Diabetes can cause blockages or abnormal growth of blood vessels in the retina, the part of the eye that reads images. Blood vessel changes in the retina can lead to vision problems and even blindness. People with diabetes are also more likely to develop cataracts or glaucoma, two other serious eye diseases.
The project grant was awarded and funded by FEMA. The total project cost is $39,274,060, the Federal share $29,455,545. The remainder of the cost of the project will come from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protectionâs Green Acre/Blue Acre Program.
Congress created the Pinelands National Reserve (PNR) through the passage of the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978. The PNR is the first National Reserve in the nation. The PNR is approximately 1.1 million acres and spans portions of seven counties and all or part of 56 municipalities. The reserve occupies 22% of New Jersey's land area and it is the largest body of open space on the Mid-Atlantic seaboard between Richmond and Boston. The reserve is home to dozens of rare plant and animal species and the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer system, which contains an estimated 17 trillion gallons of water.