For Immediate Release
June 26, 2015
Contacts: John Cecil 973-262-4981
Megan Tinsley 609-335-1014
Native Species Habitat Certification Bill Passes New Jersey Assembly
Citizen Stewardship of Habitat Will Provide Needed Food, Water and Shelter for Wildlife
Legislation that encourages homeowners to provide native habitats for birds and other wildlife passed the NJ
General Assembly late yesterday with unanimous support (76-0-0). The bi-partisan legislation is sponsored by
Assembly Republican Leader Jon Bramnick, Assembly Appropriations Chairman John Burzichelli, and Deputy
Republican Leader Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz. The bill, A-3133, establishes a native species habitat
certification program and will provide benefits to the ecosystem and wildlife, while reducing maintenance costs
and the chemical inputs traditional lawns require.
“Homeowners should be encouraged to take an active role in protecting our environment,” said Bramnick, RUnion, Morris and Somerset. “Altering a property to comply with standards established by the DEP will help
wildlife return to its natural habitat. Everyone has a responsibility to conserve and care for all our natural
resources.”
New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the nation with more than 30 percent of our land considered
urban, including lawn areas such as office parks, golf courses, athletic fields and residential yards.
“A typical suburban or urban lawn offers little more to wildlife than a parking lot,” noted Burzichelli, DCumberland, Gloucester, and Salem. “This bill will create a program to encourage property owners to utilize
native plant species that flourish in New Jersey.”
Traditional lawns, which comprise a significant portion of the 1.6 million acres of urban development in New
Jersey, can be transformed and offer an opportunity to create a patchwork of habitats that help wildlife survive
in more developed areas.
“Utilizing native plant species and providing other natural features can turn a habitat desert into a valuable
resource for wildlife by providing food, water and shelter,” explained John Cecil, New Jersey Audubon’s Vice
President for Stewardship. “Wildlife can flourish through efforts such as reducing the lawn area, removing of
non-native and invasive plants, and creating habitat features such as brush piles to provide cover, bird and bat
boxes for nesting and shelter, a bird bath to supply a fresh source of water, and patches of bare ground to serve
as butterfly puddling areas and burrowing sites for native pollinators. Some properties may also hold great
potential for features such as a small pond to provide reptile and amphibian habitat or a meadow for bees,
butterflies and birds.”
Homeowners attempting to provide food and shelter for native wildlife have long encountered obstacles
through municipal ordinances that prohibit vegetation growth above a certain height and characterize
wildflowers and taller native grasses as unsightly “weeds”. These critical native plant species, usually entirely
absent from the traditional yard, supply nectar for pollinators and seeds for birds. In addition to establishing a
native species habitat certification program, this bill also creates an affirmative defense against any liability for
violating municipal nuisance ordinances for properties that are certified under the program.
“Once certified within a recognized native species habitat program, homeowners will be entitled to an
affirmative defense,” stated Kelly Mooij, V.P. for Government Relations for New Jersey Audubon. “This will help
to remove barriers for homeowners wishing to provide a refuge for wildlife and help create a network of
habitats that will make a difference for birds and butterflies both residing in and migrating through New Jersey.”
Creating a wildlife-friendly yard also reduces maintenance costs, by reducing the need for and wear and tear on
mowing equipment, as well as reducing inputs such as chemicals and water. Native plants are adapted to New
Jersey’s ecosystem, and require little to no extra water. Fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides are discouraged
because of their impact to the wildlife attracted to the new habitat, and the downstream watershed.
“A thoughtful backyard habitat not only creates a refuge for wildlife, it creates an educational opportunity to
showcase how a nontraditional approach can bring both beauty and cost savings” noted Megan Tinsley,
Conservation Advocate for New Jersey Audubon. “Our hope is that removing the barriers to making a difference
one yard at a time, this idea will spread, and the impacts to wildlife and our native ecosystems will grow.”
New Jersey Audubon is a privately supported, not-for profit, statewide membership organization. Founded in 1897, and one
of the oldest independent Audubon societies, New Jersey Audubon is working to make New Jersey a better place for people
and wildlife. New Jersey Audubon fosters environmental awareness and a conservation ethic among New Jersey's citizens;
protects New Jersey's birds, mammals, other animals, and plants, especially endangered and threatened species; and
promotes preservation of New Jersey's valuable natural habitats. For more information, visit www.njaudubon.org