Save Barnegat Bay 2021 Fall Newsletter

Fall 2021 Vol.1

SAVE BARNEGAT BAY Protecting Barnegat Bay and restoring its Ecosystem

Executive Director Britta Forsberg Toms River

Executive Board PRESIDENT William deCamp Jr. Mantoloking

Vice President Dr. Louise Wootton Brick

Treasurer Andy Bess

Kayaking on Barnegat Bay off of Island Beach State Park.

Photo by Don Crawford.

Bay Head

SECRETARY Maria Ritter Point Pleasant

DIRECTORS Karl Anderson

Giving the Bay a Voice

Reflecting on 50 Years of Work at Save Barnegat Bay

Beach Haven

Karen Argenti Manchester

Mary Judge Island Heights

Edwin C. O’Malley Brielle

Joseph Rizzo Stafford

Sherrerd Urner Bay Head

This year marks Save Barnegat Bay’s 50th anniversary — an auspicious milestone in the fight to protect our natural world. As we reach this landmark, we are reflecting upon the humbling victories of our organization’s history in hopes of channeling this momentum in our continued struggle for a cleaner, safer, and an even more beautiful Barnegat Bay.

Ed Vienckowski New Egypt

www.savebarnegatbay.org

There is no debate that the Jersey Shore is a unique place. As such, the importance of protecting our Bay and its surrounding watershed cannot be overstated. Individuals have an important role to play in this. The Shore is a particularly vulnerable and significant eco-

system due to its natural ecology, which includes wetlands, barrier islands, pine land forests, marshes, and abundant wildlife. Development has concentrated in coastal areas, which presents distinct challenges in this region compared to the rest of New Jersey. In our state, where almost 130 miles of its border is coastline, it is especially important that we treat this region as its own unique environment with uniquely tailored solutions.

- Our Story -

Our Legacy Since our inception, we have found success protecting our watershed through

effective

Save Barnegat Bay (SBB) has long leaned into the power of grassroots organizing and the strength of community at the core of our work. The organization first began as the Ocean County Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America in 1971, in response to a proposed development in what are today Traders Cove and F-Cove in Brick Township. In 1985, the organization became reinvigorated, expanded its scope to the whole watershed, and adopted the name Save Barnegat Bay. From the 1980s until 2000s, group’s primary focus was on resisting overdevelopment and promoting conservation of open space in its natural state. Since then, our organization has grown and evolved with the times.

educational

programs and targeted advocacy campaigns that engage over 3,500 supporters who cherish the Bay as a natural, recreational, and economic resource for the community and all of New Jersey. The longevity of our educational programs and advocacy campaigns are the

Overlooking the Edwin B. Forsythe Wildlife Refuge. Image source: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

result of our strong connection to the Bay, environmental expertise, ability to collaborate with other organizations, and credibility as a 50-year-old nonprofit organization with a record of accomplishment.

This legacy carries on to our endeavors today as we think innovatively about modern challenges facing our environment. In recent years, as the watershed has become largely built out, SBB has been reacting to the vast number of factors that threaten the health of Barnegat Bay and its ecosystem.

These challenges are complex and interconnected. Over the course of our history, the organization has worked to safeguard these diverse concerns to raise awareness around issues ranging from pathogen pollution to wetland destruction to issues of preserving open access.

T-Dock in Lavallette, the opening image of the new documentary film, Drift.

Image credit: Monmouth Production Services

Our New Documentary Film, Drift

In July, we celebrated our 50th anniversary with our Sips, Shells, and Celebration event at the Bay Head Yacht Club.

The evening was a wonderful opportunity to connect with supporters of our mission and engage in conversations around how to best protect the Bay. We are grateful to all of our Barnegat Bay family who make our work possible; it is thanks to you that we are able to do what we do. We are thrilled to have debuted our new documentary film, Drift, made in collaboration with Monmouth Production Services. Drift explores stories of Barnegat Bay’s past, present, and future through interviews with scientists, environmental leaders, and local voices. We will be distributing the film for online viewing soon and are currently taking bookings for group screenings in 2022. Stay tuned for ways to watch and email assistant@savebarnegatbay.org if you are interested in organizing a screening!

