Discover DEP: the Official Podcast of the NJ Department of Environmental Protection

This week is the 12th annual Air Quality Awareness Week, and the theme is “Air Quality Where You Are.” DEP and the state of New Jersey have made it a priority to improve air quality and increase air q...

Trenton was the third city to join DEP’s Community Collaborative Initiative. In this episode, Bob Bostock sits down with Julie Krause, single point of contact for Trenton at DEP, to talk about her wor...

In Discover DEP’s 6th episode, Frank McLaughlin told us about the Community Collaborative initiative and how it got its start in Camden. Now, the CCI has expanded to three additional cities across the...

Since the first National Women’s History Month in March 1987, every year we take a moment to recognize, honor and celebrate the achievements of American women. This month recognizes the courage and co...

New Jersey’s state parks are home to about 1,000 miles of official trails and, thanks to the State Park Service, every mile is now available on Trail Tracker. Trail Tracker allows you to track your cu...

This week (March 11-17) is AmeriCorps Week, which celebrates AmeriCorps members and alumni for their commitment to educating the public about the environment, stewardship, and the impact their work ha...

With spectacular views of New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York, as well as many superb trails, High Point State Park is one you shouldn’t miss. As its name suggests, High Point is nearly at the north...

Last year, the lobby in DEP’s main building in Trenton featured a display highlighting the connection between baseball and New Jersey’s geology. Now, this latest display features a new aspect of New J...

Resource Interpretive Specialists tell the story of New Jersey’s history, nature and our world, helping people connect to their environment through public programs, hikes, exhibits, recreation, ecotou...

Maple sugaring is a tradition in the Northeast that began centuries ago with Native Americans and colonists. Now, organizations around the country have maple sugaring programs to bring this tradition ...

With more than 160 federal and state laws passed over the past 20 years dealing with the environment and permits, things can become enormously complex. The Office of Permit Coordination and Environmen...

The mission of Air Quality, Energy & Sustainability (AQES) is to ensure that  New Jersey’s air is clean and safe to breathe, evaluate and support the development and implementation of secure and resil...

Site Remediation and Waste Management Program (SRWMP) is the DEP’s program area that administers laws and regulations concerning contaminated sites, recycling and disposal of solid wastes in the state...

The Office of Local Government Assistance plays a crucial role as a liaison between local governments and DEP. This office makes sure that the lines of communication are open between New Jersey’s coun...

DEP’s core mission is to protect the air, water, land, and natural and historic resources in the state of New Jersey. At the same time, DEP plays a key role in positively impacting the economic growth...

As Deputy Commissioner, Dave Glass serves as second in command for DEP under Commissioner Bob Martin. He is responsible for continuing the agency’s successes in developing and implementing policies th...

Over the last several decades, DEP has been ensuring that all New Jerseyans have safe water to drink and all the necessary information. Since the presence of lead in drinking water has become a nation...

Although New Jersey is far from the largest state in the Union, it is the most densely populated, making it a challenge to protect our land. Our 8,729 square miles of land encompass many diverse uses....

To help address environmental inequities, DEP launched the Environmental Justice Program to ensure fair treatment for people of all races, cultures, and incomes, in the development, implementation and...

DEP’s  Natural and Historic Resources office is charged with preserving and protecting New Jersey’s natural, ecological and cultural resources, including state parks and forests, wildlife management a...

This episode concludes Discover DEP’s three-part series focusing on the Pine Barrens. In this third and final episode, Bob Bostock sits down with Tom Gerber, Section Forest Fire Warden and long-time D...

The Discover DEP team is in the midst of a three-part series focusing on the Pine Barrens. This second episode focuses on the fauna of the Pinelands. Mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and bug...

The Discover DEP team is embarking on a three-part series focusing on the Pine Barrens. The Pine Barrens is a unique part of New Jersey’s landscape. From pygmy pines to “ghost forests,” the flora of t...

The Engineering & Construction program is responsible for administering shore protection, dam restoration and flood control projects throughout the State of New Jersey. This program has been responsib...

Cyanobacteria are naturally present in lakes and streams, usually in low numbers. However, under suitable environmental conditions, they can form dense blooms. Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms, or ...

