Property

Bucks

County

Property

Andalusia

Foundation

Andalusia

Foundation


Wetland & Ecological AnalysisBensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

WETLAND & SPECIES OF SPECIAL

CONCERN FOCUS AREA

STUDY AREA



species. The effort focused on determining

the best location to site a 10-12 foot trail right

of way through Segments 10 and 11 of the

Bensalem Greenway alignment. The goal of the

assessment is to determine an alignment that

avoids and/or minimizes resource impacts.

Wetlands

AD Marble conducted an initial review of the

properties and confirmed the presence of wetlands. For the Bucks County-owned park

land on the south side of State Road, AD Marble

delineated a wetland on low lying land on the

interior of the parcel (wetland 1). They located a

potential trail route that follows an existing social

trail that avoids this wetland. For the Bucks

County park land and Andalusia Foundation

property on the north side of State Road, AD

Marble identified more extensive wetlands. They observed that the strip of land directly parallel

to State Road is a mix of upland and wetland

areas, and offers the best location for a trail.

They identified and delineated four wetland areas within the 50-foot wide strip of land. These

wetlands that continue into the interiors of the

properties (wetland areas 2, 2A, 2B, and 2C)

(see Appendix E wetland maps).

AD Marble requested that the U.S. Army Corps

of Engineers (ACOE) conduct a Jurisdictional

Determination for these delineated wetlands.

An ACOE representative visited the site on

August 5, 2016, and concurred with the

wetland delineation boundaries reported by

AD Marble. The wetland delineation boundary

flags were then surveyed and this information

was forwarded to the ACOE on December

21, 2016, for the purpose of preparing a

Jurisdictional Determination report. The Army

Corps of Engineers formulated the jusidictional

determination report on March 1, 2017 (see

Appendix F).

Bog Turtle Habitat

AD Marble surveyed the five wetland sites (1, 2, 2A, 2B, and 2C) for the presence of bog

turtle habitat (see Appendix G report). They

reported the Wetland 1 did contain bog turtle

habitat but that no bog turtles were observed.

They reported that the other 4 wetlands were

not bog turtle habitat. They forwarded the bog

turtle report along with a Pennsylvania Natural

Diversity Inventory (PNDI) Environmental Review

on August 11, 2016, to the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service. Fish and Wildlife responded on

September 12, 2016, that no federally listed

species under their jurisdiction are known or

likely to occur in the project area.

Other Threatened and Endangered and/or Special Concern Species and Resources

AD Marble conducted a Pennsylvania Natural

Diversity Inventory (PNDI) Environmental Review

of the project site and submitted the review to

the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission

(PFBC) and the Pennsylvania Department of

Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR)

(see Appendix C PNDI Receipts).

PFBC reported on February 16, 2016, that

an element occurrence of a rare, candidate,

threatened, or endangered species under their

jurisdiction is known from the vicinity of the

proposed project. However, given the nature of

the proposed project, the immediate location,

or the current status of the nearby element

occurrence(s), no adverse impacts are expected

to the species of special concern (see Appendix

C Agency Review Letters).

PA DCNR, Department of Forestry responded on

February 5, 2016 (see Appendix C), noting that

species or resources of concern are located in

the project vicinity, and requested that botanical

surveys be conducted in the project vicinity for

the following species:

• Quercus phellos (willow oak)• Quercus falcata (southern red oak)• Woodwardia areolata (netted chainfern)

• Leucothoe racemosa (swamp dog-hobble)

Summary

Based on the presence of wetlands on the two

properties, AD Marble and PEC proposed a trail

alignment that minimizes trail construction

impacts on wetlands and bog turtle habitat.

The Appendix E maps show the 50 foot wide

corridor through which the approximately 10-

12 foot wide greenway trail will be located. The

additional botanical surveys requested by PA

DCNR should be conducted to determine if any

of these species are located in the proposed trail

right of way.


Task 1.5 Identification of Ecological Restoration Priorities

Drawing from the Task 1.2 data collection

activities, the habitat, site-wide, and recreational

prioritization factors defined under Task 1.3 were applied to the individual parcels in the

study area to identify ecological restoration

opportunities. Before and after restoration

scores were calculated to estimate where

the greatest “ecological lifts” in habitat

improvements are possible.

A suite of ecological restoration techniques

can be considered to achieve these habitat

improvements. Potential restoration techniques

based on their location on the riverfront gradient

are listed in Table 7.

Table 7: Ecological Restoration Techniques

Location on Riverfront

Gradient

Type of restoration

Upland and river bank • Upland and river bank planting

• Regrade and/or replace/supplement river bank armoring with living

shoreline

Off channel aquatic • Wetlands in upland matrix

• Floodplain restoration

• Backchannels and associated wetlands

Intertidal shoreline • Excavate (e.g. wetland coves)

• Enhance tidal wetlands (low to high marsh)

• Create marsh sill or breakwater to protect wetlands from higher

energy wakes and currents.

Subtidal • Enhance structure and diversity

Ecological restoration opportunities can

be identified and prioritized by considering the overall site score, or by considering the

difference between current and post-restoration

conditions. Sites that scored higher than

others regardless of pre and post scores were

prioritized first. Sites with the highest potential for restoration “uplift” were also considered

in order to understand what factors drive the

potential for restoration “uplift.”

