Ny/Nj Baykeeper

Background: NY/NJ Baykeeper is the citizen guardian of the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary. Founded in 1989 as a 501 (c) 3 non-profit, Baykeeper’s mission is to protect, preserve, and restore the ecological integrity and productivity of the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary - one of the most urban estuaries on Earth. Baykeeper stops polluters, champions public access, influences land use decisions, and restores habitat - benefiting the natural and human communities of our watershed and planning for a sustainable future. Programs: Baykeeper prides itself on pursuing a healthy, fishable, swimmable watershed through three core programs: the Clean Water Campaign, Conservation Program, and Oyster Restoration Program . The Clean Water Campaign is focused on advocacy and legal initiatives to improve water quality in the harbor. Baykeeper patrols waterways for pollution violations, operates pumpout boats, and connects people to waterways through ecocruises, kayak trips, and cleanups. Our Conservation Program preserves remaining natural habitat and open space throughout the estuary through the identification, acquisition and restoration of endangered sites. Accomplishments include preserving the Hackensack Meadowlands, adding land to Cheesequake State Park and the Hudson County Parks system, and much more. Our Coastal Restoration Program is focused on improving water quality and providing a refuge for a diverse community of marine organisms. Baykeeper’s restoration work focuses on creating sustainable habitat while repopulating the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary with oysters. We currently have restoration sites in both New York and New Jersey, with roughly 240,000 new oysters introduced into the water in 2013. For more information and ways to donate, please visit our website www.nynjbaykeeper.org.