The Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP) of New Jersey was created in 1973. The U.S. Endangered Species Act was passed that year and New Jersey passed its own N.J. Endangered and Nongame Species Conservation Act. The ENSP staff works on projects to restore endangered wildlife, and also to protect and manage wildlife populations and habitats that are threatened. They also provide information and technical assistance to the New Jersey public and have a volunteer Speaker's Bureau. The speakers go out to groups and schools to speak about the program and the need to protect New Jersey's wildlife. Groups often donate money after learning about the endangered species of their state.

The Endangered and Nongame Species Program's (ENSP) mission is "to actively conserve New Jersey's biological diversity by maintaining and enhancing endangered and nongame wildlife populations within healthy, functioning ecosystems. The program is responsible for the protection and management of nearly 500 wildlife species found in the Garden State. These include the 61 species currently listed as endangered or threatened. "

A USFWS employee uses telemetry to monitor
a radio-collared species (USFWS file photo)

Protecting endangered and threatened species and restoring them to a secure status in the wild is the primary objective of the endangered species program of the The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service , an agency of the Department of the Interior. Responsibilities of the endangered species program include the following:

• Listing, reclassifying, and de-listing species under the Endangered Species Act
• Providing biological opinions to Federal agencies on their activities that may affect listed species
• Overseeing recovery activities for listed species
• Providing for the protection of important habitat
• Providing grants to States to assist with their endangered species conservation efforts
   

FUNDING

Endangered species protection in New Jersey is NOT FUNDED THROUGH TAX DOLLARS! The ENSP is funded primarily through the Wildlife Tax Check-off on the state tax form and proceeds from the sale of the 'Conserve Wildlife' license plate. They need your help!