Diverse Habitats for Wildlife
New Jersey sits at the convergence of the east coast's northern and southern ecosystems. Consequently, the state consists of a variety of mountains, valleys, rolling hills, wetlands, pinelands, beaches, estuaries, and riverine systems.
New Jersey's inland forests are home to resident bobcats, barred owls, and timber rattlesnakes, and provide essential stopover habitat for most of the eastern U.S. migratory population of songbirds and raptors. At the same time, the state's Atlantic and Delaware Bay coastal habitats are home to bald eagles, northern harriers, black rails, and piping plovers and are critical to millions of migratory raptors, waterfowl, shorebirds, butterflies, dragonflies, and fishes.
New Jersey's Planning Approach
Under the leadership of the Division of Fish and Wildlife, partner conservation agencies and stakeholder groups from across the state collaborated in the creation of the New Jersey action plan, which is a blueprint for statewide protection of wildlife with special conservation needs. The New Jersey wildlife action plan embodies the collective judgment of the state's conservation professionals regarding which species should receive special attention and what actions should be taken.
New Jersey's wildlife action plan identifies statewide threats as well as specific regional threats. The primary threats to state wildlife include habitat fragmentation, invasive species, and contaminants.
New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife
