Weekend Update to Status of Highlands Protection

According to news reports this weekend, “South Jersey legislators on the Senate Environment Committee agreed to support the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act and hurriedly scheduled a committee meeting for Monday” at 12:00 noon. The measure may also be considered in the Assembly Appropriations Committee later on Monday and, if approved by both committees, could be on the floor of the Senate and Assembly as soon as Thursday.

The Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act, if passed, will be the most important piece of environmental legislation in New Jersey in 25 years. If not passed during the final weeks of the legislative session, which ends June 30, the Legislature is unlikely to take this issue up again.

Please use this window of opportunity to pass this bill by taking the following actions:

• Come to Trenton on June 10 for a Lobby Day
• Make the phone calls to the legislators listed below as soon as possible
• Send a letter to your editor

Information on each of these actions is provided below and on our website www.nynjtc.org.

1. 1. Come to Trenton on June 10 for a Lobby Day.
   We will be scheduling meetings with key legislators, and it is critical that we have constituents and representatives of grassroots organizations at these meetings. We will be convening at 8:30 a.m. in Committee Room 16 on the Fourth Floor of the State House Annex, and you should plan on spending the entire day at the State House if possible.
   • Please RSVP to Dawn Serra at 609-737-7263 or highlandsco@earthlink.net with your name, phone number, e-mail and your legislative district or your address if you don’t know your district (district information is available on the Legislature's web site at www.njleg.state.nj.us). Tell her you are a Trail Conference member.
   • A continental breakfast and lunch items will be available in the committee room. You will receive directions and further details prior to the event.
2. Call your own Senators and Assembly people [Find their contact information at www.njleg.state.nj.us or our main page.] TODAY and tell them:
   
   • The Highlands provide drinking water and outdoor recreation for more than half of New Jersey’s residents;
   • Without state legislation, that watersheds and open space will be destroyed by sprawl;
   • To protect the Highlands by doing everything in their power to ensure passage of S1/A2635 without weakening amendments by the end of June.
3. If you have any questions about these activities, please call Ramon McMillan at the Trail Conference (201-512-9348).
4. Thank you for protecting the NJ Highlands!
   

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