Coastal America Award Presented for Eco-Restoration Project

CAPE MAY POINT STATE PARK — A group of federal, state and local agencies were honored Fri., April 15 for their combined work protecting and restoring the 350-acre ecosystem of the Lower Cape May Meadows.
Those groups received the coveted Coastal America Award from Assistant Secretary of the Army Jo-Ellen Darcy on behalf of President Barack Obama at a windswept ceremony sheltered by the Hawk Platform here that overlooks the restoration project.
The Cape May area is internationally renowned among birdwatchers and the Lower Cape May Meadows is one of the principal reasons. A freshwater wetland situated next to the ocean and along the Atlantic flyway, the Meadows serve
as a migratory stopover for birds of prey, shorebirds, songbirds and waterfowl. The Meadows are also an important breeding ground for many species of wildlife, both rare and common.
Those honored for their roles in preserving this natural treasure were the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; the state Department of Environmental Protection; The Nature Conservancy, the non-profit group that owns a large portion of the tract; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and the Borough of Cape May Point.
Working together over a period of years, the partners restored the beach and dunes in front of the wetlands and rehabilitated the wetlands themselves,which had been degraded by saltwater intrusion and the spread of invasive species such as phragmites.
The Coastal America Partnership consists of 16 federal departments and agencies, such as the departments of Defense, Energy and Labor and the Environmental Protection Agency, which consult and collaborate on ways to protect and improve the coastal environment. The group’s highest award is the Coastal America Partnership Award, which goes to teams that advance these goals with specific projects.
In addition to presenting the Coastal America Partnership Award, Darcy talked about the America’s Great Outdoors initiative, the President’s drive to call attention to natural treasures such as the Lower Cape May Meadows and encourage Americans to get out and enjoy them.
A tour of the meadows followed the ceremony.