GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS 040423
GSENet
GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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{*} PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT FOR GSE'S WORLD SERIES OF BIRDING
{*} PINELANDS TOWNS CALL HIGHLANDS BILL UNFAIR
{*} SUSSEX FACES 'AGE-RESTRICTED' HOUSING BOOM
{*} OP/ED FROM SAVE BARNEGAT BAY
{*} OCEAN WATER FACES NEW TESTING METHODS
{*} OP/ED: PINELANDS WATER STUDIES
{*} ADMINISTRATION COMMITS TO INCREASING WETLANDS NATIONWIDE
{*} AMERICANS FOR OUR HERITAGE AND RECREATION - EARTH DAY
{*} REMEDIAL INVESTIGATION BEGINS AT BERGENFIELD SITE
{*} CLEAN COMMUNITIES PROGRAM FUNDING
{*} HAZE STUBBORN AT NATIONAL PARKS
{*} HONORS TO RUTGERS LAW STUDENT ON EARTH DAY
{*} EPA HONORS ENVIRONMENTAL ACHIEVERS IN NJ
{*} ESTUARY PROGRAM ASSOCIATE, PART-TIME
{*} BURLCO COMPUTER RECYCLING - APR 24, MAY 15
{*} RANCOCAS CREEK CLEANUP - APR 24
{*} RAHWAY RIVER CLEAN-UP - MAY 1
{*} LAND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE AND EXPO - MAY 5-7
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THE DODGE $5,000 CHALLENGE GRANT
To date we have received $3,765.
We need $1,235 to meet our goal.
Deadline is May 31, 2004!
For more information, please visit:
http://www.gsenet.org/support/donate.php
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PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT FOR GSE'S WORLD SERIES OF BIRDING
Date: 040422
From: kos...@gsenet.org
Dear EnviroNews Reader,
This year, on May 15, Garden State EnviroNet will participate in New
Jersey Audubon's World Series of Birding for the first time! I, along
with my partners in birding and conservation will traverse the state;
from Sussex all the way down to Cape May, for 24 hours straight,
trying to identify as many bird species (by sight or sound) as
possible. One may ask why I would want to punish my body and brain in
such a madcap adventure. The short answer is to raise money for Garden
State EnviroNet in order to support its efforts to keep you and the
rest of New Jersey informed about the environmental issues that affect
our state and our health. We are hoping that you will sponsor our
World Series team (The Garden State Goshawks) by pledging 10 cents, 25
cents, 50 cents or more per bird species that we identify. We expect
to "get" between 150 and 200 species during our 24 hour bird-a-thon.
Your pledge will make it possible for us to continue to provide
timely news and information that so many New Jersey environmentalists
have come to rely on. Your support will allow New Jersey to continue
to receive the knowledge necessary for effective environmental
activism. Your pledge will also be effectively doubled by a matching
grant from the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. This means that your $25
means $50 to keep New Jersey's environmental community connected and
informed about critical issues affecting our future here in the Garden
State. Your $50 means $100 of essential communications and
technological support to the many environmental organizations that
work so hard to keep New Jersey green.
To make a pledge to support GSE's World Series of Birding efforts,
please contact me at 973-394-1313 or by email at kos...@gsenet.org.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Ivan Kossak, Executive Director
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PINELANDS TOWNS CALL HIGHLANDS BILL UNFAIR
Date: 040422
From: http://www.philly.com/
THEY WANT THEIR PROBLEMS ADDRESSED BEFORE THE STATE
SPENDS MONEY TO PRESERVE A PART OF NORTHWESTERN NJ
By Kaitlin Gurney, Philadelphia Inquirer Trenton Bureau, Apr. 22, 2004
Trenton - Not since the preservation of the Pinelands 25 years ago
has New Jersey undertaken such an ambitious environmental feat.
Gov. McGreevey and a bipartisan coalition of legislators have
proposed protecting 800,000 acres of the sensitive Highlands region in
the state's northwest, home to the reservoirs where much of the state
gets its water.
In North Jersey, a battle has erupted between environmentalists and
builders, pitting homeowners weary of sprawl against those fearful of
losing property rights.
The Highlands debate is also reopening wounds in South Jersey, where
some towns in the Pine Barrens' million-acre expanse of sandy soil say
they have been sacrificed to developers in the name of preservation
elsewhere - and others say they have been so restricted that time has
stood still.
The towns say the Highlands proposal builds upon the Pinelands'
mistakes, setting aside money for land acquisition, municipal planning
and tax stabilization across seven counties without a penny for the
Pine Barrens towns still smarting under strict regulations.
Some South Jersey state senators have promised to block the Highlands
legislation until the state rights old wrongs in its first
preservation area, the Pinelands.
"I credit Gov. McGreevey for understanding what went wrong in the
Pinelands and trying to avoid the mistakes of the past," Sen. Stephen
Sweeney (D., Gloucester) said. "But these problems still exist, and we
need to fix them before we move forward."
Sweeney, who sits on the Senate Environment Committee, which will
debate the Highlands legislation today, said he had prepared a stack
of South Jersey-focused amendments to the bill. His support is
conditional on "both ends of the state being treated fairly," he said.
He said he was also concerned that the Highlands would swallow up
open-space funding traditionally distributed equally throughout the
state.
Sweeney's position is shared by Sen. William Gormley (R., Atlantic),
a longtime champion of Egg Harbor, Galloway, Hamilton, and other
Atlantic County municipalities on the outskirts of the Pinelands that
have been saddled with extra development to compensate for
preservation.
Like the Pinelands act, the Highlands proposal outlines a
preservation core - 395,000 acres - that would remain off-limits to
building, while the remaining protected land would still accept some
development. The Highlands area would be governed by a council similar
to the Pinelands Commission.
But the proposal would avoid creating growth areas like those in the
Pinelands. Towns may receive financial incentives for taking on extra
growth, but development would not be forced on them, bill sponsors
said.
"If it's now being conceded by the governor and the Senate that what
was done to these growth areas 25 years ago was wrong, isn't it time
to correct it?" Gormley said. "Or is South Jersey a test tube for
other parts of the state?"
Gormley said extra school and municipal aid for Pinelands growth
towns must be added to the Highlands legislation.
About 145,000 acres in the proposed Highlands preservation area are
privately owned, and the legislation proposes paying fair-market
value. Gormley contends this, too, is an inequity - one that Pinelands
landowners who were paid a lower value for their land have complained
about for years.
McGreevey spokesman Micah Rasmussen said the state had spent more
than $200 million in the last 25 years on the Pinelands, including aid
to municipalities in both the growth and preservation areas. The state
does not yet have a cost estimate for the Highlands preservation, he
said.
"Preserving the Pinelands was arguably one of the best things this
state has ever done, but concerns inevitably arise from that
preservation," he said. "We're doing our best to address those
concerns in the new preservation areas in the Highlands and the
existing preservation area in the Pinelands."
The Highlands proposal's proponents said South Jersey lawmakers were
shortsighted to hold up legislation that would benefit the entire
state.
The Pinelands and the Highlands could not look more different, they
said - one is flat and sandy, covered with scrub pines and swamps,
while the other is defined by steep, rocky ridges and valleys. But
both are valued for their water supplies: the Kirkwood-Cohansey
aquifer under the Pinelands and the large reservoirs in the Highlands.
"If we allow the North Jersey water supply to be contaminated by
overdevelopment, there will be greater demand for South Jersey's
aquifers, which are already overstressed," Sen. Bob Smith (D.,
Middlesex) said.