Site Assessment and Prioritization Results

The site assessment and prioritization scoring

results are interpreted in several ways,

considering both current condition and the

potential ecological uplift following restoration

activities. Scoring for riverfront versus upland

parcels is also considered. The following figures

present parcel site scores for the following

criteria:

• Figure 9: Total parcel scores based on

current conditions (combined habitat, site-

wide, and recreation scores)

• Figure 10: Scores based on habitat only

(current condition)

• Figure 11: Scores based on site-wide factors

only (current condition)

• Figure 12: Scores based on recreational

scores only (current conditions)

• Figure 13: Total parcel scores for upland parcels based on current conditions

• Figure 14: Total parcel scores based on

potential habitat restoration uplift

The specific scores for each factor on each parcel are included in the Appendix H Detailed

Spread Sheets.


Total site score based on current conditions (Figure 9):

Sites that received the highest ranking scores

based on current conditions are, as expected,

those that are along the banks of the Delaware

River and Neshaminy Creek that are currently

parklands. These sites score the highest

because they contain a mix of upland, river

bank, and intertidal habitats that contain fish and wildlife habitat and associated ecological

benefits. One of the parcels (R-14, Bucks County Parkland along Delaware River) also has a small

tributary stream that in some locations could

be restored (e.g. by removing the concrete flow channel and planting streamside native plants).

Many of the parcels also offer public access.

Overall, riverfront properties received scores

that ranged from 30 to 52, compared to upland parcels that had scores ranging from 16 to 29.

The ten highest scoring sites had scores ranging

from 40 to 52; these include:

• Score of 52 for R-34, Neshaminy State Park (main part of park along Delaware

River)

• Score of 49 for R-4, Mud Island (Delaware

River marshland)

• Score of 48 for R-35, Neshaminy State Park (interior and short frontage on

Neshaminy Creek)

• Score of 48 for R-36, Neshaminy State Park (frontage on Neshaminy Creek)

• Score of 46 for R-33, Neshaminy State Park (frontage along Delaware River)

• Score of 43 for R-14, Bucks County

Parkland along Delaware River

• Score of 41 for R-19, Waterside Phase 1

LLC (riverfront intertidal wetlands)

• Score of 40 for R-15, Bucks County Station

Ave. boat launch

• Score of 40 for R-3, Bucks County Economic Development Corporation (for

riverfront intertidal wetlands)

• Score of 40 for R-20, Redevelopment

Authority Bucks County at Waterside

(riverfront intertidal wetlands)

• Score of 40 for R-13, James Biddle property on Delaware River shoreline

12 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 26 28

Current Score

29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 39 40 41 45 47 49 50 53

R-34R-33

R-20

R-3 R-14

R-19

R-35

R-4

R-36

R-13R-15


Habitat higher-ranking sites (Figure 10):

When considering the habitat scoring factors

only, the scores ranged from 5 to 33. Once again, the highest scoring sites are on the

Delaware River and Neshaminy Creek shorelines

where a mixture of upland, riverbank, tributary

stream, and intertidal areas provide diverse

habitats. The ten highest scoring habitat sites

are listed below; eight of them are also in the top

ten overall score list. The other two top scoring

habitat sites are the Columbus Country Club

and the James Biddle property where a mix of

upland, tributary stream, wetland, and river’s

edge habitat areas are present.

• Score of 33 for R-4, Mud Island (Delaware River marshland)


River)



Neshaminy Creek)

• Score of 27 for R-3, Bucks County Economic Development Corporation

based on Delaware River’s edge intertidal

wetlands.

• Score of 27 for R-13, James Biddle property on Delaware River shoreline

• Score of 26 for R-26, Columbus Country

Club

• Score of 26 for R-33, Neshaminy State Park (frontage along Delaware River)

• Score of 26 for R-19, Waterside Phase

1 LLC for Delaware River shoreline and

wetlands.


Redevelopment Authority



• Score of 24 for R-37, Torresdale Manor Improvement Association

• Score of 24 for R-27, SRI Landings

Association LP

Habitat Score

0 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 33

R-26R-20

R-34

R-33

R-3 R-14

R-19R-13 R-27

R-37

R-35

R-4

R-36


Site wide higher ranking sites (Figure 11)

When considering site wide scoring factors

only, the scores ranged from 6 to 16. Riverfront

parcels dominate the top ten ranking parcels

(top scoring sites 1 through 8 in part due to the

“linear feet of shoreline” scoring category which

provides riverfront sites with extra points). The

Torresdale Manor Improvement Association

river’s edge parcel, Neshaminy State Parkland

along Neshaminy Creek, and the upland Bucks

County parkland north of State Road fell into

the top ten sites based on factors such as

availability of operation and maintenance

personnel and being located in Natural Heritage

areas. The top ten ranking sites are as follows:


River)


• Score of 14 for R-33, Neshaminy State Park (frontage of park along Delaware

River)


Neshaminy Creek)

• Score of 12 for R-15, Bucks County Station

Ave boat launch



• Score of 11 for R-4, Mud Island (Delaware

River marshland)

• Score of 11 for R-37, Torresdale Manor Improvement Association (vegetated

shoreline and intertidal wetland area

fronting river)

• Score of 10 for U-43, Neshaminy State Park (mix of forest and intertidal wetland

along Neshaminy Creek above State Road)

• Score of 10 for U-13, Bucks County Parkland (forested wetland area north of

State Road

• Score of 10 for R-1, Salem Harbor

• Score of 10 for R-12, Andalusia

Foundation

Site-Wide Score

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 155

R-34R-33

R-14

R-12

R-1

R-4

R-35

R-15

R-4

U-13U-43

R-36

R-37


Recreational higher ranking sites (Figure 12)

The top scoring recreational parcel scores

ranged from 6 to 8 (all fifteen are listed below), with the highest scores driven by public access

and potential for green infrastructure along

the trail. The publicly owned parcels within

Neshaminy State Park and Bucks County

Parkland scored the highest, as expected.

