Saving Spaces for the Swamp Pink

The Department of Environmental Protection has received a $250,000 federal grant to help acquire land to preserve and protect an endangered member of the lily family found primarily in New Jersey.

The grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Cooperative Species Conservation Fund is targeted for acquisition of land along Cumberland County’s Cohansey River confirmed as critical habitat for swamp pink, listed as federally threatened and state endangered.

Rare Swamp PinkThe presence of swamp pink is a sign of a healthy ecosystem. Its primary threats are pollution, wetlands draining, erosion and sedimentation.

As a result of the grant, the DEP’s Green Acres Program will initiate negotiations with various property owners and will provide additional funds for the purchases. The owners and the locations of the properties will not be disclosed until the acquisitions are finalized.

Read more nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2018/18_0040.htm