The state of New Jersey in the United States owns and administers over 354000acres of land designated as "Wildlife Management Areas" (abbreviated as "WMA") throughout the state. These areas are managed by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, an agency in the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.[1] These protected areas are not part of the state's public parks and forests system, and while managed as fish and wildlife habitat with a focus on recreational fishing and hunting activities, these multi-use sites are also "prime locations for birding, wildlife viewing and photography, cross country skiing, hiking and mountain biking".[2] All individuals partaking in these activities should familiarize themselves with all local fishing and hunting regulations, found on the NJDEP website [3] as well as New Jersey wildlife management area regulations which can also be found on the NJDEP website. WMA regulations include restricted hours, motor vehicle, boating, biking, and horseback riding guidelines, among other restrictions and regulations.[4] According to state wildlife education specialist Paul Tarlowe, the wildlife management areas reflect the varied and diverse terrain across the state, including "extremely rugged terrain (Wildcat Ridge WMA) to level woods roads (along the South Branch of the Raritan River through Ken Lockwood Gorge WMA) to sandy tracts in the Pinelands (Greenwood Forest and Stafford Forge WMAs) to coastal marshes (Cape May Wetlands WMA)." As of July 2015, there are 121 areas throughout the state and new properties and additions to existing properties are continually being added.
A majority of the wildlife management area properties are acquired through funding raised through the state's Green Acres Program. In association with public and private entities, the program aims to create "a system of interconnected open spaces, whose protection will preserve and enhance New Jersey's natural environment and its historic, scenic, and recreational resources for public use and enjoyment."[5] [6]
Several of the state's wildlife management areas are stocked with fish or game. Pheasants are raised at the Rockport Pheasant Farm and various fish species (including trout) are hatched and raised at the Pequest Trout Hatchery and Natural Resource Education Center and Charles O. Hayford State Fish Hatchery. All three facilities are located near Hackettstown in Warren County and operated by the Division of Fish and Wildlife. No state tax dollars are used to fund these facility's operations and the costs are raised through the sale of pheasant/quail stamps or trout stamp endorsements to state-issued hunting or fishing licenses to hunters and anglers.[7] [8] [9]
| Wildlife Management Area | Location | Area | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbotts Meadow Wildlife Management Area | Salem County | 1460.98acres | |
| Absecon Wildlife Management Area | Atlantic County | 3946.05acres | |
| Alexauken Creek Wildlife Management Area | Hunterdon County | 689.24acres | |
| Alpha Grasslands Preserve Wildlife Management Area | Warren County | 128acres | |
| Amwell Lake Wildlife Management Area | Hunterdon County | 85.41acres | |
| Andaloro Wildlife Management Area | Gloucester County | 53acres | |
| Assunpink Wildlife Management Area | Monmouth County | 6373.44acres | |
| Baldwin Lake Wildlife Management Area | Mercer County | 47.33acres | |
| Bear Swamp Wildlife Management Area | Sussex County | 2976.91acres | |
| Beaver Brook Wildlife Management Area | Warren County | 606.92acres | |
| Beaver Swamp Wildlife Management Area | Cape May County | 2930.69acres | |
| Belvidere Access Wildlife Management Area | Warren County | 7.15acres | |
| Berkshire Valley Wildlife Management Area | Morris County | 2030.33acres | |
| Chester Township, Morris County | 3077.77acres | ||
| Buckhorn Creek Wildlife Management Area | Warren County | 682.94acres | |
| Buckshutem Wildlife Management Area | Cumberland County | 4003.4acres | |
| Budd Lake Wildlife Management Area | Morris County | 80acres | |
