On September 19, 2003, Governor James E. McGreevey signed Executive Order No. 70 creating the Highlands Task Force and charging it with making recommendations to preserve the natural resources of, and enhance the quality of life in, the Highlands region. The Task Force was a diverse, bipartisan group of individuals consisting of 19 members, 5 of which were cabinet members, and 14 officials and citizens, including the Freeholder Directors from Morris and Somerset Counties, the mayor of Lebanon, Freeholders from Bergen and Passaic Counties and representatives from environmental, business and developer interests. For a copy of the report, visit www.savethehighlands.org.

The Task Force report recognized immediate action necessary to protect resources through creation of regional council with mandatory authority in a preservation area. The Task Force also suggested a balanced between growth and environmental preservation outside of the preservation area.

In regards to the creation of a Highlands Preservation Area, the Task Force decided:

• The most sensitive environmental lands must be protected in a Preservation Area.



• This process should begin with the natural resource data sets assembled by the U.S. Forest Service and Rutgers University and updated by Rutgers University and the New Jersey Water Supply Authority as part of their work with the Task Force.



• Primary consideration should be given to lands that provide drinking water for reservoirs and large forested tracts adjacent to those lands.



• These lands should be connected to preserved open space through other environmentally sensitive lands, given the importance of establishing a Preservation Area that is contiguous and has well-defined boundaries, and given the need to link water supply and large forested lands with permanently preserved open space. State Plan designated centers should be excluded from the Preservation Area.



• Once the Preservation Area is identified, its boundaries should then be translated from the natural resource data sets to on-the-ground points (such as street-to-street descriptions; municipal boundaries; survey lines etc.) that are required in order for the Preservation Area boundaries to be enacted by statute.



• The Department of Environmental Protection should be directed to identify the lands and establish the boundaries in accordance with the methods and scientific standards set forth in these recommendations.



• The Legislature should then designate the Preservation Area boundaries by statute.

LEGISLATION

The Legislature has now proposed draft boundaries lines for the preservation area (see attached). These draft boundary lines will be amendments to S1/A2635. The map attached is not part of the legislation and was included to assist the public for information purposes only.

Based on the draft boundary lines, the preservation area (excluding major surface waters) is approximately 395,000 acres -- about half the area of the entire Highlands region.

• 96% of State Planning Areas PA1 and PA2 in the Highlands region are outside the preservation area.



• 100% of State Plan Designated Centers in the Highlands region are outside the preservation area.



• Lands already environmentally protected (such as preserved open space) in the preservation area total 171,000 acres (43% of the PRA).



• Lands already developed in the preservation area total 79,000 acres (20% of the PRA).



• Lands currently unprotected and undeveloped in the preservation area total 145,000 acres (37% of PRA).