Providing Wild Crossings for Endangered Species

Turtle using a tunnel under a roadway

CHANJ is Connecting Habitat Across New Jersey, an effort to make New Jersey's landscape and roadways more permeable for terrestrial wildlife. By identifying key areas and actions needed to achieve habitat connectivity across the state, CHANJ offers statewide mapping and a Guidance Document to help prioritize land protection, inform habitat restoration and management, and guide mitigation of road barrier effects on wildlife and their habitats.

Mackenzie Hall, ENSP biologist

CHANJ is featured in a new episode of the PBS show, EcoSense for Living.  In this episode, "Wild Crossings," NJ is one of three major habitat connectivity projects, from North Carolina to New Jersey, that are helping wildlife navigate our increasingly developed world.  

In this program, CHANJ comes in at the 14-minute mark but I recommend watching the entire 26-minute episode. The CHANJ portion is 12 minutes and covers salamander migrations, turtle tunnels, timber rattlesnakes, and various connectivity projects of the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife. You will even meet the Division's bobcat scat-sniffing dog, Fly.

In finding food and finding mates and adapting to climate change, these creatures must overcome all the obstacles humans and nature have put in their way. This project, which once relied solely on volunteers physically moving the smaller amphibians, is using more sustainable methods to help animals find safe passage in our increasingly developed state.

This time of year is especially important for amphibians who are coming out of hibernation and moving to area with water and vernal pools for their short breeding season.

Volunteer transferring a frog across a roadway on a spring night

Spotted salamander entering a tunnel

Despite our well-known population density, we are fortunate that NJ is also a recognized leader in preserving open spaces for recreation, agriculture, and nature. Nearly one-third of the state’s landmass is now in permanent preservation. NJ boasts a higher percentage of publicly-owned forest land than any other state east of the Mississippi (Widmann 2004). Healthy, connected ecosystems are an important part of that.

Bobcat in the northern NJ "Bobcat Corridor"

Bobcat using a dry terrestrial pathway under a road

All images via pbs.org video

New Jersey's Smallest Turtle and State Reptile

Bog Turtle (NJ) - Photo: Rosie Walunas/USFWS

The Northeast is home to North America's smallest turtle, the threatened bog turtle. Its carapace measures about 10 centimeters (4 in) long when fully grown. The bog turtle is the state reptile of New Jersey.

The bog turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii ) is a critically endangered species of semiaquatic turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is endemic to the eastern United States. The bog turtle was listed as an endangered species in New Jersey in 1974, and in 1997, the US Fish and Wildlife Service included the bog turtle on its list of federally threatened species.

Although the bog turtle is similar in appearance to the painted or spotted turtles, its closest relative is actually the somewhat larger wood turtle. The bog turtle can be found from Vermont in the north, south to Georgia, and west to Ohio.

Diurnal and secretive, it spends most of its time buried in mud and during the winter months, it goes into hibernation.

The bog turtle is omnivorous, feeding mainly on small invertebrates.

The bog turtle has a low reproduction rate; females lay one clutch per year, with an average of three eggs each. The young tend to grow rapidly, reaching sexual maturity between the ages of 4 and 10 years. Bog turtles live for an average of 20 to 30 years in the wild. Since 1973, the Bronx Zoo has successfully bred the bog turtle in captivity.

Protected under the United States Federal Endangered Species Act, the bog turtle is considered threatened in Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

The invasion of non-native plants, especially purple loosestrife, reed canary grass, and reeds, into its habitat is a large threat to the bog turtles'survival. These thick and tall plants hinder the movement of the turtles and overtake the native species in the bog turtle's habitat.

The development of new neighborhoods and roadways obstructs the bog turtle's movement between wetlands, thus inhibiting the establishment of new bog turtle colonies.

Bog turtles are also illegally collected as pets.

Pesticides, runoff, and industrial discharge are all harmful to the bog turtles' habitat and food supply.

The rebounding of bog turtle colonies now depends on private intervention, land surveys, remote sensing and controlled burns to limit the encroachment of overshadowing trees and bushes.