Andalusia also scored in the higher category

based on the potential for green infrastructure to

be deployed along the trail right of way.

• Score of 8 for R-34, Neshaminy State Park (main part of park along Delaware River)

• Score of 8 for R-35, Neshaminy State Park (interior and short frontage on Neshaminy

Creek)




State Road)

• Score of 7 for U-14, Bucks County

Parkland (forested wetland area north of

State Road)


• Score of 6 for R-33, Neshaminy State Park (frontage of park along Delaware River)


LLC (publicly accessible)

• Score of 6 for R-20, Redevelopment

Authority Bucks County at Waterside


LLC (publicly accessible)

• Score of 6 for U-10, Andalusia Foundation

north of State Road (planned right of way

for Bensalem Greenway)




• Score of 6 for U-43, Neshaminy State Park (mix of forest and intertidal wetland along

Neshaminy Creek above State Road)

• Score of 6 for U-31, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Dept. of Forests

• Score of 6 for U-51, Forested property

along Haunted Land that fronts Neshaminy

Trail, Bensalem Greenway trail, and

adjacent wetlands




3 4 5 6 7 8

Recreation

U-13

R-4

R-26

R-34

R-33

R-3R-14

R-19

R-35

U-14

R-20

R-18

U-10U-11

U-57

U-43

U-31

U-51

R-36


Total site scores for upland parcels based on current conditions (Figure 13)

Riverfront parcels overall score higher than

upland parcels based on the greater number

of scoring criteria applied to the waterfront.

While the highest scoring upland parcels (scores

of 29 and 31) are about 10 points below the riverfront parcel scores, there still are valuable

ecological restoration opportunities within the

upland matrix. Higher scores for upland parcels

(see top ten with scores ranging from 22 to 31 below) are driven by the presence of wetlands,

tributary streams, and coastal plain forests

along with such factors as public accessibility

and availability of operation/maintenance staff.

Restoration opportunities include increasing

the diversity of native forest vegetation (e.g.

on the Bucks County Parkland and Andalusia

parcels (U11, U13, and U14) north of State Road. Portions of tributary streams could also

be restored. For example, the stream currently

flowing in a relatively straight line across parcels U-11 and U-13s appears to have been channelized. Stream meanders with pools

and riffles could be restored and more diverse stream bank vegetation planted.


State Road)

• Score of 29 for U-10, Andalusia

Foundation (forested parcel south of State

Road)


(forested wetland area north of State Road

+ on proposed Bensalem Greenway Trail)

• Score of 27 for U-43, Pennsylvania DCNR

(mix of forest and intertidal wetland along

Neshaminy Creek above State Road)

• Score of 24 for U-14, Bucks County

Parkland (forested wetland area north of

State Road)

• Score of 23 for U-57, Andalusia Foundation (forested wetland area north

of State Road + on proposed Bensalem

Greenway Trail)

• Score of 22 for U-12, Andalusia

Foundation (forested wetland parcel on

south side on State Road)

12 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 26 27 29

Current Score for Upland Parcels

U-57

U-13 U-14

U-12

U-43

U-10U-11


Ecological restoration opportunities based on “uplift” scores (Figure 14):

The scoring categories above reflect current site conditions. The habitat scoring criteria were

reviewed to consider where there is the potential

for ecological restoration. This could include

the following types of shoreline and/or upland

habitat enhancements:

• Convert turf grass areas to meadows or

forests;

• Restore/expand forest/field areas by removing invasive plants and adding native

plants;

• Plant trees and shrubs along Delaware River

and tributary streams;

• Remove concrete structures from waterways

and plant with native trees and shrubs;

• Restore/expand wetland areas including

intertidal wetlands;

• Connect habitat corridors such as

woodlands and forested stream banks;

• Create “living shorelines” that stabilize river

bank and provide riparian and intertidal

habitats.

Potential ecological restoration opportunities

were identified considering where these habitat enhancement efforts could be deployed. Habitat

scoring criteria were increased accordingly to

reflect these potential “uplifts” in habitat values. Sites with the highest potential uplift in habitat

value include:

Uplift of 7 for R-26, Columbus Country Club:

Parcel is in planning stages for (Landing’s)

redevelopment. Restoration opportunities that

can be considered for the site include enhancing

forests/meadows, enhancing wetlands along

State Road, enhancing/restoring Delaware

shoreline wetlands and other native shoreline

vegetation, reducing erosion, and maintaining

habitat connectivity (e.g. wetlands/vegetated

riverbank) along the Delaware River. Potential

connections between the wetlands in the area

across and south of Street Road and the Country

Club’s Delaware Riverfront could be explored

(e.g. along the southern property line).

