March, 2003
Happy 100th
Anniversary!
(And Bully for Wildlife!)
What
does New Jersey’s Great Swamp have in common with
The National Bison Range of Montana? Need another hint? What does
Sussex County’s Wallkill River Basin have in common with
Pelican Island, Florida?
 They are all
National Wildlife Refuges, and on March 14th, we celebrated the 100th Anniversary of the National Wildlife Refuge Act. This Act is
the granddaddy of all legislation created to protect wildlife and
wildlife habitat in America and its territories.
Ironically, we
can thank Teddy Roosevelt for championing this incredible piece
of legislation. Our 26th president cultivated the image of a big
game hunter, and wrote numerous books and articles on hunting and
ranching. He proudly wrote of his expeditions, trapping and
shooting his way across the continents. He also filled specimen trays
to bursting with odd and common specimens. Well traveled
throughout the United States and Africa, Roosevelt made no
apologies for his preferred sport.
However, the
knowledge he acquired on the subject of wildlife, by first-hand
experience and research, later proved to be the deciding factor
in saving many species from certain extinction. This
"conservation president" (as he would later be known)
was recognized as one of the foremost field biologists of his
time.
His direct
order to Congress to draft legislation protecting wildlife was
anchored in cherished personal experiences he wished to share
with the rest of the world. Roosevelt’s pen hit paper in
1903, signing the Act into law and creating a conservation legacy
for future generations.
The first
wildlife refuge on Pelican Island, Florida, was created to
preserve habitat for wading birds — notably, egrets and
herons — whose feathers were used to make women’s hats.
They were being slaughtered as such an alarming rate (during
breeding season, when their plumage was most beautiful) that
entire species were being decimated.
The National
Wildlife System now boasts over 500 refuges. New Jersey has five
wildlife refuges, and they are all gems.
EDWIN B. FORSYTHE NATIONAL WILDLIFE
REFUGE
Established in 1939, the Brigantine Division of Edwin B. Forsythe
was the first refuge created in New Jersey. The Barnegat Division
was created in 1967 as a separate refuge entity, but the two were
combined in 1984 to honor the late conservation Congressman Edwin
B. Forsythe.
The Edwin B.
Forsythe Refuge is the largest refuge in New Jersey. Over 40,000
acres are currently protected in the two divisions.
The Refuge
contains two of the few remaining undeveloped barrier beaches in
the state of New Jersey. Barrier dunes are prime nesting habitat
for birds like the piping plover, least tern and black skimmer.
The barrier beaches are part of Forsythe’s Wilderness Area,
which has very limited public use in order to protect these birds.
Almost 90
percent of Forsythe is tidal salt meadow and marsh. The remaining
3,000+ acres are woodlands and open meadows, providing habitat
diversity.
Public access
is welcome and varied at the Brigantine Division in Oceanville,
just a few miles north of Atlantic City. There are two walking trails, an information office and auditorium. An impoundment can
be circled by driving (or walking) along the dike, and an observation tower
near the impoundment provides a stunning view of the vicinity.
The Mullica River, one of the Pine Barrens’ most canoeable
rivers, ends its long journey here and empties into
Brigantine’s Great Bay.
Edwin B.
Forsythe is located on a critical path of the Atlantic Flyway and
is a prime location for viewing migrations.
For more information, contact:
Refuge Manager
Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge
Brigantine Division
Great Creek Road
P.O. Box 72
Oceanville, NJ 08231-0072
609-652-1665
Visit the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife site for the Edwin B. Forsythe Refuge
GREAT SWAMP NATIONAL WILDLIFE
REFUGE
The Great Swamp became a National Wildlife Refuge in 1960. It was
nearly paved over for an airport, but thanks to the efforts of
well-heeled and well-informed locals, it is preserved as a
natural treasure for everyone. The Great Swamp Committee raised
over one million dollars to purchase the first 3,000 acres and
turned them over to the Department of the Interior. The Refuge
now encompasses 7,000 acres of grasslands, hardwood swamps, and
cattail marsh.
A designated
Wilderness Area (the eastern half of the Refuge) is accessible
only on foot via an 8-mile trail system.
