Wildlife Species are at risk of extinction in NJ. Here’s how we can save them.

Since the pandemic began, New Jerseyans have turned to nature for rejuvenation and recreation, which has provided a large number of us a firsthand look at our state’s remarkable ecological diversity from the mountains to the coast. But what they may not have noticed is the wildlife crisis quietly unfolding all around us.

Scientists estimate that roughly one-third of America’s wildlife species are at an elevated risk of extinction. Here in New Jersey, the NJ Endangered and Nongame Species Program lists 59 species as endangered, 37 as threatened and 120 of special conservation concern. The species at risk are found in every habitat and among all major groups of wildlife — from the Tricolored Bat to Black-billed Cuckoo.
The good news is that a bold, bipartisan bill has just been introduced in Congress that will go a long way to addressing the wildlife crisis while creating desperately needed jobs and bridging the political divide. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (HR 2773) — led by Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) — will direct $1.4 billion of existing federal revenue toward state and tribal efforts to help fish and wildlife species in decline. More than 180 representatives from both sides of the aisle cosponsored the bill in the last session, including five from NJ – Malinowski, Watson Coleman, Pascrell, Smith, and Van Drew.

We know that this type of proactive wildlife restoration pays off. Two decades ago, Congress created the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants, aimed at stepping in early, before a species is on the brink of extinction. Despite being chronically underfunded, the program has seen meaningful successes.

For example, New Jersey’s bog turtles are in real trouble and are listed federally and by the state as a threatened species. With funding from the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants, the NJDEP and its partners is managing 15 Bog Turtle sites across 75 acres of private and public land. These funds allow the implementation of habitat improvement techniques that support Bog Turtle habitat.

This is just one example of how proactive conservation is good for wildlife, good for taxpayers and good for business. The work funded by the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will be guided by the state’s Wildlife Action Plan, which outlines the actions needed, and describes the science behind these recommendations. Some of the labor could be supplied by the Administration’s new Civilian Climate Corps.

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would create good jobs for New Jerseyans today while protecting our state’s wildlife heritage for tomorrow. This session, we hope even more members of New Jersey’s Congressional delegation from both sides of the aisle will champion this groundbreaking bill and help it become the law of the land.