In This Issue

REPORT 

WINTER 2006 

In This Issue: 

3 Habitat Strategies for NJ 

5 NJDEP’s Initiatives 

and Honor for Richard J. Sullivan 

6 ANJEC in the City: Redevelopment 101 

8 Environmental Achievement Awards 

11 Environmental Commissions’ Grant Primer 

13 Resource Center – Groundwater in NJ II 

14 Good Earthkeeping 

15 Smart Growth Updates 

16 Open Space and Ratables Chase 

19 ANJEC Trustees and Staff

Director’s 

Report 

What Makes a Good Leader? 

Last fall 36 environmental commissioners, planning 

board members, and nonprofit leaders participated in 

ANJEC’s first leadership training course which focused on 

leadership, conflict resolution and community outreach. 

The participants brought unique insights and experience 

in municipal environmental issues. 

This course caused me to reflect and expand my thoughts 

on a true leader’s traits. Are you born with leadership, or 

can training enhance the leadership abilities we all have? 

Leaders are more than effective managers of people, 

budgets and projects. They exemplify specific traits that 

allow them to stand apart. 

Workshop presenter Dr. Mary Powers Nicola from 

Rutgers Cooperative Research and Extension discussed five 

practices identified by renowned leadership researchers 

Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner. With these approaches 

leaders are able to make extraordinary accomplishments. 

● Model the way, 

● Inspire a shared vision, 

● Challenge the process, 

● Enable others to act, and 

● Encourage the heart. 

Anyone who “models the way” behaves consistently 

with personal values. For example, if a large landowner 

serves on an open space committee, you can bet he or she 

has preserved that land and is practicing exemplary open 

space stewardship. Modeling the way can be done quietly 

or publicly, but commitment to the issues has personal 

meaning and influences this person’s lifestyle. With an 

ongoing commitment to the cause, this individual is not 

easily defeated, despite small setbacks. 

One of the most important leadership traits is to “inspire 

a shared vision” by imagining future exciting and ennobling 

possibilities, and expressing this vision in a way that 

brings others on board. A well-understood and shared 

vision can become a strong group motivator. A leader must 

also inspire a vision broad enough to be reached by many 

avenues, allowing those with differing values to arrive at a 

common endpoint. 

Leaders search for opportunities through innovative 

ways to change, grow and improve. By “challenging the 

process” they often must first question decision-making 

procedure to ensure possible better outcomes. This ability 

to “think outside the box” can be risky and meet with 

institutional resistance. However, by constantly generating 

small wins and taking calculated risks, one can improve 

the process. 

Cover: ANJEC 2005 Environmental Congress at Mercer County 

Community College Conference Center, by Gary Szelc 

“Enabling others to act” is another trait exemplified by 

leaders. In the world of volunteerism, enabling others is 

sometimes not as difficult as motivating others. A good 

manager delegates, whereas a good leader defines the 

problem and seeks solutions from others. Listening skills 

are critical, as is the ability to seek input from others to 

define appropriate action. 

Lastly, an effective leader has the ability to “encourage 

the heart.” A leader takes the time to learn why others are 

drawn to the cause and helps them become involved in a 

way to create personal satisfaction. A leader fosters 

collaboration by building trust and sharing power. Of 

course, a leader always shares the credit, doesn’t need to 

stand in the limelight, and can be comfortable working 

behind the scenes. 

Most environmentalists already have many of these 

traits. Without vision, why would we continue to tackle 

the day-to-day issues? Working with government we’ve 

come to accept that changes come slowly and often with 

personal sacrifice. The surprising outcome of ANJEC’s 

leadership course was that all the participants reported a 

sense of renewed commitment and motivation. We clearly 

need to take time out to reflect, regroup and feed the spirit 

as we continue to work toward our goals. We must 

continue to reach out to others who may share our vision 

so that we can meet our objectives by working together. 

REPORT 

Sandy Batty 

Executive Director 

Library Subscription $18.00 

ISSN 1538-0742 

Vol. 26 / No. 1 WINTER 2006 

566 MUNICIPALITIES ............................. ONE ENVIRONMENT 

Executive Director ................................................................. Sandy Batty 

Editor ........................................................................................ Sally Dudley 

Advertising Coordinator ............................................... Margaret Davey 

The Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions is a private, 

non-profit educational organization serving environmental commission and 

open space committee members, concerned individuals, non-profits, and 

local officials. ANJEC’s programs aim to promote the public interest in 

natural resource preservation, sustainable development and reclamation 

and support environmental commissions and open space committees 

working with citizens and other non-profit organizations. 

The REPORT welcomes articles and photographs but is not responsible for 

loss or damage. Opinions expressed by guest authors do not necessarily 

reflect ANJEC policy. Articles may be reprinted with permission and credit. 

Please address correspondence to ANJEC REPORT, PO Box 157, 

Mendham, NJ 07945; tel: 973-539-7547; toll-free number for members: 

888-55ANJEC (888-552-6532); fax: 973-539-7713. E-mail info@ANJEC.org. 

Web site: www.anjec.org. 

2 ANJEC REPORT - Winter 2006

Habitat Strategies 

for New Jersey: 

The Path to Sustainability 

By Barbara Palmer, ANJEC Land Use and State Plan Project Director 

By popular demand, ANJEC invited Michael W. Klemens, Ph.D., Senior 

Conservationist with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and founder of its 

Metropolitan Conservation Alliance (MCA) to give the keynote address at the 32 nd 

annual Environmental Congress in October 2005. 1 

The Threat of Habitat 

Fragmentation 

Dr. Klemens treated Congress 

attendees to a compelling speech about 

the importance of smart land use 

planning for the successful preservation 

of habitat. He stressed the interrelated 

issues that link habitat protection for 

wildlife and humans. Wildlife conservation 

aims to preserve the diversity of 

genetic variation, species, and ecosystems. 

“Biodiversity is our sense, what 

makes each place unique,” Dr. Klemens 

stated. All species need genetic 

variation to survive. Unfortunately, he 

said, 75 percent of our species are in a 

long-term, non-cyclical decline. The 

overarching threat to biodiversity is the 

fragmentation of habitat. 

Dr. Klemens addressed the size of 

habitat land different species need. 

Depending on the scale, the local 

response has to vary. 

● Macro-scale, for species such as the 

bobcat or the timber rattlesnake, 

applies to suitable landscapes of 

10,000 acres or more. This means 

that habitat crosses political boundaries, 

and planning for it needs to be 

regional. 

● 

● 

Meso-scale, for species such as the 

wood turtle, applies to suitable 

landscapes of 1,000 to 5,000 acres. 

Habitat planning needs to be local 

and regional. 

Micro-scale, for species such as the 

bog turtle or the American toad, has 

site specific needs that must be 

addressed at the local level. 

PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER 

Dr. Michael Klemens 

Wilson Studios 

For all habitats, Dr. Klemens stressed 

the importance of preventing fragmentation. 

To allow the flow of both 

animal and plant species, we need 

open spaces. He noted that wildlife 

travels across the landscape in wide 

swaths, like the sheet flow of water, not 

in corridors. Habitat islands are 

vulnerable to species extinction. 

He also emphasized the importance 

of preserving whole ecosystems. 

Presently, regulations protect vernal 

pools and wetlands if they contain 

threatened or endangered species. To 

support species, the pools and wetlands 

need to exist in an ecological network 

of habitats. For their continued survival, 

species like the spotted turtle, for 

instance, need landscape mosaics 

consisting of maple wetland forests for 

hibernation, vernal pools and forests 

for foraging, and sand banks for laying 

eggs. Protecting only the wetlands does 

not give the species enough suitable 

habitat to continue to exist with a 

stable population. 

Dr. Klemens lays the blame for 

habitat fragmentation squarely on 

urban sprawl. The increased inland 

consumption has outpaced population 

growth by a factor of up to15 to 1. 

Current planning is driving us to 

spread out across the landscape. 

According to Klemens, the change 

began in the 50s with the spread of the 

interstate highway system. Combating 

sprawl will take leadership and action 

from all levels of government. Since 

local governments make the majority 

of land use decisions, he stressed that 

the citizenry needs to be informed and 

engaged. “The costs and the effects of 

sprawl are far more wide- reaching 

than we ever imagined,” he stated. 

How to Combat Sprawl 

Dr. Klemens discussed several 

necessary approach changes to achieve 

smarter land use and habitat protection. 