Ongoing Legal Cases

Citizens attend a rally in Bay Head to protect Twilight Lake.

Image credit: Concerned Citizens of Bay Head.

The fight for a better environment must be holistic in its approach.

Save Barnegat Bay employs a multifaceted means of advocacy under this principle, engaging aspects of education, governmental cooperation, lobbying, and legal strategy in our work. Over the course of our 50 years, legal action has been one of the most effective tools in achieving environmental victories. The overarching purpose of such action is to hold major players such as developers and agencies accountable in upholding environmental laws. Currently, we are involved in two cases within the watershed:

Bay Head NJ Transit The recent construction of an electrical substation at the Bay Head railyard operated by NJ Transit presents an array of alarming environmental concerns. Operations at the site propose to discharge up to 73 million gallons of contaminated groundwater into nearby Twilight Lake, which flows directly into Barnegat Bay. This amount of discharge is equivalent to approximately 110 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The Bay and its surrounding waterways, which are classified as Category One waters, have a high level of legal protection because of their ecological importance and vulnerability.

Under NJ law, any waterway with a Category One designation must be shielded from unnecessary degradation. However, operations at the railyard violate these protections. The site is also habitat to multiple threatened and endangered species, including invaluable osprey, night herons, and least terns. Construction is interfering with these birds’ breeding season, which runs from April through August.

We are taking aggressive action on this case because we believe that nobody — not even a state agency — is above the law. We all have a responsibility to uphold critical environmental protections to protect the Shore’s precious natural resources before it’s too late.

Aerial imagery of the major bodies of water near the NJ Transit site. Photo by Gregory Coraggio

The proposed CDF site in Eagleswood.

Eagleswood CDF In 2011, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s (NJDEP) Office of Dredging and Sediment Technology (ODST) issued a permit to the Bureau of Coastal Engineering (BCE) for the construction of a Confined Disposal Facility (CDF). The permit would allow the BCE to dredge the Westecunk Creek State Channel in Eagleswood Township and store the dredged material in a CDF. However, this permit was issued despite the BCE’s inability to perform the required regulatory analyses. The BCE’s failure to conduct an HIA at the intended Eagleswood CDF site purposefully maintains ignorance of the site’s status as breeding grounds for species of endangered osprey and herons. It also ignores the site’s proximity to the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and the CDF’s potential impacts on this critical landscape and recreational area. We have entered into this case as an amicus, a party lending extra information to the court, in support of concerned citizens who are being represented for their proximity to this issue. We believe that if the NJDEP is serious about protecting the NJ environment, they will alter their current project designs to include beneficial reuse of the dredged material to support the Barnegat Bay ecosystem and its local residents.

Past and present SBB interns on a kayaking trip.

Photo by Don Crawford.

G r a n t P r oj e c t s

2021 has been a busy and incredibly exciting year for our mission.

Working in partnership with groups who share the same commitment to our cause and through NJDEP grants, we have recently launched three programs to address different problems in our watershed. These initiatives include Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (NEMO), Rally for Barnegat Bay, and Stop the Sting. We are thrilled to be hosting internship programs for high school and college students to enrich their learning in each of these three critical project areas. We feel fortunate to have gotten the opportunity to work alongside these bright young people and their creative ideas.

N.E.M.O.

Pollution-sniffing dogs tracking down sources of pathogen pollution. Image credit: Environmental Canine Services, LLC.

Non-Point Education for Municipal Officials As the Jersey Shore undergoes continued development, stormwater management becomes an increasingly critical issue — this is the primary focus of our first grant project. Our NEMO program builds upon four overarching goals to address this critical need: to protect, restore, and enhance natural resources; to manage stormwater; to promote resiliency and sustainability; and to maximize public engagement and education. Under this initiative, we are developing educational materials for two target audiences, the general public and municipal leaders. Our hope is that this work will increase public awareness around stormwater issues affecting the Bay and invigorate town leadership to implement comprehensive stormwater infrastructure. If you are looking to get involved with local stormwater issues, you can join our Captains program, which empowers residents to attend local town meetings. Email assistant@savebarnegatbay.org for more info.

