Estuary Enhancement Program

Restoring Wetlands…

Tidal wetlands are one of the most productive ecosystems on earth. They perform many valuable functions: filtering impurities from storm water runoff, minimizing the damage of storm surges, providing shelter and food for migrating birds, and serving as spawning and breeding grounds for fish and wildlife– in essence, they serve as the base of the food web.

In an effort of unprecedented scale, we began working in 1994 to restore and preserve portions of the Delaware Estuary in both New Jersey and Delaware. Since then, we have restored, enhanced, and/or preserved more than 20,000 acres of salt marsh and adjacent uplands to vital, healthy habitat for fish and wildlife.

This has been a true public/private partnership, as we worked with independent scientists, environmental groups, natural resource and land management agencies, public officials and local communities. With many sites now completely restored, our Estuary Enhancement Program is a success story that is based on a relentless application of sound scientific principles.