Gov. Acts to Protect Pinelands

Governor James E. McGreevey yesterday announced seven new appointees to the Pinelands Commission and signed an Executive Order placing a hold on water allocation permits and water use registrations in three Pinelands communities.

“It is vital that we respect and maintain the Pineland’s precious resources and rich history,” said McGreevey. “The measures we have taken today are essential if we are to balance appropriate growth with the protection of the Pinelands’ critical plant and animal habitats.”

The seven appointees to the Pinelands Commission include: the new chairman, former Governor Jim Florio; Edward Lloyd, an environmental legal expert; Betty Wilson, a former Assistant Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection; Mayor Robert Hagaman, lifelong resident of Mullica Township and member the Mayors’ Pinelands Council; Candace McKee Ashmun, a member of the Pinelands Commission since its inception in 1979 and former member of the State Planning Commission; Reverend Dr. Guy Campbell, a Burlington County Pastor and Stephen Lee, member of the Pinelands Commission since 1982 and operator of a Burlington County cranberry farm and blueberry nursery.

“Each of these individuals will play a crucial role in determining the future of the New Jersey Pinelands,” said McGreevey. “They share my commitment to balance appropriate growth with the protection of the Pinelands’ critical plant and animal habitats.”

New Jersey Senate must approve of all of the Governor’s Commission member appointments.

Responding to water shortages in Egg Harbor, Galloway and Hamilton Townships as a result of the drought, the Governor signed an Executive Order placing a hold on new or modified water allocation permits or water use registrations for water supply in these communities.

“While the drought has affected the entire state, it has been particularly severe on the Pinelands area,” said Governor McGreevey. “To date, Galloway and Egg Harbor Township have exceeded permitted water allocations and Hamilton Township faces similar shortfalls with their current water supply.”

As per the Executive Order, the permitting restrictions will be removed once the drought emergency is lifted.

Over the past 20 years, the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan has been the guiding force behind development in the Pinelands region. Under the direction of the Pinelands Commission, the plan guides the area’s new growth toward regional centers and aims to preserve land crucial for agriculture, natural habitat and for the protection of its water resources. The Commission is currently preparing a revised Plan.

The Pinelands region encompasses 1.1 million acres of vast unbroken forests of pine, oak and cedar – is the largest body of open space on the Mid-Atlantic coast. The region represents 22% of the state's total land area and includes all or parts of 56 municipalities.

In 1978, the U.S. Congress designated the Pinelands as the country’s first National Reserve and a year later, the State of New Jersey enacted the Pinelands Protection Act to preserve, protect and enhance the region's unique natural and cultural resources.

The Pinelands Commission consists of 15 members. Seven are appointed by the Governor of New Jersey and seven are appointed by each of the counties within the Pinelands (Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean). The remaining member is appointed by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.

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Author: Paul Aronsohn