Barnegat Bay

New Jersey’s Barnegat Bay lies at the heart of one of the nation’s loveliest—and most-loved—coastal natural areas. The 42-mile-long bay is full of welcoming beaches, cool pine forests, expansive wetlands, and salt marshes. It’s also home to hundreds of wildlife species—many listed as threatened and endangered—and is a magnet for tourism and recreation. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has called the bay “one of the most important migratory corridors in the hemisphere for shorebirds, passerines, waterfowl, and raptors.”

But this is also one of New Jersey’s fastest-growing regions, which has led to pollution. Development alongside waterways drastically threatens the safety of local drinking water and the health of the bay itself. The low-lying land is also vulnerable to coastal storms, which have become more severe in recent years.

To protect Barnegat Bay, it’s critical to conserve sensitive lands within the area. Since 1985, Trust for Public Land has partnered with agencies, communities, and donors to safeguard land, water, wildlife, and the region’s much-valued quality of life. So far, we’ve protected more than 13,000 acres as parks and natural lands. But for all we’ve accomplished, there is still plenty of work ahead of us.