Project Description
On June 7, 1990, the oil tanker B.T. Nautilus grounded in the Kill Van Kull between Bayonne, New Jersey and Staten Island, New York, spilling approximately 267,000 gallons of fuel oil. Damages outside of the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary included the loss of recreational use of beaches as far south as Cape May, NJ. The extensive intrusion of oil and tarballs at Island Beach State Park (IBSP) in Ocean County, NJ resulted in the park's beaches being closed to swimming for three days. To compensate the public for the recreational use loss, an educational and interpretive center was created in partnership with the nonprofit Common Wealth of New Jersey, Inc. using existing buildings at the park.
The station house and boathouse at U.S. Coast Guard Station #112 (Station Forked River) were constructed in 1938, replacing the original structure built in 1855. After being abandoned by the Coast Guard in 1948, it became a part of IBSP when the park was established in 1953. The former station was used as housing for park employees until it was vacated in 1992. Due to its excellent access to both Barnegat Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, and size (with about 6,000 feet of usable space), it was determined that the best use for the buildings was to convert them into a center for the public interpretation of the natural and cultural history of IBSP. The station house was renovated into a two-story nature center with live animal exhibits, educational displays on local flora and fauna, and views of an adjacent osprey nest. Improvements were made to the building to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility standards. The boathouse was renovated into an auditorium with a capacity of 100 people, and exhibit space. The interpretive center opened to the public in June 1997.
Parties Implementing Restoration
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; The Common Wealth of New Jersey, Inc.
DOI Project Representatives
Fish and Wildlife Service