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The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is a
government agency A government agency or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government (bureaucracy) that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, s ...
in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution. NJDEP now has a staff of approximately 2,850. The department was created on April 22, 1970, America's first official
Earth Day Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally through earthday.org (formerly Earth Day Network) includin ...
, making it the third state in the country to combine its environmental activities into a single, unified agency, with about 1,400 employees in five divisions, charged with responsibility for environmental protection and conservation efforts. Governor William T. Cahill appointed Richard J. Sullivan as the first commissioner. In December 2017,
Catherine McCabe Catherine McCabe is a retired public administrator and environmental lawyer who served as acting administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from January to February 2017 and commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental P ...
was nominated by New Jersey governor-elect
Phil Murphy Philip Dunton Murphy (born August 16, 1957) is an American politician, diplomat, and financier serving as the 56th governor of New Jersey since 2018. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was elected governor i ...
to serve as Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Shawn M. LaTourette succeeded her in January 2021. Other former Commissioners have included
Lisa P. Jackson Lisa Perez Jackson (born February 8, 1962) is an American chemical engineer who served as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from 2009 to 2013. She wa ...
and Bradley M. Campbell.


Divisions

The major goal of the air quality division is to ensure the cleanliness of the air quality by enforcing air-pollutant standards imposed by the federal
Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Protection Agency may refer to the following government organizations: * Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland), Australia * Environmental Protection Agency (Ghana) * Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) * Environmenta ...
. Water monitoring and standards has the primary responsibilities of closely monitoring the state's fresh, marine, and
ground water Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available fresh water in the world is groundwater. A unit of rock or an unconsolidat ...
s, developing surface and ground water quality standards, and characterizing and assessing water quality. The gathered information, data, reports and analysis are used to inform organizations and the public to make better decisions on behalf of water usage. The land and open space division provides rules and includes information concerning
wetlands A wetland is a distinct semi-aquatic ecosystem whose groundcovers are flooded or saturated in water, either permanently, for years or decades, or only seasonally. Flooding results in oxygen-poor ( anoxic) processes taking place, especially ...
,
coastal A coast (coastline, shoreline, seashore) is the land next to the sea or the line that forms the boundary between the land and the ocean or a lake. Coasts are influenced by the topography of the surrounding landscape and by aquatic erosion, su ...
, and stream/floodplain encroachment programs. The site remediation program requires all remediations in the state to proceed under the supervision of a licensed site remediation professional that they may follow the nine requirements set forth at N.J.S.A. 58:10B-1.3b. The goal of this program is to speed up and increase the pace of remediation, thus helping to decrease the threat of future contamination. A solid and hazardous waste management program is responsible for conducting educational and public relations campaigns on behalf of recycling, although its activities have been reduced since funding cuts in the mid-1990s. The Division of Parks and Forestry protects state and private lands from
wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...
, manages the
forests A forest is an ecosystem characterized by a dense community of trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological functio ...
, educates the public, grows trees to maintain and restore forests in rural and urban areas, and preserves the diversity of the trees within the forests. The Division of Fish and Wildlife works towards protecting and managing the state's fish and
wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animals and uncultivated plant species which can exist in their natural habitat, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introdu ...
resources.


See also

* ExxonMobil-New Jersey environmental contamination settlement *
Delaware River Basin Commission The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) is a United States government agency created in 1961 by an interstate compact, signed into law by President John F. Kennedy, between four states (Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York (state ...
*
Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council The Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act is a 2004 New Jersey law aimed at protecting the New York - New Jersey Highlands, Highlands region of northwest New Jersey by regulating development within the region under the supervision of the New J ...
*
New Jersey Historic Trust The New Jersey Historic Trust was created by the State of New Jersey in 1967 to preserve New Jersey's historic resources. The Historic Trust's executive director is Dorothy P. Guzzo. Funding programs available through the New Jersey Historic Tru ...
*
New Jersey Pinelands Commission Pinelands National Reserve is a national reserve that encompasses much of the New Jersey Pine Barrens. The Pinelands is a unique location of historic villages and berry farms amid the vast oak-pine forests (pine barrens), extensive wetlands, an ...
* New Jersey stormwater management rules * New Jersey Tidelands Resource Council *
Climate change in New Jersey Climate change in New Jersey is of concern due to its effects on the ecosystem, economy, infrastructure, and people of the U.S. state of New Jersey. According to climatology research by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, New ...


References


External links


Official websiteOfficial NJ DEP DFW Hunting RegulationsOfficial NJ DEP DFW Freshwater Fishing RegulationsOfficial NJ DEP DFW Marine Regulations
{{DEFAULTSORT:New Jersey Department Of Environmental Protection
Environmental Protection Environmental protection, or environment protection, refers to the taking of measures to protecting the natural environment, prevent pollution and maintain ecological balance. Action may be taken by individuals, advocacy groups and governments. ...
State environmental protection agencies of the United States Environment of New Jersey 1970 establishments in New Jersey
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
Government agencies established in 1970