Uplift of 6 for R-14, Bucks County Parkland along Delaware River: This large unit (72

acres) of Bucks County Parkland has forests,

tributary stream, and wetland habitat. The

property’s frontage along the Delaware has a

river wall, which in some locations is in disrepair

and breached. A tributary stream crosses the

property and enters the Delaware River along

the Park’s boundary with the downstream Biddle

0 1 3 4 7 10

Total Uplift

R-26

R-14

R-34

R-20R-1

R-37

R-29R-12


property. Water ponding behind a Delaware River

outlet structure has created a pond and wetland

area between the two properties. Bucks County

Parks is interested in restoring the integrity of

the sea wall and outlet structure.

In tandem with shoreline infrastructure repair,

lower lying areas along the Park’s shoreline

could be restored to tidal wetlands. The

2011 Bucks County Natural Area Inventory

recommended that the deteriorating river wall

be removed in places to allow for the restoration

of tidal marsh (Natural Heritage Area 4 on Figure

2). Another option would be to incorporate inlets

during river wall repairs that allow tidal water

into targeted wetland restoration areas (and

preventing tidal intrusion where it is unwanted).

Other reaches of the small tributary stream

could be restored (e.g. by removing concrete flow channel and planting streamside native plants).

Restoration of park upland woodlands is also

an opportunity where invasive plants and deer

browse has reduced the native plant understory.

Uplift of 5 for R-34, Neshaminy State Park (main part of park along Delaware River): Neshaminy State Park includes a mosaic of

forested, meadow, wetland, and shoreline

habitat on both the Delaware River and

Neshaminy Creek. Restoration opportunities

along the proposed Bensalem Greenway

Trail in the Park have been identified (see ecological enhancement concepts in Appendix B

Neshaminy Creek Crossing Project report). These

restoration enhancement concepts include

wetland and vernal pool creation, reforestation,

and shoreline erosion control.

State Park officials have prioritized shoreline erosion control with wetland restoration, and

have pursued grant funding starting with the

area of erosion on the upriver boundary of the

Park.

Uplift of 5 for R-20, Redevelopment Authority Bucks County at Waterside: Several parcels

along the Delaware River are being developed

(Waterside Development). Floodplain and

intertidal wetlands along the river’s edge have

been preserved as a community park with public

riverfront access. Opportunities exist to enhance

and restore these intertidal wetlands and the

adjacent shoreline vegetation.

Uplift of 5 for R-1, Salem Harbour: This property

includes shoreline where Poquessing Creek

flows into the Delaware River. Opportunities exist to restore turf grass areas that are not

in active use (e.g. allow for native meadows

and expansion of river’s edge forest). Areas

of erosion along the riverbank could also be

stabilized and restored with living shoreline (e.g.

mix of vegetation and anchored logs).

Uplift of 4 for R-37, Torresdale Manor Improvement Association: Stabilization of this

sloped river edge area could be improved by

planting native trees and shrubs that reduce

erosion and provide shoreline habitat. An

intertidal wetland is present in the shoreline

area in front of the parcel, buffered by adjacent

Mud Island.

Uplift of 4 for R-12, Andalusia Foundation: This parcel has a restoration uplift score of

4 assuming revegetation of shoreline and

upland field areas. However, such restoration

opportunities may be limited by the parcel’s

status as a maintained historical estate.

Uplift of 4 for R-29, Grupp Family LTD Part: This

residential parcel’s uplift score is based on the

presence of a forested wetland; a site visit is

required to confirm the uplift potential.

Uplift of 3 for 23 additional parcels:

Additional ecological restoration opportunities

exist where enhancements to wetlands, tributary

streams, and woodlands could be promoted.

Examples include:

• A small tributary originating in Bucks’ County

Park goes under State Road and flows across multiple parcels before discharging

into the Delaware River near the Torresdale

Manor Improvement Association. The stream

is partially embedded in a concrete channel

as it traverses riverfront properties along

Tennis Avenue (e.g. parcels R-6 to R-8). The

natural stream channel could be restored

in this reach, along with enhancements to

stream-side woodlands.

• Several emergent and forested wetland

areas present in the study area include

those associated with 1) Bucks County

Parkland and Andalusia 2) west of Street

Road in the industrial park complex (U-

25, U-26, and U-27), and 3) Delaware River frontage on existing and proposed

Waterside Development parcels, and 4)

along Neshaminy Creek (See Figure 15 AD

Marble Aquatic Resource map). Ecological

restoration potential exists where these

wetlands can be enhanced, expanded, and

connected.


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Bensalem Greenway

Aquatic Resources Map

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Imagery Source: Bensalem GIS 2010Imagery Source: Bensalem GIS 2010

0 1,800

Feet

Data Source: USFWS NWI 2015, FEMA 2013, PASDA

Bensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Project Study Area

Tax Parcels

Streams/Rivers

NWI Categories

Freshwater Emergent Wetland

Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetland

Freshwater Pond

FEMA 100-Year Floodplain Figure 15. Bensalem Greenway

Aquatic Resources MapBensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

Bucks County Parkland & Andalusia

Neshaminy Creek Wetlands

Street-State Road Parcels

Waterside Development


Task 2. Landowner Outreach and Engagement

Landowner outreach and engagement has

been conducted, with the goal of identifying

landowners interested in pursuing ecological

restoration and stewardship projects. Where

such interest is expressed, PEC is pursuing

ecological restoration design and construction

actions. This outreach work has focused on

properties that have a higher potential for

ecological restoration. Consideration is also

given on land that is accessible to the public,

with the goal of enhancing user experience with

the greenway trail.