Pinelands residents are particularly sensitive to the need to
preserve the Highlands, said Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello, vice
chairman of the Pinelands Municipal Alliance.
"We know what it's like to have the state come in and plunk down a
national park on top of people who already own their land," he said.
"We understand both areas are national treasures - but everyone wants
compensation, so it gets complicated. The issue is that Highlands
towns are getting a voice at the table, something we never got back in
1979."
If Highlands towns receive money to stabilize tax rates while land is
being preserved, that benefit needs to be extended to Pinelands towns,
Chiarello said.
But Pinelands Commission chairman Jim Florio, the former governor,
said the goal of preserving such a large swath of forested land in the
Highlands should prevail over municipal squabbles.
Most Pinelands municipalities are now at peace with their role in the
preservation area, he said.
"If we hadn't preserved the Pinelands, the area would be desecrated
by now," Florio said. "The bottom line is it's no more in the public
interest to have unfettered growth in the Highlands now than it was in
the Pinelands 25 years ago."
* * *
Contact staff writer Kaitlin Gurney at 609-989-7373 or
kgu...@phillynews.com.
Copyright 1996-2004 Knight Ridder. All Rights Reserved.
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SUSSEX FACES 'AGE-RESTRICTED' HOUSING BOOM
Date: 22 Apr 2004
From: Scott Olson {sc...@scottolson.us}
By Rod Allee, Record Staff Writer, April 19, 2004
Sussex County, always known as a good place for first-time homeowners
in North Jersey, may also become renowned as the place for last-time
homeowners.
More than 3,000 homes for buyers 55 and older are being proposed in
projects throughout the pastoral county.
In a sign of the times, "senior citizens housing" has been
politically corrected to "age-restricted housing." Regardless of what
it is called, Sussex is an excellent fit from the viewpoint of
developers, local government, and potential buyers.
Not everyone is cheering, though. Current residents have hard
questions concerning the burden on infrastructure, particularly road
capacity. Environmentalists are leery about water demands, increased
sewage, and overall denigration of the Highlands region, which defines
much of Sussex geographically.
A developer's representative said target consumers are empty-nesters
from Bergen County who will appreciate open spaces and a more gentle
lifestyle. Though Sussex offers few cultural or shopping opportunities
of its own, it is convenient for day trips to cultural and sporting
events, shopping, and sightseeing. Best of all, Sussex is not
Florida - it is close enough for casual visits from and to family and
friends.
In that it mirrors what is happening in Bergen, Passaic, and eastern
Morris counties. In a survey 16 months ago, The Record found that a
total of 3,600 age-restricted units were proposed in those three
areas.
Unlike those three counties, however, Sussex has been unable to
attract much industry or large commercial development. So for
government officials - county, municipal, and school - adding 55-and-
over private housing is a way to gain property tax revenues without
having to give it all back in service costs.
An example is Hopatcong, which crowds the western shore of Lake
Hopatcong just north of Route 80. The borough is entertaining a
proposal for 820 55-and-over units.
"The developer projects $3.3 million will be generated for our
schools each year, $1 million for the county, and something less than
$1 million for the town," said Mayor Richard Hodson. "Actually, the
forecast is about $1.5 million for the town, but we would have to pay
to add some services. The main number in those statistics is what
would go to the schools - all without putting an extra kid in a
school."
Developers go where the money is, and 55-and-over housing "is the
hottest thing in the building industry, not just here but from coast
to coast," said Andy Grabis, field representative for Maione Homes,
which is finishing 117 units at Clove Hill Manor in rural Wantage and
already is eyeing similar projects in the county.
"The market is pretty hot," agreed Doug Fenichel, spokesman for K.
Hovnanian Cos., one of the nation's biggest home builders. Hovnanian
has plans for 300-plus units in Andover, south of the county seat of
Newton; and tonight at a mayor and council meeting in Franklin, in the
eastern part of the county, Hovnanian is to unveil plans for another
700 units.
"The baby boomers are entering the 55-plus stage," Fenichel added.
"In our northeast region, from a quarter to a third of our sales are
age-restricted, and we expect that to go up. Sussex County has the
land, and people there have done a lot of planning. They want the
growth and tax revenue."
Jeff Parrott is a real estate dealer and deputy mayor in Wantage, a
farm-dotted township that neighbors High Point State Park in the
county's northwestern corner.
"My taxes have gone up dramatically," Parrott said, "and we have to
look for alternative ratables...But the builders have to have patience
and money. Maione started talking to us about Clove Hill Manor in the
early Nineties, and just now is starting to sell units. It takes 10
years or longer."
Hovnanian, the giant building firm, certainly has patience and money,
and it may need both in Franklin, a tiny borough along Route 23.
Recently another builder, Sunbright Investments of Wayne, brought
plans for redeveloping the old Franklin Hospital property with 192
age-restricted units to the mayor and council; its spokesman was
greeted with skepticism when he asserted that the impact on traffic
would be minimal - two-lane Route 23 in Sussex is already one of the
state's most congested roads.
Hovnanian has an option on 113 acres just south of Route 23, off
County Route 517. Fenichel, the company's spokesman, said the
preliminary plan is to build a Four Seasons-style condo community
there. The firm has other Four Seasons communities, including one in
Cedar Grove with a clubhouse and other amenities. Fenichel said the
units likely would be marketed for more than $400,000.
In fact, Franklin has a third age-restricted proposal pending, and
could become Senior City if all three become reality.
The borough has joined its neighbors Hardyston, Hamburg, and
Ogdensburg in applying to the state for a shared Town Center
designation. If granted, it would speed up the permit process and put
the communities on a list for state aid for infrastructure such as
sewerage and water systems. John Kilduff, planner and community
development official for both Franklin and Hardyston, said the
Sunbright and Hovnanian sites are within the proposed Town Center. The
third age-restricted site in Franklin is for 94 units on 2.2 acres
along Main Street, also within the proposed Town Center.
Should all three be built as planned, Franklin - with just over 5,000
population - would suddenly have 876 more housing units.
Kilduff pointed out another reason why 55-and-over housing might
become popular in Sussex County: "There has been a change over the
years, and we have more senior citizens here who want to stay, not
move out of the area. This is a shift, probably because of a desire to
be closer to family members. So it would help our local people, not
just those who want to move here from elsewhere."
Hodson, the Hopatcong mayor, stated the same point, but then
reconsidered: "On the other hand, these units are not low-priced. Many
people in Sussex, especially in our town of Hopatcong, don't make a
lot of money. I don't know if many could afford these units."
Developers interviewed for this article agreed with Hodson, saying
they expect to sell most of their units to couples from Bergen, but
also from Passaic, Hudson, and western Essex counties. These baby
boomers with empty nests are motivated not only by a less harried
lifestyle, they said, but because they don't want the upkeep on large
homes and because the current real estate market means they can get
premium prices for their current homes.
In fact, one representative for a developer said, "We're finding that
our buyers have enough money from selling their family homes to live
in these homes six months a year and enough left over to afford a
place in Florida for the other six months. That gives them the
advantages of both lifestyles."
It was a dislike of Florida, though, that prompted one couple to buy
one of the first units available at Clove Hill Manor in Wantage.
"I didn't want to move south, I'm not a heat person," said Christine
Capozzoli, who, with her husband, Nick, sold their home near Upper
Greenwood Lake after living there 41 years. The Capozzolis are living
in a hotel in Vernon while they await the completion of their unit in
a duplex at the end of this month.
