Map of the Pine Barrens

The Pine Barrens, also knows as the Pinelands, are a heavily forested area which cover 1.1 million acres (4,500 km²) of coastal plain across southern and central New Jersey. The name "barrens" refers to their sandy soil, which is nutrient-poor, but certainly not to the area's ecological diversity. They are part of the Pinelands National Reserve , and were designated a United Nations International Biosphere Reserve in 1983.

They are subject to frequent fires. Oddly, despite being near metropolitan areas such as New York City, Philadelphia, and Atlantic City, and even having the Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City Expressway run directly through them, they remain largely rural. They are also notable for their population of pygmy Pitch Pines and Scrub Pines, and other unique flora, such as carnivorous plants.

During colonial times, the Pine Barrens region was home to various industries. Bog iron was mined from the streams and waterways and worked in furnaces such as Batsto , Atsion , Ferrago , Hanover Furnace , as well as dozens of others. Iron from these early furnaces were instrumental in supplying colonial troops during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. The bog iron industry fell in the mid 1800s when cheaper iron could be found in Pennsylvania. Cranberry growing was also another large industry that flourishes to this day. Ghost towns — remnants of these industries — can still be seen at various locations. Smaller industries such as charcoaling and glassmaking also were attempted and met with varying degrees of success.

The Pine Barrens are allegedly the home of the Jersey Devil. The Devil is said to have been born to a local woman named Mrs. Leeds, in an area known as "Leeds Point", sometime during the 1700s. Most of the sightings of the Devil have occurred in or near the Pine Barrens.

The Pine Barrens were also home to the Kallikaks, a poor, backwoods family which were held up as a case study in genetic inferiority by eugenicists in the early 20th century. Today, it is now understood that the facts in the Kallikaks case study were misrepresented [1].

A rural resident of the area is sometimes derogatorily known as a "Piney."

One of the most acclaimed episodes of the television series The Sopranos was titled Pine Barrens. The episode involved two of the main characters lost in the wooded region during the winter after a failed murder and body disposal attempt.

External links

• Official site
• Profile of the Pinelands
• Birds of the Barrens
• NJPineBarrens.com - Exploring the Ghost Towns of Southern New Jersey