How Far NJ Sierra Chapter Has Fallen – From Activists To Cheerleaders
Sierra Club NJ Chapter Director Anjuli Matos (C), a former DEP technician, is close to DEP Commissioner LaTourette (R). Ed Potosnak, NJ LCV on left.
“De-listing means thousands of acres of water front property open for development- We stopped a power plant in Bordentown because of eagles nest , or Petty’s Island etc.” ~~~ longtime activist
NJ Sierra Club is literally pitiful.
Under a misleading headline: “DEP Proposes to Lengthen the Endangered List“, the Chapter leads with pity:
Pity the poor rusty-patched bumblebee.
Yes, but pity the NJ Sierra Chapter, for a pitiful post that provides cover for the Murphy DEP’s proposed delisting of the bald eagle!
After leading with the pity for the rusty-patched bumblebee, Sierra then highlights the good news – the headline itself is really all you need to read – because this is all about providing cover for the Murphy DEP:
Under a Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) proposed rule, conservation status for this insect would be changed to endangered.
In all, 30 species would see increased concern under the proposed rule. They include butterflies, freshwater fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and land mammals.
Back in June, we warned that the Murphy DEP proposed to delist the bald eagle.
That was not only bad conservation policy and a dangerous precedent, but it would weaken land use regulations that protect eagle habitat, see:
Of course, that DEP proposal was supported by the NJ Builders Association – gee, I wonder why.
That controversial DEP June proposal is pending adoption right now.
The Murphy DEP obviously is looking for public support to soften the blow and shape the media’s coverage of their upcoming adoption of the proposal.
Which explains the timing of the NJ Sierra Club’s pitiful post.
The Sierra Club ignores this entire controversy.
Instead of criticism, they offer praise for DEP success:
To be sure, there are conservation successes, too, notably the bald eagle, which in the 1970s was reduced to just one nesting pair in a remote corner of Cumberland County. Now, there are 262 nesting pairs located throughout New Jersey. This is thanks largely to conservation efforts and the banning of DDT, a pesticide that made eggshells so fragile chicks could not hatch in the wild.
The bald eagle would see its conservation status changed from endangered to special concern.
The osprey is a similar success story. Its conservation status would be changed from threatened to stable. There are an estimated 800 nesting pairs of this apex, fish-eating predator in New Jersey.
That could have been written by the Murphy DEP press office (in fact, something very, very similar was, read and note the similarities:
When NJ Sierra Club is parroting DEP press releases, you know we’re in trouble. How far they have fallen since Jeff Tittel retired..
Curiously, after praising a delisting of Bald Eagle that will REDUCE habitat protections, Sierra end the post with this contradictory CYA statement:
The Sierra Club’s NJ Chapter is advocating for stronger protections for declining wildlife populations via greater curbs on habitat encroachment and incidental harm to animals.
Sierra can’t have it both ways! How can they support a delisting, which by definition reduces and weakens protections for habitat, and then claim to support “greater curbs on habitat encroachment” (and its a LOT more than “encroachment”, the builders will now be able to destroy habitat).
That was purely a throw away line tacked on to the end of the post to mislead readers and critics of the DEP proposal and Sierra’s failure to oppose it.
Sierra also understands the timing issue and the role they are playing to provide cover for DEP:
The DEP proposed rule was subject to a public comment period that has now ended, and a final rule was expected before the end of 2024.
Exactly. Pitiful clowns.