Corzine approves Highlands Master Plan

by: Jason Springer

Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 03:33:15 PM EDT

Governor Corzine today approved the minutes of the recent Highlands Council Meeting where they adopted a new Master Plan:

"Today is a day that we should celebrate New Jersey's strong history of protecting the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the health of our communities," said Governor Corzine. "New Jersey is blessed with the unique and irreplaceable Highlands region - physically beautiful, historically significant and ecologically important."

Not only did he approve the master plan, he issued a 5 point executive order to "strengthen implementation":

The reauthorization of the Garden State Preservation Trust to ensure an
ample supply of funds for purchasing open spaces;
The earmarking of $10 million to begin the process of purchasing development credits from those who want to remain on farmland in the Highlands;
Directing the state Department of Environmental Protection to restrict permits for new development that drains water from undeveloped regions in the Highlands Planning Area where water is deficient
Directing the Council on Affordable Housing to work with the Highlands Council to ensure that nothing - not even affordable housing needs - impedes the protection of Highlands water; and,
Directing the Highlands Council to ensure that all future planning decisions be done in an open and transparent manner, and open to public comment.

The approval and executive order are sure to make environmentalists happy, however will probably leave developers scratching their head. I have no doubt that the section regarding affordable housing will be a point of contention.

Jason Springer :: Corzine approves Highlands Master Plan

Tags: Highlands Master Plan, HIghlands, Jon Corzine, (All Tags)

Print Friendly View Send As Email

Corzine approves Highlands Master Plan | 3 comments

This is GREAT news! (0.00 / 0)

I do a lot of site design, and I gotta tell ya, the biggest problems we face in nearly every community in NJ is myopia when it comes to worrying about water resources.

Convincing COAH that they have to protect the environment when their efforts have seen a DECIMATION of enironmental protection will be crucial.

Our old land use laws are based on old assumptions about water resources that are at best outdated, and at worst just plain WRONG.

The very latest in civil engineering water resources knowledge is that we must RETURN the land to the functionality it had when it was undeveloped. The old ways are harmful and just don't work. If they did, we wouldn't be having flooding at all, anywhere in the state. But even when all the current laws were followed, we still had poor water quality, bad soil erosion, and terrible flooding - even on UPHILL areas.

Something CLEARLY is not working. I suspect that soon, after we really care for the Highlands area, the things we learn, will hopefully expand into practice around the state.

As someone who knows land use, I am very optimistic.

One Vote. Yours. It really does matter.

by: carolh @ Fri Sep 05, 2008 at 17:35:49 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

Public Lands Management (0.00 / 0)

At the risk of sounding like a proponent of more bureaucracy---which I certainly am not!---I think we need to re-structure and consolidate the way the state manages a large and growing body of public lands with other areas requiring significant protection in the public interest, such as the Meadowlands, Pinelands, and now the Highlands.

I recommend the Federal model of a Department of the Interior, wherein the DEP would solely be an environmental regulatory agency ---the state equivalent of the EPA,----but where specialized components of an overall land management strategy, including agricultural preservation, forestry, natural lands management, state historic parks and historic-sites management, historic preservation, and outdoor recreation, would acquire meaningful status, input and competent contributory leadership.

A Highlands protection plan should also embrace a Highlands Mineral Heritage Area, linking Ringwood, Long Pond, Waterloo, Wawayanda, Franklin, Ogdensburg, Hamburg, Andover, Oxford, Phillipsburg, High Bridge, the Morris Canal, rail-trails, and other relevant sites, into a heritage destination "package" founded upon the international significance of this region's mineral treasury and its important role in the industrial revolution. A comprehensive approach to ecotourism, heritage tourism, agricultural tourism and outdoor adventure could bring the Highlands a valuable "clean industry" to largely compensate for the reduction of inappropriate development.

by: Teedyuscung @ Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 10:47:57 AM CDT

by: you @ soon

To post this comment click here:

Otherwise click cancel.

I am not sure if I get your meaning (0.00 / 0)

I think a good model would be inclusion in the Palisades Interstate Park System - which has already absorbed 100,000 acres and continues to have a long term total approach to administering valuable natural resources.

The whole idea is to PROTECT the environment and the watershed. I'd be VERY VERY afraid if Sarah Palin winds up in the White House and we have something called a "mineral heritage" area for her to help plunder.

One Vote. Yours. It really does matter.

by: carolh @ Sat Sep 06, 2008 at 14:26:42 PM CDT

[ Parent ]