About Us 

Mordecai Land Trust was founded in 2001 as a community-based organization whose mission is to preserve Mordecai Island as a habitat for breeding and migratory species of indigenous birds and fish and to protect large portions of Beach Haven proper from flooding. Mordecai Island is a 45 acre, uninhabited coastal marsh island in Barnegat Bay, NJ. Mordecai is located near Beach Haven Borough and is adjacent to the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway, the main navigation channel of Barnegat Bay. The island’s native salt marsh and surrounding waters provide a variety of habitat supporting aquatic and avian species. Habitat includes eelgrass beds in shallow, protected areas, intertidal zones, coastal wetlands, salt ponds and uplands.

The Challenge

The island has experienced accelerated erosion and has lost approximately 26 acres (37%) since 1930, which is due to a realignment of the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway by the Army Corps of Engineers, storms, boat wake, and sea level rise. During this same time period, Barnegat Bay has also seen many miles of shoreline bulkheaded and tremendous residential development. Replacing natural land-water interface with bulkheads and riprap has contributed to the elimination of crucial parts of the coastal ecosystem that thrives at the edge of the marsh. Since Mordecai Island provides vital habitat for many species of fish, plants, migratory and breeding birds (including threatened species) as well as mollusks and crabs, the loss of three to four feet per year has caused great concern.

More about Mordecai

What we do

The Mordecai Land Trust’s mission to preserve and protect Mordecai Island includes protecting the sizable amount of property on LBI that it shields from storm surge and damaging winds. As an all-volunteer non-profit tax exempt organization, we work with NJFW, USFW, NJDEP, NOAA, ReClam the Bay, and the US Army Corps of Engineers in our anti-erosion and living shoreline work to help protect the diverse groups of species that reside, feed, migrate or nest on the island.

What you can do

Our Governance

Linda L. Colgan

President

Jim Dugan

Vice-President

Michele M. Budd

Vice-President

Deb Harkness

Treasurer

Kathleen Birch

Secretary

Alyce Tatlow

Membership

2026

2027

2028

Nancy Lampman

Dr. Nancy Davis

Matt Bekelja

Megan McDougall

Pat Miller

Michele Budd

Dr. Susanne Moskalski

Lynne Neff

Shantha Curnyn

Shelley Spicer

Bill Pilling*

Deborah Harkness

Julie Woldin

Jeanne Runne*

Richard McOrmond

Dr. Suzanne Wolfinger

Dr. John Wnek

Elaine Stevens

 

 

Elyce Tatlow

Executive Committee:

Tom Cox, III 2026*

Kathleen Birch, 2026**

Laura Darling, 2027*

Linda Colgan, 2028*

Jim Dugan, 2028**

James Balbo, 2029*

Beach Haven Mayor Colleen Lambert, ex officio

*LEHYC appointees, ** MLT member Appointees

Ex officio Board Members (past president) non-voting:

Richard G. Oelkers*

*Denotes past president

 

Officers for terms commencing October 1, 2025, until replacements are so named:

Linda L Colgan, President

Jim Dugan, Vice President

Michele Budd, Vice President

Kathleen Birch, Secretary

Deborah Harkness, Treasurer

The IRS  has determined that the Mordecai Land Trust is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (“Code”) and not a private foundation pursuant to sections 509(a)(1) and 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) of the Code. Mordecai Land Trust was established in 2001.

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