ACE - Carneys Point Habitat Enhancement Project

About the Program
The Carneys Point Habitat Enhancement Project is located in New Jersey, by the Delaware River. The Carneys Point Call Center is owned by Atlantic City Electric, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings Inc., part of Exelon Corporation. The property is located on 10.3 acres in an office park. Undeveloped land lies to the east and southwest, and Interstate 295 borders the site to the northwest. The site includes a large pond with vegetated buffers and bioswales. Efforts to develop the project site as a wildlife habitat began in 2003. 

Practices and Impacts

• As native vegetation at the site was restored, invasive species of vegetation such as Japanese honeysuckle began to be observed. In order to limit spread, these species have been mapped and are regularly monitored to assess actions needed. The team is committed to minimizing herbicide usage around the wetlands, so methods such as manual pulling are used as needed to keep growth under control and allow native plants to thrive. 
• The site contains vegetated channels that drain into the pond. The team has enhanced these bioswales to maximize their use as wildlife habitat by adding native plants and allowing naturally occurring native wildflowers to grow. The bioswales are inspected and maintained to prevent overgrowth of invasive plants or debris, also helping to improve water quality downstream.