GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS 020404
mai...@gsenet.org
GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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{*} HIGHLANDS STUDY RELEASED, PROTECT 100,000 ACRES
{*} LAKE HOPATCONG WATER TO REPLENISH RESERVOIRS
{*} WHO'S FUNDING PROPOSED WATER MANAGEMENT?
{*} GOLF COURSE STILL POSSIBLE IN WEST MILFORD
{*} AIR POLLUTION FROM MOST OLD POWER PLANTS GETTING WORSE
{*} THE RELEVANCE OF GLOBAL WARMING IN YOUR LIFE
{*} ROXBURY BOY'S PARTY PROVIDES ECOLOGICAL BOOST
{*} ALL THINGS SEEM POSSIBLE IN THE SPRING
{*} VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR NORTH JERSEY RIVER CLEANUP PROJECT
{*} NEW SEASON BEGINS FOR HACKENSACK RIVER CANOE PROJECT
{*} 8TH ANNUAL MEMORIAL FLOUNDER TOURNAMENT
{*} MORRIS COUNTY'S GREEN TABLE - MAY 8
{*} PEQUANNOCK WATERSHED TOUR - MAY 18
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HIGHLANDS STUDY RELEASED, PROTECT 100,000 ACRES
Date: 020404
From: Stephen Koenigsberg {hiker...@yahoo.com}
US FOREST SERVICE RELEASES DRAFT OF HIGHLANDS STUDY & CALL TO ACTION:
REPORT URGES PROTECTION OF 100,000 ACRES OF PRIORITY LANDS TO PROTECT
WATER SUPPLIES
Highlands Coalition, April 4, 2002
The USDA Forest Service has released a draft today of the New York-
New Jersey Highlands Regional Study, an update to their previous study
of the region in 1992. The study update focuses on the 1.5 million
acre NY-NJ Highlands, which is part of the nearly 2 million acre
greater Highlands region that stretches from Reading Pennsylvania to
the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)
and Senator Robert Torricelli (D-NJ) were instrumental in securing the
necessary funding from Congress to update the study.
The draft report reinforces their earlier finding that the Highlands
region is of national significance, due to the diversity and quality
of its natural resources and landscape, all located within two hours
travel of over 20 million Americans. "This study confirms what the
Highlands Coalition has been saying for the last decade," said Michele
Byers of the NJ Conservation Foundation. "The Highlands are a
priceless source of clean water and open space for millions of
Americans, and these lands are being developed at a startling rate. We
must act now to protect the Highlands before we lose our water supply
and our quality of life."
Among the key findings regarding the critical resources of the
Highlands include:
- Highlands' surface water reservoirs are the major water-supply
source for numerous communities outside the Highlands, including
parts of New York City and 94 New Jersey Municipalities,
- These reservoirs are especially important because of their ability
to store water for use during critical times, such as prolonged
drought,
- 14 million people visit the Highlands each year for recreational
opportunities,
- 247 threatened and endangered species occur in the Highlands,
- The Highlands serve as a major migratory flyway for neo-tropical
bird species, of which many populations are in decline, especially
those that require large undisturbed patches of forest.
- Nearly 25% of the Highlands is comprised of large contiguous tracts
of forests more than 500 acres in size, which are critical to the
survival of species such as black bear, bobcat and river otter.
According to the report, approximately 20% of the Highlands region is
public or privately protected open space. Just over half of the region
is forested, but the vast majority of that forestland is privately
owned and threatened by increasing development pressure. The study
found that over 5,000 acres of land were developed a year in the NY-NJ
Highlands between 1995 and 2000. The rate of forest and wetland loss
increased from a rate of 830 acres a year between 1984 and 1995, to
3,400 acres a year between 1995 and 2000. An additional 1,600 acres of
farmland a year was lost between 1995 and 2000.
The report predicts that a 48% projected increase in population under
current zoning and land use laws will likely cause further conversion
of productive agriculture and forestlands, threatening critical
forested watersheds and water supplies. Twenty Highlands'
municipalities experienced greater than 20% population growth between
1990 and 2000. If current trends continue, ground water withdrawals
are expected to exceed local supply in a number of the Highlands'
watersheds, including the Ramapo, Whippanny, Pequest, Upper Delaware,
and Lopatcong. The Rockaways and Upper Musconetcong basins could also
experience similar shortages. The number of watersheds in the
Highlands likely to have high quality surface waters (less than 50%
impervious cover) could be reduced by as much as 50%.
"The Highlands region is the backyard and water source for the
metropolitan area," said Ella Filippone of the Passaic River
Coalition, "but it is changing fast. If current trends continue, the
quantity and quality of the water supply for millions of people will
be in serious risk. Especially in light of the recent drought, we must
act quickly to protect the critical forested watersheds in the
Highlands that safeguard our water, as well as the wildlife and
recreational opportunities that we so cherish."
According to the study, while all of the NY-NJ Highlands serves as
critical watershed lands, nearly 50% of the NY-NJ Highlands area was
ranked as having medium to high water resource values deserving
special attention. The report notes that 77% (294,000 acres) of these
high-value water resource lands deserve further protection.
The study ranks 38% (540,000 acres) of the Highlands as having
exceptional conservation value overall. Over half of these high-value
lands are unprotected from future land conversion or development and
deserve special consideration through either purchase as protected
open space, conservation easements or other policy arrangements.
Approximately 15% (98,000 acres) of the Highlands was mapped as having
a high likelihood of change and high conservation value and deemed a
priority for future open space purchase and land use planning.
