SGCN
Species of Greatest Conservation Need
New Jersey is home to over 3,700 native wildlife species, from fireflies to bats to blue whales. And there are over 5,000 native plants, from mosses and liverworts to white oak trees. Some species are stable or have growing populations while others are rare or declining, perhaps naturally because they live in unusual habitats or because their habitats are changing or disappearing.
The State Wildlife Action Plan identifies 614 animal and 128 plant species that are New Jersey’s Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). SGCN are defined as having small or declining populations, are at-risk, and/or are of management concern. New Jersey’s list of SGCN includes amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, marine and freshwater fish, invertebrates (including pollinators), plants, and fungi.
In 2017, New Jersey identified 107 Focal Species to elevate as priorities to focus our collective conservation work. In our 2025 Plan, New Jersey moved away from a species-specific approach and to a habitat-focused approach. However, to help prioritize species based on need, SGCN are assigned to one of three categories: State/Federal listed, At-Risk SGCN, and Data Deficient SGCN. Those that are in the State/Federal category are at the highest risk of extinction or extirpation from the State. New Jersey Fish and Wildlife’s Connecting Habitat Across New Jersey (CHANJ) project identified 72 species of animal SGCN facing the greatest risk from road mortality, increasing their risk of genetic isolation. For these species, it is critical to focus on methods that allow animals to safely travel between habitats as well as protecting the intact habitat connections currently between patches.
For the complete list of all SGCN and their classification, see New Jersey’s 2025 SGCN List .
Species of Greatest Conservation Need are identified in the Regions in which they occur and the Habitats they require to complete their life cycle in New Jersey. NJ’s SWAP focuses on the conservation Actions that can be taken at the habitat level rather than the species level. Focusing conservation actions on critical habitats will improve the overall condition of the SGCN that rely on those habitats. There are also species specific conservation actions to address threats facing some species.
Methods for Determining SGCN
Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) are foundational to all State Wildlife Action Plans. In the NJ Plan, SGCN were selected based on data sources and criteria outlined in detail. To provide a transparent and clearly defined mechanism for identifying SGCN, New Jersey Fish and Wildlife (NJFW) leverages the efforts of agencies and organizations that classify species’ relative risk of imperilment.
The SGCN list was developed by evaluating all of New Jersey’s native wildlife species using standardized conservation criteria at the state, region, national, and global level. Each taxonomic group also included the best available data for that specific group such as reports and plans that listed or ranked at-risk species based on a variety of vulnerability factors.
The New Jersey Natural Heritage Program worked with a Rare Plant Technical Advisory Group to select a subset of 128 species from NJ’s 365 State Endangered Plants, federally listed plants, and globally imperiled plants and fungi to include as SGCN in the SWAP.
A species meeting any one or more of the assessment criteria was added to the SGCN list. That list was reviewed by taxa experts in a fatal flaw analysis and any change of status or classification required justification. For complete details for animals see APPENDIX A . See APPENDIX A1 for plant selection details.
Definitions
Regulated Species of Greatest Conservation Need – SGCN species that are state listed as Endangered, Threatened, or Special Concern, or listed or proposed for listing by the USFWS. These species are considered priority SGCN.
Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) – Native species with declining populations or vulnerabilities expected to benefit from strategic conservation attention.
Data Deficient Species of Greatest Conservation Need – Species for which more information is needed to fully understand status and trends to determine the level of conservation concern or SGCN status. These species are listed in a separate SGCN category.
Regional Species of Greatest Conservation Need (RSGCN) – Native species for which the Northeast region has a stewardship responsibility due to high conservation concern and/or populations that are concentrated in the Northeast Region and have been identified as SGCN by at least one Northeast state. (Terwilliger Consulting Inc. & Northeast Fish and Wildlife Diversity Technical Committee 2022).
For a complete table of all SGCN sources and screening CLICK HERE .