PEC outreach to date has focused on the larger,

public-owned lands along the greenway including

Bucks County Parks and Neshaminy State Park.

PEC has also kept the Andalusia Foundation

informed of the potential alignment of the

greenway on Andalusia lands, and opportunities

for ecological restoration near the trail. PEC

has also shared details of the ecological

restoration screening process with Bensalem

Township, which is actively engaged with both

the greenway development and Bensalem

Riverfront Master Plan. PEC has also sought to

engage other private landowners through letters

and invitations to public meetings. Landowner

outreach highlights include:

• PEC met with Bucks County Parks

Department to review the trail plans and discuss

opportunities for ecological restoration on Park

property, including uplands along State Road

and on the river’s edge. PEC presented to Bucks

County Park the idea of preparing Coastal Zone

Management or other grants for an ecological

restoration plan for the upland forested wetlands

near the proposed greenway trail, and/or for

riverfront tidal wetlands. Bucks County Parks is

interested in focusing first on the river’s edge. PEC and Bucks County tentatively agreed to

collaborate on a grant that addresses Delaware

River shoreline stabilization and restoration

work, one of the prioritized ecological restoration

goals. Exploratory collaboration on a Coastal

Zone Management grant has led to the Park

investigating how a living shoreline restoration

can complement their shoreline stabilization

needs.

• PEC followed up with Neshaminy State Park on

the previous ecological restoration assessment

work done for the 2013 Neshaminy Creek Crossing Feasibility Study. PEC met with state

and regional DCNR officials to prioritize the proposed restoration opportunities. The Park’s

first priority is to stabilize and restore eroded areas along the Delaware River and Neshaminy

Creek. PEC developed a 2015 Growing Greener

grant proposal for a shoreline restoration project

on the up-river section of the park that was not

awarded funding. PEC is continuing to work

with the park to pursue funding for a shoreline

stabilization project around the Neshaminy State

Park boat ramp.

• PEC met with Bensalem Township regarding

its Riverfront Master Plan development process,

and shared preliminary ecological assessment

data with the Township. The Riverfront Master

Plan calls for a T-1 Natural Transect Zone with

reserved open space areas. These parcels

contain wetlands that can be enhanced,

restored, and connected with adjacent upland

and river’s edge resources. PEC continues

to explore restoration opportunities that

complement the Township’s redevelopment

plans.

• PEC has kept the Andalusia Foundation

informed of wetland delineation work on their

property and the proposed location of the

greenway trail. In addition to multiple visits to

upland Andalusia parcels north of State Road,

PEC visited the Foundation’s Delaware Riverfront

property to assess restoration opportunities.

We have suggested the pursuit of ecological

restoration work aligned with the greenway

trail development but have not initiated grant

proposal activities. PEC met with Natural Lands

Trust regarding a Master Planning effort just

now being initiated for this area that will explore

additional public access to natural and historical

resources. PEC is seeking to incorporate the

results of this ecological assessment study with

the Natural Lands Master Plan with the goal

of catalyzing restoration work on upland and

shoreline areas.

• When meeting with the Andalusia Foundation,

PEC also met with the owner of the adjacent

Biddle property. This property in turn borders

Bucks County Parkland, where a freshwater

wetland has been created by water backing

up behind a sea wall. The property owner

expressed an interest in working with Bucks

County Parks on more purposive living shoreline

restoration efforts.

• PEC visited the Waterside development

property early in the study, focusing on the river

front park that is being incorporated into the

development that includes intertidal wetlands.

PEC provided the property owner with the study

results and has offered to support waterfront

restoration efforts as the development moves

forward.


This draft final report documents the work done under Tasks 1 and 2. Maps of ecological

resources, land ownership, and other features

relevant to ecological restoration are included.

Priority restoration projects are proposed

based on the ranking of habitat, site-wide, and

recreational criteria. Initial actions to pursue

ecological restoration projects are summarized.

A preliminary version of this report was

made available to members of the Advisory

Committee, landowners, and other stakeholders.

STEPS TO FINALIZE DRAFT FINAL REPORT

• PEC was contacted by the Torresdale Manor

Improvement Association based on our letter query.

PEC discussed shoreline re-vegetation strategies with

the Association’s representative and send brochures

and other information on native plant species

adaptable to shoreline areas.

• A Salem Harbour maintenance staffer attending

PEC’s November 29, 2017, public meeting

expressed an interest in the living shoreline concepts

presented at the meeting. PEC will follow up with

this representative and the Salem Harbour Regional

Manager to further discuss restoration concepts

such as living shorelines and native meadows.

The above and other landowners with the higher

priority restoration projects identified in this report were contacted by letter and invited to learn more

about this initiative and the restoration opportunities

present on their properties. PEC has offered

to conduct additional site visits with interested

landowners. This outreach will continue as the trail

development process moves forward.

