Projects and Research
Cape May NWR is focused on restoring crucial marsh habitat throughout South Jersey. Over nine consecutive days in the middle of September 2020, phase two of a marsh restoration project was completed at the Reeds Beach marsh unit of Cape May NWR, located in New Jersey. Runnels (shallow, sinuous channels) were cut into the marsh using a Marsh Master with a special cutter, with the goal of draining water off the supersaturated marsh surface. This project was funded by a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) grant with contributions from Ducks Unlimited and The Friends of Cape May NWR. We will continue to evaluate the progress of this work over the course of the next few years.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, manages property along the Delaware Bay including the Reeds Beach parcel. Reeds Beach includes a roughly 100-acre tidal marsh restoration area threatened by the effects of sea level rise, severe storms, and human intervention creating a stressed environment; which has led to marsh loss and conversion to open water,...
Cape May NWR is undertaking a fuels reduction project along select potions of the Refuge boundary. The purpose of the project is to reduce the potential of a wildfire burning off the Refuge and onto adjacent lands. These areas will provide firefighters with a tactical advantage by reducing expected fire behavior. It will also aid in limiting the spread of fires onto Refuge lands....