January 5, 2015
The NJDEP Division of Fish and Wildlife is updating the 2005 New Jersey Wildlife Action Plan (WAP). State Wildlife Action Plans identify and assess the health of each state's wildlife and habitats and the problems they face, and outline the actions to address them. Proactive management actions identified in state plans are intended to keep species from becoming federally and state threatened and endangered. They are a Congressional requirement to continue to receive State Wildlife Grants, and the revised plan is due to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by October 1, 2015.
The New Jersey plan update will identify priority species and habitats, assess the threats they face and outline actions to take to improve or stabilize their condition. The WAP serves as a strategic and cost-effective guide to preserve these resources for the future. Recovery of species that have reached threatened or endangered status is typically more costly than preventative actions that keep species populations from reaching such declines.
Public input on the plan revision is welcome and requested. Draft sections of the revised plan will be posted on the Division's website as they become available for review, and a completed draft will be available for public review in early 2015. Subscribers to the NJ Wildlife E-mail List will be notified of postings; to subscribe, visit www.njfishandwildlife.com/lstsub.htm. Individual responses to comments will not be sent, but all comments will be reviewed upon receipt, addressed as needed in the revised plan and be included in a summary in the completed draft (names will not be displayed).
The public's participation in this process is greatly appreciated in this vital effort to protect New Jersey's natural heritage for future generations. To view the current (2005) New Jersey Wildlife Action Plan and for information on the current revision effort, visit www.njfishandwildlife.com/ensp/waphone.htm.