As European settlement occurred throughout the state, forests were cleared for farming, lumber, and towns. Black bears came to be regarded as vermin because of damage to settlers' crops and livestock. Loss of habitat and indiscriminate killing caused the black bear population to sharply decline throughout the 1800s. By the mid-1900s, fewer than 100 black bears remained and these were limited to remote northern areas of the state.

In 1954, the New Jersey Fish and Game Council classified the black bear as a game animal, affording it protection from indiscriminate killing and allowing the population to stabilize. Limited hunting was legal for black bear in New Jersey only in 1958, and 1962 through 1970. During those 10 years, only 46 bears were harvested, indicating a relatively small population. This prompted the Division, the Fish and Game Council and the sportsmen of New Jersey to close the season in 1971.

Since the late 1970s the Garden State's black bear population has been increasing and expanding its range from the forested areas of northwestern New Jersey both southward and eastward. The growing population was primarily due to increased black bear habitat as agriculture lands reverted to mature forests, protection afforded by game animal status, and increasing bear populations in Pennsylvania and New York which pushed animals into the state.

Today, black bears can be found throughout the state. These animals are an integral part of New Jersey's natural heritage and a vital component of a healthy ecosystem.

Division of Fish and Wildlife personnel began conducting research on New Jersey's black bears in 1980. Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, the black bear population increased. By the late 1990s, nuisance bear activity and black bear damage reports were on the rise.

To better manage the growing black bear population and respond to black bear complaints, the Division formed the Black Bear Project Team in 2001. The Division and Black Bear Project Team use a comprehensive approach to managing black bears and fostering coexistence between people and bears.