"We made enough from our home to purchase this one," said Christine,
59. "We had a half-acre, and it was a lot of work, like keeping up a
small park. We had three bedrooms and now will have only two, but with
the finished basement, we'll have more square feet, and no property to
care for.
"My two sons aren't far away, in South Jersey and Orange County, New
York, but that wasn't a factor. I have too many friends who moved to
be close to their children, then their children moved away. No, the
factor was not moving south. I'm just glad to be staying in New
Jersey."
* * *
Email: al...@northjersey.com
Copyright (c) 2004 North Jersey Media Group Inc.
# # #
North Byram Concerned Citizens (NBCC)
http://www.NorthByram.org
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OP/ED FROM SAVE BARNEGAT BAY
Date: 21 Apr 2004
From: Wmde...@cs.com
MONDAY'S SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING ON TRADERS COVE
WILL TEST THE COMMITMENT OF THE BRICK'S COUNCIL
By Willie deCamp, April 19, 2004
Barnegat Bay and Brick Township's quality of life need help from
Brick residents on Monday night, April 26 at 7:30 PM. On that night
the Brick Township Council will hold a special meeting at which they
will vote on whether to overturn the Zoning Board of Adjustment
variance granted in February to Paramount Homes, the would-be
developers of Traders Cove.
This is an extremely important event for those trying to prevent
Brick's waterfront from falling victim to a "developers reign" of
overly dense waterfront development. Only four council votes are
needed to overturn the Zoning Board's decision.
The variance granted by the zoning board would allow an intensive 52
unit luxury condominium complex, a restaurant and an expanded marina.
A significant turnout by Brick citizens favoring more moderate
development of the waterfront could help the Council find its way
toward a denial of this excessively dense and potentially precedent
setting proposal.
The significance of this vote is that it affects not only the fate of
Traders Cove Marina, but twenty-six other marina sites in Brick
Township. Once the precedent is set, each of these sites could easily
be granted similar variances.
The Traders Cove variance contradicts the well known preference of
voters and taxpayers in Brick Township for more limited development.
It is also inconsistent with the Township's Master Plan, as well as
with two recent ordinances rezoning the Township's marina sites.
In June of 2002, at the urging of Save Barnegat Bay and others,
Brick's Council rezoned all fifty-three miles of the township's
waterfront so as to prevent the type of intense
condominium/restaurant/marina development now proposed. They did this
with sound justification, since the township's Master Plan has long
called for "open space and recreation" at Traders Cove and other
waterfront sites.
In March of 2004 the Council for a second time rezoned marina sites
so as to prevent them from being covered with housing developments.
Traders Cove ought not to be exempted from this sound policy.
It is now time for the Council to demonstrate that these two recently
passed zoning ordinances represent real changes - not cosmetic
political facades available for immediate change by the zoning board.
Save Barnegat Bay urges all Brick residents who oppose excessive
waterfront development to attend the special council meeting on Monday
night at 7:30. Traders Cove is the only item on the agenda.
Barnegat Bay needs a low density, people friendly waterfront, not
high density luxury condo/restaurant/marina complexes. On Monday,
Brick's Council has a chance to demonstrate the reality of its
commitment such a waterfront. Brick citizens would do well to turn out
in person to support the Council as it takes faces this test.
* * *
Willie deCamp, President
Save Barnegat Bay
906-B Grand Central Ave
Lavallette NJ 08735
732-830-3600
http://www.savebarnegatbay.org
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OCEAN WATER FACES NEW TESTING METHODS
Date: 040422
From: http://www.app.com/
By Don Bennett, Ocean County Observer Staff Writer, 4/22/04
Toms River - Something new will be added to Ocean County's testing of
bathing beaches this summer to see if bacteria that could make people
sick are in the water.
Beginning a week before Memorial Day, and continuing through the week
after Labor Day, the water will be sampled for fecal coliform, a
traditional indicator of bacteria from warm-blooded animals.
And this year the water at saltwater bathing areas also will be
tested for enterococcus, also a bacteria from human bowels, but one
that stays in the water longer and is considered a superior signal
that harmful bacteria are in the water.
Freshwater beaches still will be sampled for fecal coliform.
If two consecutive high readings of either bacteria are found, the
beach will be closed until tests of another sample show the bacteria
count has dropped to safe levels, explained Robert Ingenito, principal
sanitarian for the Ocean County Health Department.
He said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered tests
for the second bacteria.
"We sampled for it last year and didn't find that much difference,"
in what fecal coliform and enterococcus levels were, he explained.
Water samples collected at the beaches by the Health Department are
tested at the Ocean County Utilities Authority lab.
Scientists say there is an increased rate of illness among people who
swim in bacteria-laden ocean water.
When high levels of enterococcus were found in the ocean off Santa
Barbara County, Calif., for example, some of those who swam in the
water got gastrointestinal illnesses, including bloody diarrhea.
Ingenito said the county will test 101 beaches again this summer,
looking for the bacteria. Fifty-one of those beaches are on the ocean.
Public Health Coordinator Joseph Przywara said if more than 200
colonies of fecal coliform, or 104 colonies of enterococcus, are found
in successive tests, the beaches will be closed.
This year Ingenito said the water quality at beaches will be posted
on the Health Department's Web site, http://www.ochd.org.
To help keep bacteria out of the water:
* Clean up after pets.
* Pick up trash.
* Dispose of yard clippings properly.
* Keep the septic system working properly.
* Use environmentally safe products.
Although Ocean County has been testing the water at bathing beaches
for years, the EPA launched a Beaches Environmental Assessment and
Coastal Health program in 1997 with the goal of strengthening beach
standards and testing.
The EPA recommended testing for enterococcus as a better way of
identifying water where swimmers could get sick from bacteria.
* * *
Copyright (c) 1997-2003 IN Jersey.
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OP/ED: PINELANDS WATER STUDIES
Date: 22 Apr 2004
From: "JOSEPH J. HOCHREITER" {J...@bbl-inc.com}
DATA-DEFICIENT STATE OVERREACTS IN ATLANTIC COUNTY, PINELANDS
By Joseph Hochreiter Jr., Philadelphia Inquire, Apr. 21, 2004
It is far from clear whether the warning signs raised in two recent
reports about South Jersey's water supply portend a real crisis for
Atlantic County and the Pinelands Regional Growth Area.
As a hydrogeologist with 30 years of experience working on water
issues in New Jersey, I will be the first to acknowledge the
scientific complexity of designing and implementing studies on the
availability of water in South Jersey.
Given my firsthand knowledge of these government studies in my role
as consultant to the Builders League of South Jersey, I want to
discuss some issues not widely covered in the press accounts of the
reports, by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and
the Pinelands Commission.
The DEP report, issued in December, produced no new scientific data.
It was a compilation of information published in other venues,
including the state's drought Web site. No new evidence was presented
to support the theory of an impending water crisis in Atlantic County.
The report recommended a comprehensive study of the region's water
resources (a recommendation that the Builders League of South Jersey
endorses) to quantify how much water can be safely taken from the
region's aquifers. Yet it provided no details on how this work would
be funded or when it would be started.
Additionally, the five-year, $6 million Pinelands Commission study of
the water resources of the Pinelands has only just begun. Having
reviewed the scope of this investigation, I conclude that this study
will not tell us the sustainable yield of the region's aquifers.
