News Archive

Commissioner visits Jersey Shore and North Jersey lake communities in unofficial start to summer season ahead of Memorial Day weekend.

Have you seen turkey hens and their poults?  Then let us know in the NJ Fish and Wildlife’s Turkey Project's Wild Turkey Brood Sighting Survey!

This survey information is used as a measure of wild turkey productivity both in New Jersey and nationally as a means of estimating how well turkeys did raising broods each year.  

The Columbia dam removal project is complete and the project area is again open for recreation following additional welcomed improvements to the area.

Save the date for the next NJDEP Quarterly Brownfield Roundtable Meeting! Topics to be discussed include a Proposed Brownfield Tax Incentive Program, food deserts, Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund, and more. 

Register today for a public information session on the recently announced Natural Climate Solutions Grant Program where you will learn more about applicant eligibility, project types, and the application process. This grant program will invest $15 million in projects across New Jersey that create, restore and enhance salt marshes, sea grass beds, forests, and urban parks that sequester atmospheric carbon in the fight against climate change. 

The NJ Department of Environmental Protection posted the Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Freshwater Recreational Response 2021 Summary Report. This report summarizes HAB investigations, data, and monitoring enhancements during the 2021 season as well as comparisons to past seasons.

Rockingham’s Annual Children’s Day is finally returning, in-person, after a two-year pause! Come one, come all and bring your young ‘uns (and your inner child)! The historic site, which served as General George Washington’s final wartime headquarters, will be offering FREE activities and demonstrations of 18th-century life with support from the Montgomery High School Live Historians Club and the Rockingham Association.

Register today for a public information session on the recently announced Natural Climate Solutions Grant Program where you will learn more about applicant eligibility, project types, and the application process. This grant program will invest $15 million in projects across New Jersey that create, restore and enhance salt marshes, sea grass beds, forests, and urban parks that sequester atmospheric carbon in the fight against climate change. 

Next week on May 4, 2022, NJ takes a stand to Get Past Plastic. Make sure you have your reusable bags ready for your next shopping trip.

Join the Delaware Township Environmental Commission, Kingwood Township Environmental Commission, D&R Canal State Park, and the New Jersey AmeriCorps Watershed Ambassadors Program, planting native trees and plants at Bulls Island Recreation Area, Hunterdon County, Delaware Township. Help restore approximately 0.5 acres of degraded and compacted landscape along the new Inlet Trail at Bulls Island Recreation Area!

Take a 1-2 mile hike with our Park Naturalist! Cheesequake State Park’s uniqueness lies in its geographical location. Not only is it situated in the middle of the urban north and the suburban south, it lies in a transitional zone between two different ecosystems. Open fields, saltwater and freshwater marshes, an Atlantic white cedar swamp, pine barrens habitats and a northeastern hardwood forest await you.

This public meeting will be held virtually using Microsoft Teams. There will also be a call-in phone number available. Topics covered include current water supply conditions, legislation & regulation updates, and harmful algal blooms (HAB). 

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is pleased to invite Ocean County residents to attend a community engagement session regarding Environmental Justice with DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette and EPA Region 2 Regional Administrator Lisa Garcia. 

Celebrate Arbor Day at New Jersey's FIRST State Forest, Bass River State Forest, on Saturday, April 30, 2022! Join our seasonal naturalist for free educational activities for the whole family between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. at the Interpretive Center (just past campsite #13).

Join us on Saturday, April 23, 2022 at Liberty State Park in Jersey City for a wide variety of fun family-friendly activities to celebrate the establishment of DEP! Attractions include food trucks, lawn games, education programs, face painting, slides/obstacle course, wildlife trailer, giveaways, fossil digging, arts and crafts, science experiments, a freshwater fish mobile aquarium, and more! 

Join the New Jersey State Park Service on Sunday, April 24 at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. for a six-mile hike on the West Pine Plains Natural Area which is part of Bass River State Forest and home to the “Pygmy Pines” the world’s largest acreage of this globally rare forest community. 

