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MEADOWLANDS: Guide to bird-watching and fishing

The Associated Press

October 22, 2006

The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission has released a 72-page color guide to bird-watching and fishing in the Meadowlands and wildlife trails in the Hackensack River Watershed.

"The Meadowlands area is a hidden gem," said Susan Bass Levin, commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. "People don't think of it as a place for wildlife and birding, but it is."

The Meadowlands is more than just the area around Giants Stadium and the adjacent arena and racetrack. Both the Hackensack River and New Jersey Turnpike bisect its 32 square miles, located west of the Hudson River directly across from Manhattan.

State officials are trying to promote the area for "eco-tourism," the conservation-minded outdoor travel that is generally identified more with lush, faraway destinations.

Levin, who grew up in Bergen County, said she remembers being driven through the Meadowlands as a child. "Just the smell was enough to make you want to turn away," she said. "A lot has changed."

Today, the Hackensack River is home to nearly 100 species of fish and shellfish and 200 bird species, including bald eagles that use the Meadowlands as a migratory stopover, according to the guide.

"Birding and Wildlife Trails: Meadowlands and More"

www.meadowlands.state.nj.us; 888-656-2473