Highlands Lookout www.njhighlandscoalition.org Newsletter of the Highlands Coalition Spring 2011 Message from the Executive Director we are so active in ensuring appropriate individuals are appointed to the Council. onformance in the Highlands the NJ Highlands region. We support As I’ve already said, conformance is is steadily moving along. To the work of the Council in so many C steadily moving along. That’s a very good date, seventeen towns and two counties ways. Although we don’t always agree, thing indeed. have achieved basic conformance. We recognize each other’s roles in Warmest regards,regards, Washington Township (Morris), preserving the Highlands, which is why nj Franklin Township (Warren), Holland hc and Kinnelon are scheduled to have Coalition News Elliott Ruga, newsletter editor their conformance petitions considered e have been working closely with indications to the public that the permit at the Council’s meeting in May. The Wmember groups in Tewksbury had been revoked. The public came out continuing progression of towns that on two separate matters. DEP has once again to voice its opposition at a achieve basic conformance create a issued a draft NJPDES public hearing in March. momentum that a hostile administration permit to Bellemead Since the revocation will find increasingly difficult to derail. Corporation to allow a In an alarming and in 2005, there have been However, we review every conformance wastewater discharge unprecedented action in many changes in the document to ensure that not one of the into the Rockaway Creek February, DEP over- regulatory landscape. Regional Master Plan’s environmental to serve a proposed office An office park would standards are negotiated away merely to park. Bellemead was ruled the Highlands now be prohibited by add to the momentum. We understand first issued a discharge Council’s rejection of local zoning, including the challenges that the Highlands permit in 1998. At JCP&L’s plan for a sub- Highlands Land Council faces and its difficulties in its expiration in 2005 Use elements (now station in moving forward under an unsympathetic Bellemead applied to that Tewksbury has administration. However, the Coalition renew the permit, though Tewksbury. conformed). It would must remain faithful to its mission, Bellemead has yet to also be inconsistent with which is to preserve the water and submit a development plan. DEP denied the State Plan and the draft Hunterdon other natural and cultural resources of the renewal after receiving a substantial County Water Quality Management number of public comments opposing Plan. inside this issue it. Bellemead quietly contested DEP’s In an alarming and unprecedented Message from the Executive denial and after a series of unpublicized action in February, DEP overruled Director ...... 1 exchanges between DEP and Bellemead, the Highlands Council’s rejection of Coalition News...... 1 a draft renewal permit was issued JCP&L’s plan for an electrical substation Highlands Recreation: in January, despite DEP’s previous in Tewksbury’s Lower Fairmount The Highlands Trail ...... 2 Site of proposed sewerage discharge in Tewksbury Historic District. DEP also ignored Highlands History : documented concerns about The Lackawanna Cut-Off .....3 safety and other impacts from Member Focus: Highlands the Township Committee, the Tourism Patnership ...... 3 Land Use Board, the Fire Chief, the State Historic Preservation NJ Highlands Coalition Office, and more than a thousand 508 Main Street Boonton, NJ 07005 concerned citizens. The Friends of www.njhighlandscoalition.org Fairmount Historic District and 973.588.7190 the Township have filed a legal

Photo Elliott Ruga by action against DEP. In support of Continued on page 2 Your Water … Your Future 2 HighlandsHighlands Lookout Lookout Spring 2011 Coalition News cont’d Highlands Recreation: The Highlands Trail the Friends’ efforts, the Coalition will Betsy Manning that rewards you with panoramic views be filing an amicus brief and we have n the Highlands Trail you have of the skyline. Along the produced a short video to help publicize Omany choices. You can hike Pine Swamp trail in Mahon Dickerson their concerns. Check it out at www. through meadows and woods, through County Reservation, you can hike to the stopthesubstation.com. gorges with tumbling waters, past vistas highest point in Morris County at 1,395 We testified at the Environmental of unspoiled countryside or spectacular feet above sea level. An outing along the Protection Agency (EPA) public views of the New York skyline. You old farm and lumber roads of Allamuchy hearing on April 27 at the Pequest Fish can tramp through unspoiled forests, State Park lets you wander through Hatchery. EPA is contemplating action ford cascading brooks, or wander across various stages of successional forests. In against the Portland, PA Generating rolling hills and along the . Stephens State Park the trail follows the Station—a dirty coal-fired power plant The New York-New Jersey Trail with shaded places whose emissions dangerously impact Conference is marking out new trails for picnicking. The remains of one of the our health in NJ. We have joined with from Danbury, CT to Reading, PA, Morris Canal’s twenty-three locks and a organizations in to form MAPLE crossing the Hudson at Storm King section of the old canal’s towpath are at (Multi-state Alliance to Promote Clean Mountain and the Delaware River at Saxton Falls. The Raritan River rushes Riegelsville, NJ. The Highlands Trail over glacial boulders throughout the Ken will ultimately result in a continuous Lockwood Gorge Wildlife Management footpath stretching diagonally across Area, one of New Jersey’s most northern New Jersey through parts of picturesque spots and one of the finest Sussex, Passaic, Morris and Hunterdon fly fishing spots in the northeast. The Counties. There is much to enjoy as Musconetcong Gorge Preserve is a wild the trail links many existing parks and ravine carved through the billion year winds through multiple watersheds, old ridge of Highland’s gneiss. At Sweet Since many parts of the trail are co- Hollow Preserve, the Hackihokake Creek’s headwaters beckon the hiker to