Rain barrel workshop with municipal employees in Manchester Township.

Rally for

Barnegat Bay

Summer grant awardee, Rory Hogan, assessing water samples in the lab.

Our next project, Rally for Barnegat Bay, is a multi-town partnership between Toms River, South Toms River, Ocean Gate, Pine Beach, Island Heights, and Beachwood that looks to protect the local communities of Ocean County by tracking down causes of pathogen pollution in the Toms River and Barnegat Bay. It is important to address these pathogens because they threaten the health and safety of people and wildlife alike. These pathogens are also responsible for large-scale beach and waterfront closings which affect recreation, tourism, and other economic drivers of the region. An exciting highlight of this project is the use of pollution-sniffing dogs that are trained to identify bacteria in water samples and trace it to its point of origin. Clean Ocean Action (COA), Save Barnegat Bay (SBB), and Ocean County’s Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES) have worked together to design Rally for Barnegat Bay to not place blame, but rather find and fix these sources of pollution and the problems they cause in the region. We will be looking for community scientist for this initiative. If you are interested email assistant@savebarnegatbay.org

Dive team members scrubbing bulkheads for bay nettle polyps.

stop the Sting Our Stop the Sting campaign is part of a coalition focused on Jellyfish Hazard Management and Education.

Through a grant partially funded by the NJDEP, we are working with multiple partners to educate the public and reduce the populations of stinging bay nettles in Barnegat Bay. The populations of these creatures, which are on the rise in the Bay, make swimming and other types of in-water recreation increasingly difficult to enjoy. As a top predator in the food chain, stinging jellyfish are killing and eating alarming numbers of marine life and have no real predators in the Bay. As part of our campaign, Berkeley Township Underwater Search and Rescue (BTUSAR) will be scrubbing floating docks and bulkheads in targeted lagoon communities. Currently, the initiative is focused on work in the Berkeley Shores lagoon area. We are also

running a Community Science Program in which volunteers living in lagoons all along Barnegat Bay can hang settling plates from their docks or bulkheads. These settling plates are a hands-on educational tool that helps us better understand where in Barnegat Bay these young bay nettle polyps are settling for the winter season. It is also an opportunity for volunteers concerned about the rise of bay nettle populations to join our team and learn more about these creatures. We have also partnered with jellyfish expert, Dr. Paul Bologna, from Montclair State University to study jellyfish populations and report on our management techniques. For more information about Stop the Sting, reach out to Brittany McLaughlin, our new Jellyfish Education Coordinator, at jellyfish@savebarnegatbay.org

Student Programs

Student grant awardee, Mikayla Traini, presenting her research on biofouling in Barnegat Bay.

For 14 years, we have been funding young people to conduct scientific research in the Barnegat Bay watershed.

Undergraduate and college-bound students work independently and on teams to answer research questions, gain experience with the scientific process, and practice public speaking, writing papers, presenting posters, and learning about the characteristics of Barnegat Bay. Started

by Pete McLain, a legendary conservationist himself, the program seeks to empower young people to follow the scientific process in their own backyard. For many years now since the program’s inception, students have been collecting data that contributes to long-term knowledge about the Bay. Thanks to the help of a dedicated committee of scientists who serve as mentors, each summer the students have an enriched learning experience that they are able to use to enhance their resumes and work towards their future career goals.

Educational Curriculum Development This Way to Barnegat Bay (TWBB) is a curriculum book and professional development program for educators around the Barnegat Bay watershed. TWBB has tools to bring bay-related topics into the classroom. Our Education staff, interns, and volunteers have been working with professional partners to bring this curriculum to the next level. Thanks to our partners at the College of New Jersey (TCNJ), we are working together on a grant from the Sea Grant Consortium for our project “Project SEA: Science, Education, Advocacy”, to elevate TWBB Graceanne Taylor, SBB’s Education and Outreach Coordinator, teaching local students about the water cycle.

