Pine Barrens Tree Frog Project.Pdf
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11/29/2011 ems BPU# G:\CMUEDU\E210\E210_0008.DOC ER 267 SR 247 TR 76 DR N CR 33 House Copy OLS Copy Public Copy For Official House Use BILL NO. __________________________ Date of Intro. _______________________ Ref. _______________________________ NOTE TO Notify OLS if you require changes in this document. A revised copy for introduction will be prepared on the legislative computer SPONSOR system. Handwritten changes will not appear in the printed bill. AN ACT designating the Pine Barrens treefrog as the New Jersey State Amphibian, and supplementing chapter 9A of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes. Designates Pine Barrens treefrog as New Jersey State Amphibian. PRIME Sponsor / CO-Sponsor District CO-Sponsor District Same as 08/09 Same as 10/11 Suggested allocation: s.1 – C.52:9A-10; s.2 – Eff. date AN ACT designating the Pine Barrens treefrog as the New Jersey State Amphibian, and supplementing chapter 9A of Title 52 of the Revised Statutes. WHEREAS, The Pine Barrens treefrog was first documented in New Jersey and was named for its habitat in the Pinelands, a unique 1.1 million acre ecosystem in southern New Jersey that supports a diverse range of plant and animal species, many of which are dependent on the special ecological conditions present in the Pinelands for their survival; and WHEREAS, The Pine Barrens treefrog is found only in three locations worldwide: the New Jersey Pinelands, the panhandle area of Florida and Alabama, and the sandhills of North and South Carolina; and WHEREAS, The vibrant green coloring of the Pine Barrens treefrog, marked by a bold purple stripe with a white border down each side of the body, make it one of the most beautiful amphibians in New Jersey and the nation; and WHEREAS, The Pine Barrens treefrog is commonly recognized as a symbol of New Jersey wildlife and of the New Jersey Pinelands, gracing the pages of many publications, as well as appearing on the Motor Vehicle Commission’s State Pinelands license plate and in renowned artist Andy Warhol’s 1983 screen print series of endangered species; and WHEREAS, In order to thrive, the Pine Barrens treefrog requires specialized sandy, acidic habitats with dense ground cover and shallow ponds, such as Atlantic white cedar swamps and pitch pine lowlands, that are rare elsewhere but common in the Pinelands region of southern New Jersey; and WHEREAS, In 1979, the Pine Barrens treefrog was listed by the State of New Jersey as an endangered species due to its declining population, habitat loss, and the pollution of its breeding ponds; and WHEREAS, In 2003, the status of the Pine Barrens treefrog was upgraded from an endangered species to a threatened species based on improved population numbers and a determination that its habitat in the State is well protected by the New Jersey Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan, and for this reason, the Pine Barrens treefrog is considered a success story in New Jersey wildlife preservation; and WHEREAS, Because of vast expanses of protected habitat within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, the State serves as the largest stronghold for the Pine Barrens treefrog throughout its entire range; and WHEREAS, Increasing the public profile of the Pine Barrens treefrog will encourage efforts to ensure conservation of the species, its habitat, and other valuable natural resources in New Jersey; and WHEREAS, Due to the uniqueness and importance of the Pine Barrens treefrog and its Pinelands habitat, it is appropriate and fitting that the Pine Barrens treefrog be granted special recognition; now, therefore, 2 BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey: 1. The Pine Barrens treefrog (Hyla andersonii) is designated as the New Jersey State Amphibian. 2. This act shall take effect immediately. STATEMENT This bill designates the Pine Barrens treefrog (Hyla andersonii) as the New Jersey State Amphibian. The bill is inspired by the efforts of two students, Andrew Zhong and Brian Zhong, in Ms. Barbara Osburn’s fifth grade class at Millstone River Elementary School, Plainsboro, New Jersey. In response to their efforts, the New Jersey Pinelands Commission has endorsed the designation of the Pine Barrens treefrog as the State Amphibian. The designation also has garnered support from New Jersey wildlife specialists and organizations, including the New Jersey Audubon Society and Herpetological Associates, Inc. The Pine Barrens treefrog is named for its habitat in the Pine Barrens region of southern New Jersey, also known as the Pinelands. The New Jersey Pinelands is one of only three locations worldwide where the Pine Barrens treefrog is found, and the Pinelands serves as the largest stronghold for the species