The Wildlife
Management Area (WMA) is intensively managed to benefit resident
wildlife. Native species are planted, and nesting boxes and other
nesting structures are provided to encourage wildlife to —
well, nest here. Public access in the WMA is limited to an Observation
Center, blinds, one mile of trails, and interpretive displays.
Both the Morris
County Outdoor Education Center and Somerset County Environmental
Education Center — both bordering the Swamp — offer
natural science programs for adults and children. The Great Swamp
is located roughly seven miles south of Morristown.
For more information, contact:
Refuge Manager
Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
Pleasant Plains Road
R.D. #1, Box 152
Basking Ridge, NJ 07920
973-425-1222
Morris County Outdoor Education Center: 973-635-6629
Somerset County Environmental Education Center: 973-766-2489
Visit the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife site for the Great Swamp
SUPAWNA MEADOWS NATIONAL WILDLIFE
REFUGE
Supawna Meadows was designated a National Wildlife Refuge in
1973, with an original area of just 653 acres. Supawna has grown
in size to 2,500 acres, most of which is tidal marsh. Finns Point
Rear Range Lighthouse is listed in the National Register of
Historic Places, and is open to the public on the 3rd Sunday of
every month from April through October. Guides are on site to
answer questions when the lighthouse is open.
Supawna lies in
Salem County, to the north of the Salem River, a tributary of the
Delaware River. Its proximity to Pea Patch Island in the Delaware
(home to 6,000 pairs of herons and egrets) makes it a prime site
for watching wading birds. This is an important location for overwintering
waterfowl as well. Deer hunting and limited waterfowl hunting is
permitted in season.
For more information, contact:
Refuge Manager
Supawna Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
229 Lighthouse Road
Salem, NJ 08079
856-935-1487
Visit the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife site for the Supawna Meadows
CAPE MAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Long touted as one of the 10 best bird watching sites in North
America, Cape May peninsula at the southernmost point in New
Jersey is a perfect location for a Wildlife Refuge. The Cape May
Refuge is a critical habitat area in the Atlantic Flyway, a
migratory route used by hundreds of thousands of birds each year.
Its five-mile expanse along Delaware Bay provides resting and
feeding areas for spring migrations of shorebirds and also boasts
large populations of songbirds. Cape May’s fall hawk
migrations are famous world-wide. Originally only 90 acres when
it opened in 1989, the Refuge has grown to over 8,000 acres, and
will be as large as 16,700 acres if proposed acquisitions can be
made.
There are
several trails through the Refuge for hiking and bird
watching. Spring and fall are the best seasons to observe
wildlife at Cape May. Deer hunting and game bird hunting is
permitted in season, and visitors should be aware that this is a
mixed use refuge.
For more information, contact:
Refuge Manager
Cape May National Wildlife Refuge
24 Kimbles Beach Road
Cape May Courthouse, NJ 08210-2078
609-463-0994
Visit the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife site for the Cape May Refuge
WALLKILL RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE
REFUGE
The Wallkill River Refuge is the newest addition to New
Jersey’s refuge system. Established in 1990, the Refuge
extends approximately nine miles along the middle third of the
Wallkill River Basin and is comprised of 4,795 acres. One of only a handful of New Jersey rivers
that flow in a northerly direction, the Wallkill feeds important
wetland acreage known as bottomland. Nineteen of New
Jersey’s threatened and endangered species are found in this
Sussex County watershed, including the bobcat. And, because of its location in
Northwestern New Jersey, the Wallkill is a major stopover on
migration routes to and from Canada and the Atlantic Coast.
Access to the
Wallkill River Wildlife Refuge is limited, but a hiking trail was
recently opened, and a canoe access point was recently
designated. The trail was built as a Boy Scout’s Eagle Scout
project. The 1.3 mile trail with a trail head kiosk can be
reached from Route 565 in Wantage, about 200 yards north of the
Route 23 intersection. Canoes can be launched near Bassetts
Bridge on Route 642 in Wantage.
For more information, contact:
Refuge Manager
Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge
P.O. Box 383
Sussex, New Jersey 07461-0383
973-702-7266
Visit
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife site for the Wallkill Refuge
Copyright © 2003 K.Siletti
Updated from original 1998 publication, "Happy 95th
Anniversary."
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The
Elusive Butterfly
