A 29-acre area, which includes about 1/3-mile of trail on the northeastern part of Sparta Mountain WMA, will be temporarily closed to the public on or about December 15, 2025 through March 31, 2026 (see maps). As noted in the planned activity released on January 31, 2025, this area will be temporarily closed to unauthorized personnel for safety reasons. Please remove any tree stands, blinds, or other items remaining in this area before work begins, pay attention to the posted signs, and do not enter the posted area.

The purpose of the temporary closure is for a habitat restoration project that will open the forest canopy to allow for the growth of young oak and hickory trees, blackberries, sedges, and a variety of other native shrub and sapling plants. This habitat will become breeding and/or foraging habitat for numerous wildlife, including the 80 different bird species that have been observed using other sites of restored open-canopy forest on Sparta Mountain WMA.

NJ Fish & Wildlife regrets having to close the area. However, during previous management activities, spectators entering the work area and disregarding posted signs created significant safety concerns that result in the current closure during the entire work period.