Environmental Defense Encouraged by Draft Regional Master Plan Unveiled by New Jersey Highlands Council

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Meg Little, mlittle@environmentaldefense.org, 202-572-3387
David Greenblatt, dgreenblatt@environmentaldefense.org, 917-763-3257

(Chester, NJ – November 30, 2006) Environmental Defense stated that it is encouraged by the draft regional master plan unveiled today by the New Jersey Highlands Council because it as an important step to preserve natural ecosystems and protect drinking water for all state residents. The plan was presented at a public working session featuring comments from residents and activists.

“Conserving natural areas in the New Jersey Highlands region represents the best hope for protecting the drinking water for local residents and northern New Jersey’s urban population,” said David Greenblatt, an analyst at Environmental Defense. “It also will preserve the natural areas that define so much of what is beautiful and ecologically valuable in this part of the state. That’s why Environmental Defense supports the most ambitious land conservation program possible.”

The plan features an ambitious transfer development rights program (TDR) that allows developers to pay for the rights to build at greater densities in designated growth areas that meet regional master plan standards and are approved by the affected municipalities than ordinarily allowed. The TDR program could help pay to save tens of thousands of acres of natural areas in the New Jersey Highlands region.

“A well-designed transfer of development rights program will be a win-win for the New Jersey Highlands,” said James T.B. Tripp, general counsel at Environmental Defense. “It will improve land conservation, help provide equity for impacted property owners and spur development that will minimize the environmental footprint of growth.”

Environmental Defense has been working with the Regional Plan Association and New Jersey Highlands Council staff on the refinement of our geographic information system (GIS) tool which is used to select appropriate areas for higher development that can serve as appropriate receiving areas for transferred development rights and calculate the amount of dollars that could be generated for land preservation.