The State We're In

May 15, 2026

By Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation

Liberty State Park lies in the middle of one of the most densely populated regions in the country. Surrounded by Jersey City, Hoboken, and Bayonne, it stands out on the map as a large, contiguous oasis of green. As the park marks its 50th anniversary this June, it’s worth pausing to consider what an extraordinary resource it offers to our state.

Long ago, this area was open water and marshland, once abundant with oyster beds, fish, and eelgrass. The Lenape harvested food and stewarded natural resources there for their villages located along the estuary at the mouth of the Hudson River.

Colonization in the 1600s led to population growth, and a once peaceful cove of shoreline was developed into a sprawling industrial complex. During the Industrial Revolution in the 19^th century, the land was filled in for rail yards and port facilities to transport goods, materials, and people.

Liberty State Park is at the center of a uniquely American story anchored in Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Millions of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island over the course of six decades boarded trains at the historic terminal of the Central Railroad of New Jersey – now part of the park – to reunite with family or begin entirely new lives across the country.

As time went on and railroad-related industries declined, this important historic area fell into disrepair.

Until 1957, when businessman and park founder Morris Pesin started his quest to revive the forgotten waterfront. Pesin, along with environmentalists, historians, and the “Godmother” of Liberty State Park, Audrey Zapp, spearheaded a movement to transform the contaminated shoreline into a first-rate state park with views of Ellis Island, Downtown Manhattan, and Lady Liberty.

It was not an easy lift. When the state began working on the park in the 1960s and 70s, the site required significant cleanup because of illegal dumping and past industrial use.

On June 14, 1976, New Jersey opened the first section of its “bicentennial gift to the nation” for public use, but years of planning, cleanup, and community organizing would follow and still continue in order to restore and protect this vital stretch of land along the Hudson River. Today, you can circle the entire park on a walkway while passing beautiful, restored wetlands and birdwatching havens including Caven Point Natural Area, which hosts the last remaining beach along the river in Hudson County.

In 2025, the State unveiled the Liberty State Park Master Plan, which directs further improvements to the park over the next 10 years and beyond. Several habitat areas previously fenced off due to contamination are undergoing restoration to freshwater wetlands, forest, and recreational area.

“There just isn’t another place like it,” says Maggie McCann, Administrator for Urban State Parks and Initiatives at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Every year, an estimated five million visitors walk, picnic, watch birds, fly a kite, or simply sit and take in the view.

In the weeks leading up to June 14, the public can enjoy historical and architectural tours and hands-on environmental activities – including eel counting along the shore! The anniversary day itself will bring opportunities to celebrate outdoors, from morning programs at the Nature Center to a kite festival and live music in the evening.

Yet even as we celebrate, a threat looms at the park. A lease proposal for a large private marina and boat storage warehouse has spurred widespread opposition and prompted a legal challenge by a coalition of organizations. At the heart of the debate is an important question: should this landscape continue to serve the millions who come here, and remain a sanctuary for wildlife, or should it be reshaped for more limited private use?

Pesin’s son, Sam Pesin, heads up a nonprofit volunteer organization, Friends of Liberty State Park, that serves as a guardian and advocate for the park’s protection and restoration. The Friends, along with a broader coalition, are urging Governor Sherrill to respect the public interest in the park and not to sign the private commercial lease.

Liberty State Park stands as an inspiring example of the transformation of a heavily altered landscape into a tremendous public park resource. Like all special places, its long-term protection depends on the continued vigilance and voices of people who care.

Visit https://dep.nj.gov/parksandforests/state-park/liberty-state-park/ to learn more about Liberty State Park.

For information about the development of the marina, visit https://www.folsp.org/.

To learn more about preserving New Jersey’s land and natural resources, visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.