Upcoming STEM Camp Next summer, in 2022, we will be bringing This Way to Barnegat Bay and other local Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) opportunities to young people in Bay Head, Point Pleasant, and Mantoloking, thanks to a grant from the Clare Foundation.

As part of this summer series, students will register for weekly activities and local field trips to learn more about STEM subjects through environmental education about Barnegat Bay, its watershed, and local history. While Save Barnegat Bay will be leading the effort and training educators, the Borough of Bay Head will be our primary partner and home base for this program. Throughout the series, we will use tools from This Way to Barnegat Bay as well as bring in local experts to share knowledge of boat building, jellyfish, sail making, terrapins, plants, and more!

Elementary educators at SBB EcoCenter testing new TWBB activities

science, climate change, and math standards that classroom teachers are required to follow in Next Generation Science Standards in New Jersey. We also seek to empower educators statewide to use this curriculum in their classrooms via targeted professional development. We hope that this tool will help make teaching local bay knowledge in the classroom improved and streamlined.

The Emily deCamp Herbarium

Signage for Janet’s Garden, located within Island Beach State Park.

In addition to the programs we are running, we are proud to also support a number of spaces that are open to the public to uplift community and engagement in our watershed’s unique ecology and culture. Established in support of native plants and their value to Save Barnegat Bay’s mission, the Emily deCamp Herbarium is one of those special places. The Herbarium was founded by the deCamp family and friends who love nature and want to promote it in an engaging and educational fashion. The site’s mission is to show how diverse and fantastic New Jersey’s native wildlife can be by illustrating the chain of life, teaching it in an interesting way, and helping the public get started supporting these species in their own area. A scientific collection is housed at Georgian Court University and is led by board member Dr. Louise Wootten and maintained by botanist Linda Kelly. You can visit a display of the Herbarium at Island Beach State Park Interpretive Center and take a stroll through Janet’s Garden, which is the outdoor portion of the collection.

Save Barnegat Bay’s Homebase

The EcoCenter SBB EcoCenter’s mural depicting the flora and fauna of Barnegat Bay.

Bee hives from local beekeepers

The River Time outdoor classroom

For the past five years of our residence in Brown’s Woods, we have worked to realize our destination-based mission on-site as well. The Barnegat Bay EcoCenter boasts demonstration rain barrels, native plant gardens, composting, a monarch mansion, honey bee hives, a weekly community supported agriculture stand, a 75-person outdoor classroom, a water quality lab, and a greenhouse alongside 40 acres of Green Acres land. The land, which is owned by Toms River Twp., is bordered by the Toms River and intersected by the Longswamp Creek.

Our headquarters includes community space where our staff, interns, volunteers, scientists, neighbors, partners, and Barnegat Bay family converge to amplify the mission of saving Barnegat Bay. With tremendous help from volunteers, Ocean County, and Toms River Township, we’ve

Rain barrels, made from recycled non- toxic antifreeze containers, donated by local marinas

built an educational space where lovers of Barnegat Bay can discover ways to care for our land and water.

Now, with these tools in place, our team invites you to stop by our EcoCenter. Grab our 50th Anniversary swag, take a walk by the water, buy fresh honey from the beekeeper’s honey bee hives, and learn about Barnegat Bay. Our outdoor classroom is open for youth educational programs.

Schools and youth leadership groups can contact us to book an educational program at our amphitheatre. We welcome folks to stop by between 9am and 5pm Monday through Friday to see the inside of our EcoCenter or stop by any day between sunrise to sunset to explore the outdoor classroom and surrounding 40 acres!

Our Growing Team

From left to right: Graceanne Taylor, Brittany McLaughlin, Avery Lentini, Gerry Anicito, and Britta Forsberg.

Presentation on legislation at SBB’s 2019 Charting a Course Conference.

