MISSION STATEMENT
The Wildlife and Endangered Species Committee is dedicated to the protection of wild animals, particularly threatened and endangered species, and their habitat within the state of New Jersey. Specifically, but not limited to:
- Opposing or mitigating harm from projects to species and their habitat
- Enhancing increased protection for animals by defining harm in New Jersey law
- Educating people in New Jersey about threats to animals and their habitat
- Collaborating with other concerned organizations working on similar issues
Join the NJSC Wildlife and Endangered Species Committee by emailing Jamie at jamiez@newjersey.sierraclub.org.
Current Projects:
- Stopping the NJ bear hunt and implementing a nonlethal bear management plan:
- Fighting for an end to the indiscriminate state-wide bear hunt and instead replace it with a science-based management plan that includes passage of the Bear Smart Bill and similar legislation to require reductions in bear-human interactions.
- Working with the New Jersey legislature and the Administration to adequately fund bear-proof garbage containers in areas of New Jersey with a high population of bears.
- Revising NJ Fish and Game Council Membership: Urging the passing of S4893/A6055 to revise the membership of the Fish and Game Council in the Division of Fish and Wildlife without changing the council’s size of 11 members. The bill replaces three of the six sportsmen representative seats with three seats for individuals recommended by animal welfare organizations in this State, resulting in three sportsmen representatives and three animal-welfare representatives knowledgeable in land-use management and soil conservation practices.
- Changing the state definition of harm to protect wildlife: We are working to amend the state definition of “harm” as referred to by Fish and Wildlife to increase protections for wildlife and their habitats.
- Marine Mammal Protection: Emphasizing the need to use the best available science and data regarding marine mammal strandings, acknowledging that climate change poses an enormous threat to marine ecosystems. Urging the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the US Coast Guard to appropriately and robustly enforce the 2008 vessel speed rule to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale (NARW). OCEANA recently released this report on the harmful impact of vessel strikes on whales, and Congressman Pallone sent this letter calling on NOAA and the US Coast Guard to better enforce the rule.
- Supporting National Efforts to Protect the Endangered Species Act: Urging NJ legislators to support the ESA and protect species such as the grizzly bear across the United States.
Previous Projects:
- VICTORY! Supporting Wildlife Corridor Legislation: Bill S3618 creating a State Wildlife Corridor Action Plan was signed into law by Governor Murphy on July 1, 2025. Wildlife corridors are essential to keeping wildlife out of harm’s way and out of the roadway for New Jersey residents. They provide critical connectivity to and between habitats, which in New Jersey is increasingly difficult given our dense population and urban infrastructure.