Several major areas of high resource value were singled out as "gaps"
in conservation protection, including Depot Hill/Pawling/West Mountain
in Dutchess County NY, East Hudson Highlands in Dutchess and Putnam
Counties NY, Ft. Defiance Hill and Canopus Valley in Putnam and
Westchester Counties, west end of the New Croton Resevoir in
Westchester County NY, Tuxedo and Arden Farms area in Orange County
NY, Ramapo Mountains and Torne Valley in Bergen County NJ & Rockland
County NY, Wyanokie and Ramapo Highlands in Passaic and Bergen
Counties NJ, Pequannock watershed NJ, Lubber's Run area in Sussex
County NJ, Upper Pohatcong/Pequest area in Warren County NJ, and the
Scotts Mountain Area in Warren and Hunterdon Counties NJ.
"The Highlands Coalition has previously identified 180,000 acres of
priority lands in need of conservation throughout the NY-NJ Highlands,
at an estimated value of $750 million," said Jim Tripp of
Environmental Defense. "The Forest Service report has reinforced the
need to protect significant amounts of land in the Highlands and
identified important areas that should be high priorities for federal,
state, local and private land conservation funding."
The report identifies an array of opportunities and strategies that
can be adopted by all levels of government to protect the critical
resources of the Highlands, including implementation of the NJ State
Plan recommendations following recognition of the Highlands as a
"Special Resource Area", and the development of a "Highlands Greenway"
as part of the NYS Open Space Plan. The need for a state and federal
partnership is also recognized, modeled after the successful
preservation of Sterling Forest.
"Decision-makers at all levels of government must heed the dire
warning in this report regarding the risks to the water and other
critical resources of the Highlands if the status quo continues," said
Tom Gilbert of the Appalachian Mountain Club, Chair of the Highlands
Coalition. "Existing programs and authorities are insufficient to
prevent the steady loss of open space and erosion of water supplies in
the Highlands. State and local governments can't do it alone. The
federal government must be a full partner and make a significant
investment to help safeguard the future of this nationally significant
region."
The Forest Service has scheduled public listening sessions to hear
comments on the draft report on April 22nd, at 6:30 pm, at the
Frelinghuysen Arboretum in NJ, and April 23rd, at 6:30 pm, at the
Ramapo Town Hall in NY. The report is available on the web at
http://www.fs.fed.us/na/highlands/draft_report/. Comments may also be
submitted by e-mail to NA_Highl...@fs.fed.us.
* * *
The Highlands Coalition includes over 90 national, regional, state
and local organizations working together to protect and enhance the
sustainability of natural and human communities in the greater
Highlands region of PA, NJ, NY and CT. For more information about the
Highlands Coalition, see http://www.highlandscoalition.org, or call
609-818-0400.
Contacts: Tom Gilbert, Appalachian Mountain Club, Highlands Coalition
Chair, 609-818-1776
Jim Tripp, Environmental Defense, Highlands Coalition Vice-Chair,
212-616-1247
Michele Byers, NJ Conservation Foundation, Coalition NJ State Chair,
908-234-1225
Highlands Coalition
POB 118 Titusville, NJ 08560
609-818-1776,
fax: 609-737-7264
http://www.highlandscoalition.org
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LAKE HOPATCONG WATER TO REPLENISH RESERVOIRS
Date: 020404
From: http://www.newsday.com/
STATE WILL DRAW WATER FROM LAKE HOPATCONG TO REPLENISH RESERVOIRS
Associated Press, April 4, 2002
Trenton - The state plans to draw 25 million gallons a day from Lake
Hopatcong this summer to help replenish area reservoirs affected by
the ongoing drought.
The water will likely start flowing sometime this summer, after a
contractor is found to build pumps that would push the water through
pipes that connect the lake with the Rockaway River.
Dennis Hart, drought coordinator for the state Department of
Environmental Protection, said two pipes will draw water from Great
Cove on the border of Jefferson and Mount Arlington. He said the pumps
are needed because the pipes go over a small ridge before emptying
into the Rockaway River, about three miles away.
The water will then empty into the Boonton Reservoir, he said, for
use by the Jersey City water system or other reservoirs.
Some local officials said they were concerned about the plan, because
the state-owned lake is already is being depleted by the dry weather,
as well as by a dam that releases water into the Musconetcong River.
"Lake Hopatcong, whether they pump or not, is already looking at some
severe economic impacts," Don Feliciano, executive director of the
Lake Hopatcong Commission, told the Daily Record of Parsippany for
Thursday's editions. "That's pretty scary, because the lakes already
22 inches below normal."
Feliciano said a consultant hired by the commission estimated that
drawing 25 million gallons a day could reduce water level by a foot in
30 days.
The lake is the largest in New Jersey, with a volume of 1.47 billion
gallons. It was previously used as an emergency source of drinking
water in the 1980s, when its water also was drawn to help with drought
relief. However, the pumps used then have since been removed.
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Copyright (c) 2002, The Associated Press
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WHO'S FUNDING PROPOSED WATER MANAGEMENT
Date: 020404
From: http://www.nj.com/
By Pete McCarthy, Staff Writer, Bridgeton News, 04/04/02
There is a bill before the state Legislature that would require
county planning boards to incorporate regional water management before
approving any projects.
"What they are asking us to do is find the quality and quantity of
the water supply in an area to be developed," said Robert Brewer,
county planning director. "It would become a mandatory issue for site
plan approvals."
This will fall under the responsibility of the county engineer to
determine standards for these issues.
