New Jersey begins restoration work to bring back forest and wetland habitat along Raritan river

Trees laid out at the site for planting (FWS photos) A 112-acre restoration project has begun along the Raritan River in New Jersey, with the aim of bringing back forest and wetland habitat that was affected by contamination linked to the American Cyanamid Superfund Site. The project is being carried out under a settlement related to damage to natural resources.According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the project is taking place on land owned by Duke Farms, a centre of the Doris Duke Foundation, in Hillsborough, New Jersey. The site is about 2.8 miles upstream from the American Cyanamid Site. The work will convert retired agricultural fields into forested and scrub-shrub floodplain habitat next to the Raritan River.The restoration is part of a larger effort to compensate for natural resources that were lost or injured because of contamination from the American Cyanamid Site. The work will include planting native trees and shrubs, controlling invasive plants and creating habitat for amphibians, insects, birds and other wildlife.Settlement led to restoration The project follows a settlement finalised on July 16, 2024, between the US Department of Justice, the State of N...