New Jersey has received a $1 million federal grant to protect ecologically sensitive wetlands in Cape May County that are home to many species of migratory birds.

The state Environmental Protection Department will use the money to buy five parcels totaling 140 acres in Middle Township. They will be added to the 17,000-acre Cape May Wetlands Wildlife Management Area.

That site includes land between the Garden State Parkway and the barrier islands. The area provides habitat for one of the most significant concentrations of migratory birds in the world, including the red knot, nesting water birds, water fowl, and rare plants and animals.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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