There is one problem.
"We don't have the tools to evaluate it," said Richard Gardella, the
county engineer.
In order to do these studies, the county would need to update what
they have and purchase technical resources.
With a $3.2 million budget deficit, this could be difficult.
"The county doesn't have anything in the budget for this," said
Brewer.
The county planning board is looking to the state for guidance,
according to Leslie Ficcaglia, the vice chairwoman of the board.
"The state is going to have to come down with some standards before
we can act on this," said Ficcaglia.
Unfortunately, those standards may not be appropriate to Cumberland
County, according to Gardella.
The planning board decided at Wednesday's meeting to revisit this
matter at their next meeting after a subcommittee looks into the
concerns.
But first the planners would like to get some assistance from the
state, which they have not received thus far, according to Brewer.
"What the state is saying is here's the problem, you deal with it,"
said Brewer. "What they are asking is a lot. This is not an easy
task."
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(c) 2002 New Jersey Online. All Rights Reserved.
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GOLF COURSE STILL POSSIBLE IN WEST MILFORD
Date: 020404
From: roh...@earthlink.net
By Matthew Brown, Staff Writer, bro...@northjersey.com Thursday,
Bergen Record, April 04, 2002
West Milford - Plans to build a golf course, conference center, and
hotel on township land off Macopin Road remain alive despite a council
resolution calling for "permanent preservation" of the 466-acre site.
Backers of the development have vowed to sway public opinion in favor
of the project.
"This town needs ratables," said Patrick Restaino, a 26-year resident
of the Newfoundland section. "I'm against building 500 units in the
middle of town. I'm against making the town look like New York City.
But we have the control to do this thing on our terms and make
something everyone can be proud of." As environmental groups have
stepped up pressure against the project, a 3-2 council vote approving
the preservation resolution appeared to deal the development a death
blow two weeks ago.
Opponents of the golf course said the vote would make possible a sale
of the property to the state's Green Acres program.
But Township Manager Kenneth Hetrick said Wednesday that the
resolution authorized no such action, and that he was not empowered to
negotiate with the state on terms of a possible sale.
"The vote was an expression of sentiment at that particular moment,"
Hetrick said. "Nothing has changed."
The township's partner in the golf course proposal, New York banker
Leonard Miller, also has sent West Milford a letter threatening to sue
for breach of contract over the resolution advocating the land's
preservation.
In recent months, the golf course has been a lightning rod for debate
over the future of West Milford.
Those in favor say it represents the township's last chance to bring
in a major tax-generating business. Those opposed characterize it as
an assault on the environment of the Highlands, and say it could open
the door to intense development across the township.
"West Milford has two incredibly valuable assets: open space and
water," said Don Weise, a township resident and a member of the New
York/New Jersey Trail Conference. "New Jersey needs our water, and we
are the upstate water source. New Jersey needs our open space, and we
are the upstate wild lands."
The project dates to 1996, when the township signed a development
agreement with Miller authorizing him to design a course on the
township's behalf.
In exchange, Miller would receive up to one-third of the project's
future revenues. He also has plans to build more than a dozen $700,000
homes on property he owns adjacent to the township's 466-acre site.
Miller said Wednesday that the design work would continue. Mayor
Robert Moshman has been among the most vocal backers of the project,
saying it would bring a much-needed boost to the township's tax base -
an estimated $1 million per year, he said. Moshman added that his
three colleagues who voted in favor of the preservation resolution -
Maria Harkey, Andrew Gargano, and Robert Szuszkowski _ had acted in a
"cowardly, underhanded way."
Opponents say they worry about the environmental impact of an 18-hole
course, conference center, and hotel that could lodge 150 people.
The project would use an estimated 100,000 gallons of water a day in
peak seasons, said Miller, who is trying to work out a deal to tap
into Newark's Echo Lake reservoir, which is nearby.
Groups including the Pequannock River Coalition and the New Jersey
Conservation Foundation contend that water use is simply too much,
given the frequent shortages that occur in the township.
They have also criticized a possible deal with the city of Newark
that would enable the township to build an access road into its 466
acres through the city's environmentally sensitive watershed land. In
exchange, the township would back Newark's effort to build a small
commercial development on adjacent watershed land. State permission
would be required for both aspects of that deal.
Despite the lawsuit threat, Miller said he is prepared to accept a
rejection of the golf course if that's what township residents want.
And if that's what eventually occurs, he still stands to profit.
Besides giving him one-third of golf course revenues, Miller's 1996
agreement with the town also entitles him to as much as one-third of
the proceeds if the township sells the land. That provision kicks in
as long as the selling price tops $4,000 per acre, adjusted for
inflation based on the dollar's 1996 value.
"I'm just going to watch what happens and read the newspapers,"
Miller said Wednesday. "I'm just an agent and adviser to the council."
* * *
Copyright (c) 2002 North Jersey Media Group Inc.
# # #
Robin O'Hearn
Membership & Outreach Coordinator
Skylands CLEAN, Inc.
Phone: 973-616-1006
Fax: 973-616-8838
roh...@skyclean.org
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AIR POLLUTION FROM MOST OLD POWER PLANTS GETTING WORSE
Date: 020404
From: http://njpirg.org/
AIR POLLUTION FROM MOST OLD POWER PLANTS GETTING WORSE, NOT BETTER
April 4, 2002
Trenton - Most of the nation's oldest and dirtiest power plants, are
actually getting dirtier, not cleaner, according to a new report
released today by the Clear the Air Campaign. "Darkening Skies: Trends
Toward Increasing Power Plant Emissions" comes just weeks after the
release of the Bush Administration's highly-touted "Clear Skies" power
plant initiative - and demonstrates significant inherent flaws in the
President's approach.