He asks that conservationists work 

at showing alternatives, not just saying 

“No.” It is the role of environmental 

commissions and all planners to 

1 

With a doctorate in conservation biology and ecology, Dr. Klemens has been on the American 

Museum of Natural History’s staff since 1979. After almost three decades of herpetological research in 

the US and Africa, he concluded that bringing about tangible conservation results means that scientific 

research cannot be conducted in a vacuum. In 1997 Dr. Klemens founded the Wildlife Conservation 

Society’s Metropolitan Conservation Alliance (MCA) to bridge the gap between conservation science 

and land use planning processes. Through MCA, he has translated biological data and conservation 

concepts into planning tools that achieve better conservation at local and regional scales. 

ANJEC REPORT - Winter 2006 3

demand prudent and feasible alternatives 

to sprawling growth. He noted 

that environmentalists tend to focus 

too much on threatened and endangered 

species (T&E). “This is important,” 

he stressed, but the T&E species 

are actually the critically ill patients. 

It is very difficult to bring them back. 

“We need to focus on the 75 percent 

of species in decline to make sure 

they never become threatened 

and endangered.” 

Dr. Klemens also pointed to the 

need for standardized survey techniques. 

People often do not understand 

environmental issues and see 

those matters of public concern as 

questions fought out by dueling 

consultants. He noted that we rely 

overly on regulations. “They only 

protect pieces,” he said, and he also 

called on environmentalists to shift 

their focus from mitigation to avoidance. 

“Mitigation is imperfect,” he 

pointed out. “Avoiding the impact is 

far more effective.” 

The Role of Local Communities 

Dr. Klemens also moderated a 

Congress workshop, The Link Between 

Intact Ecosystems and Livable Human 

Communities that outlined the important 

role of environmental commissions 

and municipalities in preventing 

habitat fragmentation. Panelist Eileen 

Swan of New Jersey Conservation 

Foundation presented a series of 

Garden State Greenways maps showing 

how sprawl results in segmented 

people and fragmented species 

habitats. Garden State Greenways offer 

a municipal on-line planning tool 

(www.gardenstategreenways.org) to 

coordinate conservation efforts. 

Noting that conservation protects 

the quality of life, panelist Eric Stiles, 

vice-president for Conservation and 

Stewardship at New Jersey Audubon 

Society called for actions to raise the 

awareness and passion of local 

communities to protect their habitats. 

He cited the need for New Jersey to 

adopt proposed regulations to protect 

threatened and endangered species 

through state permits and municipal 

zoning ordinances. 

Panel member Michelle Knapik, 

Environmental Program Officer of the 

According to Klemens, environmentalists 

should ask, what is the ecological 

carrying capacity of a piece of land? 

Municipalities need to understand the 

landscape in a detailed way. They need 

to map out the sensitive areas by looking 

at the species and their habitats. Communities 

then need to set high standards 

for land use and work with developers. 

Dr. Klemens pointed out that to a 

developer the community standards are 

valuable, because they make a community 

a desirable place to live. 

Klemens asked that the many crosspurpose 

mandates be reexamined. He 

cited the example of skimmers installed 

in storm drains in response to 

new stormwater regulations. They are 

terrific at cleaning water of oily 

substances and debris, but also remove 

and become a death trap for amphibious 

creatures. And the road standard 

mandates prevent more compact 

development because they call for roads 

wide enough to turn a fire engine. 

Klemens asked municipalities to reduce 

Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, 

pointed out that natural area 

fragmentation impacts our diversity 

and increases our isolation. Conservationists, 

she recommended, must 

work persistently to make collaboration 

work and change the planning 

process through trust, shared vision, 

economic awareness and feasibility. 

Answers to questions from 

attendees covered several ways to 

approach these issues. New Jersey 

Audubon Society is developing 

model zoning ordinances to incorporate 

standards to protect the 

public trust of land, water, air and 

natural resources. A media blitz 

calling for citizen scientists to help 

develop habitat, urban park and 

dump restoration plans can bring in 

the needed knowledge and spread 

the word. And when local government 

has no concept of the value of 

nature conservation, environmental 

commissions and conservation 

groups should sponsor township 

council field trips and communicate 

the multiple benefits of open space, 

including financial and quality 

of life. 

those road standards where possible. 

Klemens pointed out that farmland 

functions quite well as habitat. 

It is a frequently stated misinformation 

that farmland is almost the same 

as developed land. Many farms have 

tremendously high biological value. 

He emphasized that a good opportunity 

for habitat protection lies in 

engaging the farming community. 

In conclusion, Dr. Klemens 

pointed to several successes that the 

Metropolitan Conservation Alliance 

had worked on. One of his exciting 

habitat protection solutions is a 

conservation overlay district of both 

public and private lands that has 

been put in place in some 

Westchester County, New York, 

municipalities. The overlay leaves 

existing zoning in place but adds 

incentives and higher standards to 

reduce habitat fragmentation, 

maintain biodiversity and protect 

natural features within ecologically 

sensitive areas. Another is the use of 

brownfields redevelopment. Dr. 

Klemens cited the example of 

Madison Landing in Madison, 

Connecticut. Mixed housing, 

modeled on the successful historic 

downtown in terms of setbacks, 

density and design, was built on a 

former airfield and industrial site. 

The compact housing development 

leaves the surroundings as open 

space and prime habitat. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 

● Metropolitan Conservation 

Alliance, these projects and 

numerous related publications, 

including Biodiversity Planning 

through Local Land Use Planning: 

An Assessment of Needs and 

Opportunities in the New Jersey 

Townships of Chester, Lebanon, and 

Washington, 2005 at www.wcs.org/ 

international/northamerica/mca. 

● Nature in Fragments: The Legacy of 

Sprawl, Elizabeth A. Johnson and 

Michael W. Klemens, editors, 

Columbia University Press, 2005. 


NJDEP’s Initiatives 

and Honor for 

Richard Sullivan 

NJDEP Commissioner Bradley 

Campbell continued his tradition for a 

fourth year of delivering an annual 

overview of the Department’s initiatives 

at the ANJEC 2005 Environmental 

Congress. After a surprise tribute to 

Richard J. Sullivan, the first NJDEP 

Commissioner, he described NJDEP 

programs that address the challenges of 

protecting water resources and quality, 

including the nation’s toughest 

stormwater management standards. 

NJDEP has also worked hard to have 

up-to-date environmental data included 

in the State Plan. 

Commissioner Campbell enthusiastically 

endorsed the state brownfields 

programs. According to him, they 

encourage growth in the right places, 

encourage the use of energy-efficient 

products, and they promote publictransit-oriented 

development. 

“We have restored New Jersey as a 

national leader in clean air protection,” 

Campbell stated, citing multiple 

power plant shut downs and the 

NJDEP Commissioner Bradley Campbell 

Photo by Peter Craig 

Commissioner 

Campbell presents 

Mr. Sullivan with 

an aerial photo of 

Liberty State Park 

and the Richard J. 

Sullivan Natural 

Area preserve. 


toughest mercury standards in the 

nation, which include enforcement 

upwind, “unlike New York and 

Pennsylvania’s programs.” He stated 

that New Jersey needs “the largest 

diesel retrofit program in the US,” to 

avert 100-150 premature deaths and 

4,000 asthma attacks annually. The 

referendum requiring retrofitting of 

publicly owned buses and other 

vehicles to reduce diesel emissions 

passed in November. 

While NJDEP is continuing to pursue 

its Natural Resource Damages program, 

Commissioner Campbell acknowledged 

there is more to do in this area. 

He also called for more funds and 

legislative support for NJDEP programs. 

“There is a $200 million backlog of 

need for parks,” he declared. He noted 

that he has been frustrated in his efforts 

to get habitat protection rules in place. 

New Jersey’s First NJDEP 

Commissioner, 

Richard J. Sullivan 

Commissioner Campbell paid tribute 

to New Jersey’s first environmental 

protection commissioner, Richard J. 

Sullivan. Appointed by Governor 

William T. Cahill on America’s first 

official Earth Day, Mr. Sullivan’s 

initiatives as NJDEP Commissioner from 

1970 to 1974 are credited with establishing 

New Jersey as a leader in environmental 

protection nationwide. In 

addition, he served as chairman of the 

New Jersey Pinelands Commission from 

1988 to 1998. 

Commissioner Campbell acknowledged 

Mr. Sullivan’s contribution to the 

people and the environment of New 

Jersey and honored him by announcing 

NJDEP Award to 

East Brunswick 

(Middlesex) 

Commissioner Bradley Campbell 

honored the East Brunswick 

(Middlesex) Environmental Commission 

with the Environmental 

Excellence Healthy Ecosystems 

award in November 2005. 