| Butterfly Bogs Wildlife Management Area | Ocean County | 165.83acres | |
| Cape Island Wildlife Management Area | Cape May County | 415.45acres | |
| Cape May Coastal Wetlands Wildlife Management Area | Cape May County | 17417.41acres | |
| Capoolong Creek Wildlife Management Area | Hunterdon County | 67.61acres | |
| Cedar Lake Wildlife Management Area | Atlantic County | 329.18acres | |
| Cedarville Ponds Wildlife Management Area | Cumberland County | 42.18acres | |
| Clarks Pond Wildlife Management Area | Cumberland County | 201.19acres | |
| Clinton Wildlife Management Area | Hunterdon County | 2021.17acres | |
| Cohansey River Wildlife Management Area | Cumberland County | 992.94acres | |
| Ocean County | 12906.63acres | ||
| Columbia Wildlife Management Area | Warren County | 1098.07acres | |
| Cox Hall Creek Wildlife Management Area | Cape May County | 315.6acres | |
| Culvers Brook Access Wildlife Management Area | Sussex County | 4.13acres | |
| Dennis Creek Wildlife Management Area | Cape May County | 8086.7acres | |
| Dix Wildlife Management Area | Cumberland County | 4657.24acres | |
| D.O.D. Ponds Wildlife Management Area | Salem County | 335.54acres | |
| Egg Island Wildlife Management Area | Cumberland County | 8991.91acres | |
| Elmer Lake Wildlife Management Area | Salem County | 385.8acres | |
| Featherbed Lane Wildlife Management Area | Salem County | 190.65acres | |
| Flatbrook-Roy Wildlife Management Area | Sussex County | 2092.85acres | |
| Forked River Mt. Wildlife Management Area | Ocean County | 4370.07acres | |
| Fortescue Wildlife Management Area | Cumberland County | 1297.92acres | |
| Gibson Creek Wildlife Management Area | Atlantic County | - | |
| Glassboro Wildlife Management Area | Gloucester County | 2392.9acres | |
| Great Bay Boulevard Wildlife Management Area | Ocean County | 5976.43acres | |
| Great Egg Harbor River Wildlife Management Area | Atlantic County | 5635.77acres | |
| Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area | Ocean County | 32148.26acres | |
| Gum Tree Corner Wildlife Management Area | Salem and Cumberland counties | 2223.78acres | |
| Hackettstown Hatchery Wildlife Management Area | Warren County | 235.18acres | |
| Hainesville Wildlife Management Area | Sussex County | 643.84acres | |
| Hamburg Mountain Wildlife Management Area | Sussex County | 3644.05acres | |
| Hammonton Creek Wildlife Management Area | Atlantic County | 4073.92acres | |
| Harmony Access Wildlife Management Area | Warren County | 26.88acres | |
| Harrisonville Lake Wildlife Management Area | Salem and Gloucester counties | 295.9acres | |
| Heislerville Wildlife Management Area | Cumberland County | 7209.91acres | |
| Cape May County | 1152.12acres | ||
| Holland Church Access Wildlife Management Area | Hunterdon County | 21.49acres | |
| Honey Run Wildlife Management Area | Warren County | 134.08acres | |
| Hummers Beach Access Wildlife Management Area | Warren County | 3.2acres | |
| Imlaystown Lake Wildlife Management Area | Monmouth County | 30acres | |
| Hunterdon County | 498.76acres | ||
| Knowlton Access Wildlife Management Area | Warren County | 14.2acres | |
| Little Flatbrook Access Wildlife Management Area | Sussex County | 6.57acres | |
| Lizard Tail Swamp Preserve Wildlife Management Area | Cape May County | 378.99acres | |
| Lockatong Wildlife Management Area | Hunterdon County | 764.56acres | |
| Logan Pond Wildlife Management Area | Gloucester County | 86.95acres | |
| Mad Horse Creek Wildlife Management Area | Salem County | 9388.83acres | |
| Makepeace Lake Wildlife Management Area | Atlantic County | 11625.77acres | |
| Malibu Beach Wildlife Management Area | Atlantic County | 95.7acres | |
| Ocean County | 1642acres | ||
| Manasquan River Wildlife Management Area | Ocean and Monmouth counties | 744.33acres | |
| Manchester Wildlife Management Area | Ocean County | 3802acres | |
| Mantua Creek Wildlife Management Area | Gloucester County | 107.33acres | |
| Maple Lake Wildlife Management Area | Atlantic County | 4862.14acres | |