"Power plants across the country have become dramatically dirtier,
emitting tens of thousands of tons more of soot-forming sulfur
dioxide, smog-forming nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide, the leading
cause of global warming," said Energy Associate Emily Rusch of NJPIRG.
"This pollution causes serious health problems, such as asthma,
bronchitis, even premature death."
According to the new report, hundreds of power plants emit more
pollution today than just a few years ago, many increasing by
thousands of tons per year. For example, here in New Jersey carbon
dioxide produced in just five of our power plants increased by almost
four million tons from 1995 to 2000. The increases occurred despite
the Clean Air Act's "Acid Rain" program, which has been in place for a
decade and is frequently hailed as a great success.
Though the Acid Rain program has resulted in pollution cuts on a
nationwide scale, its "cap and trade" approach allows individual
plants to increase emissions if they buy "pollution credits" from
other plants that have cut their emissions more deeply than required.
Such increases can have dramatic public health and environmental
impacts on the communities adjacent to those power plants. Instead of
crafting a plan that would make every power plant clean up and thus
avoid these "hotspots," the Bush plan would actually expand the
concept of "cap and trade" to include mercury, a toxic pollutant. This
is of particular concern for New Jersey because the EPA has issued
mercury advisories for 100 percent of our lakes and rivers.
"What we've seen in the administration has been a cut of
environmental enforcement actions by 20 percent in the first year. Now
the administration is trying to implement a "No-Source-Review" program
for dirty power plants," said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey
chapter of the Sierra Club.
By analyzing Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emissions data
from 1995 and 2000, "Darkening Skies" finds that:
300 of the 500 dirtiest power plants increased their emissions of
sulfur dioxide, the pollution that forms "fine particle" soot and
causes asthma attacks, heart disease and even death. New research
published in the Journal of the American Medical Association earlier
this month shows that this pollution may also cause lung cancer. 263
of the 500 dirtiest power plants increased their emissions of nitrogen
oxides, the pollution that forms ozone smog and can trigger asthma
attacks. New research published last month shows that this pollution
may actually cause asthma in athletic children. Many of the plants
with the highest increase in emissions were located in places that can
least afford pollution increases - areas that are not meeting the 1997
national health standards for fine particles and ozone "smog."
Virtually all of New Jersey is classified as an "extreme and severe"
non-attainment area for national standards for ground level ozone.
"The lesson in this data is that we cannot rely on pollution caps to
ensure pollution reductions where they are needed most, where people
are suffering most from smog and soot in the air," said Rusch. "The
answer is to combine caps with modern pollution standards for all
plants, and to step up enforcement of current Clean Air Act rules,"
she continued.
New Jersey has firsthand experience with the effectiveness of modern
pollution standards. In late January of this year, PSE&G settled a
lawsuit with the Department of Justice to spend over $300 million
dollars to clean up its Mercer and Hudson plants. Currently the plants
are by far the two largest polluters in the state.
"Because of this settlement, New Jersey understands better than any
other state the importance of enforcement standards such as New Source
Review. The good news is that our statewide emissions of nitrogen
oxides and sulfur dioxide will decrease. However, New Jersey power
plants should also be reducing carbon dioxide, and challenging our
neighboring states to do the same, said Rusch."
The report finds that the absence of mandatory limits on carbon
dioxide has resulted in a sharp rise in total emissions of the gas,
which forms a heat-trapping blanket in the atmosphere that leads to
global warming. In fact, the 500 most polluting power plants increased
carbon dioxide emissions by thirteen percent in the six years studied.
The state of Texas had far and away the largest net CO2 increase from
its power plants, which collectively emitted 37 million tons more CO2
in 2000 than in 1995. In New Jersey, PSE&G's Hudson plant had the
greatest increase in CO2 emissions, over 2 million tons higher in 2000
than in 1995. PSE&G's settlement with the Department of Justice did
not include mandatory reductions for carbon dioxide.
"It has never been so clear that we need a serious plan to curb power
plant pollution, to protect the communities left out in the cold by
the current law," Rusch said. "Such a plan exists: the
Jeffords-Lieberman Clean Power Act (S. 556) in the Senate, and the
Waxman-Boehlert Clean Smokestacks Act (H.R. 1256) in the House. We
know what we need to do to clean up power plants, and we have the
technology to do it. We thank Senators Corzine and Torricelli for
sponsoring the Clean Power Act. New Jersey should be leading the way
to cleaning up our air and protecting our health.
* * *
For More Information:
Emily Rusch, NJPIRG
(609) 394-8155 x307
Jeff Tittel, Sierra Club
(609) 558-9100
The New Jersey Public Interest Research Group
Citizen Lobby and Law & Policy Center
11 North Willow Street
Trenton NJ 08608
609-394-8155
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THE RELEVANCE OF GLOBAL WARMING IN YOUR LIFE
Date: 020321
From: http://www.ahherald.com/
OLD OAK TRAIL
By Joe Reynolds
AH Environmental Commission Member
March 21, 2002
Winter has officially departed and spring is here. Yet, many people
could argue that winter never truly arrived this year. This winter
season in the Bayshore and Two River region of Monmouth County was
historic. Not only was it the warmest winter on record, but it was one
of the driest, which has left our reservoirs, such as Swimming River,
below their normal levels in March. Less celebrated records, however,
show that the ground never froze once this winter, flies and spiders
could be observed active throughout the winter, and flowers and trees
were budding in February. There were also many days in December,
January, and February that I viewed people wearing t-shirts, as there
were periods of record setting 60 to 70 degree temperatures.