The absence of data did not prevent the state from making new policy.
While the water-reuse aspects of this new policy make sense, other
elements will have a chilling effect on economic growth in the region.
For example, as of December, the state quietly imposed a moratorium
on most new water withdrawals from the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer. This
moratorium will be in effect "until the comprehensive study is
completed" - the same study that has no secured funding or start date.
There is no basis in science for such an action right now, yet those
who grow crops (agriculture is the single largest user of groundwater
in Atlantic County) and attempt to buy new homes in the region will
needlessly suffer as a result.
Droughts are a real occurrence across New Jersey, and I certainly
advocate a rational, broad approach for mitigating the effects of
drought on water-supply aquifers and the environment. But the DEP
appears to know of only one way to react to the threat of drought:
Limit the demand for water.
Water conservation is a prudent defense, but we should also look at
alternative solutions, including recharging aquifers with treated
storm water and wastewater, developing interconnects with water
supplies elsewhere in the state, and constructing reservoirs.
There are concerns about the effect of development on the Pinelands'
water and ecology. Appropriate scientific inquiry to address such
concerns makes sense, but these concerns often create political
tensions between perception and scientific reality.
The real concern expressed by the DEP and the Pinelands Commission is
the political desire to limit development in the Atlantic County
Regional Growth Area. The state's designation of such areas 25 years
ago has directed development away from the core of the Pinelands. But
some state and local officials would like to extend these protections
into growth areas.
The battlefield upon which this issue is being advanced is water. If
the state can create the impression of an impending water crisis, even
when the data needed to support such a view have yet to be collected
and evaluated, political forces get an opportunity to significantly
restrict human activity, with agriculture and housing at the top of
the list.
From the state's perspective, the "dark forces" in this battle are
South Jersey farmers and prospective new homeowners. Does that feel
right to you?
- - -
Joseph Hochreiter Jr. is a vice president of Blasland, Bouck & Lee
Inc., an environmental consulting firm, in West Conshohocken.
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ADMINISTRATION COMMITS TO INCREASING WETLANDS NATIONWIDE
Date: 22 Apr 2004
From: Tyson....@epamail.epa.gov
April 22, 2004
Washington, DC - President Bush celebrated Earth Day 2004 by
announcing an aggressive new national goal to achieve an overall
increase America's wetlands each year. The President's goal is to
restore, improve and protect at least three million additional acres
of wetlands over the next five years.
"The Bush Administration is committed to enhancing America's valuable
wetlands and will continue to provide regulatory protection," said EPA
Administrator Mike Leavitt. "We will partner with federal, state,
local, and private entities to meet the President's goal of increasing
the quantity and quality of wetlands nationwide."
EPA is responsible for working with the Army Corps of Engineers and
states to implement the Clean Water Act Section 404 wetlands permit
program. EPA continues to take a lead role in implementing the key
strategies identified in the Administration's National Wetlands
Mitigation Action Plan. In addition, the President's 2005 budget
proposes to increase EPA funding by five million dollars for grants to
states that will help them address the gaps in wetlands protection.
The Administration is currently implementing 30 programs to protect
and restore millions of acres of our nation's wetlands. These include
the Food Security Act's "Swampbuster" requirements and the Wetlands
Reserve Program, both under the authority of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. EPA programs include its "Five-Star Restoration" grant
program and the National Estuary Program. Other federal wetlands
programs include: the Fish and Wildlife Service's "Partners in
Wildlife" program, the National Marine Fisheries Service's Coastal
Wetlands Restoration Program and the Migratory Bird Conservation
Commission, composed of the Secretaries of Interior and Agriculture,
the Administrator of EPA and Members of Congress.
For more information on the President's announcement go to:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/04/20040422-4.html
Additional information on EPA's wetlands program can be found at:
http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands
http://www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries
* * *
Contact: Cathy Milbourn 202-564-7824 / milbour...@epa.gov
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
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AMERICANS FOR OUR HERITAGE AND RECREATION - EARTH DAY
Date: 22 Apr 2004
From: Tom Gilbert {tgil...@igc.org}
[Forward]
From: Tom St. Hilaire {tsthi...@ahrinfo.org}
Earth Day Alert!
Sign Americans For Our Heritage And Recreation's LWCF Petition
Go to http://www.asap2004.org and sign today!
- - -
EARTH DAY KICKS OFF A SUMMER PETITION DRIVE URGING THE PRESIDENT
TO FULLY FUND THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND: ASAP!
April 22, 2004
Washington DC - A new nation-wide effort kicked off today by
Americans for our Heritage and Recreation (AHR) is aimed to persuade
President Bush to keep his earlier promises to fully fund the Land and
Water Conservation Fund, for its original purposes to provide close to
home recreation for all Americans.
The campaign will seek 1 million signatures over the next 20 weeks
time between Earth Day and Labor Day with an online petition hosted at
http://www.asap2004. "We hope that over the summer months as Americans
get outdoors that a strong message can be sent to the President and
opinion leaders that we urgently need to spend the annual $900 million
trust to fund our parks, trails, recreation centers, wildlife refuges,
and other open spaces," said Henry Diamond, Chairman of AHR.
"Saving America's special places and providing opportunities for all
Americans to get outdoors is no longer a luxury. It is not something
to be added to the federal shopping cart at the end of the day if we
feel we have a few extra dollars to spare," declared Tom St. Hilaire,
Executive Director of AHR.
Forty years ago, our country created the Land and Water Conservation
Fund, which has created over 40,000 parks all across America: among
the state side LWCF projects are over 7,000 soccer fields, 10,000
swimming and boating facilities, 20,000 family picnic locations, and
12,000 hiking, horseback, riding, biking, and exercise trails. This
visionary program sets aside just under 20 percent of federal offshore
oil and gas leading receipts for use protecting America's great
outdoors.
Over the past 20 years, annual appropriations of the fund has ranged
between $200 million and $300 million, and less than 30% of the total
has gone to state-side grant programs. A companion program Urban Parks
and Recreation Recovery Program (UPARR) has been zeroed out by the
current administration over the past three years.
In 2001, President Bush promised in Alabama that he would support
full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. He told the
crowd at Oak Mountain that day, "But for a long period of time, the
federal government has been falling short on its commitment to this
fund, and many states have been denied money that was promised the
citizens. And that's not fair; I propose fully funding the Land and
Water Conservation Fund: $900 million will fully fund the fund."
But, in 2005 the President's budget request fell way short of the
promise. Only $314 million of the Congressional mandated LWCF funds
authorized at $900 million, and zero for urban parks have been
requested.
Numerous studies show that people are more likely to be physically
active if they have greater access to nearby recreational
opportunities. By expanding the number of hiking trails, bike paths,
and other public recreation opportunities throughout the country, we
can begin to mitigate the public health crisis. Economists have
estimated that $75 billion dollars could be saved in health care costs
a year if Americans were to become sufficiently active.
AHR has concluded that waiting just isn't an option - with more than
435,000 Americans dying from obesity related diseases, and the obesity
rate in children has doubled in the last 20 years - with 1,000
wildlife species on the endangered species list - and with two million
or more acres of open space being lost a year.
Americans want to send an important message this summer - ASAP - that
the President can help lead our country to a healthier future by
releasing the LWCF funds in 2004!
