$9.7 million grant to restore Stouts Creek Marsh in Lacey

LACEY, NJ – A $9.7 million grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and NOAA will help restore the degraded salt marsh at Stouts Creek in Lacey, according to a news release.

The total $9,740,000 will go to the New Jersey Department of Transportation and will be matched by $3,790,000, making a total of $13,530,000 for the Stouts Creek rehabilitation.

An abundance of sediment in Stouts Creek, a subwatershed of Barnegat Bay, has been causing problems for local residents for some time. Read more: Residents say sediment buildup in Stouts Creek in Lacey is a problem

The “Restoring Stouts Creek Marsh” project will “restore 96 acres of degraded salt marsh by creating a matrix of low and high marsh habitats that promote natural tidal flushing, sediment accumulation and carbon sequestration, while benefiting native vegetation and endangered shorebirds of the Eastern Seaboard.” Black rail and the salt marsh sparrow,” says the NFWF.