JF Griffin - Index

JF Griffin - magazine - Index

Commissioner’s Message
By Lisa P. Jackson
A bow hunter was perched in his tree
stand near a wooded swamp in Passaic
County last fall when he heard what he
believed was rifle or pistol fire and saw
two men ride by on an all-terrain vehicle .
Immediately, he made a cell-phone call to
conservation officers in the Department of
Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish and Wildlife .
It was the right thing to do . The hunter’s timely tip led
to the conservation officers’ apprehension of three men and
launched an intensive investigation into the indiscriminate killing
of wildlife and illegal firearms possession . Soon after, the trio
was successfully prosecuted, and ordered to pay fines and surrender
their hunting licenses .
Our conservation officers’ impressive and well-publicized
investigation is one of many examples of the fine work they’re
doing every day in New Jersey’s fields, forests, back bays, rivers,
ocean waters and even on our city streets . During the past 12
months alone, our conservation officers logged upward of 79,000
hours patrolling our land and waters, conducted more than
50,000 field inspections, signed nearly 4,300 complaints, wrote
some 345 warnings and made more than two dozen criminal
arrests .
But we point with pride to this particular poaching incident
last season for a special reason . It underscores the value of the
partnership forged between our conservation officers and the
Director’s Message
By Dave chanDa
This past year, the DEP’s Division
of Fish and Wildlife bid farewell to 13
valued employees through retirements .
Although we wish them a happy and
healthy retirement, the challenge of
replacing the vast experience and institutional
knowledge that each of these
employees provided this Division is enormous
. Together they represent nearly 300 years of service
to the fish and wildlife resources of the state . On behalf of
our entire agency, I would like to thank these professionals
for a job well done . Acknowledging staffing and budget
challenges, the Division must take a step back and weigh its
program priorities . Difficult decisions need to be made in
setting goals, while ensuring that we provide essential services
to all of our constituents .
In the meantime, wildlife continues to thrive in New
Jersey . Scientifically-based management and the wildlife
sporting community . And it speaks volumes about the respect
true sportsmen and sportswomen have for the law and for the
wildlife that our laws conserve .
As uniformed employees of the DEP, our conservation officers
are among our most visible professionals . Well-educated
and highly trained, our officers not only uphold the lawful harvests
of fish and game, they also safeguard our precious natural
resources from abuse and protect the public’s safety .
What’s more, our conservation officers do the important
work of educating residents and visitors about the oftentimes
complex array of state wildlife laws and regulations . Indeed, conservation
officers’ role in public education is increasingly valued
as they help New Jerseyans learn more about living with wildlife,
encourage a deeper appreciation for our natural resources
and spark interest in wildlife-conservation careers .
Elsewhere in this Digest, you can find a listing of telephone
numbers that will put you in touch with our conservation officers
should anything go amiss any time you go afield .
With leisure time seemingly so hard to come by these days,
law-abiding hunters and anglers deserve a world-class experience
when you choose to hunt, fish and enjoy the great outdoors here
in New Jersey . We believe this hunting season will exceed your
expectations – thanks in no small measure to the dedicated men
and women in Fish and Wildlife’s Bureau of Law Enforcement .
Lisa P. Jackson is Commissioner of the New Jersey
Department of Environmental Protection.
professionals who work for this agency continue to make
the difference . Habitat protection continues to be a priority .
The Division is actively collecting data necessary to ensure
appropriate management decisions are made for all of our
wildlife species, and that their populations and the values
they offer are sustained . This is especially important as we
consider changes in the Game Code, which take two years
to enact and require significant staffing resources .
Hunters and anglers have responded by continuing to
support the Division through the purchase of license and
permits . Sportsmen and sportswomen contributed generously
to the Division’s revenue stream during the 2007-2008
deer seasons through the purchase of antlered buck permits .
High participation in this program – 76 percent of permit
bow hunters, 47 percent of permit shotgun hunters, and 69
percent of permit muzzleloader hunters – contributed more
than $1 .25 million to the Division’s coffers . This significant
financial support demonstrates the sporting community’s
dedication to conserving wildlife in New Jersey .
The Division is also able to continue research on several
(Continued on page 4)
2 | New Jersey Fish & Wildlife Digest Buy your license or permit online at August 2008
2008 Hunting and Trapping Issue www.NJFishandWildlife.com