Bistate coalition asks Congress to fund Liberty State Park wetlands restoration

Wednesday, August 22, 2012, 9:41 AM
By Daniel Reyes/The Jersey Journal

A restoration project at Liberty State Park in Jersey City is on hold due to a lack of federal funding and a bistate advocacy organization wants Congress to get off the dime.

The NY-NJ Harbor Coalition, which wants to bring more federal funding to the New York/New Jersey harbor region, recently sent a letter to both states? congressional delegations, urging the members to change the federal policy on how money is allocated for water infrastructure projects.

The Office of Management and Budget?s current guidelines prioritize funding for projects with the lowest cost per acre.

According to Lilo Stainton, the coalition?s campaign director, that policy is biased against urban areas since the cost per acre in urban areas is significantly higher than areas in the Midwest.

?The policy puts urban environmental projects at a disadvantage,? she said.

For example, the coalition says, this policy has impeded efforts by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others to restore hundreds of acres of wetlands at Liberty State Park, noting more than $20 million in federal funding is needed to begin this job.

New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez said yesterday he fully backs federal support of the Liberty State Park project.

?I have long been a supporter and champion of the Liberty State Park Restoration, which is why in 2009 I challenged and sought reconsideration of the Bush-era determination that it did not meet the threshold for an appropriate level of investment,? Menendez said in a statement.

?The estuary . . . would also be a boon to the State of New Jersey and to millions of people who visit the park for recreational purposes,? he said. ?I will continue to push for the federal investment in this restoration project.?

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