| Maskells Mill Pond Wildlife Management Area | Salem County | 1155.6acres | |
| Medford Wildlife Management Area | Burlington County | 214.07acres | |
| Menantico Ponds Wildlife Management Area | Cumberland County | 474.14acres | |
| Millville (Bevans) Wildlife Management Area | Cumberland County County | 16373.29acres | |
| Musconetcong River Wildlife Management Area | Hunterdon, Morris, and Warren counties | 1555.98acres | |
| Nantuxent Wildlife Management Area | Cumberland County | 1098.73acres | |
| Navesink River Wildlife Management Area | Monmouth County | 66.93acres | |
| New Sweden Wildlife Management Area | Cumberland County | 2684.05acres | |
| Oyster Creek Access Wildlife Management Area | Ocean County | 14.11acres | |
| Paulinskill River Wildlife Management Area | Sussex County | 2523.36acres | |
| Peaslee Wildlife Management Area | Cumberland and Cape May counties | 33887.14acres | |
| Pemberton Lake Wildlife Management Area | Burlington County | 81.75acres | |
| Penbryn Pond Wildlife Management Area | Camden County | 354.63acres | |
| Pennsauken Access Wildlife Management Area | Camden County | 0.68acres | |
| Pequest Wildlife Management Area | Warren County | 5054.92acres | |
| Pleasant Run Wildlife Management Area | Burlington, Mercer, and Monmouth counties | 500acres | |
| Pohatcong Creek Wildlife Management Area | Warren County | 129.54acres | |
| Point Pleasant Fishing Access Wildlife Management Area | Ocean County | 6.6acres | |
| Pork Island Wildlife Management Area | Atlantic County | 867.2acres | |
| Port Republic Wildlife Management Area | Atlantic County | 1470.91acres | |
| Prospertown Lake Wildlife Management Area | Ocean County | 858.4acres | |
| Raccoon Creek Wildlife Management Area | Gloucester County | 272.74acres | |
| Rainbow Lake Wildlife Management Area | Salem County | 91.12acres | |
| Ratzman Access Wildlife Management Area | Warren County | 7.42acres | |
| Rockaway River Wildlife Management Area | Morris County | 3667.16acres | |
| Rockport Wildlife Management Area | Warren County | 1274.4acres | |
| Rowands Pond Wildlife Management Area | Camden County | 12.98acres | |
| Salem River Wildlife Management Area | Salem County | 3230.4acres | |
| Sawmill Creek Wildlife Management Area | Bergen and Hudson counties | 727acres | |
| Sedge Islands Wildlife Management Area | Ocean County | 192.33acres | |
| South Branch Wildlife Management Area | Hunterdon and Morris counties | 1946.51acres | |
| Sparta Mountain Wildlife Management Area | Sussex County | 3461.2acres | |
| Spicers Creek Access Wildlife Management Area | Cape May County | 17.6acres | |
| Splitrock Reservoir Access Wildlife Management Area | Morris County | - | |
| Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area | Ocean County | 11925.93acres | |
| Swan Bay Wildlife Management Area | Burlington County | 3642.95acres | |
| Thundergut Pond Wildlife Management Area | Salem County | 2426.51acres | |
| Trout Brook Wildlife Management Area | Sussex County | 1843.6acres | |
| Tuckahoe (MacNamara) Wildlife Management Area | Cape May and Atlantic counties | 17370.73acres | |
| Turkey Swamp Wildlife Management Area | Monmouth County | 3932acres | |
| Union Lake Wildlife Management Area | Cumberland and Salem counties | 5129.21acres | |
| Upper Barnegat Bay Wildlife Management Area | Ocean County | 357.04acres | |
| Mercer County | 98acres | ||
| Wading River Wildlife Management Area | Burlington County | 159.26acres | |
| Walpack Wildlife Management Area | Sussex | 387.54acres | |
| Wanaque Wildlife Management Area | Passaic County | N/A | |
| Weldon Brook Wildlife Management Area | Sussex County | 1555.11acres | |
| White Lake Wildlife Management Area | Warren County | 984.45acres | |
| White Oak Branch Wildlife Management Area | Gloucester County | 2764.2acres | |
| Whiting Wildlife Management Area | Ocean County | 1206.62acres | |
| Whittingham Wildlife Management Area | Sussex County | 1930.15acres | |
| Morris County | 10368.9acres | ||
| Winslow Wildlife Management Area | Camden and Gloucester counties | 8381.89acres |