Supporters of environmental preservation in the Meadowlands can highlight the importance of wetland and wildlife protection and help make a difference with Meadowlands Conservation license plates.

The plates, sold online and at State Motor Vehicle Commission offices, benefit the open-space preservation efforts of the Meadowlands Conservation Trust. 

The  plates feature a tranquil scene of a Great Egret and a Diamondback Terrapin in their marshland home along the Hackensack River, with Laurel Hill in Secaucus rising in the background.

The MCT was created in 1999 by the State Legislature to acquire and preserve environmentally-sensitive open space and wetlands in the Hackensack River Watershed, one of the most important urban wetland systems in the nation.

The MCT has preserved more than 800 acres of open space since its inception, including the Richard P. Kane Natural Area, the largest contiguous parcel of open space in the Meadowlands. The 587-acre parcel includes parts of Carlstadt and South Hackensack.

The 85-square-mile Hackensack River Watershed runs from Rockland County, N.Y., through the Meadowlands, where the River enters Newark Bay.

The Meadowlands portion of the Watershed includes 8,400 acres of urban wetlands and is home to more than 280 species of birds, including a dozen on the State’s threatened and endangered species lists.

Preserved open space and wetlands help to contribute many benefits to the public, including cleaner water, healthy wildlife habitats, passive recreation and increased flood protection.

Meadowlands Conservation license plates cost $50 and are available online at http://www.nj.gov/mvc or at any Motor Vehicle Commission office that provides registration services.

The plates may also be ordered by phone at 888-486-3339. A portion of the yearly renewal charge for the plates goes to the MCT.