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PROTECTING DELAWARE BAY Coastal Sanctuaries Initiative Continues on the Cohansey River 
In 2006 the American Littoral Society launched its Coastal Sanctuaries initiative on the highly scenic Cohansey River in Cumeberland County, NJ. The project is designed to educate local stakeholders and decision-makers about the river"s significance to wildlife, fisheries and recreation, current threats and the wide variety of tools available that can be used to better protect it. Ongoing efforts include identifying and prioritizing prime parcels of land for preservation, as well as promoting such growth management tools as clustered development, transfer of development rights, and forest and river corridor protection ordinances. To learn more about one of the Delaware Bay"s most outstanding, yet least protected coastal waterways, and the Society"s ongoing efforts to protect it, click here To see a map of our conservation priority areas in the Upper Cohansey Watershed, click here To see a map of our conservation priority areas in the Lower Cohansey Watershed, click here For a more in-depth narrative about the Cohansey River and compilation of special designations and studies, click here To see our Cohansey River photo gallery, click here
Cumberland County Freeholders unanimously approve development of a county-wide open space and recreation plan Great news! The Littoral Society recently prevailed in convincing municipal and county decision-makers in Cumberland County, New Jersey to move forward with the development of a comprehensive countywide open space and recreation plan. Now that the debate on whether to do a plan is over, the Society is switching gears to engaging the various towns, environmental commissions and area residents in becoming actively involved in contributing to the plan"s development and implementation. The goal is to create a plan that seeks to identify and save the area’s last great places and opportunities for meaningful recreation and public access in both rural and urban communities along the coast.
This long-term project will coincide with the short-term Society campaign to build broad public support for passage of a critical statewide open space question that will go before voters this November. If passed, the $400 million-ballot question will replenish the Garden State Preservation Trust (GSPT), which funds statewide open space, farmland, recreation and historic preservation projects for the next two years. Passage of the GSPT will assure funding for dozens of coastal open space projects in the region – many of which are projects that the Society championed and several of these are located along the Cohansey River and Delaware Bay. TO SEE A MAP of the 11 vulnerable open space sites with accompanying descriptions and background, which the Society showcased on an bus tour it led last December, click here. Read Press of Atlantic City, Cumberland approves long-awaited open space plan, 7.3.09 Read Bridgeton/Millville News, Cumberland approves open space plan, 7.3.09 Read Press of Atlantic City editorial, No open space plan/how shortsighted, 6.29.09 Read Bridgeton/Millville News article, County open space plan not about raising taxes, 6.2.09 Read Bridgeton/Millville News article, Open space plan key to Cumberland"s success, 11.10.08
The Fight For Indian Trail Swamp Is Not Over  Having received local approvals from Middle Township’s Planning Board, Future Mining’s misguided plan must now go before The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) for the all-important CAFRA Permit, and we believe there are significant grounds for denial. The Littoral Society will join with the many friends of Indian Trail in presenting our arguments against granting this permit. Read more
TO SEE A MAP of the Future Mining, Inc. site and surrounding land use, click here Public letter-writing campaign to oppose Future Mining′s application for a CAFRA permit According to the NJDEP Land Use Regulatory Program’s Coastal Program, Future Mining Inc., has not yet applied to them for a Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA) Permit. Once public notice is given, the American Littoral Society will post a sample letter as an action alert on its home page for interested members of the public to use as a basis for submitting letters to DEP to request local public hearings. It is critically important for as many members of the public to submit these letters as possible, because they are a necessary prerequisite to convincing DEP that public hearings are necessary. However, these letters should not be submitted until DEP receives Future Mining’s CAFRA permit application. In the meantime, we encourage the public to frequent our website to keep an eye out for the announcement that DEP has received the permit application and the 30-day public comment period has begun. The public can also contact either the DEP or Middle Township Clerk’s Office, where a complete copy of the permit application, EIS and most current site plan will be available for review. To learn more, click here.
Reporting Threatened and Endangered Species The Delaware Bayshore region has a very high biodiversity and harbors many of New Jersey’s most wondrous rare plants and animals. Reports of threatened and endangered species and species of special concern are important in compiling State records and maps, and often times can become a deciding factor in determining whether or not a site is suitable for development and approval of State DEP and federal permits. Threatened and endangered species can be surveyed for by sight or sound in many cases, and may be present in areas where they are not always expected to occur. An up-to-date list of New Jersey’s Endangered and Threatened Wildlife can be found here. A list of New Jersey’s Species of Special Concern can be downloaded here. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection provides instructions and simple forms for reporting rare wildlife to the State here. Please help us to protect New Jersey’s imperiled wildlife species and the remaining undisturbed, yet vulnerable habitat that they require! Cumberland County: Read The Daily Journal, Public input needed to save Union Lake, by Matt Blake Cumberland Reminder editorial, Preserve Cohansick Country Club, by Matt Blake, 6.28.09 Cumberland Reminder editorial, Preserve Bridgeton Bluffs, by Matt Blake, 4.1.2009 Preserve Union Lake Tracts, 12.11.08 Download PDF TDR Program could revitalize Vineland"s Downtown: preserve 14,000 acres, 7.23.08 Download PDF Unintended Consequences of Motorsports Park Already Here, 7.15.08 Download PDF
Cape May County: 
Read the Littoral Society"s opinion piece in the Cape May County Herald, County continues to refuse millions from Trenton, click here Read the Littoral Society"s opinion piece in the Cape May County Herald, County Open Space Purchase Questioned Littoral Society Launches Friends of Cape May National Wildlife Refuge Celebrating 20 years at the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge - Come celebrate with the Friends of Cape May NWR at Two Mile Beach Unit Tuesday, August 25, 11 am - 12 Noon at 12001 Pacific Ave, Wildwood Crest, NJ. Read the Middle Township Gazette article, Refuge Seeks a Few Good Friends, 11.27.08Read the Cape May County Herald article, Lonely Refuge Seeks Friends, 11.13.08 Read the Press of Atlantic City article, Cape wildlife refuge looking for some friends, 10.30.08 See a copy of the Society"s testimony from the public hearing on Indian Trail, click here Indian Trail Fight Can and Must be Won, 7.1.08, Download PDF
Salem County: 
Read: Open space pays multiple dividends for Salem, Cumberland counties. 7.12.09 Alloway Township planning board grants preliminary approval for development affecting swamp pink upon several major conditions; developer announces intentions to pursue Green Acres preservation as possible alternative. Read Press of Atlantic City article, Residents hope U.S. Fish and Wildlife will kill Alloway Twp. housing project, 12.16.08. Read Press of Atlantic City story: Salem County swamp′s neighbors fight to preserve little pink plant, 11.11.08 Federally threatened Swamp Pink endangered by a proposed development in Alloway Township, click here Burden Hill Forest and Farmlands Worth More Than Sand, 12.8.08 Download PDF Salem Sunbeam article: Future of Burden Hill Forest at stake, 12.11.07 Read Salem Sunbeam article, House secures funding for Salem Refuge, 2.25.09 Society and Enviro Partners Defeat Wal-Mart Development Plan, click here Read Press-Release, Enviro Coalition victory over Wal-Mart plan to construct a 280,000 square foot Supercenter within Supawna Meadows, National Wildlife Refuge in Pennsville Township, click here, 5.6.2008.
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