Recent efforts on Capitol Hill by Congressman George Miller and Don
Young with the introduction of H.R. 4100, the Get Outdoors Act, a bill
to provide permanent trust funding for LWCF and other conservation
programs, demonstrates the broad bipartisan support for these programs
on Capitol Hill.
"With summer fast approaching, our nation's athletes preparing for
the summer Olympics, we hope the President will step up and lead
Congress into spending 20% of the off shore oil and gas royalty
receipts that the government will collect this year. It is the
President's opportunity to give all Americans a sporting chance,"
concludes Tom St. Hilaire.
- - -
Petition Text:
Mr. President,
This year, the Land and Water Conservation Fund is celebrating 40
successful years, creating 40,000 parks in America.
A visionary tool, LWCF uses revenues generated by depleting non-
renewable resources to conserve some of our most irreplaceable natural
assets. The dramatic rise in Americans seeking to get outdoors, get
fit and recreate, coupled with ever decreasing amount of open space,
makes LWCF as valuable and modern as it was four decades ago.
In 2004, by dedicating less than 20% of federal offshore oil and gas
receipts, you can keep our national parks open, conserve our coastal
resources, build playgrounds and ball fields for our children, develop
hiking and biking trails, give hunters and anglers open fields and
streams, and provide access for all Americans with places to enjoy
"The Great Outdoors."
We ask you to fulfill your previous promise to fully fund LWCF and
other critical conservation programs. Your action will guarantee a
healthier America.
* * *
Tom St. Hilaire, Executive Director
Americans for Our Heritage and Recreation
1300 19th St., N.W.
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036
P - 202-454-3370
http://www.ahrinfo.org
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REMEDIAL INVESTIGATION BEGINS AT BERGENFIELD SITE
Date: 22 Apr 2004
From: "depnews depnews" {dep...@dep.state.nj.us}
REMEDIAL INVESTIGATION BEGINS AT BERGENFIELD AUTO PARTS COMPANY SITE
MERGER PROPOSED FOR PROPERTIES AT HISTORIC NEW BRIDGE LANDING
4/22/04
Trenton - Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner
Bradley M. Campbell today announced the start of a soil and ground
water investigation at the Bergenfield Auto Parts Company to determine
the extent of any contamination. Test results also will help move
forward productive reuse of the site as DEP pursues preservation of
this property under its Green Acres program.
"DEP begins this week the necessary steps to protect public health
and the Hackensack River from contamination at this site," said
Commissioner Campbell. "DEP will continue to negotiate with the
property owner to merge this important land parcel with several nearby
historic sites to fulfill a long-standing desire of the New Bridge
Landing Park Commission to better protect a valuable part of our
country's history. Assemblywoman Weinberg and County Executive
McNerney deserve high praise for pursuing expansion of the adjacent
historic site."
"We are delighted with this major step toward the purchase of this
property so important to our state's history," said Assemblywoman
Loretta Weinberg. "We are thankful that Commissioner Campbell took the
necessary legal steps to properly determine the extent of cleanup work
needed on this property. Commissioner Campbell's visit to New Bridge
Landing in January and the DEP's continued work show how a partnership
between the state, county and local governments can produce wonderful
results."
"Protecting and preserving our national heritage is critically
important," said Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney. "I applaud
the state's efforts in helping us save this historic treasure now and
for future generations."
The Bergenfield Auto Parts Company property is located in River Edge
Borough, Bergen County. The business is now inactive, but the property
had been used as an auto parts recycling and storage business since
about 1939. DEP's remedial investigation will include soil and
sediment sampling, ground water monitoring, an ecological evaluation
and wetland mapping. The test results will be used to develop a
cleanup plan to properly address contamination found at the site. Such
work may be incorporated into future reuse of the site. DEP expects to
complete the remedial investigation in three months followed by
further negotiations with the property owner for purchase of the land.
HISTORY OF NEW BRIDGE LANDING
A "New Bridge" was built at the narrows of the Hackensack River in
1744, linking the roads leading to Manhattan. Merchant Jan Zabriskie
erected a sandstone mansion nearby in 1752, overlooking his gristmill
and wharf, where farm produce, cordwood, and iron manufactured in the
Jersey Highlands was sent to city markets.
American and British armies repeatedly fought for control of this
strategic hamlet, making New Bridge the Crossroads of the American
Revolution. When British and Hessian troops climbed the Palisades in
November 1776, Washington led the outnumbered American garrison at
Fort Lee across the bridge to safety. Eyewitness Thomas Paine
immortalized "the bridge over the Hackensack," in his famous essay,
the Crisis, which began with the words: "These are the times that try
men's souls." Washington later made the Zabriskie House his
headquarters in September 1780. At the war's end, the State of New
Jersey presented the Zabriskies' New Bridge estate to Major-General
Baron von Steuben, the Prussian Inspector-General of the Continental
Army.
The State of New Jersey acquired the Zabriskie-Steuben House as a
State Historic Site in 1928. The historic Demarest House and Campbell-
Christie House were moved onto the grounds, respectively in 1956 and
1977. The Historic New Bridge Landing Park Commission, established in
1995, coordinates the efforts of the NJDEP's Division of Parks and
Forestry, the County of Bergen, the Bergen County Historical Society,
the Blauvelt-Demarest Foundation, the Borough of River Edge, the
Borough of New Milford and the Township of Teaneck in preserving one
of America's most historic places.
* * *
Contact: Fred Mumford, (609)984-1795
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
CLEAN COMMUNITIES PROGRAM FUNDING
Date: 20 Apr 2004
From: "Jennifer Tomko" {Jennife...@dep.state.nj.us}
CLEAN COMMUNITIES PROGRAM FUNDS 21 COUNTIES AND 559 MUNICIPALITIES
CITY OF TRENTON RECEIVES FUNDING AT ANNUAL LITTER CLEANUP
April 20, 2004
Trenton - The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today
announced Clean Communities Program funding in the amount of
$1,087,470 to enable counties and municipalities to finance litter
abatement and education programs, adopt-a-highway campaigns and
graffiti cleanups.
"The Clean Communities funding offers New Jersey's cities and towns
some of the necessary resources to educate residents about the
environmental hazards associated with the improper disposal of waste,"
said DEP Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell. "Preventing today's garbage
from becoming tomorrow's pollution is one way to revitalize urban
cities. Managing solid waste helps advance Governor McGreevey's
commitment to create more livable communities and to enhance New
Jersey's desirable quality of life."
DEP Chief of Staff Gary Sondermeyer today presented Trenton Mayor
Douglas H. Palmer with a check for $65,915.90 in clean communities
funding at the city's 17th annual Clean Communities Litter March.
Clean communities funds can be used to purchase or rent equipment and
receptacles, as well as to provide trash bags, gloves and other
protective clothing to encourage cities and volunteers to clean up
solid waste in their localities.
"Reducing the amount of litter found along streets and highways and
in our neighborhoods will not only give us the benefit of clean
communities, but will reduce the amount of contamination entering our
water, including drinking-water sources," added Campbell. "Mayor
Palmer and all the volunteers participating in today's litter march
set the bar that much higher for other communities to emulate."
In December 2002, Governor McGreevey signed the Clean Communities
bill into law to help keep New Jersey's communities clean and to
promote recycling. Taxing companies that manufacture litter-producing
products generates the grant amounts.
In the fall, 25 percent of the funds generated by taxing litter-
producing products, totaling approximately $3.7 million, will be
distributed to municipalities as recycling grants, giving communities
the means to strengthen recycling programs and educate residents on
recycling measures and benefits.
