I t has been two years since superstorm Sandy. Up and down the coast, ceremonies recently marked the state’s progress in rebuilding homes, businesses and infrastructure destroyed by Sandy — and increasing our capacity to weather future storms.
But one ill-advised proposal in particular is being advanced in the name of “resiliency.” The National Park Service’s Sandy Hook Unit proposes to build a large maintenance facility in the midst of a heavily wooded section of Gateway National Recreation Area on Sandy Hook in northern Monmouth County.
The National Park Service is calling it a “resiliency” project since it would move vehicles and equipment to higher ground and reduce the risk of them being damaged in future floods, but the wooded site is the worst possible location!
The 6-mile-long Sandy Hook peninsula is a critical stop along the Atlantic Flyway for millions of migrating birds. In addition to tidal wetlands and dune habitats, it contains significant maritime forest, characterized by fruiting trees and bushes like American holly, hackberry, black gum, bayberry, sassafras, beach plum, red cedar, serviceberry, poison ivy and Virginia creeper.
Almost all of New Jersey’s maritime forests have been wiped out by development, leaving only a few places for migrating woodland birds to rest and refuel. You can count these forests on one hand — Sandy Hook, Island Beach State Park, Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge and western Cape May.
Just as New Jersey’s beaches are filled to capacity by humans on hot summer days, these scarce maritime forests are filled to capacity as birds hopscotch along the coastline during their spring and fall migrations.
Migrating birds travel thousands of miles from their wintering grounds in the south to their summer breeding grounds in the north and back again, using the Atlantic coast as their map. Insects, spiders and especially fruits growing in maritime forests are essential to their ability to survive the rigors of migration.
“There is already not enough forest habitat to support the birds during their migration,” says Dr. Emile DeVito, the New Jersey Conservation Foundation’s staff biologist. “If you take away more maritime forest, birds will die — it is as simple as that. There is no substitute for this forest; there is no other place for them to go.”
Birders have counted 348 bird species at Sandy Hook. About 100 species are forest birds, and some are in serious decline. Among the rare woodland birds that have been spotted at Sandy Hook are goldenwinged warblers, Bicknell’s thrushes and saw-whet owls.
When you think about it, the maritime forest at Sandy Hook was actually created by birds to supply their exact needs, DeVito pointed out.
“It is a spit of sand in the ocean, and virtually every woody forest plant arrived there as seeds dispersed by bird droppings,” he said.
Although the area of Sandy Hook being eyed for a maintenance facility contains a few derelict buildings, it is dominated by forests of fruiting trees, vines and shrubs.
Rather than looking to destroy this Garden of Eden for migrating birds, the National Park Service should tear down the abandoned buildings and plant more trees to re-create an unbroken forest. This would also make the forest more resilient to future storms.
Protecting and restoring Sandy Hook’s maritime forest should be a National Park Service priority, given its mission: “The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.”
Yes, there is a need to protect trucks and equipment, but the National Park Service can and should find an alternative location outside the maritime forest in one of the many derelict sites on Sandy Hook or on nearby high ground in Monmouth County.
The National Park Service is now preparing an environmental assessment that should be released in the spring. Let’s hope those in charge realize the irreplaceable value of Sandy Hook’s maritime forest, for both wildlife habitat and coastal resiliency.
Because of Sandy Hook’s geography, a single tree in its forest is a hundred times more important to birds — if not a thousand! — than an identical tree in the middle of Pennsylvania.
Tell the National Park Service to restore, not destroy, the maritime forest at Sandy Hook. Letters can be sent to the Office of the Superintendent, Gateway National Recreation Area, 210 New York Ave., Staten Island, N.Y., 10305.
Michele S. Byers is the executive director of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, Far Hills.