Co-sponsored by NJDEP, the New 

Jersey Corporation for Advanced 

Technology and the New Jersey 

League of Municipalities, the award 

recognized their Beekman Road 

Vernal Pool Protection Plan, which 

aims to minimize contact between 

amphibians and automobiles, and 

their creation of New Jersey’s first 

butterfly park. 



the establishment of the Richard J. 

Sullivan Natural Area in Liberty State 

Park, a park that Commissioner 

Sullivan was instrumental in protecting 

for public access. Mr. Sullivan, who is 

78, attended ANJEC’s 2005 Environmental 

Congress with several members 

of his family. He received a standing 

ovation from the audience. 

ANJEC greatly appreciates Richard 

Sullivan’s solid, never-ending environmental 

work. In the 1970’s, NJDEP 

Commissioner Sullivan’s initiatives 

helped strengthen recently established 

environmental commissions. In 1972, 

he helped put through the Environmental 

Aid Act, which established 

annual environmental commission 

matching grants of up to $2,500. And 

in 1973 NJDEP published the first 

Handbook for Environmental Commissioners, 

with a foreword by Commissioner 

Sullivan. It states, “Environmental 

commissions and their local 

constituencies constitute a remarkable 

pool of sophisticated observers who can 

report on local conditions which 

should be called to the attention of the 

Department of Environmental Protection.... 

The Department needs the 

commissions.” 

Over the years, Mr. Sullivan has 

continued to support environmental 

commissions, speaking at a number of 

conferences and heading the development 

of the initial ANJEC Manual for 

Municipal Officials, which was published 

in 1992. 

Thanks for 

Environmental Congress 

Support 

Most of this issue’s articles 

resulted from the interesting and 

helpful presentations at ANJEC’s 

2005 Environmental Congress. 

Special thanks to Johnson & 

Johnson for their Congress contribution 

and to the corporations and 

organizations who advertised in our 

program. 

By Ana Baptista, ANJEC Urban Environment 

Project Director 

Redevelopment 101: 

The Basics of the Redevelopment Process 

At our 2005 Environmental Congress, 

expert Joseph Maraziti, Jr., Esq., 

of Maraziti, Falcon & Healey L.L.P., 

Attorneys at Law, walked participants 

through the redevelopment process step 

by step, highlighting various opportunities 

and pitfalls. This article is based on 

Mr. Maraziti’s presentation. 

New Jersey’s location as the 

continent’s gateway makes it a global 

destination of great desirability. As the 

state continues to experience population 

and economic growth, New Jersey’s 

cities and towns have the opportunity to 

redevelop and solve long-standing 

problems. Redevelopment is one of the 

most powerful tools local government 

has at its disposal to trigger this 

revitalization. In a state as dynamic as 

New Jersey, the nature and scope of 

redevelopment can also be a highly 

contentious issue. One of the reasons 

redevelopment projects are sometimes 

resisted is because the process can be 

confusing and complicated. 

Municipal Redevelopment 

Powers 

The New Jersey Constitution provides 

that redevelopment is a public 

purpose and the Local Redevelopment 

and Housing Law of New Jersey (NJSA. 

40A:12A-8), sets forth significant 

powers and flexibility that are not 

otherwise available. It allows municipalities 

to: 

● Select a redeveloper and redevelopment 

agreements without going 

● 

through the public bidding process; 

Allow land sales to developers 

without the application of public 

sales law. 

These broad Redevelopment Act 

powers should be exercised carefully 

and responsibly based on the project’s 

particular redevelopment needs. 

Basic Redevelopment Process 

● At the governing body’s request, the 

planning board conducts a redevelopment 

area study and holds a public 

hearing prior to concluding whether 

to recommend that the governing 

body declare the area as one “in need 

of redevelopment” under eight 

criteria (see below). 

● Based on substantial evidence the 

governing body designates an “Area 

in Need of Redevelopment.” 

● The governing body designates a 

redevelopment entity. 

● After the planning board’s recommendation, 

the governing body 

adopts a redevelopment plan, which 

establishes a zoning ordinance for 

the area. 

● The governing body selects the 

redeveloper and negotiates a redevelopment 

agreement. 

● The redevelopment entity implements 

and monitors the redevelopment 

project. 

To designate an area as “in need of 

redevelopment” one or more of eight 

criteria must be present. 

1. In general, substandard, unsafe or 

obsolescent buildings; 

2. Discontinuance of use of commercial, 

manufacturing or industrial buildings; 

3. Publicly-owned or vacant land, 

unimproved for 10 years and not 

likely to be developed by private 

capital; 

4. Areas with buildings or improvements 

detrimental to safety, health, morals 

or welfare of community; 

5. Lack of proper utilization caused by 

title, diverse ownership or other 

conditions resulting in a stagnant or 

not fully productive condition; 

6. Materially depreciated aggregate 

assessed value of an area of 5 acres 

or more; 


7. Located in an Urban Enterprise Zone; 

8. Consistent with Smart Growth 

planning principles adopted 

pursuant to law or 

regulation. 

Determining 

whether an 

area meets 

redevelopment 

criteria 

is a critical 

element in the 

process. This is 

an important 

time to get 

input from 

the public on what areas 

to include. The hotly debated use of 

eminent domain as a way to acquire 

redevelopment land must always be the 

option of last resort. Still it is an 

important tool to achieve the important 

public purpose goals of revitalization. 

In most cases, redevelopment can 

be successfully completed without the 

use of eminent domain. 

Preparing the 

Redevelopment Plan 

Either the governing body or the 

planning board can prepare the 

redevelopment plan. If the governing 

body drafts the redevelopment plan, 

the planning board has 45 days to 

submit its comments. The governing 

body reviews and decides whether or 

not to accept the planning board’s 

recommendations. Alternatively, the 

governing body can ask the planning 

board to prepare the plan. If so, the 

governing body retains the final power 

to adopt the plan as submitted or 

change it and the planning board does 

not have the 45 day time constraint. 

Regardless of where the plan originates, 

it is an evolving document that can be 

amended over time. 

The basic plan elements include: 

● A description of land uses and 

building requirements; 

● A statement as to whether the new 

zoning will supersede or become an 

overlay to the prior zoning for 

the area; 

● Relationship to municipality’s 

development goals; 

● List of properties to be acquired, 

if any; 

● Significant relationship to State Plan, 

county and local master plan. 


Generally, towns have a great deal of 

legal flexibility in redeveloper selection. 

While the law does not require a 

competitive process, 

professionals 

recommend that 

municipalities 

develop a 

competitive and 

transparent 

mechanism, such 

as a request for 

proposals (RFP). 

Most often the 

municipality 

B. PRETZ 

conditionally 

designates the redeveloper 

for a limited time (six months) while 

both sides conduct due diligence and 

negotiate the full terms of the redevelopment 

agreement. Typically, the 

redeveloper agrees to defray all the 

costs of the municipality during this 

process. 

Key Redevelopment 

Agreement Provisions 

It is important to develop a comprehensive 

redevelopment agreement and 

ensure a good working relationship 

with the redeveloper while also 

meeting the city’s expectations. A 

redevelopment agreement should 

include the following elements. 

● Project description; 

● Oversight and schedule; 

● Environmental investigations and 

remediation plans (if applicable); 

● Financial assurance; 

● COAH obligations; 

● Details of the acquisition and 

assemblage of properties 

(negotiations, use of 

eminent domain, etc.); 

● Affirmative 

action 

programs; 

● Revenues 

to the 

municipality 

including 

taxes, 

termination of rights, etc. 

Successful 

Redevelopment Keys 

Redevelopment projects have the 

potential to be a key revitalization tool 

for municipalities suffering from decades 

of neglect and disinvestment. It is vital 

that officials and residents understand 

the process and the keys to achieving a 

successful redevelopment project. 

Community involvement – Local 

leaders must educate the public and get 

their input at the beginning of the 

process. The earlier residents are 

informed and engaged, the more likely 

they will cooperate in the redevelopment 

implementation phase. Much of 

communities’ controversy and opposition 

to redevelopment projects usually 

centers on their exclusion from the 

decision-making process. Redevelopers 

are eager to work in communities 

where a consensus has been built 

before they arrive. 

Sound planning – Like any good plan, a 

redevelopment plan requires careful 

consideration of multiple planning 

elements and should include consideration 

of the environmental impact of 

future land use and the site’s current 

environmental conditions. If a site is 

suspected or known to be contaminated, 

it is important to inform residents of the 

future plans and any measures to be 

taken to protect public health and 

natural resources. 

Cooperation between the Governing 

Body and the Planning Board – A successful 

redevelopment project requires 

that these bodies maintain a harmonious, 

cooperative and respectful working 

relationship because they each have 

important statutory functions to fulfill. 