* * *
Contact: Elaine Makatura, 609-292-2994
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
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HAZE STUBBORN AT NATIONAL PARKS
Date: 22 Apr 2004
From: "Steven Sacks-Wilner" {ste...@sacks-wilner.com}
By Tom Kenworthy, USA TODAY, 4/14/2004
More than a quarter of a century ago, Congress made a promise to
Americans who cherish their national parks. It pledged to clean up
hazy air obscuring the magnificent scenery at such landmarks as the
Grand Canyon and the Great Smoky mountains.
Now the Environmental Protection Agency is about to take another stab
at fulfilling that promise. This week, the agency will propose new
regulations to meet the goal that Congress set in 1977 of restoring
natural visibility in 156 parks and wilderness areas. (Related: Air
quality forecasts)
National parks draw nearly 300 million visitors a year. The aim of
the regulations is to clear up a pollution problem that often spoils
the panoramic views in many of those parks. For some parks in the
eastern USA, average visibility is now about 24 miles when it should
be well over 100 miles.
Chiefly to blame are pollution from industrial plants and soot from
nearby cities that drift through the air and leave particles of dirt
hovering over the parks. Thirteen parks - including Yosemite, Big Bend
and Mesa Verde - saw visibility problems worsen in the 1990s,
according to a National Park Service study that tracked visibility in
28 parks.
Air pollution "currently impairs visibility to some degree in every
national park," the study concluded.
The EPA is hoping to clear the air with new "regional haze" rules.
Delayed for years by technological hurdles, bureaucratic inertia and
legal battles, the regulations will guide states in developing plans
to clear up existing haze and prevent more in the future. Included
will be guidelines for determining whether power plants and industrial
boilers that cause pollution should be required to install new
technology to cut emissions.
How tough the new rules will be is unknown. EPA Administrator Michael
Leavitt promised Congress on April 1 that the directives will "meet
the provisions of the law."
But park advocates and environmentalists are wary.
"The Bush administration record on air quality has been less than
stellar," says Jill Stephens, who follows air quality issues for the
National Parks Conservation Association, an advocacy group.
The administration, she says, has recently approved new power plants
near Yellowstone and Mammoth Cave national parks.
There is little disagreement that poor visibility at many parks in
the Southeast and West is a persistent problem.
Consider the nation's most-visited park: Great Smoky Mountains
National Park on the North Carolina-Tennessee border. Its name, which
comes from the misty clouds that naturally envelop the mountains after
rainstorms, has become an unintended commentary on the pollution that
shrouds the Appalachian Mountains. Just last week, the National Park
Service said the park had unhealthy levels of smog.
Every third day throughout the year, an air-monitoring station at
Look Rock in the park collects samples that are analyzed to measure
visibility. Officials have been testing for two decades, and the news
isn't getting much better.
"There hasn't been a whole lot of improvement," says Jim Renfro, air-
quality specialist at the park.
Under natural conditions, a park visitor would be able to see for 113
miles on an average day. The actual visibility averages about 25 miles
and is considerably less on the haziest summer days.
Visiting the park "is a spectacular experience when you have those
long-range vistas," Renfro says. "But over 90% of the time the view is
impaired...We often get complaints. People say: 'The mountains aren't
there. I thought you could come here and see seven states.' "
The federal government has long recognized the aesthetic and
commercial value of the spectacular scenery that graces attractions
such as Shenandoah, Grand Canyon and Acadia national parks.
The nation's premier parks, Congress said in 1977 when it amended the
Clean Air Act to address park haze, "are areas of breathtaking
panorama; millions of tourists each year are attracted to enjoy the
scenic vistas."
Visitors, the park service said in a 2002 report on air quality,
"expect clean, clear air as part of their park experience."
But many aren't getting what they expect, despite laws and
regulations going back a generation or more.
"Here we are, more than 25 years out, and our parks have seen little
or no improvement," Stephens says. "And in some parks, we have even
seen hazy skies get worse."
In a study conducted a decade ago, the National Academy of Sciences
reported that the average visibility in the western USA was 60-100
miles, about one-half to two-thirds of what it would be without air
pollution. In the East, the degradation was more severe: an average
visibility of less than 20 miles, about one-fifth of natural
conditions. Using more recent data, the EPA came to similar
conclusions.
The culprits: small particles in the air that absorb and scatter
light rays. "The very fine particles, smaller than a grain of flour,
hang in the air and are very efficient at scattering light, almost
like little mirrors," Renfro says. "They cause that whitish haze you
see when you are on top of a mountain."
In the East, the major cause is sulfate particles formed from sulfur
dioxide emitted by power plants.
In the West, other sources, including nitrates, dust and soot, are
bigger contributors.
* * *
(c) Copyright 2004 USA TODAY.
# # #
Steven L. Sacks-Wilner, Esq.
489 Dutchtown-Zion Rd
Skillman, NJ 08558-1307
ste...@sacks-wilner.com
Tel. & Voice Mail: 908.359.8884
Fax: 908.359.5550
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
HONORS TO RUTGERS LAW STUDENT ON EARTH DAY
Date: 22 Apr 2004
From: "Levine, Janet" {Janet....@flastergreenberg.com}
RUTGERS LAW STUDENT FIRST RECIPIENT OF
PHILADELPHIA SWEP SCHOLARSHIP AWARD ON EARTH DAY
April 23, 2004
Philadelphia - The Philadelphia Chapter of the Society of Women
Environmental Professionals honored Jennifer Simon, a student at
Rutgers School of Law - Camden, as SWEP's first scholarship recipient
at its' annual scholarship awards reception, held at the Schuylkill
Center in Philadelphia on Earth Day, April 22. Simon, a member of SWEP
and a Haddonfield, NJ resident, will be a summer associate at
Flaster/Greenberg P.C. in Cherry Hill, working in the firm's
Environmental Law Practice Group. Janet S. Kole, an environmental law
shareholder at Flaster/Greenberg and member of SWEP's board of
directors, said: "We are thrilled and fortunate to have such a
talented future lawyer joining us for our summer program. The award is
well deserved."
* * *
Contact: Janet Levine: (856) 382-2242
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EPA HONORS ENVIRONMENTAL ACHIEVERS IN NJ
Date: 22 Apr 2004
From: Ayala...@epamail.epa.gov
EPA REGION 2 ADMINISTRATOR HONORS ENVIRONMENTAL ACHIEVERS IN NJ
April 22, 2004
New York, NY - In celebration of Earth Day, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 Administrator, Jane M. Kenny, will
honor four people and organizations that achieved success in improving
the environment in New Jersey. Regional Administrator Kenny will
present EPA's Environmental Quality Awards and a President's
Environmental Youth Award (PEYA) at a ceremony in EPA's offices in
Manhattan tomorrow. Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, the renowned Director of
the Rose Center for Earth and Space at the American Museum of Natural
History, will be the keynote speaker at the ceremony.
"The superior winners we are honoring today are truly environmental
trail blazers," said Regional Administrator Kenny. "By taking a
leadership role and making local changes, the award recipients
demonstrate that we can all have a positive impact on the
environment."
EPA selected Environmental Quality Award winners come from non-
profit, environmental and community groups, individual citizens,
environmental education and business organizations and members of the
news media. The honor is given to those individuals or organizations
that have made significant contributions to improving the environment
in EPA Region 2, which covers New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, the
U.S. Virgin Islands and seven federally-recognized Indian Nations. The
Agency receives nominations for the awards from both inside and
outside.
