Plans in Place to Protect Wildlife at Woodbridge Waterfront Park Site

With the Keasbey Redevelopment Zone continuing to move through , regulations are being put in place to ensure wildlife in the forthcoming waterfront park along the Raritan River are protected.

On Tuesday, the Woodbridge council passed an ordinance that "...will create and restore a variety of wetland habitats, and provide a haven for a diversity of wildlife in a primary habitat area of Woodbridge township."

The ordinancesets forth a list of protected species at the Woodbridge Waterfront Park, including three endanged species: the Peregrine Falcon, the Corn Snake, and the Indiana Bat.  Also included on the lists are threatened species the Osprey and the Black-crowned Night-heron, "special concern" species including the Little Bluw Heron, the Snowy Egret, and the Brown Thrasher, and a host of other protected birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.

"The purpose of this ordinance is the protection of habitat for wildlife anticipated to utilize the site upon completion of the restoration project" at the former Nuodex site in the Keasbey Redevelopment Zone, the oridinance reads.  The long-term objective of the ordinance aims to "provide suitable foraging, roosting, and/or nesting areas for a variety of Protected Species in New Jersey."

The Keasbey Redevelopment Zone also includes the site of the upcoming that will be located at the former EPEC Polymers site as well as an area where forty thousand cubic yards of soil contaminated with was trucked from Bound Brook to use as fill-in material.

The ordinance prohibits commercial development, destruction, or harm to Protected Species within the boundaries of the habitat area.  Violations would result in a fine of no more than $1,000 and no more than two days in prison or community service for the first offence, with the same fine and a maximum three day prison/community service term for a second violation.