Leadership and vision – Even a successful 

redevelopment project will face 

strong challenges and will risk failure 

from time to time. It is important that 

community leaders 

remain stalwart in the 

face of a 

disgruntled 

redeveloper or 

unhappy 

residents. They 

must maintain 

the vision that 

inspires and 

drives the 

B. PRETZ 

redevelopment 

effort. 

Keep the bar 

high – One of the biggest mistakes towns 

can make in the redevelopment process 

is settling for plans or agreements that 

are not of the highest quality. Cities, 

desperate for redevelopment after years 

of neglect, jump to accept the first 

project that presents itself for fear that 


Redevelopment in Cranford 

(Union) Environmental Commission 

chair Nelson Dittmar covered 

Cranford’s experience with four 

redevelopment projects over the last 

several years. Initially, the commission 

didn’t realize it could participate 

in the redevelopment process, 

which resulted in the earliest project 

failing to address environmental 

building issues. Now the Cranford 

Environmental Commission works 

with the township committee to 

include sustainable environmental 

elements in redevelopment. As a 

result, one developer has agreed to 

include Energy Star 

(www.energystar.gov) high efficiency 

appliances for lighting, 

heating and cooling in residential 

units. And another is working with 

the commission on an agreement to 

allow additional units in an agerestricted 

housing project if it meets 

the silver certification level of the 

Leadership in Energy & Environmental 

Design (LEED) standards 

(www.usgbc.org/leed). See Good 

Earthkeeping on page 14 for additional 

information on green building. 

nothing else will come along. By 

requiring projects of the highest caliber 

and quality design, community leaders 

can ensure that their redevelopment 

plans will achieve the world class 

results that the cities and towns of New 

Jersey deserve. 

is proud to be a member 

of Earth Share of New Jersey 

Talk to us about how you can 

offer Earth Share of New Jersey 

and this organization as a giving 

option in your workplace. 

609-989-1160 

ANJEC 

Executive 

Director 

Sandy Batty, 

ANJEC 

President 

Robert 

Dobbs, and 

East Windsor 

Environmental 

Commission 

Chair Mike 

Vetter. 

2005 Environmental 

Achievement 

Awards 

ANJEC President Robert 

Dobbs kicked off the 2005 Environmental 

Congress with the presentation 

of Environmental Achievement Awards 

to seven environmental commissions, a 

local non-profit organization and a 

regional water authority. Given for 

outstanding local environmental 

projects, the 2005 awards recognized 

efforts in regional stormwater planning, 

pond restoration, environmental 

education and outreach, radon testing 

and mitigation, regional smart growth 

and ecosystem restoration. These awards 

give Congress attendees an opportunity 

to learn about how and why fellow 

environmentalists are doing outstanding 

work in their communities. 

Environmental Commission 

Awards 

The Cranford (Union) Environmental 

Commission initiated regional efforts to 

manage stormwater in the Rahway 

River watershed. Concerned about 

flooding and water quality problems, 

the commission enlisted Dr. Chris 


By Kerry Miller, ANJEC Assistant Director 

Obropta, Rutgers Water Resources 

Extension Specialist, to educate them 

about regional stormwater management 

plans. Armed with new knowledge, the 

commission persuaded Cranford’s 

Township Committee to host a regional 

planning meeting with their Rahway 

River neighbors. The commission 

invited State Senator Tom Kean, Jr. and 

Dr. Obropta to speak at the meeting, 

attended by 35 municipal engineers, 

staff and officials representing eight 

communities. While NJDEP was unable 

to fund a regional stormwater management 

plan, the commission is continuing 

to promote and participate in 

regional stormwater planning efforts 

through information gathering and 

additional regional planning meetings. 

General information about the Cranford 

Environmental Commission available at 

(www.cranford.com/cec/#about). 

Working with teachers and administrators 

from the East Windsor Regional 

School District, the East Windsor (Mercer) 

Environmental Commission developed 

and printed A Day in the Park, a 


30-page environmental activity booklet 

for elementary schools, targeting the 

fourth grade. Each year, fourth grades 

visit the local 160-acre Etra Lake Park. 

The booklet highlights the wildlife and 

ecology, and tells students about trees, 

animals and plants they will encounter 

around the lake and reminds them 

how to behave in a natural area. It also 

gives tips for saving resources at home 

and has instructions for making a 

birdhouse. An NJDEP grant helped to 

cover printing costs, and a local 

printing company donated the color 

cover. In accepting the award, commission 

chair Mike Vetter expressed 

appreciation for the level of cooperation 

the project inspired between the 

town council, the local school system 

and the environmental commission. 

General information available in East 

Windsor Newsletter at (www.eastwindsor.nj.us). 

The Linwood City (Atlantic) Environmental 

Commission worked with the 

Duck Pond Homeowners’ Association 

to improve the condition of a stagnant 

local manmade pond that had become 

eutrophic. After researching the 

problem and possible solutions, the 

commission obtained technical 

assistance and partial funding from the 

US Fish and Wildlife Service to replace 

a faulty water control structure and 

develop a management plan for the 

pond. The Homeowners’ Association 

has agreed to maintain the improvements 

and conduct periodic flushing, 

and adjacent homeowners are required 

to manage the riparian vegetation. 

In the process of developing an open 

space inventory and plan, the 

Livingston Township (Essex) Environmental 

Commission and Open Space Trust 

Fund Committee became aware that 

they had numerous underutilized parks 

and open spaces. Using an NJDEP 

grant, they produced a pamphlet 

designed to encourage more residents 

to enjoy and use Livingston’s parks. 

The commission also worked with the 

township council and recreation 

department on an Outdoor Treasures 

campaign, distributing the pamphlet, 

placing it on Livingston’s website 

(www.livingstonnj.org/ 

outdoortreasures4-05.pdf), and sponsoring 

a related photo contest. A major 

benefit of the newspaper coverage and 



Livingston Environmental Commission 

Chair and Open Space Trust Committee 

Vice-Chair Renee Resky. 

outreach is local residents’ increased 

support and interest in the township’s 

open spaces. 

The Millburn Township (Essex) 

Environmental Commission received its 

second consecutive award for an 

“Aquafest” event that educated residents 

about protecting water quality by 

preventing nonpoint source pollution. 

On the theory that children can 

effectively change family behavior, the 

commission focussed this year’s event 

on elementary school students. The 

commission enlisted the high school 

Environment Club, the shade tree 

commission and department of public 

works, as well as the Great Swamp 

Watershed Association, New Jersey 

Audubon Society and a local arboretum, 

to provide activities that illustrate 

stormwater concepts. Children played 

the Watershed Game, where they 

“became” a stream system, passing 

water, fish and pollutants to the sea. 

They also met living dragonfly and 

caddis fly larvae and other stream 

creatures. The entire school gathered in 

the auditorium for presentations by 

students showing what they had 

learned. Accepting the Millburn award, 

commission chair Martine Donofrio 

encouraged other commissions to 

consider holding a similar event, which 

can be carried out at little expense (‘for 

the cost of lunch’) but has great impact. 

Through this very successful event, the 

commission also helped the township 

meet its annual public outreach/ 

education requirement for New Jersey’s 

Phase II Stormwater Regulations. 

At the request of the mayor and 

township committee, the Woolwich 

Township (Gloucester) Environmental 

Commission researched the level and 

extent of radon within homes in the 

town. They were concerned that 

Woolwich’s Tier 2 Classification might 

not be reflecting actual radon risk 

within the town. Using townshipsupplied 

radon kits, the commission 

collected 110 voluntary samples from 

residences. Of these, 43 percent tested 

above the level that USEPA recommends 

for having a radon mitigation 

system installed. As a result, the NJDEP 

did more rigorous testing and later 

changed the town to a Tier 1 designation, 

which requires new 

homes to incorporate 

radon construction 

techniques. Mayor Joe 

Millburn Environmental 

Commission Chair 

Martine Donofrio 



Chila and commission member Ann 

Dorsett accepted the award, each 

agreeing that the project was a good 

illustration of how the Woolwich 

Environmental Commission, town 

officials and staff have learned to work 

together for the betterment of the 

township. General information 

about Woolwich available at (www. 

woolwichtwp.org/index.html). 

