| Things to think about Although
our drinking water has
remained relatively
clean, the amount of work necessary to make it clean has increased
over the years as nature’s services of cleaning the water have
declined with the loss of wetlands and other ecosystems.
In addition to freshwater
wetlands, New Jersey is also home to over 200,000 acres of coastal
wetlands.
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Importance
Wetlands
or bogs and marshes – including the Great Swamp and the Meadowlands
around Giants Stadium – are a particularly critical ecosystem.
They filter water, protect us from floods, and provide habitat
for a wide range of species. They are incubators supplying our
sport and commercial fisheries. They are way stations for migrating
birds. According to estimates, we have lost 20 to 39 percent
of our freshwater wetlands since colonial times. Fortunately,
with the passage of the State’s Freshwater Wetlands Protection
Act, the rate of freshwater wetland losses has been significantly
reduced over the past 12 years. On average, we now permit development
of fewer than 175 acres of freshwater wetlands each year, from
the approximately 700,000 acres of freshwater wetlands remaining
in our state. Currently, mitigation is required to offset many
authorized wetlands disturbances. On average, 84 acres of mitigation
is required per year. Mitigation may include restoration and
enhancement of existing wetlands, creation of new wetlands,
purchases of credits in a mitigation bank, or contribution to
the State’s Wetlands Mitigation Fund.
Economic
Wetlands act
as natural filters for our ground water supply, reducing the
need for expensive investments in water purification. Wetlands
also mitigate floods by absorbing water and releasing it slowly,
which reduces costs that we might otherwise pay for insurance
and clean-up. As habitat for a rich variety of wildlife, wetlands
attract tourists and bird watchers to our growing "eco-tourism"
industry.
Environmental
Wetlands
support a high density and diversity of native and migratory
animal, plant, and insect species. Many oceanic species rely
on wetlands for some portion of their lives. Wetlands are one
of the state’s largest repositories of biological capital. Wetlands
are also among the habitats most sensitive to disturbance.
Social
Wetlands enhance
our quality of life by contributing to our recreational opportunities.
Hunting, fishing, and bird watching are activities dependent
upon clean water and habitat. Birds and other species that rely
on wetlands for habitat enhance our daily relationship with
the natural environment.
Knowledge
Gaps
These data are based
on permits to legally alter and fill in freshwater wetlands.
Some wetlands are filled illegally while others slated for development
with permits remain untouched. Many legally disturbed or filled
wetlands are replaced with mitigated or man-made wetlands. Over
time, mitigation is expected to produce additional functioning
wetlands. Studies are underway to assess the success and viability
of mitigated wetlands. There is a need for better ways to measure
the net changes in wetlands acreage, the quality of existing
wetlands, and the impacts of development near wetlands.
Data
Source: NJ Department of Environmental Protection
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