Charting a Course Conference Barnegat Bay Phase II Grants focus on the need for restoration, stewardship, and planning in the watershed. In 2020, $10 million was distributed to organizations, municipalities, and other government entities to implement initiatives in areas such as watershed management planning, bay nettle jellyfish mitigation, living shoreline installation, education, and enforcement.

SBB sought to bring partners in each of these areas together for a collaborative and engaging conversation about all things related to the Barnegat Bay watershed. In a three-day conference in 2019, SBB hosted law enforcement, DEP professionals, nonprofits, local conservation groups, oyster and clam farmers, students, teachers, community members, and more. Each of the three days had focused programming for the different groups attending. The event was a success! We intend to host another event in the future to share updates on the status of all of the Phase II grants as well as continue the conversation about restoring, and protecting the Barnegat Bay watershed. Stay tuned for SBB’s Charting a Course conference 2.0 coming soon!

The fight for Barnegat Bay is ongoing as new development, ecological degradation, and the effects of climate change take center stage in our region. To meet this need for continued pushback on forces threatening the Bay, we have been in the process of expanding the impact and scope of our work here at SBB. We are excited to announce that we have recently hired two new employees to join us in our mission to protect and restore Barnegat Bay. Brittany McLaughlin, a recent graduate of Stockton University, now serves as our parttime Jellyfish Education Coordinator to oversee our Stop the Sting Campaign. For the next three years, Brittany will be working with our partners on our Jellyfish Hazard Management and Education Campaign focusing on bay nettle reduction and education in Lagoon Communities throughout Barnegat Bay. We have also onboarded Avery Lentini, a graduate of the University of Vermont, as our new full-time Executive Assistant. Avery’s work focuses primarily in the advocacy realm of our mission; however, she supports the rest of the staff in various office operations as well. Both Brittany and Avery began their careers as interns with SBB, and we are happy to have them back as members of our team.

Off-Site Educational Programs It is one of our top priorities at SBB to make our programs accessible to everyone that lives, works, and plays in and around Barnegat Bay. We have a beautiful EcoCenter in the heart of Toms River but we are more often than not bringing our educational programs to our partners and community members at their places of gathering. We do educational programs at schools, festivals, homeowners association meetings, Rotaries, Kiwanis, scouts, fishing and hunting clubs, yacht clubs, garden clubs, environmental organizations, and more.

We develop each of our programs to meet the specific needs of our audience so that every program is engaging, fun, and educational.

Some examples of programs we bring on the road include rain barrel workshops, Barnegat Bay Champions which includes seining and kayaking, This Way to Barnegat Bay for elementary-aged students, Barnegat Bay Basics for adult audiences, and so much more. If you are interested in a program for your community, reach out to our Education and Outreach Coordinator, Graceanne Taylor, at education@savebarnegatbay.org.

The Jersey Shore: A Complex and Unique Ecosystem

Wetlands, as shown here, are a valuable and vulnerable part of the Barnegat Bay ecosystem.

As SBB enters its fifth decade, we are inspired and invigorated by the voices of the young people, diverse communities, and generational connections to the region that are represented in our Barnegat Bay family. We are empowered by the hard-fought battles we have won, while also humbled by the ongoing struggle for conservation. We remain hopeful that through continued passion and shared love for the Bay, we can all play a role in making a positive difference for the extraordinarily unique place we call home.

O u r Ro le as E nvironmental Stewards The natural world is constantly reminding us of the fragility between people and the environment; this is a relationship that we must take seriously.

Many environmental solutions implemented in other parts of the state will not work here due to conditions like sandy soils, a high water table, and closeness to the coastline. The dense development of towns bordering the bay and particularly on the barrier islands make the Shore’s conditions unique, representing a “coastal urban zone,” of sorts. These realities hasten our need for commitment to getting ahead of climate change effects and environmental changes. It is critical that as residents, seasonal visitors, and lovers of the Bay alike that we feel empowered to stand up as its voice.

