Meadowlands Conservation Trust Breaks Ground on Major Wetlands Enhancement Project
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 24, 2010
Meadowlands Conservation Trust Breaks Ground on Major Wetlands Enhancement Project
235 Acre Project Benefits Mass Transit and Environment
LYNDHURST, N.J – The Meadowlands Conservation Trust and EarthMark Mitigation Services broke ground today on a major initiative to restore and enhance 235 acres of environmentally sensitive wetlands in Carlstadt and South Hackensack.
From left: Department of Community Affairs Deputy Director Betty Lou De Croce; Executive Director Tina Schvejda; Trustee Greg Remaud; Co-Chairman Mark Becker; Robert Ceberio, Executive Director, NJ Meadowlands Commission; Richard P. Kane, First Chairman of the Board of Trustees; Chairman Captain Bill Sheehan; Congressman Steve Rothman
The project is designed to reestablish the marsh’s wildlife and plant habitats and its natural ability to absorb floodwaters and help reduce pollution. It also greatly benefits regional mass transit efforts, since the project will function as a “mitigation bank” allowing public transit agencies to purchase credits to offset construction work they do elsewhere in the Meadowlands. The wetlands are located in the eastern portion of the 587-acre Richard P. Kane Natural Area, the largest contiguous parcel of open space in the Meadowlands region.
Congressman Steve Rothman, a federal champion of the preservation of the Hackensack Meadowlands and a longtime fighter for a cleaner environment and better public transportation, gave the keynote address at the groundbreaking in South Hackensack.
“This investment in the Meadowlands District will improve the environment, help promote important mass transit projects and is another step in the right direction,” said Congressman Rothman. “From the wetlands of the Meadowlands, to our roads and railways, this enhancement will benefit New Jerseyans for generations to come.”
The mitigation work will be performed by Florida-based EarthMark Mitigation Services and is expected to last through the fall. EarthMark is paying $6 million to lease the property from the MCT; once work is done, EarthMark can sell mitigation credits to public transportation agencies including NJ Transit and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. By purchasing these credits, agencies are allowed to proceed with development projects that can disturb wetlands, since they are essentially “offsetting” this impact by funding environmental enhancements elsewhere.
The Kane tract project includes reconnecting the Mudabak Creek and other tributaries to the Hackensack River to allow for better tidal flow, and replacing the invasive common reed phragmites with native vegetation. EarthMark has spent the past several months removing tons of debris from the site and mowing the phragmites – which had choked out most native flora – in preparation for the planting of millions of plugs of spartina, spike grass, switchgrass, salt marsh bulrush and other indigenous plant species.
The goal is to restore the wetlands, which now offer limited habitat, as a breeding ground for fish, birds and other wildlife. By reintroducing native plants and opening the wetlands to tidal flow from the Hackensack River, the project also allows for the Kane Tract to once again act as a sponge, soaking up floodwaters and filtering sediments and pollution. The project also boosts the local economy by providing employment to dozens of people.
“This mitigation project is of critical importance to the ecosystem, and we should see the diversity of wildlife increase greatly as a result,” said Tina Schvejda, executive director of the MCT. “Once the project is finished, it will also include trails and the public will be welcome to come down and enjoy the area on foot, or by canoe or kayak. The Kane Tract is one of the jewels in the Meadowlands, and we want people to understand why it is so special.”
Richard Mogensen, EarthMark’s director of product development, underscored the project’s multiple benefits. “EarthMark’s work will help improve the environment while spurring economic growth by allowing valuable transportation infrastructure projects to move forward,” Mogensen said. “EarthMark is honored to be a part of this important project which shows how public-private partnerships can benefit the public good.”
The Meadowlands Conservation Trust is the only public land trust in the Northeast region of New Jersey, covering 54 municipalities within the Hackensack River Watershed in Bergen and Hudson counties. Founded in 1999, the MCT has acquired and protected more than 800 acres of open space. The MCT acquired and preserved the Richard P. Kane Natural Area, which includes portions of Carlstadt and South Hackensack, in 2005. The tract’s namesake is the former director of conservation for the New Jersey Audubon Society and was the first chairman of the board of trustees of the MCT.
