{"id":53476,"date":"2024-02-01T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/?p=53476"},"modified":"2026-02-24T12:30:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T17:30:22","slug":"news-2024-02-01-portions-of-higbee-beach-wma-closed-through-december-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/news-2024-02-01-portions-of-higbee-beach-wma-closed-through-december-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Portions of Higbee Beach WMA Closed through December 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image text-wrap-pic half\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/aerial-view-of-dirt-road-in-scrub-shrub-fields-next-to-coast-at-higbee-beach-wma-during-winter-scaled.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/aerial-view-of-dirt-road-in-scrub-shrub-fields-next-to-coast-at-higbee-beach-wma-during-winter-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-53692\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.7777777777777777;object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/njfw\/aerial-view-of-dirt-road-in-scrub-shrub-fields-next-to-coast-at-higbee-beach-wma-during-winter-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/njfw\/aerial-view-of-dirt-road-in-scrub-shrub-fields-next-to-coast-at-higbee-beach-wma-during-winter-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/njfw\/aerial-view-of-dirt-road-in-scrub-shrub-fields-next-to-coast-at-higbee-beach-wma-during-winter-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/njfw\/aerial-view-of-dirt-road-in-scrub-shrub-fields-next-to-coast-at-higbee-beach-wma-during-winter-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/njfw\/aerial-view-of-dirt-road-in-scrub-shrub-fields-next-to-coast-at-higbee-beach-wma-during-winter-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/njfw\/aerial-view-of-dirt-road-in-scrub-shrub-fields-next-to-coast-at-higbee-beach-wma-during-winter-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Portions of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/higbee-beach-wma\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area<\/a>&nbsp;(WMA) closed starting January 29, 2024, for the&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/conservation\/pond-creek-marsh-higbee-beach-wma-restoration\/\">Pond Creek Restoration Project<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;and will remain closed until completed (approximately December 2026). This closure is for public safety reasons and to protect and preserve the land and water areas of Higbee Beach WMA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The areas to be closed are reflected on the attached&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/higbee-beach-wma-closure-area-2024.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">map<\/a> <i class=\"fa-solid fa-file-pdf\" style=\"color: #dc3545\"><\/i>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p style=\"color: #dc3545\"><strong>The closure will not affect the parking lot behind Sunset Beach Gifts located on Sunset Boulevard. However, the parking lot across from the World War II Lookout Tower will be closed.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image text-wrap-pic half\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/higbee-beach-wma-closure-area-2024.png\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\" noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2156\" height=\"3027\" src=\"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/higbee-beach-wma-closure-area-2024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-53378\" srcset=\"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/njfw\/higbee-beach-wma-closure-area-2024.png 2156w, https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/njfw\/higbee-beach-wma-closure-area-2024-214x300.png 214w, https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/njfw\/higbee-beach-wma-closure-area-2024-729x1024.png 729w, https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/njfw\/higbee-beach-wma-closure-area-2024-768x1078.png 768w, https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/njfw\/higbee-beach-wma-closure-area-2024-1094x1536.png 1094w, https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/njfw\/higbee-beach-wma-closure-area-2024-1459x2048.png 1459w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2156px) 100vw, 2156px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The project is funded with Natural Resource Damage funds and co-led by DEP\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nj.gov\/dep\/nrr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Office of Natural Resource Restoration<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/wlm\/drec\/ce\/\">Office of Coastal Engineering<\/a> in partnership with <a href=\"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/\">Fish &amp; Wildlife<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a comprehensive project description and updated project schedule, please visit the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nj.gov\/dep\/nrr\/restoration\/higbee-beach.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area Tidal Marsh\/Upland Restoration Project<\/a>&nbsp;webpage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The public is invited to attend an informational meeting to learn about and comment on this ecological restoration project at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, February 8 at Lower Township\u2019s Municipal Hall, 2600 Bayshore Road, Villas, NJ (Cape May County). Those unable to attend in person may participate virtually by registering&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.zoomgov.com\/meeting\/register\/vJIsce6tqzMuGavT1G2tK0SZzO9qQUTmXbs#\/registration\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NJDEP Fish &amp; Wildlife sincerely appreciates your patience and understanding while this work is being completed and improvements are made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Questions and comments throughout the duration of the project can be sent to:&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:NJDEP-HBR-inquiries@portal3.pbid.com\">NJDEP-HBR-inquiries@portal3.pbid.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Read the NJDEP&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/nj.gov\/dep\/newsrel\/2024\/24_0003.htm?utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Higbee Beach WMA Restoration Project News Release<\/a><br>Check out NJ Fish &amp; Wildlife&#8217;s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/nj.gov\/dep\/newsrel\/2024\/24_0003.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wildlife Management Area Explorer App<\/a> <i class=\"fa-regular fa-arrow-up-right-from-square\" style=\"color: #2c51b3\"><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Portions of&nbsp;Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area&nbsp;(WMA) closed starting January 29, 2024, for the&nbsp;Pond Creek Restoration Project&nbsp;and will remain closed until completed (approximately December 2026). This closure is for public safety reasons and to protect and preserve the land and water areas of Higbee Beach WMA. The areas to be closed are reflected on the attached&nbsp;map [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":254,"featured_media":53691,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53476","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-destinations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53476","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/254"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53476"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53476\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65020,"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53476\/revisions\/65020"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53691"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53476"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/deptest.nj.gov\/njfw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}