The PEYA program promotes the study of environmental science and the
development of leadership skills in young people. Students from
kindergarten to twelfth grade who actively participate in noteworthy
environmental projects are eligible to receive PEYA certificates of
commendation signed by the President of the United States. One winner
from each of EPA's ten regions is selected to participate in an
expense-paid trip to the national award ceremony in Washington, D.C.
2004 ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AWARD WINNERS
BUSINESS
Lockheed Martin
The Lockheed Martin facility in Moorestown, New Jersey, worked with
local officials to establish a Household Hazardous Waste Collection
Program for employees and residents in the Moorestown area. The
program, which is held every month, provides an opportunity for
Lockheed Martin employees and Moorestown residents to dispose of
household hazardous waste safely. State and local environmental
agencies have been working together to sustain the effort, which is
the first of its kind in New Jersey. The program has also provided
access to information about how to properly handle and dispose of
unwanted chemicals.
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES
New Jersey Department of Community Affairs
New Jersey Green Homes Office
The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs (DCA) has established
a New Jersey Green Homes Office to assist for-profit and nonprofit
developers, architects, government, community housing development
organizations and members of the design and construction industry. New
Jersey DCA's goal is to promote green housing design and construction
in New Jersey. The Office has established the New Jersey Affordable
Green Program, which offers subsidies to developers of affordable
housing if they implement green technologies and standards. More than
350 low to moderate income housing units that meet Energy Star
standards are currently being built in New Jersey. The New Jersey
Affordable Green Program has received national attention for offering
hands-on technical assistance, subsidies and training.
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
East Brunswick Butterfly Park
The East Brunswick Environmental Commission opened its Butterfly Park
in the spring of 2002. The park, the first of its kind in New Jersey,
fosters butterfly conservation, enjoyment and appreciation. It
encompasses 11 acres and is maintained by hundreds of volunteers. It
is home to more than 30 species of butterflies and is funded almost
entirely through donations. The Butterfly Park has sparked a greater
interest in and awareness of butterflies and makes an excellent
setting for student field trips.
Isles Inc.
The Isles Inc. Bellevue Court Program, is a partnership between
Isles, Inc. and Tara Construction to fully rehabilitate 22 vacant
homes on Bellevue Avenue in Trenton using green building strategies.
The homes have central heating and air conditioning, and will meet the
requirements of the New Jersey Energy Star Program, which encourages
conservation. The program is working with the New Jersey Green Homes
Office on the use of construction materials and approaches that
support recycling, energy conservation and good indoor air quality.
All of the units will contain about 27 green, high performance
features and systems. Isles will use photovoltaic panels, thermal
modules and passive solar features to nearly eliminate the need to
pull electricity from other sources.
* * *
Courtney A. Katz (212) 637-3669
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 2
New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
290 Broadway - New York, New York 10007-1866
http://www.epa.gov/region2
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ESTUARY PROGRAM ASSOCIATE, PART-TIME
Date: 22 Apr 2004
From: "Laura M Bartovics" {lm...@cornell.edu}
TITLE: Estuary Program Associate, Part-time
JOB SUMMARY: Activities cover a wide range of environmental issues.
Significant focus will be placed on two areas: 1) Maintenance and use
of various databases related to implementation of HEP activities,
environmental trends, and stewardship activities. Researching,
gathering, and organizing of data and information from widely varying
sources will be necessary. 2) Overseeing the program's website design
and content, acting as liaison to webmaster, formatting material,
utilizing/modifying photographic materials, interacting with HEP
Office staff and other partners to update news and content sections of
website. Other duties include responding to information requests,
providing general program support and administrative assistance, as
needed.
The incumbent may also be asked to pursue potential new sources of
funding for projects. This would include assisting in the preparation
of grant applications for new projects, contracts, and final project
reports.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Assist Director and other staff on a variety of projects including,
but not limited to, data management, water quality, habitat issues,
public access, and stewardship.
Maintain and use various databases related to implementation
activities, environmental trends, programmatic participation,
stewardship, etc.
Provide administrative assistance with small grant programs.
Research and prepare materials in association with other staff and
program partners.
Provide support to program work groups.
Organize seminars, technical forums, and community events, as
necessary.
Prepare articles or provide background materials for newsletters,
press releases, etc.
Answer inquiries from agencies, consultants, and general public about
HEP programs.
Other duties as assigned.
The satisfactory performance of the above duties and responsibilities
requires that the incumbent have a thorough understanding of Harbor
issues, exercise initiative, be resourceful in complicated situations,
and to be able to work effectively with contacts in varied
professional and volunteer fields. The ability to organize workload
and perform tasks in an accurate, conclusive and timely manner is
required.
RECOMMENDED QUALIFICATIONS:
Education
A Master's Degree in marine/environmental science, natural resource
policy, computer science, or related field is preferred.
Experience
Applicants must have at least three years of full-time, or equivalent
part time, technical or professional experience. Strong computer
skills, especially in database management programs, such as MS Access,
and the ability to master new software programs is highly desirable.
Substitutions:
I. An Associate's degree with a major in any of the fields listed
above may be substituted for a maximum of one year of the required (A)
experience.
II. A Bachelor's degree with a major in any of the fields listed above
may be substituted for a maximum of two years of the required (A)
experience.
III. A Graduate degree from a recognized school with a major in one of
the fields listed above may be substituted for the required
experience.
NOTE: Education toward any degree will be prorated on the basis of the
requirements actually completed.
Special Knowledge and Skills
Excellent computer skills, including database management and image
editing.
Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
Excellent organizational skills.
Ability to work effectively with scientists, managers and general
public.
Ability to work independently, and as part of a team.
Knowledge and experience with water quality and watershed management
issues.
The following knowledge and skills are helpful, although not a
necessary requirement to qualify:
Knowledge of grants writing.
LOCATION: New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program (HEP) Office, 290
Broadway, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10007
SALARY: Grade and Step dependent upon level of experience and
qualifications. Salary range: Part-time position, based on an annual
salary in the mid thirties.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Benefits provided but not included in salary
range: vacation, personal and sick leave, health, dental, disability
and life insurance, retirement plan. This position requires the
incumbent to work two to three days a week, 7 1/2 hours per day,
except for approved compensatory time.
APPLICATION: Send cover letter and resume with short writing sample to
NEIWPCC, Boott Mills South, 100 Foot of John Street, Lowell, MA 01852
or email to jo...@neiwpcc.org.
Equal Opportunity Employer.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
BURLCO COMPUTER RECYCLING - APR 24, MAY 15
Date: 22 Apr 2004
From: "Loretta O'Donnell" {LOdo...@co.burlington.nj.us}
COMPUTER ROUNDUPS SET FOR APRIL 24 AND MAY 17
OLD COMPUTERS TO BE COLLECTED FREE IN DELRAN AND MANSFIELD
The Freeholders today announced free Computer Roundups for all County
residents on Saturday, April 24th at the Burlington County Highway
Facility in Delran and Saturday, May 15th, at the Burlington County
Resource Recovery Facility in Mansfield.
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. those dates, residents may bring in unwanted
computer hard drives, monitors, keyboards, modems, printers and fax
machines, (No equipment from businesses or non-profit organizations
will be accepted.)
"The computer roundups are a convenient free service for County
residents to encourage recycling and save valuable space in
landfills," Freeholder William S. Haines Jr. said.
