Trail Conference Position on Highlands Task Force

Date: January 17, 2004
To: Friends of the New York - New Jersey Trail Conference
From: Edward Goodell, Executive Director
Subject: Highlands Task Force Public Hearing (Please excuse duplicate postings on this topic.)

Last September, New Jersey Governor James McGreevey established a Highlands Task Force to create a concrete plan of action to "protect and preserve open space and natural resources of the Highlands region." This task force will hold a second and final public meeting at 7:00 p.m. this Tuesday, January 20 th at the Hall of Heroes in the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute, 281 Campgaw Road in Mahwah. (See directions below.)

This hearing is an excellent opportunity for you to express your support for protecting the New Jersey Highlands. You need not prepare an elaborate declaration, just your thoughts from the heart as if talking to a good friend.

If you have hiked in this area over the past decade, you no doubt have noticed the increasing amount of development visible from once unobstructed viewpoints. Since 1984, 65,000 acres - over 100 square miles - of the Highlands region have been lost to sprawl and the pace of development in the region has dramatically increased with the rate of loss of forested lands and wetlands more than doubling since 1995.

The fact is that population will continue to increase in this region and undeveloped lands will decrease. The challenge is to allow development where it is most appropriate and to protect lands where development is least appropriate.

The Trail Conference's vision for this region is an interconnected network of open space with state parks, wildlife management and watershed areas interconnected by hiking corridors and greenways. If there is one word that you should ask the Task Force to consider in it's recommendations to Governor McGreevey, it is CONNECTIVITY of open space.

To implement this vision will take regional planning and coordination between state and local agencies protecting land. We recommend that:

• A regional planning entity should be created by state legislation so that it has the clear legal authority, mission and independence to protect Highlands ' resources.
• The legislation should require municipal and state consistency with a comprehensive regional plan to ensure protection of critical lands and resources and to guide future development to appropriate locations.

Your vocal presence at this meeting will ensure that Governor McGreevey gets the message that significant and immediate efforts must be made to protect hundreds of thousands of additional acres in northern New Jersey .

If you cannot attend the hearing, the next best thing is to go to the following link and complete the short (5 questions) Highlands Protection survey. ( http://www.savethehighlands.org/survey.htm )

Directions to Bergen County Law & Public Safety Institute

281 Campgaw Road , Mahwah , NJ 07430
Telephone: (201) 785-6000

Rte. 4 WEST
At fork, bear right onto 208N; Exit on Ewing Avenue (first exit in Franklin Lakes ). Turn right onto Ewing Avenue . At stoplight, turn left onto Franklin for ½ mile. At VFW, make right onto Pulis for 1 mile. Left onto Campgaw, Institute is about 1 mile on the right.
Note: If you miss Ewing Avenue , the next two exits ( Summit and Colonial) lead to the Institute. Follow green signs.

RTE. 17 NORTH/SOUTH:
Take into Mahwah. Take MacArthur Blvd. exit (at MacArthur/Island Road exit) to end. Turn right onto Darlington ; left onto Seminary Road ; left onto Campgaw. The Institute is about ½ mile on the left.

RTE. 202/RAMAPO VALLEY ROAD:
Right onto Darlington , bear right at the fork onto Campgaw. The Institute is on the left.

GARDEN STATE PARKWAY NORTH & SOUTH:
Exit 160. Left onto Paramus Road . Travel 1/4 mile, take Rte. 4W/208N exit. Follow directions for Rte. 4.
Alternate: Exit 163 to Rte. 17N. Follow directions for Rte. 17N.

I-287: From 287 North to Rte. 208S, to Colonial Road exit. Go under Rte. 208, go north on Colonial Road to traffic light. At Franklin Avenue , turn right. Approximately 500 feet, turn left onto Pulis Avenue . Approximately 1 mile, turn left onto Campgaw Road . Institute is one mile on the right.

From 287 South, exit Rte. 17 South, follow Rte. 17North/South directions.

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