The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently purchased 98 acres of marsh and forest habitat for $420,000 in Ocean Township, N.J. The land will be managed as part of the E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, according to Refuge Manager Steve Atzert.
"This acquisition contributes significantly to the Service's ongoing efforts to conserve internationally important wetlands for waterfowl, water birds and other wildlife migrating along the Atlantic Coast. It also protects one of the largest remaining undeveloped woodlands on the western shore of Barnegat Bay," said Atzert.
"This partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service further demonstrates the Township of Ocean's commitment to protecting our natural resources. This 98 tract plays an important role in not only protecting the quality of our drinking water, but will provide a safe haven for various wildlife that needs areas like this to call home. All of our residents should take pride in what we have accomplished here today," said Mayor Van Pelt.
The property includes 88 acres of wetlands. Forested areas of the property include Atlantic white cedar, red maples, pitch pine and oak. These habitats will continue to support large numbers resident wildlife and migratory bird species. As part of the national wildlife refuge national wildlife refuge
A national wildlife refuge is typically a contiguous area of land and water managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the conservation and, where appropriate, restoration of fish, wildlife and plant resources and their habitats for the benefit of present and future generations of Americans.
Learn more about national wildlife refuge , the property will help protect the water quality and environmental health of Barnegat Bay.
The federal Migratory Bird Conservation Commission approved the acquisition of the property from the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund in September 2006. The Migratory Bird Conservation Fund supports the purchase of land for the National Wildlife Refuge System through the sale of Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps ? commonly known as federal duck stamps. Ninety-eight cents out of every dollar generated by duck stamp sales goes directly to the conservation of wetland habitat in the U.S. Since 1934, duck stamp sales to waterfowl hunters, collectors and others have raised more than $700 million that has been used to acquire more than 5.2 million acres of land for national wildlife refuges.
The E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge wetlands are Wetlands of International Importance under the international Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. It is one of only 22 sites in the U.S. to have received this designation. Additionally, Barnegat Bay is one of the 28 estuaries in the Environmental Protection Agency's National Estuary Program.
Related Web sites of interest:
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service http://www.fws.gov
- Migratory Bird Conservation Commission http://www.fws.gov/realty/mbcc.html
- The Federal Duck Stamp Program http://www.fws.gov/duckstamps/
- E.B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge http://www.fws.gov/northeast/forsythe/
- Ramsar Convention on Wetlands http://www.ramsar.org/
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 548 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. The Service also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
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