What We Do

The New Jersey Field Office works with experts, conservation groups, landowners, and many others to protect and recover threatened and endangered species. We coordinate with federal and state agencies, local governments, the business community, and private citizens to make sure that wildlife resources are considered during project planning, such as for transportation, energy, coastal management, and development. New Jersey Field Office biologists serve on oil spill response teams, investigate the effects of environmental contamination, and work to restore polluted habitats. And we work with private landowners to restore fish and wildlife habitats.

Here are some of our focal programs in New Jersey:

Conservation Planning Assistance

Endangered Species

Environmental Response and Restoration

Partners for Fish and Wildlife

Management and Conservation

Field office biologists work with landowners, private and community organizations, industry, and other government agencies to conserve, protect and enhance fish and wildlife resources and their habitats in New Jersey. Some of our conservation activities include:

  • Review proposals for projects that may affect natural resources, including endangered species, migratory birds, and interjurisdictional fish.
  • Work with others to recover endangered species.
  • Work with others to restore wetlands.
  • Work with landowners to restore habitat for fish and wildlife.
  • Assess contaminant effects on fish and wildlife resources and seek compensation for damages.
  • Respond to oil spills.


The New Jersey Field office has established four geographic focal areas: the New Jersey Highlands, the Hudson/Raritan Estuary, the Atlantic Coast, and the Delaware Bay. We assess our strategic conservation priorities each year, and have established the following current focal areas.

  1. At-risk species  
  2. Aquatic connectivity
  3. Coastal resilience coordination
  4. Swamp pink recovery 
  5. Natural Resources Damage Assessments


Other work priorities for our office include beach landscape species recovery, bog turtle habitat restoration, addressing re-contamination risks from wetland restoration, riparian riparian
Definition of riparian habitat or riparian areas.

Learn more about riparian
habitat restoration, recovery of listed bat species, spill response, and coordination with other agencies. 

Our Services

Butterfly rests on tall flowering plant.

The purpose of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is to provide a means to conserve the ecosystems upon which endangered and threatened species depend and provide a program for the conservation of such species. The ESA directs all federal agencies to participate in conserving these species....

Aerial view of thin coastal barrier with ocean breach.

The Coastal Barrier Resources Act (CBRA) established the John H. Chafee Coastal Barrier Resources System (CBRS), a defined set of geographic units along the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico coasts. The CBRA encourages the conservation of hurricane prone...

Captive wolf stands on rock with trees in background.

The Recovery Challenge funding opportunity provides a unique financial assistance opportunity for non-federal partners – both new and longstanding – working on implementing high-priority recovery actions for species listed as...

Our Projects and Research

Laws and Regulations

Field office biologists work with landowners, private and community organizations, industry, and other government agencies to conserve, protect and enhance fish and wildlife resources and their habitats in New Jersey. Our work is guided by various laws and legislative authorities.