Late winter and early spring bring a different type of "hunting" season to New Jersey: shed hunting! During March and April bucks young and old experience a drop in testosterone, causing their antlers to "shed" and lay along the floors of our woods. Currently, it is the prime time to go hunting for deer antler sheds. (NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife, R3 News)

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has adopted new and amended Air Pollution Control rules at N.J.A.C. 7:27-8, 16, 17, 21, 22 and at 7:27A-3. The adopted rules have three major components to address air contaminants in New Jersey through its permitting and emissions statement programs. 

State’s complaint seeks compensation for natural resource damages that occurred over decades in overburdened Bergen County community.

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette today urged the public to get ready for the state’s plastic bag and polystyrene foam food-service container law that takes effect Wednesday, May 4, 2022 by stocking up on reusable bags and visiting the DEP’s "Get Past Plastic" website. He also reminded food-service businesses that another provision of the law requires that single-use plastic straws to be distributed only at the customer’s request has been in effect since late last year.

Join the Forest Resource Education Center (FREC) for a pleasant evening stroll to celebrate spring blossoms! This is an easy 1.5 mile walk through the State Tree Farm property. A maximum 20 people are permitted. The event shall be cancelled in the event of inclement weather. 

This advisory affects any property owner with a subsurface sewage disposal system (also known as septic systems, or septic tanks) or multiple systems for which the aggregate wastewater design flow is in excess of 2,000 gallons per day (GPD), regulated in accordance with the New Jersey Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NJPDES) rules, N.J.A.C. 7:14A-1 et seq., and the Standards for Individual Subsurface Sewage Disposal Systems, N.J.A.C. 7:9A-1 et seq.

Subsurface sewage disposal system permits are generally issued for campgrounds, schools, and commercial establishments, that are not single-family homes. Local public health departments oversee the location, design, construction, installation, alteration, repair, and operation of single-family home septic systems with design flows of less than 2,000 GPD. The Department recommends that subsurface sewage disposal system owners follow the guidelines in this advisory.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is publishing a Preliminary Notice in the April 4, 2022 New Jersey Register (NJR) seeking public comment on the following proposed Water Quality Management (WQM) Plan amendment. 

i-Tree is a set of tools designed to help communities maximize the benefits they receive from trees.  The United States Forest Service (USFS) wants to hear from YOU to help inform what the future may hold for i-Tree.  Please lend your voice by attending one of their 3 virtual Town Hall listening sessions in April 2022.

Watershed and Land Management, Notice of Rule Proposal (Coastal Zone Management Rules)

PUBLIC NOTICE:
Take notice that the NJ Department of Environmental Protection is proposing amendments to the Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Rules, N.J.A.C. 7:7. The Department is proposing to amend the boundaries reflected on coastal wetland maps applicable to Lower Alloways Creek Township in Salem County. 

This Compliance Advisory #2022-04 is addressed to businesses that are engaged or intend to engage in “soil and fill recycling services” including “the collection, transportation, processing, brokering, storage, purchase, sale or disposition, or any combination thereof, of soil and fill recyclable materials” as defined in the “Dirty Dirt Law” at N.J.S.A. 13:1E-127 (the Act).

On March 2, 2022, the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) opened for applications. The program will provide financial assistance to low-income households to reduce the balances they have on their residential water and wastewater bills. Assistance is also available to customers to pay off balances on their residential gas and electric bills through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Universal Service Fund (USF) program.

Together, these programs will provide needed assistance to families struggling to meet basic needs for heat, power, water, and sewer, and will be critical to helping New Jersey residents get back on their feet as COVID-19 moves into an endemic phase.
 

The EPA updates Superfund National Priorities List to clean up pollution and address public health risks. In addition, the EPA proposes to add lower Hackensack River in Bergen and Hudson Counties, New Jersey to Superfund List

Join the D&R Canal State Park, NJ Watershed Ambassador Program and Delaware Township Clean Communities in an early spring cleanup along the multi-use path in Delaware Township including Bulls Island Recreation Area on Saturday, March 26, 2022 from 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. 

The Department of Environmental Protection is hiring for hundreds of summer jobs across New Jersey’s State Parks, Forests and Historic Sites. To ensure park-goers can enjoy all that the New Jersey State Parks system has to offer, DEP recruits hundreds of seasonal employees who can build important skills while helping to deliver a first-class visitor experience. Jobs ranging from lifeguards to visitor assistants, nature educators to trail stewards and grounds maintenance, offer applicants the opportunity to spend their summer outdoors and consider the experience a possible steppingstone to a future career working to restore, preserve, and protect our natural, cultural, and historic resources.

Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn M. LaTourette welcomes a decision today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to restore a California air emissions authority that will allow New Jersey and other states to implement the same clean-air standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.

The 34th Annual NJ DEP GIS Mapping Contest will be held virtually on Thursday April 7, 2022, from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM via a Microsoft Teams meeting. This year we have 8 Map Categories and 2 Interactive Web Map categories. All state, federal, municipal, county, non-profit, and student GIS users are encouraged to attend and participate!
 

On Sunday, March 20, 2022 at 11:00 a.m., welcome-in the Spring season with Forest Bathing. Tune into nature, it is the best way to relax! The team at Forest Resource Education Center (FREC) are ready to show you how with this forest-focused educational experience. 

Celebrate Arbor Day and Earth Week with NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife by joining us Sunday, April 10, 2022 @ 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for a native tree giveaway. Saplings, provided by the New Jersey Forest Service Nursery, will be available for pick up at the Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center in Warren County, NJ. Please enter through the Route 46 entrance. A list of available sapling species can be found on the attached information flyer.

February 24, 2022 - The Murphy Administration is awarding nearly $16.2 million in grants to communities across the state to help them enhance waste reduction and recycling programs, a slight increase over the previous year’s total, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced today.

The annual awards are based on 2019 recycling performance, the most recent year for which data is available. Municipalities must use their funds for various recycling initiatives. These may include sponsoring household hazardous waste collection events, providing recycling receptacles in public places, or maintaining leaf composting operations.

Call for Volunteers! For AmeriCorps Week this year, NJ Watershed Ambassadors will be partnering with the New Jersey State Park Service to complete stewardship projects in various parks, forests and historic sites throughout New Jersey. While AmeriCorps Week is normally just a week-long, this year NJWAP ambassadors are dedicating March & April 2022 towards these projects. Projects include litter cleanups, trail maintenance, invasive species removal, native plantings and more.

PUBLIC NOTICE
Take notice that the NJ Department of Environmental Protection is proposing amendments to N.J.A.C. 7:5 for the Division of Fish and Wildlife’s administration of the Conserve Wildlife Matching Grants program.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Is Seeking Public Comment on the draft Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities in U.S. Communities

The NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife's 2022 Freshwater Fisheries Forum will be Saturday, February 26, 2022 @10:00 a.m. Due to continuing pandemic circumstances, only one forum will be held again this year, and it will be virtual.

February 14, 2022 - The Murphy Administration is making it easier to identify once contaminated and blighted properties that present unique opportunities for economic development and environmental improvement.

Join the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Forest Resource Education Center (FREC) for a walk that will traverse several habitats to identify seeds for a variety of species.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is pleased to invite Union County residents to attend a community engagement session regarding Environmental Justice with DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette and David Kluesner, EPA Region 2 Director of Strategic Programs, Office of Regional Administrator.

February 9, 2022

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service will soon begin conducting prescribed burning to reduce vegetation and debris that may contribute to the start and spread of a wildfire. By actively eliminating sources of fuel that exacerbate forest fire risks through a controlled and prescribed burning program, the Forest Fire Service reduces risk to New Jersey residents, visitors and the environment, Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said.

Contact: Lawrence Hajna  (609) 984-1795
Caryn Shinske  (609) 292-2994

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 25, 2022 - The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is seeking applicants for its latest round of grant funding, which prioritizes projects that will restore and protect New Jersey’s watersheds while better managing stormwater runoff and reducing flooding risks in our communities, Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced. Specifically invited are those nonprofit organizations, local governments, community groups and state colleges and universities ready to plan and deploy multifaceted water quality projects in the Delaware River watershed and the northeast region of New Jersey.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 24, 2022 - As New Jersey settles into winter, residents are reminded that basic safety practices can reduce the impacts of burning wood on air quality in their homes and neighborhoods, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced today.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 16, 2021 - The obsolete Headgates dam on the Raritan River in Somerset County will be removed using natural resource damages funds secured by the state, opening significant stretches of the river’s North and South branches to fish passage for the first time in nearly two centuries, Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced today.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 13, 2021 - Complementing the Murphy Administration’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build greater climate resilience, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) have released for public review the outline of a strategy for managing natural and working lands that is intended to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere contributing to global warming.

