EDISON, NJ - Gov. Phil Murphy recently signed a law renaming Edison’s Dismal Swamp as the Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preserve. On Oct. 30 at 11 a.m., a sign unveiling ceremony will be held to celebrate the renaming at the Songbird Trail entrance of the park.
The event is open to the public and will take place on the corner of Nevsky Street and Fleet Avenue in Edison.
An 8-foot by 5-foot sign will bear an image of Barnes and the words “Peter J. Barnes III Wildlife Preserve.” During the ceremony state legislators and dignitaries will deliver speeches.
Senator Patrick J. Diegnan Jr. And Stephen M. Sweeney (D-Gloucester) sponsored the bill in the Senate to rename Dismal Swamp, while lawmakers from Middlesex County, Robert Karabinchak, Sterley Stanley and Craig J. Coughlin sponsored it in the assembly.
Barnes, who lived in Edison, served as a member of the New Jersey General Assembly (NJ-18) from 2007 until 2014. He was a State Senator from 2014 to 2016.
He then went on to serve as a Superior Court Judge where he remained from 2016 until his death on Feb. 22 this year.
In 2008, then-Assemblyman Barnes sponsored the Dismal Swamp Preservation Act which established the commission to provide planning and regulations that focused on protecting and preserving the ecological, historical, and recreational values of the area.
Dismal Swamp is the largest natural area in Middlesex County, and it spans portions of Edison, Metuchen, and South Plainfield.
Middlesex Lawmakers Sponsor Bill To Rename Edison's Dismal Swamp
NJ Renames Dismal Swamp For Late Edison Lawmaker Peter J. Barnes
Middlesex County Commissioner Charles Tomaro, who launched an online fundraising campaign for the sign’s purchase, said Barnes would be “quite embarrassed” by the public display of affection.
“Pete was a humble man who truly believed in public service,” Tomaro said in a statement. “Pete never sought accolades — or any sort of recognition — for everything he accomplished to make Edison Township, to make communities in the 18th Legislative District, and across New Jersey a better place for people and families.”
Tomaro said the fundraising for the sign’s purchase resulted in a surplus, which will be now be allocated toward the establishment of a memorial scholarship in Barnes’ name.
The scholarship will be awarded annually to a student at John P. Stevens High School – from which Barnes graduated in 1974 – whose future studies include the environment and climate change.
“Pete Barnes was successful in so many areas, but his work to preserve open space and protect the Dismal Swamp were crowning achievements,” Diegnan said.
“The preservation area would not be the wonderful place it is except for Pete’s dedication and focus. Every time someone celebrates the beauty of nature by walking the preserve, they will be celebrating what Pete Barnes was all about.”
The wildlife preserve is one of the last remaining wetland ecosystems in New Jersey. Around 25 mammals and more than a dozen reptile and amphibian species have been sighted in the preserve. Meanwhile, archeological digs in the area have uncovered at least five significant archeological sites, including one more than 10,000 years old, according to officials.
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