Consequently, friends and family are asking me if this is due to
global warming.
Global Warming has typically been defined by scientists as a rise in
the earth's temperature due to an increase in emissions in the
atmosphere from carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide from the
burning of fossil fuels. Scientists have known since 1896 that these
gases (which are naturally present in the air) help to trap infrared
radiation from the sun in the earth's atmosphere to maintain our
planet's overall relatively warm temperature. Nevertheless, increased
energy consumption and production over the last 100 years by the
United States and other nations, such as Canada and Japan, has
elevated the amount of green-house gases in the atmosphere to
influence our physical environment.
The evidence for global warming is intense and contains more than
just a few warm winters. Since 1850, there has been a mean rise in
global temperature of approximately 1.8 Fahrenheit degrees and a 28
percent rise in carbon dioxide levels. Kirk Johnson, in a March 10,
2002 New York Times newspaper article titled, "When Good Winters Go
Bad," showed that during the last 100 years the average winter
temperature in New York City has risen to nearly 8 degrees from an
average temperature of 33.8 degrees. In Alaska, federal scientists
have discovered that shrubs are growing larger and spreading across
previously frozen territory in the tundra. NOAA researchers have also
found that sea surface temperatures throughout the tropics have
increased over the past 20 years, as much as half a degree per decade,
and that global sea level has risen by four to eight inches in the
past century. Additionally, about 82 percent of Tanzania's Mount
Kilimanjaro in Africa has melted over the past 100 years, and Peru's
Quelccaya ice cap in the Southern Andes Mountains has decreased by at
least 20 percent since 1963.
What effect does global warming have on residents in the Bayshore and
Two River region? NOAA scientists predict that changing patterns of
storm circulation will bring about within the next hundred years
extended periods of drought in the Northeast with brief intervals of
intense storms that could create rising floodwaters and economic
damage to our coastal and riverine properties. This means that when we
are not experiencing extreme dry conditions, we will have extreme
flash flooding conditions not only near the Bayshore coast, but also
along our local streams and creeks. There will also be an increase of
sea level rise by an additional 19 inches in the next hundred years,
which will bring about a loss of beachfront property from South Amboy
to the Highlands, and islands and barrier beaches could totally
disappear from Sandy Hook to Cape May. Wildfires and serious insect-
borne diseases could also multiply from an increase in warm conditions
to further impact quality of life conditions. Hence, global warming
means more than just mild winter temperatures.
What can be done to lessen the effects of global warming? Try to do
everything you can to preserve the natural environment in your local
community. Above all this means preserving open space, since trees,
meadows, wetlands, and diverse ecosystems are better able to soak up
carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Don't leave your car, lawn
mower, and other gas-powered engines idle, as gas fumes contribute up
to 70 percent of the carbon and smog in the United States, according
to the Environmental Protection Agency. Fundamentally, however, our
society needs to change the way we produce energy to cook, heat our
homes, and power our machines. We need to move away from gas, oil, and
coal-burning power plants to renewable non-polluting resources, such
as solar and wind. We also need to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by urging our state and federal political leaders to create
strong laws that sharply curtail the amount of emissions that
industrial plants discharge into our air, which belongs to everyone
and not just to big corporations. Therefore, a clean energy future for
the world becomes meaningful for the protection of our local Bayshore
and Two River region in New Jersey.
- - -
For more information, check out these websites:
http://www.nrdc.org/globalWarming/fcons.asp
http://www.sierraclub.org/globalwarming/
http://www.enn.com/indepth/warming/index.asp
http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/
http://www.noaa.gov/climate.html
* * *
Copyright (c) 1996- 2002 - Allan Dean - All Rights Reserved
Atlantic Highlands Herald
25 Second Avenue
Atlantic Highlands NJ 07716
(732) 872-1957
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ROXBURY BOY'S PARTY PROVIDES ECOLOGICAL BOOST
Date: 020404
From: http://www.nj.com/
By Giovanna Fabiano, Star-Ledger Staff, April 04, 2002
Eight-year-old Jordan Matelsky calls himself an environmental
activist.
At school, he encourages other second-graders to forfeit their
Whiffle ball games and join his litter club, where kids spend recess
picking up trash around the playground.
On weekends, when he takes his 5-year-old sister, Loren, bike riding
around their Roxbury neighborhood, she comes home with a basket filled
with cigarette butts and McDonald's wrappers.
And his favorite hobby is taking care of his three pets: a goldfish
named Joy, an African claw frog named Jeremiah, and a fish named
Snoozy, "but he doesn't really snooze, so I'm going to change his
name," Jordan said.
"I always loved animals, and I want them to have a safe place to
live," said Jordan, who attends the Kennedy School in Succasunna. "I
was always concerned about the environment, and I wanted to teach kids
about how to help out."
So when Jordan told his parents he wanted to start a Morris County
chapter of KidsFACE (Kids For A Clean Environment), they weren't too
surprised, said his father, Paul Matelsky. KidsFACE is a national
community service organization that teaches children about the
environment and encourages them to participate in nature activities.
"He's always been really concerned about animals and the environment
... His mother and I have never been fanatics in any way, we just make
a point of not littering, but for a while there we wondered if Jordan
was going to stop eating meat," Matelsky said.
