New Jersey Launches Web Site To Save The Highlands
New Jersey residents now have a new web page to help them protect the Highlands, a 1,000 square mile area in the northwest part of the state, which is a vital source of drinking water for more than half of New Jersey’s families.
The region yields some 379 million gallons of water daily, but its drinking water sources and open space are experiencing tremendous pressure from population growth and development.
A new website located at: www.savethehighlands.org, will enable members of the public to share with state officials their priorities and suggestions for protecting the Highlands.
Governor James McGreevey said,”The new website gives New Jerseyans a quick and simple way to help us save the Highlands. It contains a survey and a comment form to allow individuals to provide input directly to our Highlands Task Force.”
The website contains educational and informational resources about the region and its importance to the state. It gives information about the Task Force and its goals as well as information on water quality, open space, farmland and smart growth.
McGreevey established the Highlands Task Force in September, with a charge of advancing conservation efforts and comprehensively reviewing measures that encourage land acquisition, regional planning and smart growth.
McGreevey has made protecting open space and drinking water in the Highlands a top priority. The McGreevey administration has preserved 50 farms, including 4,589 acres of farmland in the Highlands, protected nearly 17,000 acres of open space in and around the Highlands, and applied C1 designation — the highest form of protection available — to seven waterbodies in the region.
Last month, voters approved Public Question No. 1, which will provide $150 million toward the purchase of open space and farms throughout the state, including the Highlands region.
Provided by theEnvironmental News Service.