Photo Elliott Ruga by aligned with other trails, you need to Tewksbury Viewshed be alert at each fork. If you see a teal rest along its quiet trout pools. Energy) to urge EPA to close the colored diamond blaze, you are on the Hikers can enjoy local B&Bs or use plant. A rally “paddle” by canoe on the Highlands Trail. the camp sites available at State Parks Delaware is planned for June 4. For The Highlands Trail is mostly like Spruce Run, Stephens and Voorhees. details about follow us on Facebook and a rugged footpath that can satisfy When you plan your trip, the best watch for our Action Alerts. a wide variety of fitness levels and place to start is the www.highlands- We continue to attend DEP’s special interests from bird watching trail.org where you can find maps and nj stakeholder meetings, which are part of to photography. For a leisurely descriptions of existing trail sections. hc its “transformation” into a more business amble through history, visit the Long friendly agency. The Coalition and Pond Iron Works others in the environmental community State Park, near are attending these meetings to guard Ringwood or walk against necessary protections being along the Morris sacrificed in this process. Canal towpath near In Trenton, we are watching for Waterloo Village. any movement on the Governor’s For more strenuous stalled attempt to seat anti-Highlands adventures Norvin activists on the Highlands Council. We Green State Forest, are oppose to DEP’s proposed permit an undeveloped park waiver rules, which would allow DEP in the Wyanokie to waive strict compliance to any rule Mountains along that an applicant can claim is unduly the Wanaque burdensome. Aren’t all regulations, by Reservoir, provides nj their nature, burdensome? hc a challenging climb Ruins at Long Pond Iron Works State Park Your Water … Your Future SpringSpring 2011 2011 Highlands Highlands Lookout 3 Highlands History: The Lackawanna Cutoff Erica Van Auken ositioned between New York NJ, moved west through the Highlands compromised by valleys, but were instead PCity and the anthracite fields of and straight into with one filled. An amusing example of this can Pennsylvania, it was always New Jersey’s curve at Slateford, PA. The Slateford be read on a historic plaque off of route destiny to be woven with railroads. curve is the only one that exceeded 2 206 in Andover depicting the image Countless towns in northwestern New degrees of curvature. Because of the of school children cheering as workers Jersey owe their history to the induction relative straightness of these tracks, buried their schoolhouse under the fill. of the modern rail. New Jersey’s rail this line boasted 70 mph trips! The One of the largest fills is the Pequest Fill history began in 1815 with Colonel John Lackawanna Cutoff was so named standing at 110 feet high and 3 miles Stevens’ first railroad charter and his because, unlike other rails that climbed long! experimental circular track in Hoboken and twisted through the landscape, it Just as the construction of rail lines that ran at about 12 mph. Undertakings significantly reduced the travel time. In almost 200 years ago brought expansion for the last main-line in New Jersey, the addition to its swift speed, this line was to secluded areas in northern New Jersey, Lackawanna Cutoff, began in 1908 and also the first to implement the use of so too would the reconstruction of the opened in 1911. reinforced concrete structures – at least Lackawanna Cutoff today. The main Because of the timing of its six of which can still be seen standing difference between then and now is that construction, nearly 100 years today. development then was still limited to after Stevens’ work, the Delaware, Another unconventional method a smaller number of people and fewer Lackawanna & Western Railroad used on the Lackawanna Cutoff was structures. This low-density development Company was able to employ cutting- the allowance of no grade crossings. of the past is a testament to the character edge technology when constructing the Any intersecting road, river, or rail of the region still seen today as hamlets Cutoff. The route began in Port Morris, was covered with a concrete culvert or and farms. The Lackawanna Cutoff archway allowing the Cutoff to pass had perhaps one of the most scenic seamlessly over it. One exception is the rides with views of mountains, valleys, Roseville Tunnel in Byram: engineers rivers and farms. The integrity of the started carving out a straight path rural views of northwestern New Jersey through the mountain, but towards the can be preserved by preventing further end had to concede defeat and built development likely to accompany the a tunnel for the final section through reconstruction of this mighty, historic

Photo by George I. Savino George I. by Photo nj the mountain. Grades were never rail line. hc Member Spotlight: Highlands Tourism Partnership Giulia Iannitelli, Highlands Tourism Partnership n the summer of 2009 volunteers 2-3 lb. pumpkins in a competition. which has been catapulting pumpkins Icame together to start the Highlands Twenty-one groups participated The for 26 years.” Tourism Partnership. The mission of event tied for send place in the Niche If you would like to keep informed the organization would be to promote category of the Governor’s Tourism on things to see and do in the Highlands agritourism, ecotourism and cultural Award. region, visit www.highlandstourism.org heritage in the Highlands region. A big Other Highlands Tourism and sign up for our eNews. The Last part of our business plan was to host Partnership projects include getting the Fling Pumpkin Sling also has its own nj a major event and a fundraiser for the word out about events through press website, www.pumpkinsling.com. hc organization and proceeds from the releases and a Highlands-wide event event would go to promote the region. calendar (accessible from the Coalition That event became the Last Fling home page, or at www.highlandstourism. Pumpkin Sling, which was made org/events.php). possible by a grants from the NJ Office Plans are underway for the 2011 of Travel and Tourism and the NJ Pumpkin Sling. Organizer Giulia Highlands Coalition. Iannitelli states, “we have gotten many We encouraged various groups to inquiries from groups that attend the build catapults and trebuchets to sling annual Punkin’ Chunkin’ in Delaware, Competitors prepare their trebuchet for slinging Your Water … Your Future

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