A public outreach meeting in Bensalem Township

was held at Neshaminy State Park on October 12,

2017, to present the draft report’s findings and gather additional landowner/public comments. A

meeting was held on October 19, 2017, with State

Representative DiGirolamo and State Senator

Tomlinson to present report findings. A second public meeting occurred at Glen Foerd on the Delaware on

November 29, 2017, and a third public meeting was

held at Silver Lake Nature Center on December 6,

2017. This draft final report was prepared based on input and comments received from the Committee

and other stakeholders. Committee and public

meeting notes are compiled in Appendix I. The report

will be finalized after a final DCNR review.


Attachments/Appendices Figures

Appendix A. Bensalem Greenway Ecological Restoration

Advisority Committee

Appendix B. Neshaminy State Park Ecological Enhancement

Design Concepts

Appendix C. Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Invetory (PINDI)

Receipts & Agency Review Letters

Appendix D. Philadelphia Water Assessment of Shoreline

Ecological Restoration

Appendix E. Wetland Deliniation Maps

Appendix F. Army Corps of Engineers WetlandJurisdictional

Determination



Appendix I. Stakeholder and Public Meeting Notes

Tables

Table 1. GIS & Map Resources

Table 2. Site Visits

Table 3. Ecological Restoration Site

Screening Criteria

Table 4: Habitat Scoring Factors

Table 5: Site-Wide Scoring Factors

Table 6: Recreation Scoring Factors

Table 7: Ecological Restoration

Techniques

Figure 1. Bensalem Greenway Study Area

Figure 2. Bensalem Greenway Natural Heritage Areas

Figure 3. Bensalem Greenway Proposed Trails

Figure 4. Bucks County Future Land Use

Figure 5. Bensalem Greenway Land Use

Figure 6. Bensalem 2018 Waterfront Master Plan

Figure 7. Bensalem Greenway Parcels Included in Study

Figure 8. Bensalem Greenway Wetland & Ecological Analysis

Figure 9. Total site scores based on current conditions

Figure 10. Habitat higher-ranking sites

Figure 11. Site wide higher ranking sites

Figure 12. Recreational higher ranking sites

Figure 13. Total site scores for upland parcels based on current

conditions

Figure 14. Ecological restoration opportunities based on “uplift”

scores

Figure 15. Bensalem Greenway Aquatic Resources Map


• Philadelphia North Delaware River Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, November 2009

• Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program Interactive Map accessed March 2015 and April 2016

• Bucks County, Pennsylvania Natural Areas Inventory Update, Report prepared for the Bucks County Commissioners, by Ann F. Rhoads and Timonthy A.

Block, Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, March 2011

• Bucks County Open Space and Greenways Plan, Bucks County Planning Commission, 2011

• Tidal Delaware River Water Trail Map and Guide, Trenton-to-Philadelphia Section (River Miles 137-112) and Philadelphia Section (River Miles 113-90).

• Bensalem Greenway Master Plan, Prepared for Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Bensalem Township, by Pennoni Associates, Inc., September

2012

• Lower Delaware River Conservation Plan, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, September 1999

• Bucks County Waterfront Revitalization Plan, Prepared for Redevelopment Authority of Bucks County, Bucks County, and the six Bucks County Delaware

Riverfront Boroughs and Townships, by HNTB Corporation, February 2005

• Bensalem Township Open Space Plan, for Bensalem Township, by Schoor Depalma, Inc., (2002 with 2010 updates).

• Bucks County Comprehensive Plan, Bucks County Planning Commission, 2011

• Neshaminy Creek Crossing Project East Coast Greenway (ECG) Feasibility Study & Ecological Assessment, for Pennsylvania Environmental Council and

Redevelopment Authority of the County of Bucks, by Urban Engineers, Inc. and Conestoga-Rovers and Associates, December 2013

• Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) Project Environmental Review Receipts:

o For Bensalem Greenway study area, April 9, 2013

o For State Road alignment, January 23, 2014

o For Bensalem Greenway Trail Alignment, Section B, Segment 10 & 11, November 6, 2015

• Bensalem Waterfront Master Plan (Bensalem 2018 Regulating Code for River Renaissance in New Bensalem), electronic version provided by Matt Takita

of Bensalem Township

References

Appendix A

Advisory Committee

Matt Takita, Director of Building and Planning

Bensalem Township Municipal Building

Meghan Rogalus, Watershed Specialist

Bucks County Conservation District

Rea Monaghan, Environmental Planner

Bucks County Planning Commission

Jeff Darwak, Deputy Director

Redevelopment Authority of the County of Bucks

Drew Gilchrist, SE PA Regional Adviser

Pennsylvania Department of Natural ResourcesReplaced by Jessica Lynch in 2017

Andy Hamilton, Mid Atlantic Trail CoordinatorEast Coast Greenway

Josh Moody, Restoration CoordinatorPartnership for the Delaware Estuary

Lorraine Skala, Education DirectorSilver Lake Nature Center

Josh Swartley, Manager

Neshaminy State ParkReplaced by Brian Health in 2017

Cindy Ferguson, Director of Development

Pennsylvania Environmental Council(Bensalem resident and Poquessing Stream Keeper)

Kept informed of Advisory Committee Activities

William Mitchell, Executive DirectorBucks County Department of Parks and Recreation

Bill HaasThe Pen Ryn Estate

James Biddle, Executive DirectorAndalusia Foundation

Appendix A. Bensalem Greenway Ecological Restoration Advisory Committee


Appendix B. Neshaminy State Park Ecological Enhancement Design Concepts

Appendix B


Appendix B


Appendix B


Appendix B


Appendix B


Appendix C

Appendix C. Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PINDI) Receipts & Agency Review Letters


Appendix C


Appendix C

PNDI Project Environmental Review Receipt Project Search ID: 20140123435318

Page 1 of 7

1. PROJECT INFORMATION

Project Name: Bensalem

Date of review: 1/23/2014 1:04:46 PM

Project Category: Recreation,Trails & Trailheads (parking, etc.)