"He's a typical 8-year-old who comes home from school with his
pockets full, except his pockets have cigarette butts, paper and
broken pencils in them everyday."
The family kicked off the organization yesterday at Jordan's birthday
party at the Black River Barn in Randolph, where two dozen of his
friends planted a tree and spent the day learning about the
environment.
As a swift westerly wind came off Randolph Lake, the children,
wearing neon gardening gloves, lifted a Northern red oak into a nearby
ditch with the help of a few grown- ups. Hauling shovels, they worked
together to secure the tree in a tall mound of sand before running
inside for the next activity: constructing a bird feeder.
"Name some animals that live in trees," Jordan's mother, Robin,
quizzed the children, as they waited to receive their tools.
"Birds, squirrels, bugs and sometimes bears and skunks," said
7-year-old Jared Chontow of Hopatcong. "This is the No. 1 party I've
been to because we got to help people by planting a tree because trees
give people air."
Each child received a booklet about KidsFACE and a membership packet
for their parents, said Jordan's mother, Robin Matelsky, who organized
the event. Jordan came across the KidsFACE Web site about a month ago
while surfing the Internet looking for sites on the environment. After
begging his parents to start the club, they did some research and
contacted a number of local politicians, she said.
Instead of candy-filled goody bags, the children went home with their
new bird feeders and a bag of birdseed.
"Planting the tree was the best part ... even though it was really
windy, I knew I was going to help the environment so I kept doing it,"
said 7-year-old Alexander Raff of Randolph.
"I'm really happy with the way my birthday party turned out. It was
learning in a fun way," Jordan said.
To find out more about Morris County KidsFACE, e-mail
mckid...@juno.com or write to Morris County KidsFACE, POB 599,
Morris Plains, NJ 07950.
* * *
Giovanna Fabiano works in the Morris County bureau. She can be reached
at gfab...@starledger.com or (973) 539-7910.
Copyright 2002 The Star-Ledger
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ALL THINGS SEEM POSSIBLE IN THE SPRING
Date: 020404
From: "Jay Biskup" {ja...@njconservation.org}
THE STATE WE'RE IN
Column by Michele S. Byers, Executive Director
New Jersey Conservation Foundation
April 3, 2002 - Volume XXXII, No. 13
"The world's favorite season is spring. All things seem possible in
May."
When famed naturalist Edwin Way Teale penned those words for his 1951
work, North with the Spring, he was following the season as it
advanced northward from Florida to Canada, traveling through 23 states
over the course of 130 days.
For the less ambitious among us, you need only travel outside your
door to see the signs of spring everywhere.
Spring brings back hidden wetlands plants like skunk cabbage. Signs
of skunk cabbage disappear completely over the winter when the plant
dies back, leaving only underground stems to resprout the next spring.
In March or April, reddish-green "pulpits" poke through wetland soils
where they thrive, their flowers concealed within.
Red maple, one of New Jersey's most common forest trees, also blooms
early, casting a red haze across woodland canopies. This multitude of
blossoms provides many spring species of small forest bees with an
abundant source of pollen.
Spicebush is blooming bright yellow in New Jersey's hardwood forests
- just one sign of reawakening verdant life. Although pollinated in
April, the spicebush fruits won't ripen until late August, when
fruit-eating birds consume the fat-laden red berries on their
southbound migration.
Animals also reappear as the warmer weather and nourishing rains (we
hope) envelop New Jersey. Chipmunks and squirrels are more active this
time of year, and groundhogs are up and about, getting back into a
regular routine after their February weather-forecasting gig is over.
Eagle, hawk, and owl chicks hatch in March and April, as mammals are
easy prey before leaves emerge.
Warblers returning to New Jersey from the tropics are predictable
signs of spring, arriving in time to pick young caterpillars off
emerging leaves. Prothonotary warblers can be heard singing in
southern New Jersey swamps in mid- April, and worm-eating warblers
arrive on their mountainside meeting grounds in northern New Jersey
around the beginning of May.
In many areas, reptiles are as much a part of spring as birds. Snakes
welcome the warm spring sunshine by basking on rocks in the sun.
Spring peepers are heard singing from shrubby wetland vegetation,
alongside grasslands, wooded areas, and Pine Barrens habitats. As
these frogs breed in early March through May, you may hear their loud,
high- pitched peeping, repeated in quick succession at rates of up to
4000 times per hour!
On a quieter note, you may see male mourningcloak butterflies perched
in the sun during spring afternoons, waiting for females to flutter
by. Mourningcloaks spend the winter as adults frozen in
"cryo-preservation" in tree cavities or beneath loose tree bark -
anywhere they can fit - to protect them from winter winds and hide
them from birds and squirrels. It's no wonder they wake up ready to
mate after only a brief aerial courtship!
After all, in "The World-Soul," from his 1867 May-Day and Other
Pieces, Ralph Waldo Emerson, noted another thing spring is best known
for:
"Spring still makes spring in the mind
When sixty years are told:
Love wakes anew this throbbing heart,
And we are never old."
All of us at New Jersey Conservation Foundation hope you are captured
by spring's infectious sense of life and renewal!
I hope you'll contact me at 1-888-LAND-SAVE or
in...@njconservation.org, or visit NJCF's website at
http://www.njconservation.org, for more information about conserving
New Jersey's precious land and natural resources.
