News Archive

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. 

As part of America Recycles Day today, the Department of Environmental Protection is encouraging residents across New Jersey to renew their commitment to recycling as a way to protect the environment and conserve natural resources throughout the year.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is honoring four 2018 Green Communities Achievement Award winners for outstanding contributions to urban and community forestry, Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced today.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has confirmed that American Shad are migrating and spawning in the Millstone River for the first time in 173 years, a year after removal of the waterway’s Weston Mill Dam in Manville, Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced on Monday, October 22.

A celebration of forests, fall and the outdoors will highlight the 24th Annual Forestry Festival on Saturday, Oct. 6 at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Forest Resource Education Center in Jackson Township, Ocean County.

With reports of West Nile virus illnesses in people at a record level and persistent warm and rainy weather, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and New Jersey Department of Health are urging property owners to take steps to reduce mosquito populations and to protect themselves against the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses.

The Department of Environmental Protection is awarding nearly $400,000 in grants to 20 municipalities and two counties to promote the stewardship of urban and community trees and forests.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection will mark National Drive Electric Week by expanding a grant program to fund installation of electric-vehicle charging stations around the state.

The state’s Blue Acres program has expanded into Atlantic County, recently holding a kickoff meeting with eligible property owners in Pleasantville who are interested in participating in this effort that moves residents away from areas that are impacted by severe storms. With the addition of Atlantic County, the Department of Environmental Protection’s Blue Acres Program is now active in nine counties. The DEP has determined that 25 properties in Pleasantville are eligible for acquisition by the program.

The Department of Environmental Protection has high hopes for steps taken this year to improve the survival chances for New Jersey’s last remaining wild population of American chaffseed, a flowering perennial herb with highly specialized habitat needs. The species’ last stronghold is in a state forest in the Pinelands of Burlington County.

To restore the habitat at the Burlington County location, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service in late winter conducted a prescribed burn, then the New Jersey Forest Service thinned the surrounding trees to increase sunlight. Volunteers from the New Jersey Conservation Foundation and Pinelands Preservation Alliance also manually cut back competing shrubs. Duke Farms in Hillsborough also contributed by propagating at its site plants from seed collected at the wild population. The New Jersey State Forest Nursery in Jackson has been working to propagate plants to aid in re-establishing this rare species.

The project is being overseen by the DEP’s Office of Natural Lands Management. The Burlington County site has more than 80 American chaffseed plants.

As a partner in a multistate initiative, the Department of Environmental Protection is encouraging landowners in the Pinelands to use technical assistance and expertise available through the New Jersey Forest Service to help restore shortleaf pine trees to the region.

The Forest Service is a partner in the Shortleaf Pine Initiative comprising 22 states, federal forestry and wildlife organizations, and other partners. The New Jersey Forest Service offers technical and other assistance to help landowners incorporate the species into their forest management plans.

The Department of Environmental Protection is advising recreational users of Ocean County’s Metedeconk River to exercise caution following confirmation of the presence of clinging jellyfish, a non-native species with a powerful sting, in this coastal waterway.

In addition to the Metedeconk River, the DEP reminds recreational users of the Shrewsbury and Manasquan rivers – Monmouth County waterways where the clinging jellyfish had been confirmed in recent years – to be alert to its possible presence.

The Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife is hosting its annual Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center Open House and outdoors recreation flea market on Saturday, June 2 and Sunday, June 3.

The free event, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, showcases New Jersey’s natural resources, as well as the hatchery that raises trout stocked throughout the state. The hatchery is in Oxford, Warren County.

The Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife is providing property owners and outdoor enthusiasts with safety tips as black bears search for food after emerging from winter dens.

“At this time of year, it is important for residents who live in New Jersey’s bear country to be aware of some steps they can follow to reduce the chances of a bear coming onto their properties,” said Assistant Commissioner for Natural and Historic Resources Ray Bukowski. “It is also a good time for anyone who spends time outdoors to become familiar with ways to stay safe.”

