The Dismal Swamp after a fresh snowfall.

The New Jersey Highlands.  The Great Swamp.  The Pinelands.  The Dismal Swamp?  Yes, the long-overlooked Dismal Swamp Conservation Area (DSCA) in highly developed Middlesex County was recently recognized with New Jersey’s newest State Preservation Commission.  This designation places regional protection on the DSCA for the first time in history. Known as “the Everglades of Central Jersey,” the 1,240-acre DSCA is the largest nature area remaining in northern Middlesex County, spanning portions of Edison, Metuchen and South Plainfield.  

On October 29, 2009, the DSCA moved one step closer to complete preservation. Governor Corzine visited the Triple C Ranch, the last remaining farm in northern Middlesex County, to sign the bill establishing the Dismal Swamp State Preservation Commission, and to recognize the DSCA as an ecologically sensitive and valuable ecosystem in New Jersey.  This governing body, with representatives from the grassroots environmental non profit Edison Wetlands Association (EWA),the towns of South Plainfield, Edison, and Metuchen, and Middlesex County, will oversee all proposed development and planning in the swamp.

“The State of New Jersey has done remarkable things. You think about the Pinelands, you think about the Highlands, you think about the Great Swamp and other areas-and now we’re adding to that legacy for future generations with the Dismal Swamp,” said Governor Corzine.  “Bob Spiegel rightly said 10,000 years ago this area was the place where our wildlife thrived, where Native Americans thrived, and we want to return and move forward with this to preserve it for future generations accordingly. I’m pleased that I can sign the authorization of this commission.”

The DSCA wildlife refuge serves as a natural oasis holding United States Environmental Protection Agency Federal Priority Wetlands.  The DSCA is home to over 175 species of birds, and two dozen species of mammals, amphibians and reptiles, as well as a dozen threatened and endangered species, such as the American bittern, bald eagle, and spotted turtle.  The DSCA also provides natural flood control and wildlife habitat,while its forests produce oxygen, and its wetlands clean and purify water.   

“We’ve been working for 20 years now on the preservation of the Dismal Swamp,” said EWA Executive Director Bob Spiegel.  “For the first time, the state is recognizing this critically important regional resource that serves as the lifeblood of Central Jersey.  The formation of this Commission with its hard-working members and public involvement guarantees a legacy that future generations can cherish.”

EWA plays a crucial role in preserving the Dismal Swamp by helping to preserve more than half of the remaining DSCA to date.  EWA recently worked with NY-NJ Baykeeper, New York-New Jersey Port Authority, and the Middlesex County Freeholders to purchase the Adams Farm and South Plainfield Holdings properties for preserved greenspace and prevent them from being developed.  EWA is now fighting the proposed construction of a building on an environmentally sensitive area of land in Edison known as the Visco property, one of the last privately owned sections of “The Diz”. With the Commission in place, the DSCA has a bright future and should be preserved for many future New Jersey generations to enjoy.

• Click here for information on birding in the Dismal Swamp.
• Click here to see WildNewJersey.tv's Swamp Sightings:
  • Egrets and Herons at Turtle Pond
  • Beavers on the Bound Brook
  • Searching for Snapping Turtles in the Dismal Swamp
             

In October, Governor Corzine signed the historic bill establishing the Dismal
Swamp Preservation Commission at the Triple C Ranch in Edison.

EWA Executive Director Robert Spiegel (r) speaks at the signing of the Dismal
Swamp Preservation Commission Bill, while Gov. Corzine (c) and Kelly Mooij (l)
of the New Jersey Audubon Society listen.


Baby snapping turtle found in the Dismal Swamp.


Great egret launching off the basking platform in Turtle Pond.
Photo by Melanie Worob, EWA


David Wheeler of Wild New Jersey leads an eco-tour through the DSCA at Fall Fest 2009.