$200K Grant Awarded For Dismal Swamp Environmental Study

EDISON, NJ — The Dismal Swamp Preservation Commission has been awarded a $200,000 grant to conduct a survey and environmental study of the Edison nature preserve. The money could also be used for access trails, signage, restoration initiatives, and educational and natural heritage programs.

“Dismal Swamp is Edison’s largest wetland and hardwood forest preserve. It is an environmental jewel
among my town’s many parks and open spaces,” said Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak, a former Edison councilman. “I am proud to help secure new state funding for this vital natural habitat.”

“Edison places a high premium on preserving our environment. This substantial grant will enable us to
better protect our community’s largest natural resource and enable greater public access to Dismal
Swamp,” said Mayor Thomas Lankey.

The Preservation Committee will receive the first half of the grant by the end of the year.

The Dismal Swamp is home to numerous different types of life, including 175 species of birds, 25 species of mammals and 25 species of amphibians and reptiles. Many trees and plants in the swamp are recognized as rare, threatened or endangered. Artifacts over 10,000-years-old have been found in archeological digs.

Image via Edison Township