There are actionable steps shore dwellers can take to combat the changes affecting our natural world and, in turn, support Barnegat Bay’s survival. For example, homeowners can make sure that their recycling and trash

containers don’t tip over. This involves paying attention to wind and tide cycles when putting garbage out.

The positive outcome of this practice is twofold — homeowners play a role in keeping the Bay clean, while also growing closer to the natural rhythms and cycles of the coastal environment. The more we pay attention, the more connected we feel to this place we call home.

If you have a pool, there are also devices that you can install that enable water to percolate back into soils so that it isn’t dumped back into the Bay. Lawn management is another major area of opportunity for implementing bay-friendly behavior. Homeowners should be conscious of chemicals and additives they are applying to their lawns, which could mean reducing use of fertilizers and pesticides. Try out the natural method and see if you can go a season without these products entirely!

We encourage homeowners to practice small but meaningful steps to connecting with the Bay and learn how to best contribute to its stewardship. These conscious “coastal behaviors” may seem small, but over time they can add up to make a big impact.

Ocean County, NJ

Save Barnegat Bay Success Stories For more locations look at our website

www.SaveBarnegatBay.org

Point Pleasant

Barnegat Bay Watershed

Brick

Ocean County, NJ

Mantoloking

Herring Point (F-Cove)

SBB assisted in project that adds 1500 acres included in Forsythe Refuge

Traders Cove

SBB prevented 132 condos at Pelican Cove and 52 condos at Traders Cove, allows County and Brick Twp. to create a public waterfront park

Toms River

Barnegat Bay Watershed

Seaside Heights

Meadows at Mantoloking

Reedy Creek

Forked River

Ba rne gat

SBB supported 1500 acres for federal inclusion in Forsythe Refuge

Bay

SBB defeated 450 unit development on hundreds of acres, Trust for Public Land conveyed the tract to USFWS

Airport Tract

SBB helped Brick Twp. and County conserve 235 acres from Shore Acres to Cherry Quay Road

Barnegat Light

Murray Grove

SBB helped conserve 200 acre forest, wetlands, tidal marsh, with endangered species Manahawkin

Marine Conservation Zone

Spearheaded creation of NJ’s first Marine Conservation Zone around the islands inside Barnegat Inlet

Atlantic Ocean Little Egg Harbor

Lighthouse Camp

Efforts of SBB led to eventual State purchase, enabling the creation of nature educational center

Bonnett Island

SBB helped to obtain federal funding for conservation spearheaded by partner groups

North

Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area

Used Green Acres funds to make 79 acres part of Stafford Ford Wildlife Management Area, protecting Westecunk Creek watershed.

Marsh Elder Island

Used Green Acres and William Penn Foundation Funds to convey outer island to Forsythe Refuge.

Middle Sedge and NW Point Islands

Harbor (Jones) Island

40 acre island included into Forsythe Refuge

Good Luck Point

Assisted Toms River Twp to convey most of thee islands to NJ

Western shore and island included in Forsythe Refuge, TPL conveyed “telephone pole site” to USFWS

Little Sedge Island

Veeder Lane

Helped convey 2 islands off Lavallette to NJ

Tilton Point

TPL and SBB conveyed land south of Cattus Island to NJ

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Defeated 367 unit development across from H&M Potter School, County purchased for conservation using OCNLT funds

Potters Cove

150 acres conserved with assistance from the TPL and County on north side of Eugene Furey Blvd

Eno’s Pond

Conserved 200 acre forest, wetlands, tidal marsh with endangered species

North Side Forked River

West side of the bay included in Forsythe Refuge

Gladys Taylor Dog School

Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station

Spearheaded by SBB, this aging nuclear reactor was closed in September 2018, 11 years before its license expiration. The cooling system had been straining a volume of water equivalent to 2.3% of the total volume of Barnegat Bay since 1969.

Emily de Camp Herbarium

SBB helped to defeat 14 unit development and convey roadside acreage to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

SBB and the Trust for Public land, with assistance from individuals, founded this public botanical exhibit in the mid-1990’s. Today SBB, GCU, and IBSP maintain the exhibit, which is located in the Interpretive Center in the park.

