Policy Updates

The New Jersey state budget season is in full gear, with the New Jersey legislature closing in on a statutorily mandated June 30th deadline. Uncertainty at the federal level on the pending federal budget and proposed funding cuts could have a dramatic impact on the state budget. The State of New Jersey estimates it received over $22 billion federal funds in fiscal year 2024, which supported 609 State-administered programs – including programs that support conservation and wildlife protection efforts. One of the programs at risk is the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants which funds actions to prevent over 12,000 species from becoming endangered and recover those already listed.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration proposed to rescind the definition of “harm” under the federal Endangered Species Act in April. Thank you to our members who provided comments opposing this change. The agencies received over 350,000 comments on the proposal, which would allow destruction of habitat on which endangered species may rely on. The simple fact is that species rely on habitat to survive and the ‘taking’ of habitat is a ‘taking’ of species. This is a harm, maybe not immediate, but a long-run, slow-burn harm.

Learn more via our blog post Habitat Damage is Indeed a “Harm” to Endangered Species

The first bill (S699) establishes a program in the State Agricultural Development Committee (SADC) to acquire development easements on privately-owned woodlands when certain criteria are met. Grants provided by SADC could cover up to 80 percent of the costs of a development easement acquired by a local government entity or nonprofit organization.

The second bill (S1029) prohibits the sale, distribution, import, export, and propagation of certain non-native invasive species, such as multiflora rose or purple loosestrife. The bill also establishes a New Jersey Invasive Species Council, which shall make recommendations to the State regarding invasive species.

Both bills passed the New Jersey Senate along bi-partisan lines 39-0.  S1029 has been publicly announced.  You can read the announcement here.  New Jersey Senate Passes Invasive Species Management Act, a Collaborative Effort to Protect the State’s Ecosystem

With the arrival of Spring, black bears are leaving their dens and looking for food. Black bears are able to detect scents from more than two miles away from a food source. Carefully controlling sources of food and associated odors can help prevent black bears from being attracted to people’s property and reduce the risk of unwanted encounters.  

Some tips from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection include:

• Secure trash and eliminate obvious sources of food, such as pet food bowls, and food residue left on barbecue grills.
• Use certified bear-resident garage containers, if possible.
• Wash garage containers frequently with a disinfectant solution to remove odors.
• Do not place meat, dairy, or sweet foods in compost piles.
  
• NJ Audubon recommends taking all bird feeders down and storing them at night

New Jersey and New York are ramping up efforts to prevent against avian influenza, which has now been verified in both domestic poultry and wild bird populations. The NJ Department of Agriculture states that avian influenza poses a low risk to the general public and human infections have most often occurred after close or lengthy unprotected contact.

At the state level, Governor Murphy proposed his final state budget during his annual budget speech on February 25, 2025. The Governor forecasted a difficult budget, potentially exacerbated by cuts from the federal government.

If you are following the New Jersey Gubernatorial race, NJ Spotlight held a special conversation with gubernatorial candidates on February 17, 2025, to discuss environmental issues in the state and how they impact public health.

The New Jersey Legislature is working on a bill that aims to reduce the impact of non-native invasive plant species on New Jersey’s native species and natural resources. The legislation would also establish a permanent New Jersey Invasive Species Council. The bill is known as the “Invasive Species Management Act” and would prohibit the sale, import, export, and propagation of certain invasive species. The Senate has voted the bill out of committee and on the Assembly side, the bill has not yet been heard in committee.

A bill that would allow for the deduction against gross income for amounts paid to taxpayers for the sale of property interests for conservation purposes was voted out of a Senate Committee in January. This legislation is intended to incentivize conversation activities by landowners, which has been in decline. The bill is now in the Senate Budget Committee and awaiting a committee hearing in the Assembly.

There has been no movement on legislation that would restrict when New Jersey residents could hang up their bird feeders while the bill’s sponsors work through amendments to address unintended consequences.

As always, New Jersey Audubon staff will be monitoring key legislative activities to keep you up-to-date.

New Jersey Audubon is reviewing a proposed NJ Department of Environmental Protection rule that would establish restrictions to public access of tidal waters and adjacent shorelines to protect wildlife species. Habitat loss is among the greatest threats to biodiversity globally. New Jersey has a disproportionate responsibility to protect species of concern that rely upon tidal and shoreline habitats, especially migratory birds. New Jersey Audubon supports rules that protect habitat for species while clearly communicating the rationale to the public who love our coastal resources.

Other items that are on our policy docket include:

• Supporting a proposed rule that would establish restrictions to public access of tidal waters and adjacent shorelines to protect wildlife species.
• Supporting partners in New York after the disappointing veto by Governor Hochul on legislation that would protect horseshoe crabs.
• Reviewing a proposal by the US Fish & Wildlife Service to list the monarch butterfly as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

A bill that would restrict when New Jersey residents could hang up their bird feeders has been making its way through the New Jersey legislature.  Under the current version of the legislation, bird feeders in the state would be restricted between April 1 and November 30.  During this time birdfeeders would have to be suspended ten feet off the ground, emptied or brought in at night, and the area below the birdfeeder kept free from bird food.  Violation of the proposed new law would result in a penalty up to $1,000.

Currently, the bill’s sponsors are reviewing these requirements for birdfeeders after seeing significant pushback from the public. The original goal of the proposal was to increase effective trash management as a way to decrease human interactions with black bears.

NJ Audubon staff are closely monitoring the legislation and will keep our members up to date on this important issue.

Legislation that would require the NJ Department of Environmental Protection and the NJ Department of Transportation to establish a “Wildlife Corridor Action Plan” unanimously passed the Senate on October 28, 2024. A wildlife corridor would mean a swath of land proximate to wildlife populations along which wildlife may move freely without risk of injury or death from motor vehicles or interference from other man-made barriers.

Sponsors of the bill indicate that between October and December 2018, 5,271 motor vehicle collisions in New Jersey were caused by deer crossings and while much of the danger to motorists arises from deer-vehicle collisions, other wildlife, such as turtles, are heavily impacted by road crossings.

The legislation now awaits a committee hearing in the Assembly.