The Albany Pine Bush Preserve is actively managed to protect the globally rare inland pitch pine – scrub oak barrens and the federally endangered Karner blue butterfly. To achieve this goal, the Commission also works to restore degraded portions of Preserve lands to high quality barrens and/or Karner blue butterfly habitat. However, management strategies such as prescribed fire and mowing that are successful in maintaining high quality habitats, have had only limited success in expanding native pine barrens habitat, and restoring degraded portions of the Preserve. Preliminary studies carried out during summer 1999, indicate that degraded areas that have been invaded by the nitrogen fixing black locust (Robinia psuedoacacia) tree have over 200 times greater rates of available nitrogen. This nutrient influences plant growth and controls community dynamics in similar ecosystems. We propose a series of field studies to evaluate the effect of invading black locust on ecosystem and community properties within the pine bush. In addition, we propose to develop and evaluate appropriate restoration strategies aimed at reducing nitrogen loading to facilitate the return of native pine barrens species capable of sustaining populations of Karner blue butterflies.