As of 2018, the Department of Environmental Protection's Endangered and Nongame Species Program estimates that there are fewer than 2,000 of these inhabitants of groundwater-fed freshwater wetlands left in the state.

MORE

• www.conservewildlifenj.org/species/fieldguide/view/Glyptemys%20muhlenbergii/
• www.fws.gov/northeast
• www.facebook.com/usfwsnortheast

The Bog Turtle Is Now NJ's Official Reptile

The bog turtle is a tiny, dark turtle with a distinct orange patch
 behind the tympanum (ear membrane) on either side of the head.

The bog turtle is now the state’s official reptile following legislation signed by Governor Phil Murphy.

The Endangered and Nongame Species Program estimates that there are fewer than 2,000 of these inhabitants of groundwater-fed freshwater wetlands left in the state.

Once abundant in New Jersey, this secretive, palm-sized turtle today is now endangered and found only in rural areas such as Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon, and Salem counties.

Bog turtles have very specific habitat needs and are very sensitive to changes to its environment. The DEP has been working to protect land around high-priority populations, restoring habitat by eliminating invasive plant species, and identifying critical movement corridors.


Bog Turtle Fact Sheet

How About a State Amphibian and a State Reptile for NJ?

Look up the New Jersey state amphibian and state reptile and you will find - nothing. We don't have them. Well, we have amphibians and reptiles, but none are officially designated.

That may change soon.

Bills to make the Pine Barrens treefrog the official amphibian of New Jersey and to make the bog turtle the state reptile were approved by a state Senate committee this year.

a puffed up Pine barren Treefrog

According to S2297, the Pine Barrens Treefrog (Hyla andersonii) was listed by New Jersey as an endangered species in 1979 due to habitat loss and upgraded in 2003 to threatened “based on improved population numbers and a determination that its habitat in the state is well protected by the New Jersey Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan.” The bill says designation as the state amphibian would further help in conservation of the species and its habitat by raising its profile among the public.

Populations of the Pine Barrens treefrog are found in only three places worldwide. They are the New Jersey Pinelands, the panhandle of Florida, and the sandy hills of North Carolina and South Carolina.

Then we have bill S1925, for the bog turtle (Clemmys muhlenbergii). It is one of the smallest turtles in the world. It has a distinct orange patch on either side of its head and a brown to black shell, and it is one of the rarest in North America.

bog turtle

The bog turtle can be found in wet areas in 12 New Jersey counties. It was listed as endangered in New Jersey in 1974 and threatened in the U.S. in 1997. Designation as the state amphibian should also give it more exposure and help conserve it by raising public awareness.

If the bills get past the state Senate and Assembly and are signed by the governor, these two species will join other official species such as:

• the eastern goldfinch as the state bird
• the horse as the state animal (the U.S. Equestrian Team is headquartered in New Jersey)
• the brook trout as the state fish
• the honeybee as the state “bug”
• the black swallowtail as the state butterfly
• Hadrosaurus foulkii, the fossil of which was discovered in Haddonfield, Camden County, as the state dinosaur

NJDEP Gets Grant to Protect Bog Turtle Habitat

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded the Department of Environmental Protection an $850,000 grant under the federal Endangered Species Act Grants Program. The Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund (CESCF) Recovery Land Acquisition grant for New Jersey will go toward the future acquisition of hundreds of key acres of habitat for the bog turtle, which is found predominately in the northern half of New Jersey.

“Preservation of this unique habitat protects the federally threatened bog turtle, while also enhancing our environment and providing a better quality of life for residents of the state,” Commissioner Bob Martin said. “We are grateful to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for our inclusion in this federal grant program.”

New Jersey is one of 20 states to receive funding to support projects that conserve at-risk species and their habitats.

“These grants will enable state fish and wildlife agencies to advance the stewardship of our nation’s fish and wildlife resources,” said Dave Chanda, Director of DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife. “We appreciate the strong ties formed by state agencies and their partners to protect these imperiled wildlife species and their habitats, which are critical to the on-the-ground success of these projects.”