Have you ever wondered about why some New Jersey towns have the word “Mount” in their names, such as Mount Holly and Mount Ephraim, when their topography seems so flat? This quirky fact sparked the in...

The nutritional value of fish is hard to deny – they are full of protein, minerals and vitamins and are a part of a well-balanced diet. However, fish and crabs can harbor contaminants such as mercury,...

DEP’s Office of Equal Opportunity and Public Contract Assistance is committed to maintaining an environment that promotes equal employment opportunity and equal access to the benefits of employment fo...

Nearly 12 million immigrants went through Ellis Island’s immigration inspection station in its 60 years of operation, making it a significant part of the history of the United States. But have you eve...

In a data-driven organization such as the DEP, long-term environmental trend reports can help employees understand how their work affects the environment and determine where resources should be direct...

Freshwater mussels inhabit rivers, streams, lakes and ponds. They are vital to their ecosystems, filtering water and cleaning our waterways. Jeanette Bowers-Altman, Principal Zoologist in DEP’s Endang...

DEP is responsible for monitoring the quality of New Jersey’s water. One way by which this is done is through biological monitoring. The Fish and Headwaters’ Index of Biotic Integrity monitoring progr...

It’s tick season, and those little buggers are biting with a vengeance this year. For many, ticks and other outdoor pests can put a damper on our favorite outdoor summer activities. It’s important to ...

Out of New Jersey’s 40 treasured state parks, Island Beach State Park and Liberty State Park are the largest and most-visited. With hundreds of thousands of visitors per year, dedicated state employee...

This year, DEP’s Division of Fish and Wildlife is celebrating its 125th Anniversary. The Division has rededicated itself to its long-time mission of conserving wildlife and providing recreation opport...

  Fishing is a popular pastime in New Jersey, and you can’t talk fish without mentioning the summer flounder, also known as fluke. New Jersey is pursuing an agreement regarding 2017 fishing regulation...

Baseball is the National Pastime, but literally every pitch thrown in both the major and minor leagues carries a piece of the Garden State to the plate.  That’s because for more than 75 years every ba...

This past spring, DEP partnered with Montclair State University’s Marketing Department to create a social media project for the Montclair students. The students were able to analyze 7 of DEP’s Faceboo...

The Blue Acres Program offers New Jersey residents the opportunity to sell properties that were damaged by Super Storm Sandy, or which lie in areas that are exposed to repetitive flooding damage. DEP ...

May is Historic Preservation Month. This month is particularly exciting for DEP’s Historic Preservation Office (HPO), which works to preserve, protect and promote New Jersey’s historic resources. Kate...

DEP’s overall mission is to protect New Jersey’s air, land, water, and natural and historic resources. In order to do that, we also need to be regulators, enforcing laws and rules. That’s where Compli...

Since 1984, the Bureau of Marine Fisheries has been involved in an intensive program of artificial reef construction and biological monitoring. Artificial reefs in ocean waters along the New Jersey co...

DEP is kicking off Air Quality Awareness week, May 1-5, 2017. The purpose of this week is to raise awareness about air pollution, what DEP is doing to reduce the public’s exposure to air pollution, an...

New Jersey is home to nearly 1,700 regulated dams. DEP’s Division of Engineering and Construction administers the New Jersey Dam Safety program, which ensures the safety and integrity of dams in New J...

Ringwood Manor is a National Historic Landmark District and a part of Ringwood State Park. It has historical importance spanning from Native American times through the early 20th century. Original his...

The bobcat is New Jersey’s only species of wild cat, and is listed as endangered in New Jersey. The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife works with many partners across the state to make sure bobc...

Since the first National Women’s History Month in March 1987, every year we recognize, honor and celebrate the achievements of American women. There has also been a continuous effort to bring and enga...

New Jersey’s drinking water is regularly tested, and our water systems are clean and up to standard - less than 1% of public water systems incurred maximum contaminant levels or national exceedances i...

Although winter is soon coming to a close, it is not yet over. New Jersey’s cold blooded animals have a unique set of challenges to deal with in the cold winter months, but they’ve developed ways to s...

The AmeriCorps New Jersey Watershed Ambassadors Program is now in its 17th year and promotes watershed stewardship through education, direct community involvement and monitoring of stream health throu...