Wildlife feeding in Edison Township is regulated primarily by New Jersey state law. N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.24 prohibits intentional or unintentional feeding of black bears statewide, with $1,000 first-offense fines. NJDEP also prohibits feeding deer in areas where deer-vehicle collisions are a concern. Edison's Chapter 9 (Animals) and Chapter 12 (Health) address general nuisance feeding such as putting food out for stray cats, raccoons, or pigeons that creates a rat-attraction problem.
New Jersey has the strongest bear-feeding prohibition in the region. Under N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.24, no person may intentionally or unintentionally place, distribute, or store any substance attractive to bears, with first-offense penalties of $1,000 and double for repeat violations. NJDEP enforcement applies statewide, including in suburban Middlesex County towns like Edison where occasional bear sightings occur. NJDEP regulations also restrict deer feeding in concentration zones — under N.J.A.C. 7:25-5 and Fish & Wildlife policy — to limit chronic wasting disease (CWD) risk and reduce deer-vehicle collisions. Locally, Edison Township Code Chapter 12 (Health and Sanitary Code) and the Township Property Maintenance Code prohibit conditions that attract rodents and vermin: leaving pet food outside overnight, scattering bread or seed in ways that attract rats, and operating unmanaged feral-cat colonies without TNR (trap-neuter-return) sanitary protocols. Edison Animal Control coordinates with the NJ SPCA and the Middlesex County Animal Shelter on TNR programs. Feeding migratory waterfowl at Roosevelt Park and other locations is discouraged under park rules but is not separately codified in the Township ordinance.
Bear feeding under N.J.A.C. 7:25-5.24 is enforced by NJDEP Conservation Police: $1,000 first offense, $2,000+ repeat. Edison Health Department citations for vermin-attracting feeding fall under Chapter 1 §1-5 ($100–$2,000 per offense). Failing to abate a documented nuisance after notice can lead to municipal-court summons and daily continuing-violation penalties. NJDEP CWD-zone deer-feeding violations carry separate penalties under N.J.S.A. 23:4-24.
Edison, NJ
Edison requires every swimming pool to be enclosed by a fence at least 4 feet high with a self-closing, self-latching, lockable gate. Woven-mesh openings may...
Edison, NJ
Chapter 37 prohibits any fence made of materials dangerous to persons or animals - barbed wire, electrified wire, and razor wire are not permitted in residen...
Edison, NJ
Edison's Chapter 37 requires fences to be built entirely on the owner's property - no joint or boundary-straddling fences are authorized in code. Boundary an...
Edison, NJ
A zoning permit from the Edison Zoning Officer is required for any fence under Chapter 37. The application must include a current survey or plot plan showing...
Edison, NJ
Edison's Chapter 37 (Zoning) caps residential fences at 4 ft in the front yard and 6 ft overall. Up to 8 ft is allowed along a rear lot line bordering a non-...
Edison, NJ
Backyard composting in Edison Township is permitted and encouraged under the Township's solid-waste management framework. Edison participates in the New Jers...
See how Edison's wildlife feeding rules stack up against other locations.
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