A contractor for the Department of Environmental Protection has completed an $18.4 million project to rebuild storm-damaged beaches and dunes in southern Long Beach Island while creating a safe navigation channel for nearby Little Egg Inlet.

As a result, the DEP will place a request with the U.S. Coast Guard to mark the boating channel for the inlet, a major thoroughfare for boat traffic between southern Long Beach Island and Brigantine that had never been previously dredged.

The Department of Environmental Protection is seeking nominations for New Jersey Historic Preservation Awards, a prestigious honor that acknowledges the dedication of those whose work advances historic preservation in the Garden State.

Each year, the awards program honors important contributions to the preservation of New Jersey’s historic and archaeological resources, as well as pioneering efforts in sustainability, historic preservation education, interpretive programs, and planning to preserve historic and archaeological resources.

Following up on his pledge to advance New Jersey as a national leader in addressing global warming, Governor Phil Murphy has formally notified governors of states that belong to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative of his administration’s commitment to rejoining the regional climate-change compact.

The Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Parks and Forestry has launched a series of social media videos featuring music performed by the improvisational rock band Phish to promote outdoor recreation at New Jersey’s parks, forests and recreation areas.

Debbie Mans, who served as Energy Policy Advisor to Governor Jon Corzine, will become Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection effective February 14, Acting Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced today.

The Hackettstown State Fish Hatchery in Warren County stocked a record five million cold, cool, and warm water fish consisting of 15 species in 2017. The fish, totaling 5,082,841 with a total weight of more than 26,000 pounds, were produced at the location and many were stocked in approximately 200 waters throughout the state from March through November.

Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced a project that ultimately will transform 240 acres of Liberty State Park – closed to the public for decades due to low levels of contamination from historic fill – into a mosaic of freshwater wetlands, salt marshes, forests, and grasslands to benefit both people and wildlife.

The New Jersey Environmental Digital Library has just finished processing and incorporating the Rick Engler Right-to-Know collection to its repertoire of digital documents available for viewing. Rick Engler is a community activist and former director of the Work Environment Council. Mr. Engler and his organization were key players in the passage of the The New Jersey Worker and Community Right to Know Act of 1983.

The Christie Administration today honored a diverse group of environmental stewards for their leadership and efforts to improve their communities through green practices designed to protect the environment.

The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife will have a new tool to use in its ongoing efforts to enforce wildlife laws as the state joins the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced on November 27.

The New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry officially launched a new smart device tool on November 16 to enhance visits to state parks by helping users plan visits around the state park system’s vast network of trails. The Trail Tracker application may be downloaded to smart devices to help visitors make detailed plans tailored to trails, activities and terrain that interest them.

Biological surveys conducted this year suggest American shad are making a strong comeback in the Delaware River, historically famous for a once-prodigious population of this important fish species.

The Arbor Day Foundation reports that 154 New Jersey communities have earned the prestigious Tree City USA award, placing New Jersey in the top five states with the most communities in this distinguished environmental program.

The state's network of Wildlife Management Areas has reached an important milestone with recent land acquisitions increasing the size of the system to 350,000 acres. To put this in perspective, New Jersey has more acreage in its Wildlife Management Area (WMA) system than its much larger neighbor New York State, and more than Vermont, Massachusetts and Rhode Island combined.
 

The Christie Administration has awarded Perth Amboy $7.1 million in grants toward a project to convert a former scrap yard into a green space that will provide public access to the Raritan River and help improve water quality, Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced today.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has launched a project to remove the obsolete Weston Mill Dam on the Millstone River between Manville and Franklin Township. This effort will open a stretch of the Somerset County waterway to migratory fish, enhance overall river health and improve safety for recreational use.