New Environmental 

Commission Award 

The Woodstown-Pilesgrove (Salem) 

Environmental Commission established 

in 2003, is one of New Jersey’s few 

joint municipal environmental 

commissions. Despite the obvious 

challenges involved in working with 

two municipalities, the new commission 

started right in on an environmental 

resource inventory (ERI) for the 

two towns. Using a Smart Growth 

Planning Grant from ANJEC and funds 

from both towns, the commission 

hired the Delaware Valley Regional 

Planning Commission (DVRPC) to do 

mapping and analysis. Commission 

members were the principal authors of 

the chapters on history, climate, traffic, 

flora and fauna while DVRPC worked 

with the commission to put together 

much of the basic text. The commission 

uses the inventory to help review 

and comment on development applications, 

and has since embarked on other 

planning projects related to open space 

preservation. General information on 

the joint environmental commission 

available at JEC on 

(www.historicwoodstown.org); abstract 

of ERI available at (www.dvrpc.org/aspfiles/pubs/publicationabstract.asp? 

pub_id=05030). 

Woolwich 

Environmental 

Commission 

members Mayor 

Joe Chila and 

Ann Dorsett 


Regional and Non-Profit 

Projects 

ANJEC also presented an Achievement 

Award to the Saddler’s Woods Conservation 

Association, a non-profit organization 

working with the Haddon Township 

(Camden) Environmental Commission 

to manage a local 25-acre wooded 

parcel that includes old-growth forest. 

In accepting the award, Association 

member Janet Goehner-Jacobs reported 

that volunteers have clocked nearly 

700 hours removing invasive plants 

and working on other habitat enhancements, 

and hosting tours and programs 

for visitors. She related the history of 

the parcel, which runaway slave Joshua 

Sadler farmed and eventually purchased 

in the 1800s. In his will, Saddler 

instructed that “none [of his heirs] 

shall cut the timber thereon.” The 

environmental commission received an 

award in 2004 for developing a 

conservation easement and management 

plan for Saddler’s Woods. 

Woodstown/Pilesgrove Environmental 

Commission Chair Patricia DuBois 

Peter Craig 

Historical and ecological information 

available at (www.saddlerswoods.org). 

The New Jersey Water Supply Authority 

also received a 2005 Award, for 

directing the Spruce Run Initiative 

Corridor Study. Environmental commissioners 

and other officials from each of 

five towns (Bethlehem Township, 

Clinton Township, High Bridge 

Borough, Lebanon Township, Union 

Township) around the Spruce Run 

Reservoir in northern Hunterdon 

County, worked with the Authority and 

planners from consultant AKRF, Inc. 

They reviewed land use and zoning 

along several commercial corridors, 

and proposed revisions to prevent 

sprawl and deterioration of water 

quality in the Spruce Run Reservoir. 

Because the Plan was created through a 

collaborative process with much public 

input, the participating towns have 

been receptive to making zoning 

changes recommended by it. Information 

available at (www.njwsa.org/WPU/ 

sri.htm). 

Saddler’s Woods Conservation Association 

member Janet Goehner-Jacobs. 

Peter Craig 


Environmental 

Commissions’ Grant 

Primer 

By Kerry Miller, ANJEC Assistant Director 

New Jersey’s environmental 

commissions give untold amounts of 

time to their communities, planning 

and executing projects that help to 

conserve resources, protect health and 

preserve quality of life. Although their 

time doesn’t cost their towns a cent, 

materials and professional services do, 

and active commissions eventually find 

that a finite municipal budget limits 

what projects they can undertake. This 

often spurs a search for grants. 

Most grants available to local 

governments come through federal or 

state programs or non-profit organizations, 

as opposed to grants from 

foundations, which are generally 

reserved for nonprofit organizations. 

For many years, environmental 

commissions in New Jersey have 

utilized modest matching grants (up to 

$2,500) from the NJDEP Environmental 

Services Program. These grants help 

cover the costs of projects such as 

developing an Environmental or 

Natural Resource Inventory (ERI or 

NRI), printing environmental education 

materials, or buying supplies for 

monitoring, cleanup or trail programs. 

A number of ambitious commissions 

have procured USEPA grants for 

stormwater projects or 

streambank restoration, 

or helped their towns 

acquire a Green Acres 

grant to preserve land. 

Since 2002, commissions 

have also obtained 

matching grants 

through ANJEC’s Smart 

Growth Planning Assistance 


One of ANJEC’s 2005 Environmental Congress workshops brought together information 

on grants available for environmental commission projects. Speakers included Mary 

Arnold, executive director of the Teaneck (Bergen) Creek Conservancy, Joseph Rogers, 

program manager of NJDEP’s Environmental Services Program and ANJEC assistant 

director Kerry Miller who manages ANJEC’s Smart Growth Planning Assistance grants. 

Grant Program, funded by the 

Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation 

(www.grdodge.org). Whatever the 

source, an environmental commission 

will encounter unique challenges in 

obtaining and utilizing grant funds. 

Advantages of Environmental 

Commission Involvement 

Typically, a designated staff professional 

does not support an environmental 

commission in the way that the 

planning board has a professional 

planner and engineer, or the board of 

health has a health officer. As a result 

environmental commissions are more 

likely than other boards to develop 

their own grant applications. This is 

hard work, but can be a blessing in 

disguise. In developing a grant application, 

the commission hopefully gains a 

clear understanding of its role in the 

proposal as well as all aspects of the 

project. These understandings can help 

to avoid problems down the line. 

A professional such as the town 

planner or manager/administrator can 

be a valuable resource in developing a 

B. PRETZ 

grant application, but a commission 

should not abdicate the grant-writing 

task, even if the professional is willing 

to do it. Better for the commission to 

develop a draft proposal, and then have 

the professional help edit and refine it. 

The worst-case grant scenarios result 

from applicants who, intentionally or 

not, commit to tasks, a budget, or a 

timeline that they don’t understand or 

cannot follow through on. This is more 

likely to happen if the commission does 

not have complete “ownership” of the 

application. 

Putting Together Key 

Information 

To avoid problems, commissions 

considering a grant application must do 

their homework thoroughly, and be 

completely honest in assessing what 

resources members can and will 

contribute to a project. Applicants 

should read and re-read the application 

guidelines, and then talk to as many 

relevant sources as possible, including 

town professionals, consultants, and 

other commissions or groups that have 

done similar projects. This will help to 

uncover potential pitfalls and 

eliminate uncertainty. 

Commissions frequently 

overlook the best source of 

information – the staff of 

the funding organization. 

In most cases, the person 

or team who administers 

a grant program is 

accessible by phone. A 

brief personal conversation 

with the organization 


is time well spent, to let them know 

that an application is in process, and to 

get a sense of whether the application 

is off-track in any way. 

A typical tactical error that applicants 

make is to take a “get the money first, 

figure it out later” approach, or to ask 

for more funds than they need, under 

the mistaken assumption that the 

funder will automatically cut any 

budget. Grantor organizations work 

within annual budgets, just like any 

business. They are looking for accurate 

project budgets that will be spent as 

promised. Odd as it may seem, unused 

or returned funds can be a real problem 

for grantors, so they will select applications 

that have well documented, 

itemized budgets. 

Additional Environmental 

Commission Grant 

Opportunities 

Environmental Services Program, 

NJDEP. For more than 10 years, 

NJDEP has provided matching 

grants of up to $2,500 to local 

environmental commissions and 

soil conservation districts for 

projects including environmental 

resource inventories, educational 

materials, trails design, stream and 

water quality testing and GIS 

mapping. Unfortunately, NJDEP has 

made no funds available for the 

current fiscal year. For more 

information, go to (www.state.nj.us/ 

dep/grantandloanprograms) or 

contact program manager Joseph 

Rogers at 609-984-0828. 

National Recreational Trails 

Program, NJDEP For more than 10 

years, the federal Department of 

Transportation has funded 80 

percent grants of up to $25,000 

through state agencies for governmental 

and non-profit agency 

landowners for developing and 

maintaining trails and trail facilities. 

Applications are usually due in 

mid-December. For more information 

to (www.state.nj.us/dep/ 

parksandforests/natural/ 

njtrails.html#grants) or contact 

Larry Miller at the Office of 

Natural Lands Management at 

609-984-1014. 

2006 Environmental Commission 

Smart Growth Grants 

Thanks to funding from the 

Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, 

ANJEC is offering Smart Growth 

Planning Assistance Grants to 

municipalities with environmental 

commissions for a fifth year in 2006. 

This program offers matching grants 

of up to $20,000 to fund land use 

planning projects that protect natural 

resources, open space and quality of 

life in New Jersey communities. Over 

the past four years, the program has 

contributed more than $725,000 

toward 81 local planning projects 

involving 70 municipalities and their 

environmental commissions. 

Eligible projects include Environmental 

and Natural Resource 

Inventories (ERIs and NRIs), open 

Some matching grant programs allow 

a portion of the grantee’s contribution 

to be in “in-kind” services – the hours 

commissioners and other municipal 

volunteers and staff spend completing 

tasks related to the project. If so, the 

grantor will provide a rate at which 

those hours can be valued for purposes 

of the grant. If a commission does 

commit to in-kind services, it must 

project the contribution of time as 

accurately as possible, because the 

grantor will likely require an accounting 

of in-kind hours before reimbursing. 

