The New Jersey Highlands Coalition Newsletter
Summer 2020
Message from the Executive Director.
Dear friends, throughout these last extraordinary months the NJ Highlands Coalition has remained fully operational with staff working remotely, meeting regularly by video conference, and adapting to virtual meetings and online public engagement.
Despite everything going on in the world we have remained busy working on our initiatives to preserve the natural integrity of the Highlands. In fact, the experience of a global pandemic has shown us the true value of our precious natural resources and open spaces.This summer we have also seen tremendous progress nationally with the passing of the Great American Outdoors Act, which guarantees full funding to the Land & Water Conservation Fund, as well as locally in the Highlands, where Governor Murphy’s appointments to the Highlands Council are finally moving!
I am also thrilled to announce the launch of the NJ Highlands Coalition YouTube Channel. This addition to our online content will feature the webinars we providedduring lockdown, and other videos we have produced. I am proud of how quickly staff and the organizations who partnered with us adapted to this online format for educating and advocating for our environment
Looking ahead, until the threat of COVID-19 diminishes, the health and safety of my staff and their families, and our community remains a top concern. However, we will continue to stand up for the natural and cultural resources in the Highlands, which remain as critical as ever now, and for the future.
Julia Somers, Executive Director
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Policy Update - Elliott Ruga, Policy & Communications Director
We are very concerned about four major development proposals advancing in the Highlands:
• Haberman at Hampton, 333 residential units proposed adjacent to the Musconetcong River in Hampton Borough, Hunterdon County, which will double the population of this rural, farming hamlet;
• Milly’s Court, 300 residential units proposed along the headwaters of the Wallkill River, in a limestone valley between Hamburg and Sparta mountains, in Franklin Borough, Sussex County;
• Tobias/Berlant, 1.2 million sq. ft. warehouse proposed on productive farmland along the Musconetcong River in Franklin Township, a rural agricultural community in Warren County;
• Jaindl Warehouse, 3-6 million sq. ft. warehouse proposed adjacent to the Delaware River on productive farmland in White Township, Warren County, which would require truck traffic to travel more than 10 miles along a 2-lane county road to access either I-80, or I-78.
What these four projects have in common is that not one of them could have advanced before the rollbacks to various water quality regulations adopted under the Christie Administration, including procedural changes made at the Highlands Council. Changes in the definition of a regulated water body in the Flood Hazard Control Act rules, the elimination of much of the planning function of Water Quality Management Planning rules, and the reduced scope of RMP policies the Council considers when providing DEP with a consistency determination for major permit decisions in the Planning Area, were all the result of the prior Administration’s initiatives to make it easier to develop in environmentally sensitive areas.
Reversing these rollbacks to water quality regulations was one of Governor Murphy’s Transition Team’s priority environmental policy recommendations. However, if these projects are approved, it will be under Commissioner McCabe, and in conflict with Governor Murphy’s strong environmental platform.
With that discrepancy in mind, I reached out to DEP Commissioner McCabe, along with Environment NJ’s Doug O’Malley and Alan Hunt, of Musconetcong Watershed Association. Our meeting request was backed by thirteen other statewide and regional environmental and conservation organizations. On August 6 we met with the commissioner and several staff members, and walked through each individual rule provision and procedure that had been changed, and how the changes allowed each of these four projects to move forward.
We also noted all four projects are proposed in carbonate rock regions. Carbonate Rock—limestone and dolomite—is a dissolving bedrock known for sinkholes and subsidences, that require certain risk mitigation for safe development. Carbonate Rock areas are also known for having highly productive aquifers that are easily contaminated by stormwater runoff. Further, the best trout streams in the state are in carbonate rock regions where water travels quickly in the fractures of carbonate rock, keeping water temperatures low, ideal habitat for trout. In addition to addressing the rollbacks, we made a case for regulating development on carbonate rock.
Whatever action DEP takes, if it can change the direction of any of these four projects, many concerned citizens will be thankful. And many Highlands resources would be saved.
It starts at the source: fly fishing
in the Upper Delaware
More people are choosing to ride
bikes for exercise, and as an alternative
way to commute to work.
