Jim Wright, who keeps this blog for the Meadowlands Commssion, also writes a twice-monthly column for The South Bergenite. His most recent column is on Hurricane Sandy.
Highlight is here:
In the mid-20th century, this region suffered from unprecedented environmental degradation for decades — including unregulated dumping, burning landfills and horrible water pollution from toxic chemicals and barely treated sewage.
We humans have been able to overcome that terrible legacy — a legacy that some thought insurmountable several decades ago.
And we will bounce back from Superstorm Sandy as well.
Full text follows.
The past several weeks have been trying ones for the Meadowlands District, and our thoughts go out to everyone affected by Superstorm Sandy. Since this is a nature column, I thought I would write about the storm’s impact on the region’s natural resources.
The District’s parks, natural areas and other open spaces took a major hit, with damage estimates in the millions of dollars. Some of our trails — most notably the Marsh Discovery Trail and the Transco Trail in DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst — suffered extensive damage.
DeKorte Park and Harrier Meadow in North Arlington had piles of storm debris up to two feet deep, 30 feet wide and a football field long. One structure in Harrier Meadow was swept off its foundation and deposited 30 yards away. Countless trees were knocked down throughout the region.
The day after the storm, you could not even drive into DeKorte Park. The NJMC’s headquarters in DeKorte were without electricity for days. We consider ourselves fortunate that damage from the tidal surge wasn’t worse.
Significant progress is being made in the aftermath of this unprecedented storm. Hundreds of tons of debris have been removed from DeKorte Park and Harrier Meadow already, and the NJMC’s offices have been fully functional for two weeks.
We understand how valuable our parks are to us all, as places to watch beautiful birds, walk our dogs, enjoy the beauty of the marshes, or just seek a tranquil respite from our hectic lives.
We are working hard to reopen our parks and natural areas as soon as possible. We had our first volunteer-driven cleanup at Harrier Meadow, with two more planned for this weekend. Check the www.meadowblog.net for details.
We cannot provide an estimate of when we will be able to reopen our parks, but rest assured: The Meadowlands Commission is committed to a full recovery for the region and for its parks and natural areas.
In the mid-20th century, this region suffered from unprecedented environmental degradation for decades — including unregulated dumping, burning landfills and horrible water pollution from toxic chemicals and barely treated sewage.
We humans have been able to overcome that terrible legacy — a legacy that some thought insurmountable several decades ago.
And we will bounce back from Superstorm Sandy as well.