Most grant application guidelines are 

extremely specific as to what information 

should be included and in what 

order, length and format. There is a 

good reason for this! The grantor 

organization will likely receive dozens, 

if not hundreds, of applications. If they 

are standardized (i.e., all the same 

format, as per the application guidelines), 

it makes the daunting task of 

comparing applications much easier. If 

an applicant doesn’t care enough to 

comply with the terms of the application, 

why would the grantor expect that 

it would follow through on the terms of 

a grant? Failing to read and follow all 

instructions is a foolish gamble that 

may cause an application to be eliminated 

out of hand. 

space plans, master plan conservation 

elements, brownfields plans 

that include new open space, 

buildout analyses, septic and 

groundwater studies, critical areas 

protection ordinances, zoning, 

cluster and conservation design 

ordinances, and tasks that lead to 

State Plan Endorsement. 

ANJEC mailed application packets 

to environmental commission 

chairs, mayors, administrators and 

planning boards in mid-January 

2006. The grant application and 

information are also on our website 

at (www.anjec.org). Call ANJEC 

(973-539-7547) for a paper version. 

Applications are due by 

March 31, 2006. 

Results of Receiving a Grant 

Once a commission has a grant, 

members may be inclined to think that 

the hard part is over. Not true! Following 

through by keeping to the schedule, 

keeping good records and submitting 

periodic reports to the grantor is a 

much greater challenge. Above all, 

grantees should maintain contact with 

the funding organization, and ask for 

(and follow!) its advice if things look 

like they may be getting off track. 

In addition to financing a project, 

procuring a grant can raise the status of 

a commission as a “player” on the 

municipal team, bringing in additional 

resources for the town. But it also 

carries with it a significant responsibility 

to fulfill the expectations of the 

grantor agency or organization. 

Environmental commissions that 

understand that grants are a two-way 

street will have a “leg up” on the 

competition, and will have the best 

chance for success in obtaining and 

using grants to do good work in their 

communities. 


Groundwater 

in NJ Part II 

Although much of New Jersey obtains 

its water supply directly from surface 

sources such as lakes and streams, many 

rural and exurban municipalities obtain 

their water from wells, that is, from 

groundwater. 

Groundwater is all that water in the 

saturated zone of soil, sand and rock 

beneath the surface of the earth. The top 

of the saturated zone is commonly called 

the “water table,” which generally tends 

to follow the surface contours of the 

land. Its level varies with season and the 

amount of recent rainfall. 

Of particular interest, a deep source of 

groundwater is an “aquifer” if its 

location provides a useful quantity of 

water when tapped with a well. Contrary 

to popular misconception aquifers are 

not large underground pools. Rather 

they exist as water seeping slowly 

through the cracks and joints of bedrock 

or through subterranean layers of sand 

or gravel. If the bedrock is extensively 

fractured or the sand/gravel layers are 

thick, an aquifer with readily available 

water in useful quantities is easy to find. 

Of course, the opposite may be true and 

wellwater may be unavailable or highly 

limited in supply. It is fair to say that the 

quality and the quantity of groundwater 

available at any point on the earth’s 

surface is a function of the geologic 

structures beneath it. It is also fair to say 

that under no circumstance is the 

available quantity of groundwater 

infinite or without limit. 

downward into groundwater from the 

surface as “recharge.” To a degree, 

downflows from streams, ponds and 

wetlands may augment groundwater. 

However, much recharge results from 

the direct downward percolation of 

water from those parts of the earth 

surface that can readily absorb the 

moisture that falls upon the land. 

“Impervious surfaces” such as paving or 

hard-packed soil prevent groundwater 

recharge, and divert rain and snowmelt 

into surface runoff or stormwater. Highly 

absorptive locations, called “recharge 

areas,” are of great significance to the 

long-term sustainability of groundwater 

and aquifers. Although the total 

regional groundwater recharge rate 

cannot be measured directly, a good 

estimate can provide the basis for 

judging the amount that can be pumped 

from aquifers without jeopardizing the 

sustainability of the groundwater source. 

Surface and subsurface water sources 

recharge groundwater, which also 

continuously re-emerges at particular 

sites, contributing to stream flow in 

brooks, creeks and rivers. In times of 

regular rainfall, surface runoff produces 

full stream flows. In dry periods, 

By Peter Craig, ANJEC Resource Center Volunteer 

especially in droughts, groundwater 

outflow, known as “baseflow”mostly or 

entirely maintains the greatly reduced 

stream flows. The natural life in and 

around streams and rivers depend on the 

fountainhead of groundwater outflow for 

their continued existence. Measuring 

the stream baseflow rates over time 

provides data that helps estimate 

regional groundwater recharge. And, 

that estimate can support predictions of 

the safe yield of local aquifers. 

The Unsaturated Zone 

Between the land surface and the 

water table that’s beneath the land is 

the unsaturated zone, a region of vast 

importance and which should be of 

great interest. The unsaturated zone is 

the sponge through which much 

groundwater recharge is filtered. 

Although it is to a large degree out-ofsight 

and out-of-mind, the unsaturated 

zone deserves much more attention 

than it is usually given. 

In subsequent issues we will look at 

the unsaturated zone and what may 

happen there. 

The Hydrologic Cycle 

Groundwater is only one component 

of the grand and complicated “hydrologic 

cycle,” which involves water in 

the earth’s atmosphere, precipitation 

like rain/sleet/hail/snow, surface and 

subsurface waters. The cycle concept 

emphasizes the dynamism of water, the 

constant inflows and outflows, the 

never-ending interchange between 

and within the components of the 

hydrologic system. 

The hydrologic cycle shows the total 

amount of water that finds its way 



Information commissions can duplicate to use in their communities 

Buildings have a great impact on our 

health and the environment. Their 

construction, operation and maintenance 

consume 70 percent of the US 

electricity supply, produce 30 percent of 

the total US greenhouse gas emissions, 

and use 12 percent of its potable water. 

New design and construction green 

trends are helping to reduce that 

impact. Savvy developers and individuals 

are learning that they can opt for 

buildings that require fewer resources 

to build, operate and maintain over the 

life of the structure. 

Materials, Location and 

Orientation 

The keystone of green building is 

seeing the big picture – analyzing the 

total effect of every element of planning, 

constructing and using a building, 

and then making the best environmental 

choice. For example, the 

selection of building materials prompts 

questions such as: 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

● 

Are they sustainably produced? 

Do they come from far away and 

require lots of energy to transport, or 

are they produced relatively locally? 

Are they effective for energy conservation? 

Are they high quality and durable, or 

will they require premature replacement? 

Do they emit gasses that contribute 

to poor indoor air quality? 

Do they have post-consumer recycled 

content? 

A building facing 

south will be able to 

utilize passive or 

active solar energy. 

Growing Greener with Low-Impact Buildings 

The construction process offers many 

options and requires many decisions. 

A building’s location and orientation 

also weigh heavily on its green rating. 

Construction on a previously developed 

site or one near existing infrastructure 

has less environmental impact 

than construction on land that is highquality 

agricultural, close to a stream or 

wetland, or hosts threatened plant or 

animal species. A building facing south 

(i.e. largest roof, windows or other 

surfaces on the south side) will be able 

to utilize best passive or active solar 

energy. A building close to businesses, 

shops or mass transit will allow its 

residents to use less transportation 

energy over time. 

Other green considerations relate to 

the use of renewable energy, maximizing 

use of daylight to save energy, 

innovative wastewater and stormwater 

technologies, water-conserving appliances 

and landscaping, controllability 

of all systems to avoid waste, construction 

materials recycling, light pollution 

reduction, and many others. 

Standards 

A new set of standards called Leadership 

in Energy and Environmental Design 

(LEED), administered by the non-profit 

US Green Building Council provides a 

framework for several categories of 

building performance including site 

sustainability, water efficiency, energy 

and atmosphere, materials and resources. 

Prospective LEED builders 

commit to one of four levels of performance, 

from ‘Certified’ to ‘Platinum’, 

based on the number of environmental 

elements (points) they will incorporate 

into their project. The first LEED 

standards applied only to commercial 

buildings, but additional institutional, 

residential and retrofitting (i.e. for 

greening existing buildings) standards 

are now available. 