"Join the Pinelands Preservation Alliance for our annual Green Trading Post where you can make a difference with your holiday dollars."

Location: PPA Headquarters, 17 Pemberton Road, Southampton, NJ 08088

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 27, 2021 - A provision of New Jersey’s commitment to reduce plastics pollution statewide will take effect on Thursday, Nov. 4 when food-service businesses may provide single-use plastic straws to a customer only upon request, the Department of Environmental Protection and NJ Business Action Center announced today.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 29, 2021 - In recognition of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week from Sunday, Oct. 24 through Saturday, Oct. 30, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey Department of Health have released the first phase of a statewide online mapping tool that uses publicly available data to indicate potential sources of lead exposure.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 26, 2021 - The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) are reminding drivers to be extra vigilant on roadways this fall as mating season for white-tailed deer gets underway and daylight hours decrease.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced on September 20th 41 grantees totaling nearly $11.5 million in awards. Grantees have committed more than $13.5 million in match, for a total conservation impact of $25 million that will restore and protect our land and water resources.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 15, 2021 - A business that recycles or reuses 98 percent of the waste it generates; a county that created a recycling education program tailored to its millions of summer visitors; and a teenager whose passion for the environment led him to create a website about the importance of electronics recycling are among those honored as New Jersey’s 2021 recycling leaders, Commissioner of Environmental Protection Shawn M. LaTourette announced today.

September 30, 2021 - TRENTON – The Department of Environmental Protection is celebrating National Drive Electric Week and encouraging New Jersey residents to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by announcing Red Bank in Monmouth County as the third New Jersey town to become a Destination Electric community and unveiling a new and improved website touting the many environmental and economic benefits of electric fleets, Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said.

September 22, 2021- ....issues Order Directing Agency Staff to Meet Legislative Intent of the EJ Law While Implementing Regulations Are Developed

September 23, 2021: (21/P029) TRENTON – A component of the Murphy Administration’s strategy to ensure New Jersey becomes more resilient to climate change, the Department of Environmental Protection will restore 10,000 acres of globally threatened Atlantic white cedar forests to the state’s Pinelands region, Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced today as part of the State’s recognition of Climate Week. New Jersey’s Atlantic white cedar forests have been adversely impacted by climate change, including by sea-level rise and storm surge that have brought saltwater into these fragile freshwater ecosystems, leaving ghost forests where thriving Atlantic white cedars once stood.

JULY 23, 2021 - SUPERFUND DESIGNATION WOULD BE FIRST OF ITS KIND FOR NEW JERSEY, SPURRING REMEDIATION OF 23-MILE STRETCH OF RIVER

https://www.bagupnj.comMay 5, 2021 - New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Acting Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette are joining forces today to encourage Garden State business owners to prepare for the launch of New Jersey’s ban on single-use carryout bags and polystyrene foam food service products in stores and food service businesses.

June 4, 2021 - In the Murphy Administration’s continuing commitment to infrastructure investments that enhance public health, protect the environment, and create green jobs, the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank (I-Bank), working in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, has sold $122.5 million of AAA/Aaa rated Environmental Infrastructure Bonds, Acting DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette and I-Bank Chairperson Robert Briant, Jr. announced today. 

June 3, 2021 - The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and several partner organizations gathered today at the Holly Farm tract of the Menantico Ponds Wildlife Management Area to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the DEP Green Acres Program that funded the state’s acquisition and conservation of this environmentally sensitive land and announce the Cumberland County site as the future southern regional headquarters for the DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife.

May 4, 2021 - To enhance ecosystems and water quality in the Paulins Kill and Pequest River watersheds of northwestern New Jersey, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has awarded $7.3 million in grants to nonprofits and local government agencies Acting Commissioner Shawn LaTourette announced today.