The bog turtle is native only to the eastern United States and is found in the northern half of New Jersey. The species, considered threatened at the federal level and endangered at the state level, congregates in small colonies often of fewer than 20 individuals. They prefer calcareous wetlands (areas containing lime), including meadows, bogs, marshes, and spring seeps, that have both wet and dry regions.

Once the purchases of the properties are completed, the preserved lands will be managed by the New Jersey Natural Lands Trust in cooperation with the DEP’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program,

CESCF funding is provided through three competitive grant programs: the Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance Grants Program, which provides funds to support the development of Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs) that protect habitat for listed species; the Recovery Land Acquisition Grants Program, which provides funds for the acquisition of habitat in support of approved and draft species recovery plans; and the HCP Land Acquisition Grants Program, which provides funds to acquire habitat for listed species associated with approved HCPs.

The grants are funded in part by the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which was established by Congress in 1965. The fund promotes access to outdoor recreation resources for present and future generations by providing funding to federal, state and local governments to purchase land, water and wetlands for the benefit of all Americans. For the past 51 years, the fund has supported more than 40,000 conservation and outdoor recreation projects nationwide.

To learn more about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ecological Services Program visit: www.fws.gov/endangered

For more information on the state’s Threatened and Endangered species, please visit: www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/ensphome.htm

For more information on turtles in New Jersey, please visit: www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/ensp/fieldguide_herps.htm#turtles

For more information about the New Jersey Natural Lands Trust, please visit:
http://www.njnlt.org/

Source:  http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2016/16_0088.htm

NJ Gets Federal Grants to Protect Habitat in Sussex County

Bog turtle with its distinctive orange patch on the head

The NJ Department of Environmental Protection has been awarded two federal grants totaling $440,000 to be earmarked for the purchase of 164 acres of sensitive habitat in Sussex County that will particularly target preservation and protection of the endangered bog turtle population in New Jersey.

The awards from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will partially finance purchases of two separate tracts, both of which will provide connecting greenways for existing turtle populations, and which will benefit other plant and animal species in the region. In addition, the land preservation would add to existing nature watching areas in Sussex County.

“Continued preservation of key open spaces in New Jersey, whether for habitat protection or recreational uses, is a priority of the Christie Administration,’’ said Commissioner Bob Martin. “It enhances our environment and provides a better quality of life for our state’s residents.’’

“Preservation of this type of very specialized, unique habitat not only will protect the federally threatened bog turtle, offering it a brighter future in New Jersey, but will add to preserved lands that will be available for recreational pursuits, such as hiking and bird watching,’’ added Dave Chanda, Director of the DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife.

The purchase of these properties will improve habitat connectivity, as they connect to approximately 350 acres of already permanently preserved property owned by the state.

The federal money, coming from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s endangered species fund, would pay about 40 percent of the estimated $950,000 cost of the land preservation in Lafayette and Wantage Township, with the state’s Green Acres Program financing the balance.

One $400,000 federal grant will be used towards acquisition of four tracts, totaling 143.6 acres, of existing bog turtle habitats, while also connecting to land already preserved by the state. A second $40,000 federal grant will target the purchase of 20 acres of bog turtle habitat within a unique spring-fed wetland complex, in an area that also hosts a rare plant, the spreading globe flower.

Bog turtle nesting

The bog turtle is quite elusive behavior and rare as a result of habitat destruction. It prefers marshes, wet meadows, and fens featuring plant species such as sedges,rushes, mosses, skunk cabbage, cattail, jewelweed, and smartweed. If you do spot one, it is likely to be in mid-April through June as it basks in the sun.

Their range is throughout NJ and they were once abundant throughout the state. Bog turtles are now primarily found in the remaining rural areas of Sussex, Warren, Hunterdon and Salem counties. Intense land uses such as large-scale agriculture, urbanization, wetland alterations and stormwater outputs are incompatible with bog turtles and have depleted bog turtle populations from much of the state.

The properties also provide landscape-level protection for upland forest and grassland habitats, thus conserving the hydrology and water quality of the wetlands.

The preserved lands will be managed by the New Jersey Natural Lands Trust in cooperation with the DEP’s Endangered and Nongame Species Program. Management of the property will include removal of woody vegetation to establish a more open canopy and ensuring that a proper wetlands area exists for the bog turtle population.

