January 29, 2026

Join the Conversation at the 2026 Ocean County Local Working Group

by Nina Sassano

Individuals looking out to the Barnegat Bay

The Ocean County Soil Conservation District and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service invite community members, landowners, conservation professionals, and interested residents to participate in the 2026 Local Working Group meeting. This important community driven event will take place on Tuesday, February 24, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County, located at 1623 Whitesville Road in Toms River. Registration is required to attend.

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Local Working Groups are a cornerstone of the USDA NRCS locally led conservation approach. These meetings provide a space for people who live and work in the region to share their firsthand knowledge of local natural resource challenges and opportunities. Input gathered during the meeting helps guide conservation priorities and informs how technical assistance and funding are delivered at the local and state level.

The Local Working Group brings together a diverse group of participants including farmers, foresters, landowners, agency staff, nonprofit organizations, educators, and community members. By working collaboratively, the group identifies resource concerns that are most relevant to Ocean County such as soil health, water quality, wildlife habitat, flooding, and land management pressures. These discussions help ensure that conservation programs reflect real local needs and conditions.

Attendees can expect an open and inclusive discussion focused on identifying conservation concerns and potential solutions. Participants will have the opportunity to share observations from their own work or community, learn more about available USDA conservation programs, and connect directly with NRCS and Soil Conservation District staff. The feedback collected during the meeting contributes to conservation planning efforts across New Jersey.

Community participation is essential to the success of locally led conservation. The knowledge and perspectives shared during the Local Working Group help shape future projects and partnerships that protect working lands and natural resources throughout Ocean County. Whether you manage land, work in conservation, or simply care about the health of your local environment, your voice matters.

The 2026 Ocean County Local Working Group will be held on Tuesday, February 24, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County in Toms River. Registration here. Additional information and registration details are available through the Ocean County Soil Conservation District.

We encourage you to join the conversation and help guide conservation priorities for our community.

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UNKNOWN

There is limited data available to quantify Wetland and Riparian Buffer Preservation, or updated data to quantify Wetland Acreage. The BBP has obtained funding and will begin assessment efforts for both targets, in the next few years.

 

 Hard Clam abundance has not been updated since 2012. Recovery of the stock will be guided by the Fishery Management Plan for Hard Clams, which is under development with the NJDEP, BBP, and other organizations. Reclam the Bay and other partners have continued to plant clams for restoration purposes. Continued plantings in strategic locations which maximize survival and reproduction is one strategy to pursue in the coming years. This work can use a model developed by Rutgers with BBP funding which identified areas where planted clams could have the greatest dispersal of their larvae and thus potentially maximally contribute to the recovery of the stock.

 Water Withdrawals were over the target in the 2021 report; USGS has not yet completed its latest update, so a definitive determination of status is not available. However, additional NJDEP data show that it is likely that we continue to not meet the target. Per capita water use has gone down, demonstrating the effectiveness of water-saving appliances and practices, but that decrease has been offset by population gains. 


IN PROGRESS

New maps quantifying Submerged Aquatic Vegetation extent were developed, but poor image clarity resulted in a high degree of uncertainty in the total acreage. NJDEP and Rutgers are working to resolve the uncertainty of these maps, and improve the total acreage estimate. Funding has also been obtained for further research and restoration activities. Several groups are developing potential restoration actions.

The USGS has completed the first phase of its study to identify minimum ecological flows in select Barnegat Bay tributaries. USGS scientists compared streamflow statistics between historical and current time periods to better understand trends in watershed flow conditions. This work provides a foundation for developing ecological flow targets in the Barnegat Bay watershed.  Similar to SAV extent, funding (approximately $450K) has been obtained by the BBP to complete the remaining phases necessary for threshold determination.

 

TARGETS ACHIEVED

No targets can be considered “Achieved” at this time.

 

NOT ACHIEVING

Several Public Swimming Beaches exceeded their safe swimming standards more frequently than during their baseline time period (2016-2018).

While most beaches are routinely safe for swimming, several problematic areas such as Beachwood, Hancock, Windward, and several lake beaches need track-down studies and restoration to pinpoint and address sources of bacteria.

Acres of Approved Shellfish Waters decreased from the last report. While this decrease was small, it represents a loss of previously approved waters. Similar to public beaches, track-down studies and restoration work are needed to pinpoint and address sources of bacteria.

 

Join the Conversation at the 2026 Ocean County Local Working Group

The Ocean County Soil Conservation District and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service invite community members, landowners, conservation professionals, and interested residents to participate in the 2026 Local Working Group meeting. This important community driven event will take place on Tuesday, February 24, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County, located at 1623 Whitesville Road in Toms River. Registration is required to attend.

PXL 20251204 154236783.PORTRAIT 1024x1820

Local Working Groups are a cornerstone of the USDA NRCS locally led conservation approach. These meetings provide a space for people who live and work in the region to share their firsthand knowledge of local natural resource challenges and opportunities. Input gathered during the meeting helps guide conservation priorities and informs how technical assistance and funding are delivered at the local and state level.

The Local Working Group brings together a diverse group of participants including farmers, foresters, landowners, agency staff, nonprofit organizations, educators, and community members. By working collaboratively, the group identifies resource concerns that are most relevant to Ocean County such as soil health, water quality, wildlife habitat, flooding, and land management pressures. These discussions help ensure that conservation programs reflect real local needs and conditions.

Attendees can expect an open and inclusive discussion focused on identifying conservation concerns and potential solutions. Participants will have the opportunity to share observations from their own work or community, learn more about available USDA conservation programs, and connect directly with NRCS and Soil Conservation District staff. The feedback collected during the meeting contributes to conservation planning efforts across New Jersey.

Community participation is essential to the success of locally led conservation. The knowledge and perspectives shared during the Local Working Group help shape future projects and partnerships that protect working lands and natural resources throughout Ocean County. Whether you manage land, work in conservation, or simply care about the health of your local environment, your voice matters.

The 2026 Ocean County Local Working Group will be held on Tuesday, February 24, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Ocean County in Toms River. Registration here. Additional information and registration details are available through the Ocean County Soil Conservation District.

We encourage you to join the conversation and help guide conservation priorities for our community.

Contact Join the Conversation at the 2026 Ocean County Local Working GroupContact Join the Conversation at the 2026 Ocean County Local Working Group
Individuals looking out to the Barnegat Bay