Habitat management, Recreational access, Water conservation
Highlands Conservation Act projects in New Jersey

States

New Jersey

Ecosystem

Forest, River/stream, Rural, Urban, Wetland

Subject

Landscape conservation
This photo shows a close up image of an Eastern Box Turtle as it lays on a paved road, waiting to safely cross the quiet street.
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The New Jersey Highlands region encompasses Appalachian hills and valleys extending from Passaic county and the lower half of Sussex county across northern New Jersey through Warren and Hunterdon counties. Projects in the state are conserving important wildlife habitat, creating new outdoor recreational areas and protecting drinking water supplies for residents in and around Vernon, Lebanon and Parsippany-Troy Hills, to name a few, and it is in close proximity to the cities of Newark and Trenton. The successes of the Highlands Conservation Act are the result of the hard work of multiple state and local partners, supported by a 50% funding match from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Click here for a complete list of HCA partners in New Jersey

New Jersey Highlands at a glance:
Number of Completed ProjectsAcres ConservedTotal Obligated funds 
302,394$17,670,299.00 

View the 2024 Highlands Conservation Act New Jersey fact sheet.

an image of a detailed fact sheet on stats the Highlands Conservation Act program. For the full fact sheet, visit the Highlands Conservation Act program website
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News

A small black turtle white bright orange markings on it's neck walking in grass
Protected spaces give bog turtles a reason to come out of their shell
It may come as a surprise, but sometimes a threatened or endangered species relies on privately owned land for its survival. Across the country, the Service and our partners work to purchase private land from willing landowners for the sake of threatened species like the bog turtle.
Story
Endangered Species Act
A group of people at a conference pose for a group photo.
Celebrating new heights at the Highlands Summit
The Highlands Summit brought together conservationists from a variety of backgrounds to train and share resources as they looked to the future of conserving natural resources throughout the Highlands region.
Story
Our Partners

Programs

A pond reflects sunlight on the water. Wild grass, lily pads, and wildflowers surround the pond. Tall trees grow on the land in the distance across the pond.
The Highlands region spans 3.4 million acres across Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. In an effort to conserve natural resources in this region, the Highlands Conservation Act was passed in 2004, founding the Highlands Conservation Act grant program. This grant program is among...
Program