Forests around the world are one key tool to stopping climate change. They take in carbon from the air and turn it into oxygen, helping offset carbon emissions. Forests create biodiversity, clean our water, and are home to many animal and plant species. However, commercial logging, development, and invasive species put forests at risk of disappearing all over the planet.
New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the United States. 42 percent of the land in New Jersey is populated with forests, with 62 percent of it on public lands. This is 2.1 million acres of forested land. Forests account for nearly two thirds of the total land in New Jersey- which is a proportion that only half the country has. This makes it super unique and in need of special protections.
In New Jersey, farmland has decreased by 50 percent since 1956 as we have moved away from an agricultural economy. Much of this farmland was abandoned and natural forests grew in these empty spaces. However, these forests have been declining due to land development and logging. New Jersey is a leader in protecting land by legislation, but trees are still at risk due to development due to the State's high population.
New Jersey's first Forest Stewardship Task Force submitted a report in 2023 to the state Legislature's Joint Committee on the Environment. Senate Bill S‑2424 was introduced following this report. It directs the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to create rules for forest stewardship and public forest management. These rules would cover 900,000 acres from Highlands NJ to the pine barrens in southeastern Jersey.
Other New Jersey groups outside the government have stepped up to help prevent deforestation and preserve natural resources in general. The New Jersey Forest Watch group was created after many trees were clear cut on The Sparta Mountain. This coalition's goal is to preserve the Sparta tree canopy that stops stormwater runoff and protects drinking water. Another organization called the New Jersey Highlands Coalition, a nonprofit formed in 2006, aims to preserve national resources like forests in the Highlands NJ area.