Save Barnegat Bay Inc

TO RESTORE AND PROTECT BARNEGAT BAY AND ITS ECOSYSTEM.

ADVOCACY CAMPAIGNSOUR ADVOCACY WORK WAS FOCUSED ON LOCAL ISSUES AS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CONTINUED TO SHUT-DOWN MUCH OF THE ACTIVITIES IN TRENTON. MANY LOCAL GOVERNMENT BODIES USED DIGITAL MEETINGS AND WE WERE ABLE TO ADVOCATE FOR BETTER POLICY AND CONTINUE TO FIGHT OVER-DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS. SOME OF OUR ACTIVITIES INCLUDED; WORK WITH OUR COLLEAGUES ON PLASTICS LEGISLATION AND EDUCATION, WATCH-DOG THE VILAMOURA LLC DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL, OPPOSE NJ TRANSIT POWER EXPANSION, FINALIZE A WETLANDS ACQUISITION IN HARVEY CEDARS. FILED COMMENTS ON RENEWED DEVELOPMENT PROPOSAL BY JAYLIN AT THE BORDER OF TOMS RIVER & MANCHESTER INCLUDING C1 WATERS AND T&E SPECIES. WE ALSO WORKED TO ENFORCE WETLANDS AND TRANSITION AREA PROTECTIONS IN AND AROUND THE METEDECONK NECK AND THE FORSYTHE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE IN BRICK TOWNSHIP AND AROUND TWILIGHT LAKE IN BAY HEAD. WE CONTINUED OUR LEGAL EFFORTS TO OPPOSE A CONFINED DISPOSAL FACILITY IN EAGLESWOOD TWP., HELPED HARVEY CEDARS TO ACQUIRE A NATURAL SEDGE SPIT OF LAND ON JAMES STREET FOR PRESERVATION, AND PARTICIPATED IN MANY LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL MEETINGS, ISSUES AND PROGRAMS RELATED TO THE PROTECTION AND RESTORATION OF BARNEGAT BAY. WE ALSO ASSISTED NEIGHBORS WITH LOCAL QUESTIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.

PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS DURING 2021, OUR IN-PERSON EDUCATIONAL AND OUTREACH PROGRAMS CONTINUED TO BE LIMITED DUE TO COVID-19 BUT WE DELIVERED A MIX OF DIGITAL, OUTDOOR AND LIMITED INDOOR PROGRAMS. OVERALL, WE LOGGED A TOTAL OF 375 VOLUNTEER HOURS, GAINED 79 NEW VOLUNTEERS, HOSTED 15 INTERNSHIPS, SPONSORED 14 STUDENT GRANTS AND BROADCASTED 6 PODCASTS. WE CONTINUED TO HOST BARNEGAT BAY BOOK CLUB ONLINE, CONDUCTED SEINING PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE 10 WEEKS OF SUMMER. WE HOSTED BOTH VIRTUAL AND OUTDOOR RAIN BARREL WORKSHOPS FOR VARIOUS TOWNS AND ORGANIZATIONS. EVEN WITH THE COVID RESTRICTIONS, WE WERE ABLE TO REACH 15 OF OUR 37 WATERSHED TOWNS WITH PROGRAMS AND DELIVER MEANINGFUL ON-LINE CONTENT TO 1,000'S OF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC. WE STARTED THREE GRANT FUNDED PROGRAMS TO 1) COORDINATE THE SCRUBBING OF BULKHEADS IN LAGOON COMMUNITIES TO HELP ABATE JELLYFISH POLYP GROWTH AND EDUCATE THE PUBLIC, 2) BEGAN A PATHOGEN TRACK-DOWN PROJECT WITH SIX TOWNS AROUND THE BASIN OF THE TOMS RIVER WITH A "FIND-IT AND FIX-IT" APPROACH, AND 3) WORKED TO DEVELOP AN EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR MUNICIPALITIES ABOUT STORMWATER AND THE MS4 PERMIT PROGRAM AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

PROJECTSCONTINUED TO COLLECT AND PRESS PLANT SPECIMENS FOR THE EMILY DECAMP HERBARIUM AT ISLAND BEACH STATE PARK AND THE COLLECTION WHICH IS HOUSED AT GEORGIAN COURT UNIVERSITY. WE ADDED TWO NEW HERBARIUM CABINETS AND EXPANDED THE COLLECTION TO INCLUDE SPECIMEN THAT CAN BE HANDLED BY THE PUBLIC AND USED FOR ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION TO BE HOUSED AT THE ECOCENTER.