Sires Announces the Release of Funding for Lincoln Park Wetland Restoration Project

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Albio Sires announced the release of over $10.5 million for the Lincoln Park Restoration project in Jersey City. This funding was appropriated through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), signed into law on February 17, 2009. The project is one of 50 coastal restoration projects chosen from a pool of 814 proposals by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). The grant will be distributed to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to administer the project in order to restore 30 acres of a larger 80-acre coastal wetland in the urban industrialized area of the Hackensack River basin.

"This funding not only marks an important step towards revitalizing the ecosystem at Lincoln Park, but it will also generate 41 jobs in a short period of time for Jersey City," stated Congressman Sires.

The $10.5 million will be used to restore the area's native salt marsh community to improve the overall ecological health of the Hackensack River ecosystem and increase public access to a restored urban ecological sanctuary. Restoration of the wetlands will be done by excavating previously placed dredge and landfill material and re-contouring the site to create intertidal habitat and tidal creeks. Specifically, this project will restore approximately 24 acres of wetland and 11 acres of transition area and will create 4,500 linear feet of tidally flowed creeks, which over time is expected to increase fish populations.

This funding is part of $167 million appropriated to the NOAA through the ARRA. For further information on this project and other coastal restoration projects nationwide, please visit the NOAA Recovery Act website at http://www.noaa.gov/recovery.

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