In New Jersey, over 50 projects are 

LEED-registered or certified, including 

commercial and office buildings, 

schools, assisted living and municipal 

facilities. New Jersey Executive Order 

#24 (2002 with two subsequent 

organizational amendments) requires 

all new school designs to incorporate 

LEED guidelines. Several municipalities 

are working on utilizing LEED 

standards for construction and operation 

of municipal facilities. And in 

November 2005, Cranford (Union) 

adopted the first local New Jersey 

ordinance requiring that redevelopment, 

existing and new township 

buildings meet the LEED silver level. 

To find a local firm or supplier with 

LEED training, go to (www.usgbc.org/ 

leed) and select “LEED AP Directory.” 

Individuals who are not ready to 

attempt certification can still utilize 

LEED standards as a guide to individual 

green building improvements. 

LEED is voluntary. It may initially 

attract businesses and individuals 

because they want to be environmentally 

responsible. As word spreads about 

its many benefits, however, people will 

choose LEED. It will save money over 

the building’s life and create a more 

comfortable and healthy place in 

which to live, work or study. LEED is 

leading the way for the low-impact 

building wave of the future. 


By Barbara Palmer, ANJEC Land Use and State Plan Project Director 

Is Your 

Environmental 

Resource Inventory 

Up to Date? 

A detailed, accurate and up-to-date 

Environmental Resource Inventory (ERI, 

also called Natural Resource Inventory, 

NRI) is one of the most important tools 

for good environmental protection and 

land use planning. Compiling and 

updating the ERI is one of an environmental 

commission’s main responsibilities. 

The State Planning Commission 

requires updated ERIs for municipalities 

petitioning for Initial Plan Endorsement 

(IPE). And state regulations require IPEs 

for towns that have filed for third round 

COAH certification as well as those that 

need CAFRA certification and are 

participating in Transfer of Development 

Rights programs. 

ANJEC recommends that you put 

your ERI on the agenda of your next 

environmental commission meeting. 

ANJEC’s Smart Growth Planning 

Grants (see p. 8) are a possible funding 

source for ERIs. Reviewing ANJEC’s 

ERI Resource Paper, (at www.anjec.org/ 

html/pubs_planning.htm) and/or an 

ERI Road Show (contact ANJEC Resource 

Center at 973-539-7547 or 

resourcecenter@anjec.org, ) can help 

you create or update your ERI. 

To find a consultant (assuming you 

need one) with ERI experience, look at 

other towns’ samples and ask for 

referrals. ANJEC is concerned that 

inexperienced consultants are charging 

environmental commissions large fees 

for inadequate inventories. A good ERI 

has local detail, not just material 

downloaded from state websites. 

Unfortunately, many municipalities 

have been handing the ERI project to 

outside consultants without involving 

the local commission to meet required 

deadlines. Don’t let this happen in 

your community! 


Provide Affordable 

Housing without 

Straining the 

Environment 

Have you heard the one about the 

town that HAD to build 2,000 units on 

prime farmland because the state was 

making them build affordable housing? 

It wasn’t true! The municipality chose 

that route, using inclusionary zoning, 

which results in large developments 

since it requires one affordable 

unit for every five or more 

market price units. 

Inclusionary zoning is not the 

only way, and certainly not 

always the best way to meet 

the affordable housing 

requirements. Many 

towns are choosing other 

routes, such as converting 

unused structures into 

small affordable developments, 

infilling affordable 

housing, or partnering 

with a non-profit developer 

to provide homes for 

young families, local 

employees, or older 

residents with low or 

moderate incomes. 

To help municipalities 

sort out the options, the 

Coalition for Affordable 

Housing and the Environment, 

a non-profit group 

co-founded by ANJEC, has 

issued and mailed an 

informative brochure to 

all the state’s mayors and administrators. 

They Need Affordable Housing, 

They Deserve a Clean Environment— 

Your Town Can Provide Both, covers 

alternatives that are far better than 

inclusionary zoning to provide housing 

and protect your open space. Don’t be 

dissuaded if your town has already filed 

for COAH certification. Municipalities 

can always file improved plans. 

Go to (www.cahenj.org) for the 

Coalition’s brochure and additional 

information. 

Ocean Township 

Receives Initial Plan 

Endorsement 

At its December meeting, the State 

Planning Commission (SPC) granted 

Initial Plan Endorsement (IPE) to 

Ocean Township (Ocean). 

ANJEC commended both the 

township and the Office of Smart 

Growth on the much improved 

plans and their several years of 

work on the petition. At the 

SPC hearing, numerous 

residents and some developers 

protested the lack of 

resident involvement, information, 

and particularly the 

substantial changes made to the 

petition after the public 

meetings. ANJEC asked the 

SPC for more specific 

guidelines and requirements 

for public participation, 

including official 

involvement of environmental 

commissions and 

other municipal committees 

from the beginning of 

the IPE petition process. 

B. PRETZ 

The consultant who 

compiled the required 

Environmental Resource 

Inventory (ERI) for Ocean 

worked with the local 

commission only in the final weeks. 

Go to (www.nj.gov/dca/osg/plan/ 

endorsement.shtml) to see if your town 

is one of the more than 100 municipalities 

currently in the IPE 

petition process. 


Aproposed major development 

is one of the most difficult and 

complex issues to be faced by governing 

bodies and planning boards, 

especially in those parts of New Jersey 

where remaining open spaces are 

rapidly disappearing. Although by no 

means the only consideration, short 

and long term fiscal effects are a central 

issue. The economically seductive 

enhancement of the tax base that 

results from a major development can 

be soon offset by even greater increase 

in the costs of schools and municipal 

services. To help environmental 

commissioners understand the basis 

and effects of these issues, one of the 

workshops at ANJEC’s 2005 Environmental 

Congress brought together 

three experts on open space and 

ratables. 

Development Costs 

Ted Stiles Director of the Hutcheson 

Memorial Forest in Rutgers University’s 

Department of Ecology, Evolution & 

Natural Resources, and chair of the 

Hopewell Township (Mercer) Open 

Space Advisory Committee, described 

the municipality’s ongoing experience. 

With a significant amount of undeveloped 

land, Hopewell has been able to 

preserve a significant amount of open 

space and farmland in the last two 

decades. A sewer district serves the 

township’s densely developed southern 

extremity. Four remaining large 

parcels there are now targeted for highdensity 

residential development, 

including a portion proposed to be agerestricted 

to “seniors”. A fiscal analysis 

constitutes a cautionary tale. 

As an alternative to development, the 

estimated net cost of preserving the 

remaining four southern parcels as 

open space is $11 million over a 20- 

year period. 

A preliminary fiscal analysis reveals 

that the additional tax burden from 

each new home to be built, i.e., the cost 

Open Space and the 

Ratables Chase 

By Peter Craig, ANJEC Volunteer 

of future services in 

excess of projected 

tax revenues, is 

roughly $6,000 

per year. 

Depending 

upon the 

projection’s 

assumed housing 

density, the total 

new tax burden 

for 500 – 1000 

homes ranges 

from $160 – 

$250 million 

over 20 years, more 

than ten times as costly 

as preserving the parcels 

as open space. Increases in local 

property taxes would be necessary to 

cover these financial needs over the 

20-year period. 

Professor Stiles also noted that 

restricting new housing to seniors makes 

little difference in the fiscal comparison 

because the homes vacated by older 

owners attracted to age-restricted 

housing are immediately re-occupied by 

younger families with children. 

Taxes and Ratables 

Herb Wegner, Chairman of the 

Pittsgrove (Salem) Environmental 

Commission, reviewed tax and ratable 

data from southern New Jersey municipalities 

in three counties. For those 

who would try to reduce taxes by 

chasing ratables, the fiscal picture is 

disappointing. Over a broad range of 

municipalities, there is little or no 

relationship between total ratables and 

tax rates in these New Jersey communities. 

As an exception, a lightly developed 

town with preserved open space 

and a large industry like a power plant 

will have a relatively low tax rate 

because of New Jersey’s Payments in 

Lieu of Taxes to municipalities with 

state and tax exempt nonprofit conservation 

and recreation lands. 

Funding Sources 

Michael Catania, President 

of Conservation Resources, 

Inc., addressed the problem 

of making open 

space preservation 

economically feasible 

and more obviously 

competitive with development. 

A clear understanding 

of fiscal matters is 

essential to municipal 

planning, but familiarity 

with available sources 

of open space 

funding is just 

as important. 

Common sources 

of public funds in New 

Jersey include Green Acres 

and Farmland Preservation programs 

from the Garden State Preservation Trust 

Fund, county and municipal open space 

taxes, and dedicated municipal bonds. In 

addition to these, Mr. Catania detailed 

a series of private sector sources that can 

fill in that “last increment” so necessary 

for completing a successful transaction. 

