New Jersey Wants to Ban Bird Feeders, Here’s Why

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TRENTON, N.J. — The New Jersey Assembly Commerce, Economic Development and Agriculture Committee has approved a bill that would impose new restrictions on bird feeders as part of broader efforts to reduce interactions with black bears across the state.

That bill would ban leaving out a bird feeder during the summer months to prevent ‘unintentional’ feeding of bears.

Assembly Bill No. 360, reported favorably by the committee on September 12, seeks to amend current law by explicitly including bird feeders under regulations prohibiting the feeding of black bears. Under the bill, bird feeders would only be permitted between April 1 and November 30, provided they meet certain conditions, including the requirement that all food sources must be removed from the area if bears are attracted to the feeder.

You will also be required to bring your bird feeders in at night, “provided that any uneaten food is removed every night.”

The proposed legislation eliminates the existing exemption for “unintentional feeding,” which had allowed for placing food for purposes other than attracting bears. Instead, the bill clarifies that all forms of feeding—including the use of bird feeders—fall under the scope of the prohibition unless explicitly exempted.