Comment sought on wildlife plan: Threats include suburban sprawl, personal watercraft, overfishing

Dozens of wildlife species in New Jersey need protection, according to the state's Wildlife Action Plan. And the state Department of Environmental Protection wants you to comment on the plan, which identifies threats to wildlife populations and is a blueprint for protecting rare and imperiled species, according to a DEP e-mail. Such plans, now in place in every state, had "never been done in the history of the United States and we finally have this (framework) in place that is . . . absolutely essential," said Eric Stiles, vice president for conservation at the New Jersey Audubon Society. He called New Jersey's plan "a very strong first step." To get federal funding, every state had to submit a plan to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by October 2005, according to the New Jersey plan. The federal dollars are for protecting... [read full story]