$9.7M Grant To Restore Stouts Creek Marsh In Lacey

LACEY, NJ — A $9.7 million grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and NOAA will help to restore the degraded salt marsh at Stouts Creek in Lacey, according to a news release.

The total $9,740,000 will go to the New Jersey Department of Transportation and will be matched by $3,790,000, creating a total amount of $13,530,000 going towards fixing up Stouts Creek.

A abundance of sediment in Stouts Creek, a Barnegat Bay subwatershed, has been causing issues for neighboring residents for some time now. Read more: Sediment Buildup An Issue At Stouts Creek In Lacey, Residents Say

The "Restoring Stouts Creek Marsh" project will "restore 96 acres of degraded salt marsh by creating a matrix of low and high marsh habitats that will promote natural tidal flushing, sediment accretion and carbon sequestration while benefiting native vegetation and critically endangered shorebirds, such as the eastern black rail and saltmarsh sparrow," according to the NFWF.

"Project will increase coastal resilience by increasing marsh height to help mitigate storm surges, reduce coastal flooding and combat sea-level rise," the NFWF said.

This project is part of $139 million in new grants to support nature-based solutions for coastal resilience in 31 coastal states and U.S. territories.

"NOAA is proud to partner with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support essential projects that advance ecosystem health and enhance coastal resilience,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, PhD. “Through this partnership, we will empower communities with the tools and natural infrastructure needed to confront and become more resilient to coastal hazards."