DEP Encourages Local Governments and Nonprofits to Make Applications for Green Acres Funding by June 30

EVENTS INCLUDE GLOBAL CLIMATE PROGRAM, RELEASE OF DRAFT STATEWIDE CLIMATE RESILIENCE STRATEGY AND EVENT AT LIBERTY STATE PARK

March 16, 2021: To further support local government efforts to ensure that all New Jersey residents enjoy cleaner communities, the Murphy Administration is awarding $16 million in grants to municipalities across the state to enhance waste reduction and recycling efforts, Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Shawn LaTourette announced today.

On March 2, 2021, all New Jersey municipalities and the Department of Environmental Protection will begin implementing new green infrastructure rules to manage stormwater runoff generated by developments across the state, DEP Acting Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said today.

More than 40 years after facing near-extinction, New Jersey’s bald eagle population is soaring and reaching new milestones, including confirmation for the first time of nesting pairs found in each of the state’s 21 counties, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced today.

Furthering the Murphy Administration’s comprehensive plan to reduce lead exposure and protect the safety of New Jersey’s drinking water, the DEP and the City of Newark have committed to new measures that will better protect public health and increase transparency while also resolving longstanding litigation with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Acting Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette announced today.

As part of the state’s efforts to aid in economic recovery from the COVID-19 public health emergency, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has begun disbursing $11 million in grants funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to commercial and recreational fishing businesses, Governor Phil Murphy and Acting DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette announced today.

Suit Against Solvay Demands Accountability for Company’s PFAS Chemicals Found in Public and Private Water Sources

DEP Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced that Wyeth Holdings LLC, the owner of the American Cyanamid Superfund site in Somerset County, has agreed to a $4.2 million settlement to compensate the public for natural resource damages through open-space preservation and natural-resource restoration projects that protect and enhance the Raritan River watershed.

Ecological Monitoring and Mitigation Policies and Practices at Offshore Wind Installations in the United States and Europe

Offshore wind energy is poised to expand dramatically along the eastern United States. However, the promise of sustainable energy also brings potential impacts on marine ecosystems from new turbines and transmission infrastructure. This whitepaper informs government officials, scientists, and stakeholders in New Jersey about the current policies and monitoring methods other jurisdictions use to monitor potential ecological impacts from offshore wind installations. We reviewed policy documents in the eastern U.S. and Europe, reviewed the scientific literature, and conducted stakeholder interviews in Spring 2020.

Prepared for the New Jersey Climate Change Alliance.

Lacey Township Mayor Steven Kennis is joining a State-led advisory panel of environmental, utility and security experts assisting with decommissioning of the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, ensuring that the concerns of the community where the station is located are included in the process.

The Department of Environmental Protection has awarded $3.5 million in grants for projects to reduce the impacts of nonpoint source pollution on waterways, including $1 million for the development of lake and watershed restoration plans to mitigate harmful algal blooms.

The Department of Environmental Protection has issued two Notices of Violation to the City of North Wildwood, requiring it to stop development activities being conducted without required DEP permits, including the destruction of vegetated dunes that provide storm protection.

With this adoption, climate change education will be incorporated across seven content areas—21st Century Life and Careers, Comprehensive Health and Physical Education, Science, Social Studies, Technology, Visual and Performing Arts, and World Languages. Climate change standards have also been added to the appendices of the Mathematics and English Language Arts guidelines, which are up for review in 2022.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection today officially published its adoption of stringent, health-based drinking water standards for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), chemicals that are extremely persistent in the environment and have been linked to various health problems in people.

The American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) released its much-anticipated annual list of the nation’s Best Restored Beaches. The Borough of Keansburg was announced as one of the five winners selected by a panel of judges from all over the country.

Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe today announced that 600 miles of New Jersey rivers and streams will be upgraded to Category One (or C1) status, the State's first such upgrade in over a decade.

In celebration of Earth Day and building off last week's release of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Strategic Funding Plan, New Jersey will additionally invest nearly $45 million to reduce greenhouse gases produced by the transportation sector, thanks to funds from the national Volkswagen settlement, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced today.

April 17, 2020 - The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Board of Public Utilities (BPU) and Economic Development Authority (EDA) today released a strategic funding plan for investing the state's auction proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), the cap-and-trade pact among northeastern states dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity generating sector. New Jersey plans to invest an estimated $80 million each year in programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, drive forward projects that boost clean energy and create jobs, protect the health of residents in environmental justice communities and increase the resiliency of coastal communities.

