Last week, the state Department of Environmental Protection announced controversial changes to its list of endangered and threatened species.
The DEP upgraded the status of the bald eagle, Cooper's hawk and some other species because their populations had grown, according to a statement.
The agency added the red knot, American kestrel and some other species to the list because of concerns about their declines, according to the statement.
Bill Wolfe of New Jersey Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility and the New Jersey Sierra Club criticized the DEP, saying 31,000 acres of critical habitat is now open to development.
In the statement, DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said the update employs the best science to provide an accurate accounting of wildlife health.
Wildlife is an important indicator of environmental health, and while the update has many positives, much work remains, according to Martin.
The DEP also unveiled a new version of its "Landscape Project, an interactive ecosystem-based mapping tool that assists government agencies, planners, conservation groups, the public and others in making decisions that will protect wildlife," according to the statement.
What do you think of the changes to the state list of endangered and threatened species and the new Landscape Project mapping tool?
Here are some landscape maps showing habitat:
Habitat in the Atlantic Coastal region (Source: N.J. DEP)
Habitat in the marine area (Source: N.J. DEP)
Piedmont Plains habitat (Source: N.J. DEP)
Habitat in the Pinelands (Source: N.J. DEP)
