Official Site of The State of New Jersey
If you own extensive land of forests, wetlands, or grasslands, there are things you can do on your own property for wildlife. And sometimes you can get money or a property tax break to do it!
Get money to manage your property for wildlife
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has a variety of programs providing financial and technical support to farmers and forest landowners for the benefit of wildlife.
- The Working Lands for Wildlife (WLFW) Program can assist landowners within specific focal areas in the state for targeted wildlife species:
- Golden-winged Warblers for forest landowners in the northwestern part of New Jersey.
- American Black Duck for wetland landowners along the coast and the northwestern part of New Jersey.
- Northern Bobwhite Quail for forest landowners in or near the Pinelands, particularly Burlington, Ocean, and Cumberland Counties.
- Bog Turtle for wetland landowners in the northern and western parts of New Jersey.
- The more general Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) can assist landowners throughout the state address natural resource concerns on their agricultural or forested land.
Actively steward your forest to get a property tax break
New Jersey’s Forest Stewardship Program can provide property tax breaks to landowners under Farmland Assessment. This program is available for all forest landowners with a minimum of 5 acres of forested land. There are no longer income requirements to qualify, but landowners must actively manage their forests every year according to their approved forest stewardship plan and monitor the progress.
Click here to find out what you can do for wildlife in your backyard