* * *
Jason Biskup
Development & Communications Coordinator
New Jersey Conservation Foundation
Bamboo Brook
170 Longview Road
Far Hills, NJ 07931
(908) 234-1225
(908) 234-1189 [fax]
ja...@njconservation.org
http://www.njconservation.org
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VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR NORTH JERSEY RIVER CLEANUP PROJECT
Date: 020404
From: "Robin O'Hearn " {roh...@earthlink.net}
By Jan Barry, ba...@northjersey.com
Bergen Record, April 4, 2002
The work is wet and wild, and the payoff is having helped Mother
Nature with spring cleaning: Volunteers are being sought for river
cleanups this weekend in five North Jersey locations.
The sites in Mahwah, Wanaque, Pequannock, Pompton Lakes, and on the
border of Jefferson and West Milford, are along stretches of three
Highlands rivers - the Pequannock, Ramapo, and Wanaque - that harbor
substantial wildlife and are tapped by area water systems.
Where egrets fish and trout leap for flies, the river bottoms and
underbrush-covered banks are littered with discarded tires, soda cans,
and other debris.
"These materials biodegrade and pollute the water and kill the fish,"
said Allison Moehlis, outreach coordinator for the Passaic River
Coalition, a citizens group focused on cleaning up waterways in the
Passaic River basin. Pollution from discarded debris also affects
municipal and private wells along these streams and river water that
is pumped into the Newark, Wanaque Reservoir, and Passaic Valley Water
Commission systems. These reservoir and river pumping stations provide
drinking water to more than 2 million North Jersey residents.
"Cleaning the rivers will help care for our drinking water supply,"
Moehlis said. And it's also fun, she added, to work with a group of
people of all ages splashing in the water and dredging up trash.
With the rivers low due to drought, this is a good time to get trash
out of the rocky river beds, she said.
"You feel good after you walk away from doing this - you feel like
you've made a contribution," Moehlis said.
Volunteers are advised to wear old clothes and bring work gloves.
Trash bags and gloves for people who don't have any were donated by
Home Depot, she said.
The cleanup is sponsored by the state Department of Environmental
Protection's Watershed Management Area 3, in partnership with the
Passaic River Coalition, Pequannock River Coalition, East Jersey Trout
Unlimited, and Skylands CLEAN.
For information and directions, call Moehlis at (908) 766-7550.
On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to noon, cleanup will take place at Bergen
County's Ramapo Reservation in Mahwah, off Route 202; Aquatic Park in
Pequannock, off Route 23; and Back Beach Park in Wanaque, off Fourth
Avenue.
On Sunday, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., there will be a cleanup at the
Davenport Road Bridge in Jefferson-West Milford, off Oak Ridge Road;
and, from noon to 3 p.m., at Joe Grill Field in Pompton Lakes, off
Riverdale Boulevard.
* * *
Copyright (c) 2002 North Jersey Media Group Inc.
# # #
Robin O'Hearn
Membership & Outreach Coordinator
Skylands CLEAN, Inc.
Phone: 973-616-1006
Fax: 973-616-8838
roh...@skyclean.org
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
NEW SEASON BEGINS FOR HACKENSACK RIVER CANOE PROJECT
Date: 020404
From: Kat...@HackensackRiverkeeper.org
HACKENSACK RIVERKEEPER LIVERY SERVICE SET TO RE-OPEN ON APRIL 6
April 3, 2002
Secaucus - On Saturday, April 6, 2002, Hackensack Riverkeeper will
open the fourth season of its Canoe Livery in Laurel Hill County Park.
The canoe livery is the first and only small boat rental facility on
the Hackensack River in more than fifty years. "It's wonderful that we
can bring this recreational, educational and environmental activity
back to the citizens of the Hackensack River watershed" said project
manager Jared Eudell.
Paddlers that visit the livery - located near the shade of Laurel
Hill and the New Jersey Turnpike - require only a 10 minute journey
across the river until the sights and sounds of industry and
transportation disappear and the landscape becomes a vast sea of
Phragmites and Spartina grasses, inhabited by dozens of species of
waterfowl, and other birds. With luck, paddlers may even glimpse
diamondback terrapins, turtles that inhabit brackish marshes. Paddlers
can rent canoes on weekends from 10 am until 6 pm through the end of
May. Beginning in June, the livery will be open Wednesdays through
Sundays from 10 am to 6 p.m. Upon arriving, paddlers are issued
personal flotation devices and paddles and are given a short
instructional and safety demonstration before taking to the river.
The four-hour rental agreement is time enough for a trip through the
Sawmill Creek Wildlife Management Area - the "jewel of the
Meadowlands," or along the River to nearby marshes and creeks. Each
spot in the Meadowlands has a slightly different character with
variable riverscapes, habitats and wildlife. The fees are $20 per boat
for a four-hour rental and $30 per boat for a rental up to eight
hours. Guided canoe tours are also available for an additional $25 per
group.
A number of new activities are planned for this season. Repeat
paddlers can earn credits toward discounts on canoe rentals and other
Hackensack Riverkeeper programs. Six monthly open guided tours are
scheduled. Those so wishing may also register for a new Eco-Canoe
summer camp that will take people throughout the upper and lower
sections of the Hackensack River Watershed. More information about
these programs, as well as directions to Laurel Hill County Park, can
be obtained by calling 201-692-8440 or via the Internet at
http://www.hackensackriverkeeper.org/canoeproject.html.