About 170 coastal communities across the nation will experience chronic flooding 20 years from now, disrupting people’s lives and daily routines, and forcing residents of those communities to make difficult and expensive decisions, according to a recent study by the Union of Concerned Scientists. In a moderate sea level rise scenario, cities and towns along the Delaware Bay and New Jersey coastlines could see between 15 and 40 percent of their land flooded at least 26 times each year by 2030.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has partnered with the Pennsylvania Natural Lands Trust and the Open Space Institute in order to acquire and preserve the 417-acre Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey’s Sheppards Mill property in Hopewell Township and Greenwich Township, Cumberland County for a total purchase of $1.26 million.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protectiosn Bureau of Graphic Information Systems has recently released the product of their latest efforts, the NJ Geo-Web 3.0 App. Users of this application can locate areas of interest, view and interact with NJDEP's GIS data, and query related environmental information. NJ-GeoWeb presents users with a suite of customized profiles to choose from, where they can work within a more tailored application that includes specific datasets, tools, searches, and reports developed to address the interests of the general public as well as  targeted users. 

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is reminding New Jersey residents and visitors that all lifeguarded ocean and bay beaches along the Atlantic Coast are currently open. The exception is for state-operated beaches at Island Beach State Park in Berkeley Township and Corson’s Inlet in Ocean City, due to the current shutdown of state government.

All of New Jersey's State Parks will continue to be closed on Monday due to a state government shutdown imposed by Governor Christie that began last week. As part of the shutdown, residents will be unable to visit any of the recreational areas which receive State Park funding, possibly continuing into the 4th of July.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has announced approval of the funding of nearly $81 million by the Garden State Preservation Trust. The funds are recommended for the enhancement of Green Acres projects, which help improve parks, conserve and protect open space, and enhance the land for general public enjoyment. 

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection will be dedicating nearly $40 million dollars towards paying for projects related to containing pollution from 1970's landfill located in Kearny and prevent it from seeping into the Passaic River. The funds will be used to create a containment wall which encapsulates the landfill as well as to install systems to better manage water and air pollution resulting from the landfill.

Ever wonder what the bears in your state are up to? How about where your town sources its water from? Find out all this and more through the Geoweb application developed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Bureau of Geographic Information Systems! The application provides an interactive interface which allows users to generate and analyze information pertaining to the natural characteristics of their community. 

At a ceremony held at the Frank S. Farley Marina in Atlantic City, the Christie administration formally dedicated the state's new 32-foot aquatic research boat to former DEP commissioner Robert C. Shinn Jr. Current DEP commissioner Bob Martin and former Governor Christine Whitman keynoted the event, which celebrated Shinn's service to the DEP from 1994 to 2002, the longest tenure of any DEP commissioner in history.

The Christie Administration announced that from now on that the first week of May will be celebrated as Air Quality Awareness Week in the Garden State. As part of this new designation, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection will be making efforts to educate citizens on environmentally positive changes they can make in their everyday lives, such as using environmentally friendly products and keeping their vehicle maintenance up to date.

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin announced that the agency will be lifting a drought warning for 12 of New Jersey's 14 counties. These warnings have been in place since October of last year due to abnormally low levels of precipitation that have been afflicting the state.

The Christie administration will be providing 112,500 tree seedlings free of charge to municipalities for them to distribute to residents as part of an ongoing partnership with the New Jersey Tree Recovery Campaign, the State Forest Service, and the non-profit Arbor Day Commission.

The New Jersey State Police, in conjunction with the Division of Fish and Wildlife, have logged more than 130 arrests of individuals accused of illegal dumping and littering of waste in NJ natural areas since the NJDEP "Don't Waste Our Space" campaign began three years ago.

The New Jersey Department of Enviornmental Protection has worked with other local authorities to locate and repair a source of pollution that was contaminating Shark River in Monmouth County.

The New Jersey State Forest Fire Service will be conducting seasonal controlled burns throughout some of New Jersey's wooded area through till the end of March.

New Jersey's native population of Osprey's hit a record level last year with 515 identified nests throughout the region. Osprey's are a predatory bird who faced extinction in recent decades.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has just finished finalising a purchase of 204 acres of wetlands through it's Green Acres Program for the purchase of preservation.

The Christie Administration announced on January 5th a new grant program that will distribute 14.3 million dollars to local governments in order to bolster their recycling programs.

The 2016 application for the Governor's Environmental Excellence Awards program is now open and available through September 28. Now is the time to submit your nominations!