New Jersey Audubon and Partners Expand Successful Collaboration in the Protection of the Bog Turtle
Project protects vulnerable bog turtle, New Jersey’s official state reptile.
BERNARDSVILLE, NJ – April 21, 2022 – New Jersey Audubon, the Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service continue their collaborative mission to save New Jersey’s official state reptile: the bog turtle. The bog turtle was once abundant in New Jersey but are now listed as endangered and are currently only located in the southern and northwestern areas of the state.
“New Jersey Audubon is celebrating $247,200 in federal funds recently awarded as part of the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund that began in 2019. This grant will support continued efforts aimed at enhancing turtle habitat in southern New Jersey by restoring and connecting 60 acres of freshwater wetlands and supporting uplands,” said Kelly Knutson, Director for the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed.
In collaboration with private landowners, these funds will be used to improve declining habitat that bog turtles and other species rely on through control of non-native and invasive plants, promotion of native plants, connecting upland habitat, and agricultural best management practices.
The Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund supports on-the-ground land and water projects that conserve and restore fish and wildlife habitat, improve and maintain water quality, sustain and enhance water management and reduce flood damage, and improve recreational opportunities and public access in the Delaware River Basin. The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced the projects receiving $9.52 million in grants from fiscal year 2021 appropriations to the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund, which included New Jersey Audubon’s grant for bog turtle restoration.
“From coastal marshes to mountains, the Delaware River watershed encompasses diverse landscapes and communities,” said Wendi Weber, Northeast Regional Director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “This project and partnership, and many others supported by the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund, will conserve and sustain these lands and waters, as well as the people and wildlife who depend on them, for generations to come.”
“Preserving and maintaining New Jersey’s environment and wildlife species is an important issue to me while representing my constituents in Congress,” said Congressman Van Drew (NJ-2). “The bog turtle is on the verge of extinction and I commend the Division of Fish and Wildlife and New Jersey Audubon for raising awareness for this endangered species. I will continue to fight for federal funding to be allocated to protect our environment.”
A site in Salem County served as a starting point for restoring and connecting those 50 acres. Three years later, due to the success of the project, it has continued to expand to other nearby connected acres habitats that bog turtles have been discovered in.
The conservation focus began in 2013 when a six-year- old bog turtle found was found at this location. Further research showed that the area had the ability to sustain new turtles, since the last bog turtle found there was in 2001. Tracking the turtles through radio telemetry began in 2015, bringing the total number of turtles marked at this site to 11 individuals, up from 4 turtles in 2001.
The bog turtle is a reptile typically around 4 inches long. They are endangered due to habitat loss and degradation, development and illegal collecting or poaching. In addition to these everyday challengers for the turtle, bog turtles need a dynamic habitat that includes wet and mucky areas, while also needing open areas with plenty of hummocks for nesting and basking and shrubby areas for overwintering. The Department of Environmental Protect acquired the land in the 1990s, and New Jersey Audubon has worked with them since 2013 to restore the site by removing invasive plants, thinning out woody vegetation, restoring hydrology and creating new wetlands and buffer areas by planting old agricultural fields with native grasses, sedges, rushes, forbs and native shrubs. With additional funding going towards this effort, New Jersey Audubon will be able to connect bog turtle habitat together through collaborative efforts with private landowners in the region. With more than two-thirds of land in New Jersey privately owned, this effort becomes a critical piece to the long-term survival and recovery of bog turtles.
“Our goal is to make suitable habitat for the turtles to reproduce more successfully,” added Kristen Meistrell, Southern NJ Stewardship Project Director for New Jersey Audubon. “Bog turtles require very specific conditions to reproduce, including clean, freshwater wetlands with plenty of sunlight, and a unique plant community that creates hummocks for nesting. By working with private landowners, we hope to create a network of suitable nesting habitat that is connected to one another, allowing bog turtles and other wildlife to move freely and safely.”
The Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund was realized thanks to the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed advocacy on behalf of the Delaware Watershed and the water, wildlife and people that it supports. Previous project funds for bog turtle habitat restoration have been generously provided by the New Jersey’s Corporate Wetlands Restoration Partnership, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Atlantic City Electric.
With funding from the Delaware River Watershed Conservation Fund, restoration efforts will focus on connecting habitat across multiple watersheds, increasing the potential for landscape-level benefits for the species and its habitat. The work will remain focused on private land but will put an extra emphasis on the NJ DEP’s latest tool: Connecting Habitat Across New Jersey (CHANJ). By using this mapping tool, we will be able to identify and prioritize private lands that connect existing and suitable habitat across the Upper Salem River, Lower Salem River, Upper Alloway Creek, and Upper Oldman’s Creek Watersheds.
Furthermore, the Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund isn’t the only source of support this species will receive. The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service recently announced that $710,000 of federal farm bill dollars will go towards restoration and protecting bog turtle habitat in the Upper Salem River Watershed. This massive win for both bog turtles and private landowners was made in part by a collaborative effort between New Jersey Audubon, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey and New Jersey Conservation Foundation. More funding means more technical and financial support for landowners interested in restoring and permanently protecting bog turtle habitat.
The bog turtle population has declined by nearly 50 percent across the U.S. over the last two decades. In 1997 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service added the bog turtle to the list of federally threatened species. The Salem and Gloucester County project will not only help to protect the bog turtle but also improve water quality as new wetlands are being created within the headwaters of the Salem River that will filter water before it enters the Delaware River.
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About New Jersey Audubon: New Jersey Audubon is a privately supported, not-for profit, statewide membership organization. Founded in 1897, and one of the oldest independent Audubon societies, New Jersey Audubon fosters environmental awareness and a conservation ethic among New Jersey's citizens; protects New Jersey's birds, mammals, other animals, and plants, especially endangered and threatened species; and promotes preservation of New Jersey's valuable natural habitats. For more information, visit www.njaudubon.org.
Contact: Chris Neff, chris.neff@njaudubon.org, 201-693-3707
Photos can be found here.