Make Me Smile

Alexauken Creek, West Amwell – Category 1 stream – downed trees provide habitat.

Recently, however, new laws continue to limit the availability of development in green spaces. More water bodies are now designated as Category One (C1), which have buffers of as much as 300 feet from the water, effectively eliminating those areas from being developed. In 2004, with the stroke of a pen the state preserved hundreds of thousands of acres in the Highlands region, rendering much of the area off-limits to building and hundreds of thousands of acres more subject to further planning requirements before development may occur.   ~~~~ Read the entire whine

Reading that MAKES ME SMILE! (listen) – and I used to be glad to go to work.

Ah, but that was then and this is now.

Does anyone still remember what the Category 1 program was?

The Christie DEP failed to honor the Gov.’s 2009 campaign promise to designate additional C1 waters and has not designated a single new C1 stream, despite Commissioner Martin’s own scientific staff recommendations to designate 121 new river miles.

The Highlands are magnificent, but that didn’t stop Gov. Christie from appointing cronies to dismantle the Regional Master Plan adopted pursuant to the Highlands Act and firing the Executive Director.

There has been very little sustained or critical press coverage of these betrayals (*none on the C1 issue), very little and ineffective criticism from Highlands advocates, and no legislative oversight.

I’m not smiling anymore – but it was good while it lasted.

*With the notable exception of Mike King in Phillipsburg, who has done great work, including litigation to enforce C1 buffers in local land use reviews.

View from High Point Wanaque Reservoir, Manhattan skyline