Seeking Input on the New Jersey State Wildlife Action Plan!
Comments due by July 31, 2025 at 5:00 pm
What is the New Jersey State Wildlife Action Plan?
The New Jersey Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) is meant to be a guide to focus conservation actions on the wildlife and plants that are in greatest need of our attention. Anyone can take action to improve habitats, whether that is a backyard, local park, or larger public and private lands. NJ’s SWAP is a dynamic tool that includes information on the at-risk species, the habitats in the different regions of the state, the threats that affect species and habitats, and actions that focus on mitigating those threats. The conservation community that can take action and implement the Wildlife Action Plan is wide and diverse! Landowners, homeowners, managers of open spaces, community and watershed groups, researchers, and non-profit organizations, the list goes on. Regardless of the property or the owner, the State Wildlife Action Plan is designed to serve as a framework for directing the protection and recovery of Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN and the habitats and ecological communities required for their continued survival.
Fundamental to this plan is the recognition that habitat loss is a pervasive threat to New Jersey’s wildlife and plants. And further, certain species require novel or additional protection and management to ensure their long-term persistence in New Jersey. Because of changes in New Jersey’s environment – both from past human activities and ongoing threats with local or distant origins – these at-risk species are unlikely to persist in the state without directed conservation action.
How was the Wildlife Action Plan Developed?
New Jersey’s Wildlife Action Plan was developed following a structured framework established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). This process ensures that the plan meets national standards and qualifies for federal conservation funding. The first State Wildlife Action Plan was developed in 2005 pursuant to USFWS requirements, which also calls for major revisions every ten years. New Jersey’s first revision was in 2017, and this plan constitutes the second revision.
The About page includes an overview of the comprehensive review process and a summary of updates and changes of the 2017 plan as required for submission to the USFWS. The 2025 revision is the first where we will use the state’s website to improve the accessibility of the plan’s content for all interested users.
Challenges, Actions, and Species at the Heart of the Plan
New Jersey’s fauna, flora, and wild places face a variety of challenges or threats. Through targeted conservation actions addressing those threats along with careful stewardship, collectively we can make a difference. In the development of this plan, New Jersey Fish and Wildlife engaged over 100 conservation professionals across the state to review and revise the list of Species of Greatest Conservation Need and their habitats, identify the priority threats in each region, and create actions to address those threats.
This draft of the revised plan is now available for review and public comment. We invite you to review the different sections of this plan, including the species, habitats, threats and actions, and provide any comments using the form found on the bottom of each page.