For more information on the state’s Threatened and Endangered species, please visit: http://www.nj.gov/dep/fgw/ensphome.htm


SOURCE: http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2013/13_0078.htm

Bog Turtles in NJ

A newly hatched bog turtle in northern New Jersey
Photo Credit: Rosie Walunas, USFWS

Bog turtles were federally listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act in 1997, primarily due to habitat loss and degradation. At only four inches long, bog turtles, (Glyptemys [Clemmys] muhlenbergii), are the smallest turtles in North America.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began a bog turtle status review in 2011 to determine whether populations have increased, remained stable, or continued to decline.

The Service’s Office of Law Enforcement in New Jersey works in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), the Service’s local Ecological Services Field Office, private landowners, and farmers to protect bog turtles and their habitat.

Turtle collectors covet bog turtles because of their beauty and scarcity. Some may not even know the turtle is federally protected. Service Special Agents monitor Internet trading sites for potential bog turtle sales and known bog turtle sites for signs of poaching. Law Enforcement and biologists work with local farmers to enhance bog turtle habitat and protect existing bog turtle nests. The federal Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program provides money to farmers to undertake wildlife habitat improvements on their farms. This program has been utilized by the Service and farmers in New Jersey to enhance and protect bog turtle habitats.

In addition, the Endangered Species Act provides enforcement for protecting turtles and the means to take action against those who harm them.

Source: http://www.fws.gov/endangered/ 

Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge

Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge is located in Sussex County, New Jersey and Orange County, New York. Congress established the refuge in 1990 to preserve and enhance lands and waters in a manner that conserves the natural diversity of fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for present and future generations. The management emphasis is on Federally-listed endangered and threatened species, migrating waterfowl and shorebirds, nesting and wintering grassland birds, and forest-dwelling birds.

The Wallkill River is one of the few large rivers in the United States that flows north. From its headwaters in spring-fed Lake Mohawk, located in Sparta, New Jersey, the river flows north into New York State. It joins the Rondout Creek in Rosendale, New York and empties into the Hudson River in Kingston, New York. The Refuge is part of the Hudson River-New York Bight watershed.

The Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge is currently participating in watershed planning of the Wallkill River.

The Refuge provides habitat for 73 types of vertebrate and invertebrate wildlife that are listed as endangered, threatened, special concern, or priority species.

Wallkill River Refuge is one of only two National Wildlife Refuges in which the Federal threatened bog turtle is known to occur. Further, bog turtle populations and potential habitats exist within the Refuge's acquisition boundary that are hydrologically and ecologically connected to those within the current Refuge (Sciascia and Tesauro 1997). Bog turtles have suffered a 50 percent decline in range and numbers during the last 20 years (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 2001). The Refuge preserves open-canopy wetlands that have a mosaic of micro-habitats, including dry pockets, saturated areas, and periodically flooded areas that this species requires. One of the highest priorities in Refuge operations is preservation, enhancement, restoration and management of bog turtle habit and research and monitoring of bog turtle populations. In fact, Wallkill River Refuge could be an anchor point for bog turtle recovery in the Northeast.

Potential habitat exists in the Wallkill River for the Federally endangered dwarf wedgemussel (Alasmidonta heterodon). The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, Endangered and Nongame Species Program conducted surveys for this species in segments of the river running through the Refuge in 1999 (USFWS 2001) and 2001. These surveys did not detect dwarf wedgemussels or their shells. However, numerous stretches of suitable habitat were found consisting of sandy substrate or sand patches, little to no silt, and slow to moderate current. Additionally, the mussel's host fish, the tessellated darter (Etheostoma olmstedi), occurs in the river. Further, four freshwater mussel species that are often associated with dwarf wedgemussel occurrences were found.

There are 3 nature trails for wildlife observation, three fishing access sites on the Wallkill River and three canoe access sites. The refuge also provides hunting opportunities.

As of 2007, the refuge encompassed about 5,100 acres. Land acquisition is still proceeding. The refuge enjoys strong support from the community.