Peace and quiet on the Delaware River
Emergency Alert - Kat Altaffer Highlands Coalition Intern
Back in March, driving to the grocery store in the middle of rush hour might have felt eerie, almost like we were at the beginning of a sci-fi movie. The streets were practically empty and the only parking lot that was full was at the grocery store you were headed to. The New Jersey Highlands Coalition was among many other organizations that were able to close their physical offices and transition online. However, after entire populations were ordered to stay home, schools, offices, and factories limited their activity, leaving roads clear of traffic and skies free of pollution. With the closing of restaurants and shopping malls, more Americans started eating home-cooked meals and park visitation soared with people seeking exercise and fresh air.
In March and April, air pollution levels dropped 30% in the Northeast US. The reduction in factory and road traffic emissions combined with a 60% drop in air traffic led to a significant - albeit temporary - reduction in CO2 levels. However, despite this reduction in emissions, it has not come without consequences. The economic
ramifications of the shutdown have surpassed the 2008 financial crisis.Tens of millions of Americans are without jobs due to the pandemic,many companies are depending on government bailout programs, and millions of people are losing loved ones to this deadly virus. Amidst all this President Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency relaxed enforcement of regulations, ostensibly to help industry deal with the pandemic. However, Gina McCarthy, EPA Director under Obama, called this approach “a license to pollute”. Additionally, the amount of non-recyclable waste has risen, severe cuts in agricultural and fishery exports have led to the generation of enormous quantities of organic waste, maintenance and monitoring of natural ecosystems have been temporarily suspended, and some cities in the US even halted recycling programs for fear of the virus spreading. In some places, lobby groups for the plastics industry seized an opportunity to overturn single-use plastic bag bans, despite the fact that the virus could be traced on both the disposable bags as well as
reusable ones. Further, the closure of restaurants has meant people arelimited to ordering take-out, increasing the use of single-use packaging and containers.
In sci-fi movies, we see nature slowly coming back after humans are gone. In some ways, with human activity halted, we have made progress on many issues relating to climate change and public health.
However, this progress is being stifled, and in some instances unravelling as a result of rollbacks and ongoing attempts to weaken existing environmental protections, such as the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the NEPA process.
Although we cannot rightfully say that this pandemic was good for the environment, it has given us a glimmer of hope that with widespread regulation and long-term commitment to changing habits, we can reduce pollution, increase standards for sustainability, and come together to address serious global emergencies.
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Lopatcong Creek Update - Zachary Cole, Outreach and Education Director
Juniper Leifer (JL) heads the Highlands Coalition’s Lopatcong Creek Initiative in the Southwestern Highlands. Those who have met her know her passion for the watershed surrounding her local stream, developing innovative projects such as community rain gardens to improve water quality in the Lopatcong Creek. We caught up with her virtually to find out what she’s been up to over the summer.
HC: How is LCI adapting to this new normal?
JL: It’s been a tough year for everyone! We had to postpone several projects when the schools closed, and we missed out on a lot of our favorite activities with local students. To adapt, I began making short videos of my activities and lessons to stay active, and provide resources for teachers in need of materials for their online classes.
HC: Indeed, the videos you made are great fun and very informative. What about the rain garden projects?
JL: I’ve been able to keep a close eye on all of our projects this year, and volunteers have been eager to get outside and help out where safe. All of them are doing well and looking great. This year we’re seeing extraordinary pollinator activity and an abundance of butterflies in several gardens, which is a beautiful bonus. These gardens are such a great resource
no matter what is growing on the surface, but it’s great to see these spaces come alive. This year we hope to add at least three more rain gardens in partnership with Dr. Obropta and his team at Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program.
HC: What else is coming up for LCI?
JL: With any luck at all, things will normalize enough for us to plan an annual stream clean up and get back into the schools to advance our education program. Needless to say, we’ll continue collecting data and learning everything we can about the conditions and needs of Lopatcong Creek through our ongoing Citizen Science Program.
HC: Any final thoughts?
JL: Through everything this year, I’m seeing a heightened awareness of community health and the need for cooperative environmental protection. So follow the Lopatcong Creek Initiative on social media, support what we do, and get involved! It’s time to pay attention, stand up and spread the message. It’s up to everyone to protect what’s ours.
The New Jersey Highlands Coalition
We represent a diverse network of organizations - small and large, local, regional, statewide and national - and individuals with the common goal to protect, enhance and restore the New Jersey Highlands and to preserve the quality and quantity of drinking water for the 6.2 million people who depend on Highlands water.
Our members are the heart and soul of the New Jersey Highlands Coalition. We only succeed in our mission with support from people like you!
Wyanokie Point, E. Clifford
