ORDINANCE NO. 2006 - #8

AN ORDINANCE TO SUPPLEMENT CHAPTER 8 ANIMALS, OF THE REVISED ORDINANCES OF THE BOROUGH OF RINGWOOD TO PROVIDE REGULATIONS REGARDING WILDLIFE FEEDING

BE IT ORDAINED by the Municipal Council of the Borough of Ringwood, County of Passaic and State of New Jersey, that Chapter 8, Animals, of the Revised Ordinances of the Borough of Ringwood is amended and supplemented to provide for the following additional regulations:

SECTION 1. The Revised Ordinances of the Borough of Ringwood, Chapters 8, is hereby amended and supplemented by the addition of the following new Article 4: “Wildlife Feeding” to provide as follows:

Article 4

Wildlife Feeding

8-4.1 Purpose

8-4.2 Definitions

8-4.3 Prohibited Conduct

8-4.4 Enforcement

8-4.5 Violations and Penalties

8-4.6 Severability

8-4.7 Effective Date

8-4.1 Purpose

An ordinance to prohibit the feeding of unconfined wildlife in any public park or on any other property owned or operated by the Borough of Ringwood, so as to protect public health, safety and welfare, and to prescribe penalties for failure to comply.

8-4.2 Definitions

For the purpose of this ordinance, the following terms, phrases, words and their derivations shall have the meanings stated herein unless their use in the text of this Chapter clearly demonstrates a different meaning. When not inconsistent with the context, words used in the present tense include the future, words used in the plural number include the singular number, and words used in the singular number include the plural number. The word ‘shall’ is always mandatory and not merely directory.

a. Feed - to give, place, expose, deposit, distribute or scatter any edible material with the intention of feeding, attracting or enticing wildlife. Feeding does not include baiting in the legal taking of fish and/or game.

b. Person - any individual, corporation, company, partnership, firm, association, or political subdivision of this State subject to municipal jurisdiction.

c. Wildlife- all animals that are neither human nor domesticated.

8-4.3 Prohibited Conduct

No person shall feed, in any public park or on any other property owned or operated by the Borough of Ringwood, any wildlife, excluding confined wildlife (for example, wildlife confined in zoos, parks or rehabilitation centers, or unconfined wildlife at environmental education centers).

8-4.4 Enforcement

a. This ordinance shall be enforced by the police department and/or department of health of the Borough of Ringwood.

b. Any person found to be in violation of this ordinance shall be ordered to cease the feeding immediately.

8-4.5 Violations and Penalties

Any person(s) who is found to be in violation of the provisions of this ordinance shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $2,000.00.

8-4.6 Severability

Each section, subsection, sentence, clause and phrase of this Ordinance is declared to be an independent section, subsection, sentence, clause and phrase, and the finding or holding of any such portion of this Ordinance to be unconstitutional, void, or ineffective for any cause, or reason, shall not affect any other portion of this Ordinance.

8-4.7 Effective Date

This Ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and after its adoption and any publication as may be required by law.

Introduced: March 7, 2006

Adopted: March 21, 2006

__________________________

JOANNE ATLAS, MAYOR

Attest:

_______________________

Kelley A. ROHDE, RMC

Borough Clerk