Project Area: 253.4 acres

County: Bucks Township/Municipality: Bensalem

Quadrangle Name: BEVERLY ~ ZIP Code: 19020

Decimal Degrees: 40.064738 N, -74.962030 W

Degrees Minutes Seconds: 40° 3' 53.1" N, -74° 57' 43.3" W

2. SEARCH RESULTS

Agency Results ResponsePA Game Commission Potential Impact FURTHER REVIEW IS REQUIRED,

See Agency Response

PA Department of Conservation

and Natural Resources

Potential Impact FURTHER REVIEW IS REQUIRED,

See Agency Response

PA Fish and Boat Commission Potential Impact FURTHER REVIEW IS REQUIRED,

See Agency Response

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service No Known Impact No Further Review Required

As summarized above, Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) records indicate there may be potential

impacts to threatened and endangered and/or special concern species and resources within the project area. If

the response above indicates "No Further Review Required" no additional communication with the respective

agency is required. If the response is "Further Review Required" or "See Agency Response," refer to the

appropriate agency comments below. Please see the DEP Information Section of this receipt if a PA Department

of Environmental Protection Permit is required.


Appendix C


Appendix C


Appendix C


Appendix C


Appendix D

Appendix D. Philadelphia Water Assessment of Shoreline Ecological Restoration


Appendix E

Appendix E. Wetland Delineation Maps


Appendix E


Appendix F. Army Corps of Engineers Wetland Jurisdictional Determination

Appendix F


Appendix F



Appendix G


Appendix G


Appendix G



PEC Coding Parcel Name/Owner Address

Habitat

Criteria

Total

Site Wide

Criteria

Total

Recreation

Criteria

Total

Current

Score

Uplift

Potential

Total

uplift

R-34 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Rd 29 15 8 52 60 8

R-4 Maryelizabeth Rybas (Mud Island) 301 Tennis Ave 33 11 5 49 49 0



R-33 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Herr St 26 14 6 46 52 6

