Galloway, N.J. – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded contracts to complete cleanup of Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, damaged during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The first award is a contract to Donjon Marine Co., Inc. of Hillside, N.J., with a total value of just under $3.5 million. The second is a contract to Clean Venture, Inc. of Elizabeth, N.J., valued at more than $1 million. Both companies have worked with the federal government on major environmental projects such as the responses to Hurricanes Katrina and Ike.
These investments are a portion of the $65 million in federal emergency funding allocated towards cleanup and repair projects at national wildlife refuges and fish hatcheries that were damaged during the storm.
An initial 430 tons of debris were removed from the 22-mile stretch of impacted coastline during the first phase of the project. The final phase of cleanup at Forsythe will remove debris at several remaining areas of the refuge such as Stafford, Eagleswood, Tuckerton, Lacey, Galloway and Barnegat, as well as other locations within the refuge boundaries. The work is expected to be completed this February.
E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge protects more than 47,000 acres of sensitive wetlands, marshes, and coastal habitats along the New Jersey shore. It is one of the most important habitats for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds east of the Mississippi River.
To read more about the coastal restoration project, click here. To view photos, click here. To learn more about other U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Hurricane Sandy recovery and resilience projects, visit the Hurricane Sandy Recovery website.
