New Jersey's environmental agency called itself out for destroying two endangered birds' protected habitats while creating one for another species

Sat, 04/15/2023 - 12:30

A red-shouldered hawk fluffs its feathers on a branch — The red-shouldered hawk is an endangered species the department is charged to protect. Instead, it damaged the bird's habitat while making space for the American woodcock.
(Robin Rudd/Chattanooga Times Free Press via AP, File)

New Jersey's environmental agency plans to punish itself for damaging land for endangered birds it was supposed to protect.
The damage happened when the department was trying to create habitat for another bird species, the American woodcock.
It's unclear how penalties will work when the department is both the accuser and the accused.

New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection has charged itself with damaging habitat for threatened and endangered birds that it was supposed to protect.

The work was designed to create habitat for one species of bird, but actually wound up destroying habitat for two others.