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Verizon and the New Jersey Audubon Society (NJAS)
have entered into a partnership with the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as part of a
habitat-restoration project at Verizon Center, the
company’s operations facility in Basking Ridge.
Through the Partners in Fish and Wildlife program,
Verizon, NJAS and the USFWS, have been restoring
natural wildlife communities on approximately 25
acres of grassland, riparian and wetland habitats on
the Verizon site over the past year. Additional
areas on site will be enhanced as well. ”Corporate
landowners through wise land stewardship can enhance
the ecological value of their properties for the
benefit of surrounding communities, said Brian
Marsh, Private Lands Biologist with USFWS. “The
Verizon Center in Basking Ridge, Somerset County, is
a good example of a corporate entity taking a keen
interest in land stewardship.”
The project is focused on improving buffer
protection along more than 3,700 feet of the Passaic
River, an area that is classified by the State of
New Jersey as a trout production-category one waterway. The State
designates waterways as category one because of
their exceptional ecological significance.
“Enhancements to these critical areas will bring
real benefits to the entire region,” said
Christopher J. Kelly, Executive Director of Real
Estate for Verizon. “We are eager to work with New
Jersey Audubon Society and U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service as we jointly look for ways to enhance a
region that affects millions of New Jerseyans.”
Tom Gilmore, president of the New Jersey Audubon
Society, said, "By implementing this large-scale
habitat restoration, Verizon will become a regional
model of corporate stewardship. We hope other
corporations will follow Verizon’s example.”
This
buffer protection will also serve associated
wetlands in the area, designated by the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection as an
“environmentally sensitive natural resource area”
and “wetlands of exceptional resource value.”
Implementing conservation practices can aid in
natural resource functions, such as purification of
air and water, flood mitigation, reduction of
runoff, preservation of biodiversity, and the
maintenance of overall ecosystem functions.
In
addition, the enhanced habitats will benefit a
variety of wildlife and bird species, including
waterfowl, neo-tropical migrant bird species and
several threatened and endangered species.
Further ecological benefits from the enhancement are
the removal of invasive non-native vegetation
and water quality improvement.
The project also provides protection of the upper
portion of the watershed that flows directly into
the New Jersey Natural Heritage Priority Site, known
as the
Great Swamp,
located approximately 0.7 miles (4,154 feet)
downstream of the Verizon property. The area has
been identified as one of the largest sites for
breeding of various threatened and endangered
wetland-associated wildlife in New Jersey.
By
actively managing and protecting natural resources
through its participation in the Partners program,
Verizon is demonstrating an outstanding commitment
to sustaining native wildlife populations while
providing a healthy landscape for the community at
large. NJAS and USFWS
welcome Verizon as a partner, solidifying a strong
relationship with the community to foster
environmental
awareness and a conservation ethic while enhancing
wildlife and natural systems in New Jersey.
John P. Parke is the Stewardship Project Director of the North Region for the
New Jersey Audubon Society. He designs and
implements habitat restoration projects associated
with threatened and endangered species on private
and public lands. |
