Protecting Delaware Bay

New Jersey’s Delaware Bayshore Region remains one of the state’s last bastions of rural life and coastal wilderness. It is recognized internationally for its exceptional wildlife and habitats. The Delaware Estuary is designated as a Wetlands of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands signed in 1975 and as a site of Hemispheric Importance in the WHSRN, an intercontinental network of protected sites.  Made up of Cumberland, Cape May, and Salem Counties, the region is “ground zero” for many of New Jersey’s threatened and endangered species and hosts the state’s largest population of American Bald Eagles. Vast farm-belts, unspoiled tidal waterways and coastal forests drain into the Delaware Bay through scenic waterways that include the Maurice, Cohansey and Salem Rivers and Stow, Alloways, Oldman’s, Dennis, Dias, and Green Creeks.  It is no wonder that New Jersey’s “other shore” is an international destination for recreational boaters, fisherman, beach-goers and birders. 

To protect this region’s ecological integrity, rural character, and quality of life we

• Build networks of contiguous preserved coastal lands that protect habitat, wildlife, and water quality through our Coastal Sanctuaries program
• Arm citizens with the knowledge and tools they need to decide for themselves the future character of their own landscapes through good old-fashioned grass roots organizing  
• Launch strategic new voices for the coast like Friends of the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge and the Cohansey Area Watershed Association
• Conduct and promote research that underwrites our highly effective advocacy including studies Atlantic sturgeon in Delaware Bay, horseshoecrab habitat, the impact of sea level rise on coastal areas, and the sources of pollution in the Cohansey River.
• Engage members of the community in restoring oysters to Delaware Bay through Project PORTS (Promoting Oyster Restoration through Schools)
• Teach Bayshore residents to prepare for oil spills and other catastrophic pollution events through SpillSpotters.net.