Private sources range widely, from 

charitable contributions by individuals 

or foundations to Natural Resource 

Damage penalties collected by NJDEP. 

Additional details are available at 

(www. conservationresourcesinc.org). 

ANJEC’s 16-page Protecting Our 

Streams Resource Paper describes 

the options and benefits of stream 

protection given the major 

impacts of human activity on 

water quality, and includes 

information on municipal 

ordinances, state and regional 

regulatory programs and references 

to information sources. 

Printed copies available for just $1 

plus shipping, also available 

online at (www.anjec.org/pdfs/ 

RP_Streams.pdf). 


ANJEC depends on advertisers to help pay for the cost of printing the ANJEC Report. 

Please let them know that you saw their ad here. Remember, however, that ANJEC does not necessarily endorse any of these firms. 

ANJEC’s Pathways for the Garden State 

A Local Government Guide to Planning Walkable, Bikeable Communities 

Just $8 plus $4 shipping. 

Order by phone (973-539-7547) or e-mail (info@anjec.org) 

760 ROUTE 10 WEST 

WHIPPANY, NJ 07981-1159 

voice 973-560-0090 

fax 973-560-1270 

e-mail: info@lsga.com 

www.lsga.com 

• Endangered Species Surveys 

• Wildlife Inventories/Studies 

• Habitat Mitigation Proposals 

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANTS 

jsdodds@biostarassociates.com 

(908) 234-0870 (908) 996-3214 

Jill Stein Dodds 

President 

• Wetland Delineations 

• Ecological Impact Assessments 

• Photography • Expert Testimony 

Environmental Consultants 

Thomas D’Angelo 

17 Indian Terrace 

Lafayette, NJ 07848 

973-875-8585 

Fax: 973-875-8080 

Environmental Impacts • Resource Inventories • Grants • Wetlands 



ANJEC depends on advertisers to help pay for the cost of printing the ANJEC Report. 

Please let them know that you saw their ad here. Remember, however, that ANJEC does not necessarily endorse any of these firms. 

239 US Hwy 22 East 

Green Brook, 

New Jersey 08812 

AIR • WATER • SOIL • SOLID WASTE 

CONSULTANTS 

Donald F. Elias 

A. Roger Greenway 

Sunil P. Hangal 

(732) 968-9600 

Fax: (732) 968-5279 

www.rtpenv.com 

BIOLOGISTS • SCIENTISTS 

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS • PLANNERS 

1658 Route 9 

Toms River, NJ 08755 

(732) 818-8699 

Fax (732) 797-3223 


TRUSTEES 

PRESIDENT 

Robert Dobbs, Voorhees 

VICE-PRESIDENT FOR OPERATIONS 

Chris Allyn, Harding 

VICE PRESIDENT FOR DEVELOPMENT 

Nelson Dittmar, Cranford 

SECRETARY 

Geoffrey Gollin, Holmdel 

TREASURER 

Nancy Tindall, Washington (Mercer) 

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT 

Gary Szelc P.P., Fanwood 

TRUSTEES 

Byron (Gus) Allen, Tenafly 

Peter Fontaine, Esq, Haddonfield 

Joy Grafton Esq., Edison 

Priscilla Hayes, Esq., Washington 

(Mercer) 

Michael Hogan, Weymouth 

Joyce Laudise, Berkeley Heights 

David Moskowitz, East Brunswick 

James Sherman, Montclair 

Barbara Simpson-Vadnais, Morristown 

Herbert Wegner, Pittsgrove 

Lynn Worrall, Berkeley 

ADVISORY 

COMMITTEE 

Cynthia Berchtold, Cherry Hill 

Ron Bond, Delaware 

John Capozucca, Bloomingdale 

Al DuBois, Clifton 

Allan Esenlohr, Green 

Leslie Ficcaglia, Maurice River 

Julie Gandy, Evesham 

Blanche Hoffman, Old Bridge 

Cynthia Jacobson, Bridgewater 

Merwin Kinkade, Montclair 

Blanche Krubner, Jackson 

Janet Larson, Dover (Ocean) 

Teresa Lettman, Manchester 

Martha Lieblich, Leonia 

Peggy McNeill, Princeton 

Jonathan Maslow, Woodbine 

Sandy Siegel, Paramus 

Peg Van Patton, Hillsborough 

G. Wayne Winner, Upper 

Meghan Wren, Port Norris 

Nancy Wysocki, Haworth 


ANJEC Staff 2006 

Sandy Batty – Executive Director 

Kerry Miller – Assistant Director 

Karen Buchanan – Financial Manager 

Margaret Davey – Development 

Director 

Pam McIntosh – Resource Center Staff 

Peter Craig – Resource Center Volunteer 

Elizabeth Ritter – Office Manager 

Deborah Tomb – Administrative 

Assistant 

PROJECT DIRECTORS 

Candace Ashmun – Environmental 

Summit 

Ana Baptista – The Urban Environment 

Tina Bologna – Environmental Leadership 

Planning, Highlands GIS 

Patricia Burns – South Jersey Bayshore 

Inventory 

Jody Carrara – Coastal Planning 

Heather Dobbs – Brownfields volunteer 

ANJEC’s Directory of 

Environmental Consultants 

Information on environmental professionals and 

businesses operating in New Jersey and surrounding 

regions. You can search by keyword (including 

company name) or service area. 

B. PRETZ 

Trustee Fund Raising 

Challenge 

The Trustee Challenge for 2005 was 

a great success and raised almost 

$7,000 to strengthen the Resource 

Center and expand the use of the 

ANJEC video by producing a shorter 

version and having sections of it 

streamed on our website. Thanks to 

the generosity of 80 percent of our 

Board members and 12 Advisory 

Council members, we raised nearly 

$1,000 over our goal. 

Sally Dudley - Affordable Housing, 

ANJEC Report and Web Page 

Abigail Fair – Water Resources 

Joy Farber – Transfer of Development 

Rights 

Barbara Palmer – Land Use and the 

State Plan 

Jim Sassi – Delaware Bayshore 

Check out the Directory at www.anjec.org 

and click on “Environmental Consultants” 

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 


ANJEC Courses and Workshops 

Check out our website (www.anjec.org/html/workshops.htm) or contact us at 

(info@anjec.org) or 973-539-7547 for details and additional workshops. 

NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION: 

An Environmental Commission 

Training Course. An ideal introduction 

for new commissioners and a good 

refresher for more experienced members, 

these one-session workshops 

feature an overview of environmental 

commission responsibilities and 

powers, and discussions of basic tools 

and techniques used to protect local 

natural resources. 

❏ Saturday March 4, 9 am-1 pm at 

Washington Twp. (Mercer) Senior 

Center 

❏ Saturday March 11, 9am-1 pm at 

Teaneck (Bergen) Creek Conservancy 

Center 

❏ Saturday March 18, 9am-1pm at 

Atlantic County Utility Authority 

Building (Egg Harbor Twp.) 

Urban Workshops in some cities in 

Union, Essex and Mercer Counties, 

on local topics of interest. 

Sewers and Growth on Watershed 

Management Plans in spring 2006 

in three locations throughout 

the state. 

Capacity Based Planning in the 

Highlands on the Highlands Council’s 

Draft Regional Master Plan (RMP) in 

April 2006 in Morris County 

Land Use Planning Tools for Protecting 

South Jersey’s Natural Resources 

on using environmental/natural 

resource inventories as key elements 

of land use planning in fall 2006 in 

South Jersey. 

Two-day Environmental Leadership 

Course will offer experienced commissioners 

tools and techniques for 

effective leadership in fall 2006 in a 

northern and southern location. 

B. PRETZ 

Corporate Donors 

ANJEC Gold Members 

$7,500 and up 

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company 

PSE&G Service Corporation 

Road Shows 

To help strengthen your commission’s 

effectiveness, ANJEC will put 

together a three-hour workshop for just 

$200 with your choice of one or two 

topics, the date (excluding July, August 

and December) and location. Popular 

Road Show topics include 

✔ Effective Environmental Commissions 

✔ Preserving Open Space 

✔ Opportunities and Challenges in the 

NJ Highlands 

✔ Walkable/Bikeable Communities 

✔ Stormwater Management and the 

State Stormwater Regulations 

✔ Environmental/Natural Resource 

Inventory 

✔ Site Plan Review 

✔ Garden State Greenways 

Or we’ll do any subject of your choice! 

Schedule your ANJEC Road Show now! 

Reservations on a first come, firstserved 

basis. 

ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY 

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSIONS 

P.O. Box 157 

Mendham, NJ 07945 

Non Profit Org. 

U.S. Postage 

P A I D 

East Hanover, NJ 

Permit No. 5

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