I’m Rick Bennett, Regional Scientist for the Northeast Region. This week, I am part of a team taking to the air to tour some of the locations that were devastated by Hurricane Sandy. Each evening, I will be sharing a little about what we saw, the projects on the ground and how we are working to ensure the coastline and the surrounding communities are #StrongAfterSandy. (Lia McLaughlin/USFWS)
Today was spent over Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge looking at some of the land most heavily devastated by the 2012 storm.
Coastal restoration at the refuge is part of a larger project in New Jersey which will restore 36,000 acres of tidal marsh on the Atlantic Coast and Delaware Bay. The marsh restoration will provide increased protection to communities – such as Galloway and Oceanville – on over 60 miles of storm-damaged coast. The 47,000-acre refuge is home to a number of threatened birds, including piping plover and Atlantic brant, that rely on the fragile ecosystem of the marsh and will benefit from restoration efforts. Recovery at Forsythe expands visitor and educational opportunities, and engages the community by hiring local companies to assist with the work – while also working with communities to restore marshes and other affected natural areas that provide clean water, storm protection, wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region 