Riverwalk Refuge

Wescott Avenue

SBB helped prevent 10 house subdivisions and uses Green Acres funds to give Brick Township a park.

Reedy Pointe

SBB helped defeat the construction of 42 units, enabling acquisition by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Havens Cove Road

SBB assisted neighbors in defeating 39 acre development enabling purchase by Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Fund Program (OCNLT).

Havens Point

SBB helped to defeat the construction of 40 units enabling the Trust for Public Land to convey tract to US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Alameda Boulevard

Using Green Acres funding and the William Penn Foundation, SBB conveyed the portion of Reedy Creek tidal march adjacent to Alameda Blvd in Brick to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion in the Forsythe Refuge.

Mandalay/Lawrence Blvd

SBB helped make area eligible for federal acquisition, resulting in hundreds of conserved wetland acres.

Herrring Point

SBB assisted in project that adds 1500 acres into Forsythe Refuge.

Fischer Blvd Woods

SBB helped achieve rezoning and public purchase for conservation, saving woods and preventing Home Depot from building a store.

Spearheaded effort to make lands of the west side of bay eligible for federal purchase, enabling the acquisition of this old growth tract by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Lighthouse Camp

Efforts of SBB led to eventual state purchase, enabling the creation of nature educational center.

Double Creek Area

SBB helped to make this waterfowl rich impoundment eligible for inclusion in Wildlife Refuge.

Water Street Woods

In cooperation with local objectors, SBB prevented the development of the woods at the right angle turn of Water Street in Barnegat Township, which enabled the US Fish and Wildlife Service to purchase them for inclusion in the Forsythe Refuge.

Six Flags Great Adventure

200 acres pine forest protected in a hard-fought settlement with several environmental groups, over the world’s first solar powered theme park that would have clear-cut the area

8th Ave Sedge Spit Harvey Cedars

SBB assisted neighbors, Mayor & Council, Green Acres and OCNLT to acquire 2.4 acres of prime sedge island and wetlands habitat

Cedar Bonnet Island

SBB helped to obtain federal funding to conserve Bonnet Island in an effort spearheaded by other groups.

Stafford Forge WMA Addition

SBB assisted U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in adding 5 acres of island into Forsythe Refuge.

SBB used Green Acres funds to make 79 acres near GSP and Route 539 part of state’s Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area, helping to protect Westecunk Creek watershed.

New Jersey Pulverizing Site

Thomas Avenue Woods

Roberts Avenue Marsh

North Green Street Sewer Extension

Mike’s Island

SBB mobilized local citizens to prevent K. Hovnanian from developing 4,500 homes on this environmentally sensitive 738 acre Bayville tract. This allowed the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust to purchase it for permanent conservation.

SBB directly assisted in creating the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust, whose second acquisition was this 12 acre tidal and freshwater wetlands complex along the bay in the northern portion of South Seaside Park.

Maple Creek

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service acquired this small sub-watershed just north of Cedar Creek after SBB helped make it eligible for federal acquisition.

SBB used Green Acres and William Penn Foundation funding to convey undeveloped land to Stafford Wildlife Management area, helping to protect Westecunk Creek watershed.

SBB helped prevent the extension of a sewer line from Tuckerton to GSP enabling Trust for Public Land to purchase 800 acres for conservation.

James Street Wetlands Complex

Assisted Harvey Cedars, OCNLT, and neighbors in protecting 2.3 acres of critical wetlands, using Green Acres of funding.

Sandpiper Cove

SBB helped conserve a small white cedar grove at Route 9 crossing of Cedar Creek.

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NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID TOMS RIVER, NJ PERMIT 53

SAVE BARNEGAT BAY 117 Haines Rd. Toms River, NJ 08753

Reflecting on 50 Years of Work at Save Barnegat Bay

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

—Margaret Mead

Thank you, from our Barnegat Bay family to yours

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www.SaveBarnegatBay.org

Save Barnegat Bay

@SaveBarnegatBay