(TRENTON NJ)– New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Fish & Wildlife will lead a multi-state partnership to help restore Eastern brook trout to waterways in parts of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, by administering a $3.5 million National Fish and Wildlife Foundation America the Beautiful Challenge grant. The grant is designed to enhance forested waterway habitats that support this hallmark fish species and others that depend on clear and cold streams and lakes.
Prized by anglers and New Jersey’s only native trout species, the Eastern brook trout, also known as brookies, is the official state fish species for all three states and is considered an indicator of good water quality. It was named the official state fish of New Jersey in 1992.
Eastern brook trout, however, along with other fish species in these areas, are experiencing population declines due to degradation from habitat fragmentation, warming water temperatures, sedimentation and other threats. Eastern brook trout are now only found in a fraction of the waters of their native range.
The grant will fund cold-water conservation projects in priority watersheds over the next four years, including removing barriers such as dams and culverts, enhancing instream habitat, restoring floodplain habitat and mitigating upstream stressors that can lead to higher water temperature.
“New Jersey is proud to be part of this effort,” New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette said. “This species holds a special place for anglers and anyone who cares about the health of our cold-water streams and lakes. We thank the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for this opportunity and look forward to working with our partner states in developing projects that will enhance habitat not only for Eastern brook trout, but for other cold-water fish species as well.”
The America the Beautiful Challenge Grant Program
The grant announced by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is part of $122.5 million in grants awarded through the America’s Ecosystem Restoration Initiative: America the Beautiful Challenge.
Launched by President Biden in 2021, the America the Beautiful Challenge Grant program set the nation’s first-ever goal to conserve at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. The 10-year, locally led and nationally scaled initiative lifts up efforts to conserve, connect and restore lands, waters and wildlife. Over the past four years, the Biden-Harris Administration has conserved more than 45 million acres of America’s lands and waters.
The grants support projects that conserve, restore and connect wildlife habitats and ecosystems while improving community resilience and access to nature, which also advance President Biden’s ambitious environmental justice goals. The competitive grant awards were made possible through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, other federal conservation programs and private sources. The Biden-Harris Administration launched the Challenge in 2022 as a partnership with the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture and Defense; Native Americans in Philanthropy; and NFWF.
A multi-state approach
The newly funded program administered by NJDEP Fish & Wildlife is a collaboration with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, Trout Unlimited, the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Wildlife Management Institute, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It is focused on safeguarding the biodiversity of the Appalachian Corridor highlands and streams within the three states.
“We are excited to be part of this multi-state conservation effort that will enhance habitat for the region’s only native trout species,” said NJDEP Fish & Wildlife Assistant Commissioner Dave Golden. “This collaborative approach will help achieve conservation goals across state lines, which will benefit not only Eastern brook trout but also a diverse array of aquatic species.”
“This initiative is fundamentally about aligning implementation resources with identified projects to help conserve a priority species for all three states and our partners,” said Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Executive Director Tim Schaeffer. “In so doing, we are affirming a commitment to landscape-level conservation that capitalizes on unprecedented partnerships here in the Northeast.”
“The work that will be accomplished under the America the Beautiful Challenge Grant marks a new phase for the already successful joint venture, as states will now use the knowledge compiled over the past 20 years to collectively improve upon the habitat brook trout depend upon in the Delaware watershed,” said Steve Hurst, Chief of Fisheries for the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.
Resources
For more information about the America the Beautiful Challenge Grant program, visit the NFWF webpage at National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Announces $122.5 Million in Conservation Grants from the America the Beautiful Challenge | NFWF
A complete list of the 2024 grants made through the America the Beautiful Challenge is available here.
To learn more about the freshwater fish of New Jersey, including Eastern brook trout, visit https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/fishing/freshwater/freshwater-fish-of-new-jersey/
For information about NJDEP Fish & Wildlife, visit dep.nj.gov/njfw/
Contact: Caryn Shinske (609) 984-1795
Lawrence Hajna (609) 984-1795
Vincent Grassi (609) 984-1795