R-14 Bucks County State Rd 24 11 8 43 52 9

R-19 Waterside Phase 1 LLC 2233 State Rd 26 9 6 41 47 6

R-20 Redevelopment Authority Bucks County 2375 State Rd 25 9 6 40 48 8

R-15 Bucks County Station Ave 23 12 5 40 44 4

R-13 James Biddle State Rd 27 9 4 40 46 6

R-3 Bucks County Economic Development Corp. State Road 27 9 4 40 45 5

R-37 Torresdale Manor Improvement Association River Rd 24 11 4 39 46 7

R-26 Columbus Country Club 2909 State Rd 26 8 4 38 48 10

R-5 Walter G & Barbra H Rybas Chestnut Wood Ln 23 9 4 36 39 3

R-1 Salem Harbour Old Bridge 23 10 3 36 44 8

R-12 Andalusia Foundation 1237 State Rd 21 10 4 35 39 4

R-24 Yellow Equipment & Terminals Inc. State Rd 23 8 4 35 38 3

R-27 SRI Landings Association LP 2959 State Rd 24 7 4 35 38 3

R-32 Albert Chadwick 350 State Rd 23 8 4 35 38 3

R-11 Andalusia Foundation 1163 State Rd 20 10 4 34 37 3

R-6 John, Mary, David & Joan Rybas 301 Tennis Ave 21 9 4 34 40 6

R-18 Waterside Phase 1 LLC 2207 State Rd 19 8 6 33 36 3

R-8 William Chamberline III 465 Tennis Ave 20 8 5 33 35 2

R-9 Schuylkill Fishing Co. 1003 State Rd 20 9 4 33 36 3

R-30 Phila Gun Club 3051 State Rd 20 9 4 33 35 2

R-16 Francis and Barbra Bertolino 2019 River Rd 22 8 3 33 33 0

R-29 Grupp Family LTD Part State Rd 21 9 3 33 37 4

R-10 Craig Lewis 1101 State Ln 19 8 4 31 31 0

R-7 Frances Federic 325 Tennis Ave 19 8 4 31 34 3

R-2 Salem Harbour State Road 20 8 3 31 31 0

R-28 Grupp Family LTD Part State Rd 20 8 3 31 33 2

U-13 Bucks County State Rd 12 10 7 29 32 3

Appendix H


Habitat

Criteria

Total

Site Wide

Criteria

Total

Recreation

Criteria

Total

Current

Score

Uplift

Potential

Total

uplift

U-10 Andalusia Foundation State Rd 14 9 6 29 29 0

R-17 Penna Yacht Club 2189 State Rd 18 7 4 29 32 3

R-22 Camer Drive, Ltd Part 309 Camer Dr 18 8 3 29 29 0

R-25 Bucks County Economic Development Corp. 777 State Rd 19 7 3 29 32 3

R-23 State Road LLC 2583 State Rd 19 7 3 29 32 3

R-21 Camer Property LLC 304 Camer Dr 18 7 3 28 28 0

R-31 Anthon & Lydia Verduci 3141 State Rd 17 8 3 28 28 0

U-11 Andalusia Foundation 1163 State Rd 12 9 6 27 30 3

U-43 Commonwealth of PA DCNR Haunted Ln 11 10 6 27 27 0

U-14 Bucks County State Rd 9 9 7 25 28 3



U-31 Commonwealth of PA Dept. of Forests State Rd 7 8 6 21 23 2

U-51 Janum Management LLC HAUNTED LN 9 5 6 20 23 3

U-8 William Chamberline III Tennis Ave 10 7 3 20 22 2

U-56 Grupp Family LTD PART State Rd 10 5 4 19 22 3

U-38 Territories Unlimited Inc Winks Ln 10 6 3 19 19 0

U-42 Janum Management LLC State Rd 10 6 3 19 19 0

U-9 Gregory Mason 522 Maria Cir 9 7 3 19 19 0

U-16 William Haas IV 1601 State Rd 8 7 3 18 21 3

U-45 Territories Unlimited Inc 530 Haunted Ln 9 6 3 18 18 0

U-48 Colfin 2015 4 Ind Owner LLC Marshall Ln 8 7 3 18 21 3

U-47 Colfin 2015 4 Ind Owner LLC 3800 Marshall Ln 9 6 3 18 18 0

U-50 Various Owners Haunted Ln 8 7 3 18 21 3

U-37 March Prop LLC 625 Winks Ln 7 7 3 17 17 0

U-25 Barbara Rybas State Rd 8 6 3 17 19 2

U-26 National Penn Invtr Co. Tr. 2700 State Rd 8 6 3 17 19 2

U-39 Winks Ln Inc. Winks Ln 8 6 3 17 19 2

U-49 Lucille Asensio 800 Haunted Ln 7 7 3 17 17 0

U-29 SEPTA Dunks Ferry Rd 7 6 3 16 16 0

U-22 Overnite Trans Co. Imperial Ct 7 6 3 16 17 1

U-30 General State Authority Herr St 6 7 3 16 16 0



Habitat

Criteria

Total

Site Wide

Criteria

Total

Recreation

Criteria

Total

Current

Score

Uplift

Potential

Total

uplift

U-32 John Reilly 539 Dunks Ferry Rd 6 7 3 16 16 0

U-41 John & Francesa Unckel Haunted Ln 6 7 3 16 16 0

U-46 Rolling K Hldg LLC 3685 Marshall Ln 7 6 3 16 16 0

U-7 Demaio Grantor Trust 550 State Rd 6 7 3 16 17 1

U-23 Bensalem III Ind LLC 2522 State Rd 7 6 3 16 18 2

U-27 National Penn Invtr Co. Tr. 2950 Street 7 6 3 16 19 3

U-54 JJGD Holdings LP State Rd 8 5 3 16 19 3

U-33 NYTEF Bensalem LLC 633 Dunks Ferry Rd 5 7 3 15 16 1


U-15 Woodhaven Property Association 1717 Eagle Dr 6 6 3 15 15 0

U-19 Immobili LLC 524 Imperial Ct 6 6 3 15 15 0

U-3 Cskzr S LLC 350 State Rd 5 7 3 15 15 0


U-36 Demitrios Malitas Marshall Ln 5 7 3 15 16 1

U-4 Bruce & Pamela Dobbs State Rd 5 7 3 15 16 1

U-5 500 State Rd Assoc LP 500 State Rd 5 7 3 15 15 0

U-6 Olivia Assoc LLC 520 State Rd 5 7 3 15 15 0

U-17 ATC 2260 LLC 2260 State Rd 6 6 3 15 15 0

U-20 Specialty Ring Prod Inc. 2374 State Rd 6 6 3 15 15 0

U-28 M & M RTY Part LP 3041 Marwin 6 6 3 15 15 0

U-53 Colfin Cobalt I II Owner LLC 3600 MARSHALL LN 6 6 3 15 16 1

U-1 George & Marylou Yelland 169 State Rd 6 6 3 15 16 1

U-21 2424 Bensalem LLC 2424 State Rd 5 6 3 14 14 0

U-40 Francesa Unckel Haunted Ln 5 6 3 14 14 0

U-18 Frank Giovannone 420 Imperial Ct 5 6 3 14 14 0

U-2 Sons of Norway of Penna Inc. 187 State Rd 5 6 3 14 14 0

U-24 Diegido HLDG LTD Part 335 Camer Dr 5 6 3 14 14 0

U-44 Daley & Sigovich LLC 531 Haunted Ln 5 6 3 14 16 2

U-52 Kevin R. Morgan 404 TOTEM RD 5 6 3 14 14 0

U-55 John Jr., Mary, David & Joan Rybas State Rd 6 5 3 14 17 3

Appendix H

Appendix I. Stakeholder and Public Meeting Notes

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