* * *
Hackensack Riverkeeper
1000 River Road I TO9OC - Teaneck, NJ 07666
201-692-8440 / 201-692-8449 (FAX)
Hugh@HackensackRiverkeeper org
Kat...@HackensackRiverkeeper.org
http://www.HackensackRiverkeeper.org
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
8TH ANNUAL MEMORIAL FLOUNDER TOURNAMENT
Date: 020404
From: {Outr...@CleanOceanAction.org}
Clean Ocean Action Press Release, March 27, 2002
Don't be a doormat. Fish for flounder for flat out fun. Clean Ocean
Action (COA), Bahr's Landing in Highlands, and the Skipper's Shop in
Atlantic Highlands are hosting the Eighth Annual John Murphy/Bob
Hunter Memorial Flounder Tournament on Saturday, April 6th, at a new
location - Bahr's Landing. Weigh-in will be held at Bahr's Landing
from 2pm to 5:30pm. This is a unique NO ENTRY FEE - no registration
fishing tournament to support efforts to improve ocean water quality
and to celebrate the contributions of local fishing legends and
champions of the Jersey Shore, Bob Hunter and John Murphy.
A $300 prize awaits the angler catching the heaviest fish. Second
prize is $150 and third prize is $75. $25 prizes are awarded to the
boy and to the girl 12 years old or younger who weigh-in the heaviest
fish in that category. One rule applies: flounder must measure at
least twelve inches for weigh-in eligibility. This requirement helps
ensure the health of the Winter Flounder population by giving the
opportunity to the female flounder to spawn at least twice. Weigh-in
will be held at Bahr's Landing from 2:00pm to 5:30pm. There will be
door prizes, raffles, refreshments, and more. All are invited to start
the day with the traditional "Blessing of the Waters" at 9:00am with
clergy and elected officials and a continental breakfast, courtesy of
Bahr's Landing.
Jean Horgan, a long-time Flounder Tournament Committee Member says,
"I'm happy that Bahr's is joining us this year. This is an event the
whole fishing community looks forward to. We get to see people we
haven't seen since last year, and everyone has a good time."
Sponsors, including Monmouth County Department of Economic
Development & Tourism, Hunterdon Brewing Co., Brookdale Community
College, Highlands Business Partnership, Highlands Chamber of
Commerce, and Lusty Lobster Seafood Market, help fund the tournament
to support COA's efforts to clean-up, protect, and preserve our
coastal waters.
Each year this event helps launch the new season and reels in
hundreds of early season competitors and enthusiasts. For questions or
information about sponsorships or gift raffle donations, please call
Mary-Beth Thompson at Clean Ocean Action, 732- 872-0111.
* * *
Kari Jermansen Outreach Director
Clean Ocean Action
PO Box 505 Sandy Hook, NJ 07732
PH: (732) 872-0111
FAX: (732) 872-8041
http://www.CleanOceanAction.org
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
MORRIS COUNTY'S GREEN TABLE - MAY 8
Date: 020404
From: 973-829-8120
YOU'RE INVITED
Wednesday, May 8, 2002
8:00 am to 10:00 am
Haggerty Education Center
The Frelinghuysen Arboretum
53 East Hanover Avenue
Morris Township
- - -
EXPANDING MUNICIPAL OPEN SPACE DOLLARS
. . .
WELCOME:
Russ Felter, Morris County Park Commission
INTRODUCTION TO EXPANDING OPEN SPACE DOLLARS:
AN ALTERNATIVE FOR LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES
David Epstein, Morris Land Conservancy
BONDING MUNICIPAL OPEN SPACE TRUST FUNDS:
Mayor Benjamin L. Spinelli - Chester Township
Joseph Kelly, CPA - Lerch, Vinci & Higgins
Roger Clapp, Esq.Ä Cooper, Rose & English, LLP
CONTINUATION OF REGIONAL DISCUSSIONS FOR LOCAL LAND PRESERVATION
Meet with local leaders to discuss OPEN SPACE in Morris County
- - -
Green Table Steering Committee:
Morris County Park Commission; Morris Land Conservancy; Morris Trails
Conservancy; Morris County Department of Planning and Development; New
Jersey Conservation Foundation; Achenbach & Associates LLC; Whippany
River Watershed Action Committee; Chatham Township; Passaic River
Coalition; Preserve Our Wetlands Water Woods
RSVP: Morris County Park Commission (973) 326-7622
http://www.parks.morris.nj.us
Continental breakfast will be served at 8:00 a.m.
* * *
Morris County Green Table
POB 1295
Morristown NJ 07962-1295
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PEQUANNOCK WATERSHED TOUR - MAY 18
Date: 4 Apr 2002
From: ross.k...@alltel.com
On May 18th the Pequannock River Coalition is hosting a second van
tour of the Pequannock Watershed. Join us as we explore the many
treasures, troubles and triumphs of this wonderful region.
Participants will be shuttled from Bloomingdale to a variety of
informational stops with brief lectures, walks and short hikes. Sites
will include Bloomingdale's Federal Hill, Rockaway's Timberbrook
Wetlands, the Norvin Green connector (formerly known as the West
Milford golf course!), Oak Ridge Reservoir in Jefferson and others.
Lunch is provided. Pre-registration is required. This event is free
but is open only to adults.
To sign up, or for more information, contact us via e-mail response
or by phone at 973-492-3212.
Thanks!
Ross Kushner
Pequannock River Coalition
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Complete Calendar Listings at: http://www.gsenet.org/calendar.htm
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Back issues of the Garden State EnviroNews are available at
http://www.gsenet.org/library/11gsn/11gsn.htm
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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Tel: 973-394-1313 - Fax: 973-394-9513
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