RELEASE: Gottheimer & Local Leaders Celebrate Completion of Wild Duck Pond’s Ecological Restoration in Saddle River County Park

Gottheimer continues work to protect North Jersey’s clean air and clean water

Above: Gottheimer in Ridgewood today at Saddle River County Park.

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Today, October 12, 2022, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) joined with local leaders to mark the completion of the ecological restoration of Wild Duck Pond in Saddle River County Park. The restorations have enabled the pond to accept water runoff, which will help keep the surrounding community safe during floods.

Gottheimer was joined by Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco, Bergen County Commissioner Chairwoman Tracy Zur, Bergen County Commissioners Tom Sullivan, Germaine Ortiz, Ramon Hache, Mary Amoroso, and Steve Tanelli, Ridgewood Mayor Susan Knudsen, Ridgewood Councilman Paul Vagianos, Hackensack Riverkeeper Captain Bill Sheehan, Representatives from NJ Green Acres Program, Michael Pagan, and local environmental groups.

​​The project included replacing the pond liner and implementing stormwater best management practices, which will restore the pond’s wetlands and further support native wildlife. Bergen County’s Open Space Trust Fund and New Jersey’s Green Acres Program helped make this project possible. 

“This is a great example of steps North Jersey is taking to protect our environment, to stand up for clean air and clean water, and to fight for the health and safety of our families for generations to come. Protecting our environment should be something that everyone — Democrats and Republicans — can come together around, so that we can fully protect our air and water,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “I will continue to work to protect our water, our wildlife, our air, our open spaces, and — most importantly — our children and families. Whether it be through our work to successfully claw back federal investment from the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress for New Jersey to address Harmful Algal Blooms impacting our lakes’ water, local businesses, recreation, and families — or successfully fighting to include the Lower Hackensack River in the federal government’s Superfund clean-up program using investment we fought for in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill. Together, I know that we can all help keep our air and water clean for our families, our children, and our grandchildren.”

The pond was originally constructed in the early 1900s for ice production and was adapted to serve as a local park and duck pond in the early 1950s after being purchased by Bergen County.

Below: Gottheimer in Ridgewood today at Saddle River County Park.

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