Over 600 county residents participated in the first three roundups in
2004, and more than 2,200 pieces of electronic equipment were
collected.
The Burlington County Highway Facility is located at 140 Hartford
Road, off of Route 130 North.
The Resource Recovery Facility in located on Route 543 off of I-295,
Exit 52 A.
Residents can contact the Burlington County Recycling Office with
questions at 609-499-1001.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
RANCOCAS CREEK CLEANUP - APR 24
Date: 22 Apr 2004
From: "Loretta O'Donnell" {LOdo...@co.burlington.nj.us}
RANCOCAS CREEK CLEANUP
Saturday, April 24th, 9 a.m.
Pemberton Township
Burlington County officials and staff will participate in a cleanup
of the Rancocas Creek Saturday, April 24th, beginning at 9 a.m. at
Mirror Lake in Pemberton Township.
Officials will kick off the cleanup with brief remarks at 9 a.m. at
the registration table in front of Blueberry Hill Crafts and
Collectibles, 11 Clubhouse Road, Browns Mills.
The Pemberton Township Environmental Commission is coordinating the
cleanup, which will be held rain or shine until 3 p.m. The cleanup is
supported by the Rancocas Conservancy, the New Jersey Clean
Communities Council and the New Jersey Watershed Ambassadors. About
200 volunteers are expected, including residents from Pemberton and
Southampton, Burlington County College students, County Parks
Department staff, and members of the Piney Pirates and Sierra Club.
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
RAHWAY RIVER CLEAN-UP - MAY 1
Date: 22 Apr 2004
From: "James Lynch" {jly...@ucnj.org}
EARTH WEEK EVENT...RAHWAY RIVER CLEANUP
This year's Cub Scout Pack #30 Rahway River clean-up is scheduled for
Saturday, May 1st. This year we intend to focus on the section of the
North Branch (Bloodgood Branch) of the Rahway River upstream and
downstream of the dam at Winfield Park. It is our hope to have enough
folks that we can have teams work as far upstream as the Garden State
Parkway and downstream to Rahway River Park in Clark and Rahway. Hope
you will consider putting this event on your calendar.
Plans are to meet at the parking area adjacent to the waterfall of
the Rahway River by the dam at Winfield Park. The clean-up will
generally be between 9-1, but any amount of time or effort that folks
can volunteer is appreciated. This is an event where we hope to have
as many folks participate as possible. As always, there is a large
volume of debris and garbage to pick up, particularly downstream of
the dam in the area where the floodplain widens out. This includes
things like shopping carts, tires, and of course floatables (cans,
bottles, plastics,etc). The County generously supplies gloves and
garbage bags, and we solicit material donations (donuts, bagels,
coffee, bottled water, paper towels, hand-wipes, etc) for all
volunteers.
Last year, over 125 folks participated, including girl scouts, cub
scouts, boy scouts, fishermen, local activists and citizens, and we
pulled some amazing things from the river (see web-site). Sponsors
came through with coffee, bagels, danish, donuts, cookies, bottled
water, and juice boxes. We also had water bottles, coloring books,
posters and some T-shirts as giveaways for the participants. Info and
photos from last year are on the US Army Corps of Engineers web-
site...http://www.nan.usace.army.mil/harbor/rahway/phrway.htm An
inventory of some of the major debris that was removed is contained on
the web-site.
If you haven't participated in an event like this before, you would
find it invigorating, and you will feel good about what you have
done...they are also a lot of fun...especially for the scouts as they
always find something interesting. This adds both education and
adventure to the event. I also suspect that any child, or adult, who
participates in this kind of event, even just once, and sees the
terrible situation that floatable debris has on waterways, will be
sensitive in the way they chuck their trash for the rest of their
lives.
All participants should wear jeans, long-sleeved shirts, gloves and
boots, and waders are welcome for folks who like to really get into
the water. I very much recommend that each participant bring a
standard 5-gallon carry bucket with a handle (put your name on the
bottom)...this makes for easy carrying of "stuff" for transfer to the
large garbage bags. As was done in past years we also hope to put
together a "tiger" team of strong adults willing to get down and dirty
who can tackle some of the really big stuff that has been in the river
for years...like ttires and shopping carts. When we complete the event
we do a basic inventory of the "big stuff" that we removed...and
within approximately 24 hours Union County Parks removes and disposes
of all the trash. Then the pictures and inventory go up on a website.
There is no RSVP required but if you think you will attend please let
me know by email ( jjjjs...@comcast.net ).
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LAND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE AND EXPO - MAY 5-7
Date: 22 Apr 2004
From: "William Honachefsky" {william.h...@sprintmail.com}
HONACHEFSKY SPEAKS AT FIRST LAND DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE AND EXPO
More than 300 land development professionals from across the United
States will convene in Baltimore, May 5-7, for the first Land
Development Conference & Expo. Attendees include engineers, landscape
architects, surveyors, developers, builders, planners, government
personnel, and others involved in land and urban development. With
educational tracks on Executive Management, Sustainable Development,
Collaboration and Project Management, and Land Use Planning, Land
Development 2004 promises to be the most comprehensive event ever held
on land and urban development in the United States.
ECOLOGICALLY BASED LAND USE PLANNING -
THE TRUE DEFINITION OF SMART GROWTH
William B Honachefsky
The sprawling character of the nation's developing landscapes and the
resulting environmental impacts are making many Americans uneasy,
including the very land planners who are helping to create them. The
nation, however, is poised on the threshold of a renaissance that will
significantly alter the way Americans, and local governments in
particular, conduct the business of land planning. At the heart of
this reformation is an old idea given new life - ecologically-based.
This session will explore the evolution of ecologically-based land use
planning, the convergence with environmental protection, and a
detailed demonstration of how easily and quickly it can be implemented
using new tools such as GIS and ecological indicators.
William Honachefsky is an environmental scientist and a licensed
professional planner and licensed land surveyor in New Jersey. He has
been involved in land use planning and environmental protection for
more than 35 years. During that time, he has conducted more than 1,000
environmental investigations and collected thousands of samples of
soil, water, air, sediment, fish, and benthic macroinvertebrates. In
his career, he has worked for several private engineering firms, the
New jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the New Jersey
Department of Transportation, and the USDA Soil Conservation Service.
He is the author of three books on land use and environmental
protection. He also lectures and consults frequently on ecologically
based municipal land use planning and environmental protection issues
and is considered both a national and international expert in these
areas. He is the author of more than 60 published scientific reports
and papers on water resources and watershed protection, stormwater
runoff, soil erosion and sediment control, and local land use
planning.
http://www.landdevelopment2004.com/
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Many thanks to our Volunteers:
Tricia Aspinwall, Michele Cooklin, Jerry Cullins, Peter
Montague, Paul Neuman, Scott Olson, Mary Paist, Penny
Pollock-Barnes, Phil Reynolds, Pat Rolston, and to all
you folks out there who contribute in so many ways.
If you have a couple hours a week, and would like to
help out, please email us at: mai...@gsenet.org
George-Therese Dickenson - Editor - dick...@gsenet.org
Ivan Kossak - Executive Director - kos...@gsenet.org
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Back issues of the Garden State EnviroNews are available at
http://www.gsenet.org/library/11gsn/11gsn.php
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Garden State EnviroNet, Inc.
19 Boonton Ave, Boonton NJ 07005
Tel: 973-394-1313 - Fax: 973-394-9513
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