What is the Landscape Project?

The Landscape Project is a pro-active, ecosystem-level approach for the long-term protection of imperiled species and their important habitats in New Jersey. The N.J. Division of Fish and Wildlife's Endangered and Nongame Species Program (ENSP) began the project in 1994. Its goal: to protect New Jersey's biological diversity by maintaining and enhancing imperiled wildlife populations within healthy, functioning ecosystems. (more)

Why does NJ need the Landscape Project?

New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the nation. One of the consequences of this distinction is the extreme pressure that is placed on our natural resources. As the population grows, we continue to lose or impact the remaining natural areas of the state. As more and more habitat is lost, people are beginning to appreciate the benefits -- and necessity -- of maintaining land in its natural state. (more)

Who benefits from the Landscape Project?

In addition to providing habitat for the conservation of imperiled species, protecting important wildlife habitats will result in more open space for outdoor recreation. Recent surveys by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service show that more than 60% of Americans participate in some form of wildlife-related recreation. Open spaces provide places where people can escape the confines of urban and suburban living. Retaining habitats in their natural state provides other benefits, such as reducing the threat of flooding, allowing for the biodegradation of environmental contaminants and recharging ground water reserves. (more)

Landscape Project Trainings

Learn how to use the New Jersey Landscape Project to guide and influence land-use decisions in your community, town, county and state. (more)

The Landscape Project Mapbook

The New Jersey Landscape Project Map Book includes 87 individual quadrangular maps that span the entire state, depicting critical areas for New Jersey's imperiled and priority species as identified in New Jersey's Landscape Project. (more)

Download Landscape Project GIS data

Critical wildlife habitat maps are in Arcview shapefile format and projected to NJ State Plane feet, datum NAD 83, zone 4701. The data is organized into eight separate shapefiles, one for each major habitat type in New Jersey (forest, forested wetland, emergent wetland, grassland and beach), and three species-specific shapefiles (bald eagle foraging area, urban peregrine falcon nest, and wood turtle). (more)

Read New Jersey's Landscape Project report

This report provides in-depth information about the Landscape Project, the methodology used to delineate and rank critical areas, and the peer-review and working groups that assisted in development of the methodology.
New Jersey's Landscape Project Report (pdf, 1.5 mb)

Endangered and Nongame Species Program Homepage