Now that peak wildfire season is underway in New Jersey, the State  Forest Fire Service is reminding residents how they can help to avoid forest fires, which are almost always caused by people. The Forest Fire Service also announced the outcome of its investigation into the cause of the 2019 Spring Hill wildfire that burned for a month, devastating thousands of acres of in the New Jersey Pinelands, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe said today.
 

This latest release includes an entirely new user interface, updated data, including the Landscape Species Based Habitat data, and an assortment of new tool enhancements. This version of the NJ-GeoWeb application grants users access to the latest data, imagery services and functionality, enabling them to gain better understanding of environmental issues in their areas of interest.

https://www.nj.gov/dep/gis/geowebsplash.htm

The Internationally WARN NJDEP mobile app, launched November 2017 complements the DEP’s telephone hotline, 877-WARNDEP (877-927-6337), which has been in operation for many years.

The app can be downloaded through Google Play, the Apple app store and the Microsoft app store

April 7, 2020: TRENTON – To limit the spread of COVID-19 and ensure social distancing, DEP will close all state parks and forests effective at 8:00 p.m. today, Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced today. State parks and forests will remain closed until further notice as required by Executive Order 118, signed today by Governor Phil Murphy. See more...

Reports are now available for both the 2016 and 2019 New Jersey Science and Technical Advisory Panel study on regional sea-level rise. 

Want to do your part to reduce plastic pollution? Then read up on this...the Monmouth County Environmental Council will meet on 10/20/19 for a roundtable event to discuss the "The Problem with Plastics." 

On September 5th, 2019, experts at Rutgers University released Field Notes: Equity and State Climate Policy, an independent study based on more than 70 interviews with state officials, stakeholders and advocates. This report takes an in-depth look at the challenges and opportunities faced by states in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) region to direct program benefits to disadvantaged communities and individuals in equitable ways.

The Department of Environmental Protection’s harmful algal bloom advisory has been lifted for six bathing beaches in the area of Lake Hopatcong stretching from Byram Bay to Halsey Island.

Nominate an NJ environmental champion Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced that the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) has opened the process for nominating individuals, businesses or organizations in the public and private sectors -- those are on the front lines of protecting New Jersey’s environment -- for consideration of a 2019 Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award!

The New Jersey Forest Fire Service will fete the nation’s most famous bear on Saturday, Aug. 10, with a daylong celebration to teach children and remind the public of the many ways they can help prevent wildfires, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced.

The Department of Environmental Protection has issued a total $712,500 in penalties against two waste-transportation companies for setting up illegal solid-waste transfer stations in Sparta, Sussex County, and marketing their materials as clean fill, some of which ended up at residential properties, Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced on May 22.

The Department of Environmental Protection reminds individuals that making basic changes in their daily routines can improve air quality across New Jersey while also protecting public health and saving money.

In honor of Earth Day on Monday, April 22, a diverse array of family friendly Earth Week cleanups, fairs, beautification projects, hikes, tours, competitions and other activities are planned statewide later this month and in May, the Department of Environmental Protection announced.

New Jersey will be the first state in the nation to sell annual state parks passes through a public lands pass website, giving visitors the opportunity to save gas, time and money by avoiding daily walk-in costs and parking fees, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced today.

A little more than a year after its launch, the Department of Environmental Protection’s recycling app, Recycle Coach, continues to expand its reach, making recycling easier than ever for many New Jersey residents.

Applications are being accepted for hundreds of peak-season jobs at New Jersey’s parks, forests and historic sites, the Department of Environmental Protection announced today.

The State Forest Fire Service is setting prescribed burns to reduce undergrowth and other forest floor materials that have the potential to fuel wildfires, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection announced today.

Free calendars designed by New Jersey schoolchildren that highlight the importance of wildfire prevention and celebrate the 75th anniversary of Smokey Bear are available to the public, the Department of Environmental Protection announced.

A beachfront restaurant helping protect the ocean with a no-straw policy, a brewery helping to mitigate climate change by keeping waste out of local landfills, and a funeral home supporting New Jersey’s clean energy economy by installing solar power...

Local governments will share $14.3 million in grants to further enhance recycling efforts, based on 2016 recycling performance in their communities, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced today.