Edwin B. Forsythe NWR is part of a nationwide system of more than 500 refuges and wetland management districts. Most of Edwin B. Forsythe NWR is tidal salt meadow and marsh, interspersed with shallow coves and bays. These provide important resting and feeding habitat for water birds.
Marsh vegetation provides food and cover for many types of wildlife at the refuge.
Brigantine Wilderness Area, now part of the Edwin B. Forsythe NWR, was originally a distinct refuge. In 1984, the Brigantine Refuge was combined with the Barnegat division under the Edwin B. Forsythe name, in honor of the late congressman from New Jersey. Almost 90 percent of Forsythe Refuge is tidal salt meadow and marsh, interspersed with shallow coves and bays. These provide important resting and feeding habitat for water birds. Abundant marsh vegetation provides important food and cover for many types of wildlife.