due to its vast expanses of protected habitat. The Pine Barrens treefrog, once endangered and currently listed by the State as a threatened species, has been long recognized as a beautiful symbol of New Jersey wildlife. Affording it special recognition as the State Amphibian will help encourage conservation of the species, its habitat, and other valuable natural resources in the State. Designates Pine Barrens treefrog as New Jersey State Amphibian. We, the undersigned, fully support the effort to make the Pine Barrens Tree Frog the official New Jersey state amphibian. Teacher or staff member’s name: __________________________________________ School: _________________________________ Room number: ________ Grade: _______ 1. _________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________ 18. ________________________________________ 4. ________________________________________ 19. ________________________________________ 5. ________________________________________ 20. ________________________________________ 6. ________________________________________ 21. ________________________________________ 7. ________________________________________ 22. ________________________________________ 8. ________________________________________ 23. ________________________________________ 9. ________________________________________ 24. ________________________________________ 10. ________________________________________ 25. ________________________________________ 11. ________________________________________ 26. ________________________________________ 12. ________________________________________ 27. ________________________________________ 13. ________________________________________ 28. ________________________________________ 14. ________________________________________ 15. ________________________________________ 16. ________________________________________ 17. ________________________________________ NEW JERSEY STATE AMPHIBIAN PROPOSAL Pine Barrens Tree Frog Andrew Zhong / Brian Zhong th 1 10 years old, 5 Grade Millstone River Elementary School 75 Grovers Mill Road, Plainsboro, NJ 08536 Mailing Address: 14 Rutledge Ct, Plainsboro, NJ 08536 STATE AMPHIBIAN: PINE BARRENS TREE FROG SPONSORS: NJ State Senator NJ State Assemblyman NJ State Assemblyman Linda Greenstein, Daniel Benson, Wayne P. DeAngelo , D-14 D-14 D-14 2 STATE AMPHIBIAN: PINE BARRENS TREE FROG (18 STATES HAVE STATE AMPHIBIAN) State State amphibian Alabama Red Hills Salamander Arizona Arizona Tree Frog Georgia American Green Tree Frog Illinois Eastern Tiger Salamander Iowa North American Bullfrog Kansas Barred Tiger Salamander Louisiana American Green Tree Frog Minnesota Northern Leopard Frog Missouri North American Bullfrog New Hampshire Red‐spotted Newt New Mexico New Mexico Spadefoot Toad New York Wood Frog Oklahoma North American Bullfrog South Carolina Spotted Salamander Tennessee Tennessee Cave Salamander Texas Texas Toad Vermont Northern Leopard Frog 3 Washington Pacific Tree Frog STATE AMPHIBIAN: PINE BARRENS TREE FROG (HYLA ANDERSONII) Pine Barrens Tree Frog is the symbol of Pinelands 4 STATE AMPHIBIAN: PINE BARRENS TREE FROG (HYLA ANDERSONII) Andy Warhol Endangered Species: Pine Barrens Tree Frog Screenprint on Lenox Museum Board. 1983, 38" x 38" Edition of 150, 30 AP, 5 PP, 5 EP, 3 HC, 10 numbered in Roman numerals, 1 BAT, 30 TP, signed and numbered in pencil lower left. Portfolio of ten screenprints. Printer: Rupert Jasen Smith, New York Publisher: Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, Inc., New York 5 ANDY WARHOL’S ENDANGERED SPECIES - 1983 African elephant, Giant panda, Bald eagle, Pine barrens tree frog, 6 Siberian tiger, San Francisco silverspot, Orangutan, Grevy's zebra, Black rhinoceros, Bighorn ram ANDY WARHOL AND ENDANGERED SPECIES In 1983, Andy Warhol created a series of ten color screenprints that portrayed endangered animals from around the world: Siberian tiger, pine barrens tree frog, San Francisco silverspot, orangutan, Grevy's zebra, black rhinoceros, bighorn ram, African elephant, giant panda, bald eagle. Using brilliant colors -- characteristic of his signature style -- and poignant expressions suggestive of the animal's fate, Warhol creates a dynamic tension between art and reality. The Endangered Species portfolio was commissioned by Ronald and Frayda Feldman, long-time political and environmental activists who support innovative art projects and installations through their art gallery, Ronald Feldman Fine Art, New York. According to the Feldman's, the idea for the portfolio emerged after conversations with Warhol about ecological issues that included a discussion about beach erosion. Warhol was always interested in animals and when Ronald Feldman proposed the idea, the artist embraced it. Today, the loss of habitat and biodiversity are still hot topics as the