Planning for the Future: A Summary of Cumberland County Planning Initiatives

October 2002

Prepared for the:

Cumberland County Department of Planning and Development

Prepared by:

Orth-Rodgers & Associates, Inc. 80 Cottontail Lane Somerset, NJ 08873 (732) 564-1932

Preface

This presentation summarizes 13 documents that establish a strategic plan for Cumberland County. This summary was created in the spring of 2002, as part of a Smart Growth study with the primary goal of promoting economic development in the 11 municipalities comprising the Cumberland Development Corporation (that part of the County lying outside the urban centers). Cumberland County and the City of Bridgeton are partners in this Smart Growth study.

When the Cumberland Development Corporation applied for the Smart Growth grant from the State of New Jersey, it was recognized that such a study would not be the first to examine planning issues from a regional perspective. Cumberland County has been involved in numerous studies that offer ideas on how best to care for the land, improve the transportation system, attract jobs for Cumberland County residents, and other important policies that together are intended to protect the quality of life in the County.

To improve the accessibility of these planning documents to the public, they have for the first time been gathered and summarized in one place.

Ten of the documents were prepared by, or with the active involvement of, the Cumberland County Department of Planning and Development. They have been grouped into the following three categories:

Infrastructure • Cumberland County Traffic and Transportation Plan: Update 2001 • Cumberland County Bike Trail Study (2000) • Cumberland County Wastewater Management Planning

Environment • Cumberland County Delaware Estuary Study (1993) • Recommendations for Managing Land Use Along the Lower Cohansey River (1998) • Comprehensive Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the Maurice National Scenic and Recreational River (2001) • Cumberland County Farmland Preservation, Open Space, Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Plan (1996)

Economic Development • Cumberland County Economic Development Strategy for Action (2000-2001) • Cumberland County Intermunicipal Empowerment Zone (1998) • Cumberland County Ecotourism Plan (1996)

An Introduction to Cumberland County’s Planning Strategy explains how these different planning studies interact, and how together they comprise a planning vision for Cumberland County.

Perhaps most importantly, though not included within the scope of this document, Cumberland County continually supports, assists and coordinates with municipal planning efforts and those of other groups active within the county.

Several of the summarized plans were prepared at the state level, but have significant impact on Cumberland County. These include: • The New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan (2001) • Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA) • New Jersey Pinelands Comprehensive Plan

The State Plan affects the region by proposing how land should be developed in the future, particularly through mapping “centers” where development and redevelopment should be concentrated. CAFRA and the Pinelands Plan directly regulate how lands in their jurisdictions may be used.

These summaries are accompanied by links for important maps and photographs. We hope that these summaries will provide a better understanding of the plans and policies that affect Cumberland County. For more detailed information about the plans after reading these summaries, please contact:

Cumberland County Department of Planning and Development 800 East Commerce Street Bridgeton, NJ 08302 (856) 453-2175

An Introduction to Cumberland County's Planning Strategy

Cumberland County takes a strategic approach to its planning efforts by targeting specific issues for attention. This has resulted in an ongoing series of plans and documents, spanning back to the Cumberland Plan of 1966, that together serve as a comprehensive plan for the county. In this way the county devotes its resources to current issues, and planning occurs as a timely, dynamic and responsive process.

Planning efforts in Cumberland County confront a uniquely appealing set of opportunities as well as a perplexing set of problems compared to the rest of New Jersey and the urbanized northeast corridor. Visitors to the area often remark on the unspoiled nature of our countryside and the charming architecture of our towns. One outside observer commented that even the heaviest traffic in the county (with a few notable exceptions) is only an inconvenience compared to real traffic problems in urban areas. Land values and housing costs remain affordable. Cumberland County is one of the few places in the urbanized northeast where you may see a bald eagle soaring over the downtown areas; mark the seasons by the strawberries and other fresh produce available from local farms; and then enjoy a performance at a theater, all without traveling more than 20 minutes from home. Cumberland County has the natural and cultural resources to support a quality, hometown oriented lifestyle.

However, there is also a more problematic aspect to the community. Our small towns and rural communities have social problems; our citizens require modern, efficient infrastructure where they live, work and play; and our children must be provided with a thorough, up-to-date education, and then perhaps, their own opportunities to live and work within the communities in which they grew up. The issues are compounded by several factors: 1) Cumberland County has some of the most distressed neighborhoods in the state; 2) local communities have few, if any, resources to deal with those problems; 3) its smaller population numbers make it hard to gain attention over the more densely populated and higher income areas to our north; and 4) the local economic base historically composed of industries such as manufacturing, glassmaking, textiles and oystering is distressed.

Cumberland County needs improvements that would lead to a better quality of life, with more job and educational opportunities. At the same time there are local and statewide pressures to preserve our local environments and cultural heritage. In past studies, the general public has expressed support for open space protection and economic development equally, both receiving favorable ratings from about 60% of the population. A 1994 Cumberland County referendum on establishing an Open Space Trust Fund received support from over 58% of the voters; in a 1996 survey of property owners along the lower Cohansey River 62% agreed with farmland preservation and 63% agreed with economic development along the river; and in a 2001 survey of employers countywide, "a good location for business" and "protected farmland and open space" were ranked as positive characteristics of the county by a majority of the respondents.

How can basic needs be met, and communities be maintained and improved, while still preserving natural areas of statewide and even global significance? Striking the right balance is an ever-present goal for county planning efforts. Development and environmental preservation do not have to be mutually exclusive. First and foremost the county works to make the most of its resources and opportunities. Conversely, whenever possible the county attempts to avoid the imposition of more regulations that would restrict opportunities. There's little imperative in discussing growth controls when the vacancy rate in our downtowns is measured in double digits, and the unemployment rate may be as much as double the statewide rate.

The primary issues tackled in the county planning process involve public health, safety and welfare, and the provision of everyday needs, such as transportation and wastewater treatment. Then there are planning projects to enhance the quality of life, such as bird watching, bike routes, and cultural festivals. The timing for addressing those issues is determined by governmental leadership, public sentiments, funding availability, and critical situations and opportunities that may arise. Planning efforts in Cumberland County can be grouped into three broad topics: infrastructure, environment and economic development. While the issues may seem unrelated, Cumberland County approaches them with a common goal: using strategic planning to address needs and provide opportunities within our community.

The County's ecotourism efforts are an excellent example of using one asset (environmental resources) to address other issues (economic opportunities). The provision of infrastructure, through new wastewater treatment systems, can also generate economic activity. Ecotourists need infrastructure for restaurants and rest rooms, and wastewater planning can thus support ecotourism efforts. The provision of wastewater treatment is also viewed as a key to the redevelopment of our hamlet and town centers, and this is reflected in our involvement with the State Planning process and the Water Quality Management Planning process. Centers cannot succeed without adequate wastewater treatment. Existing development won't remain competitive, and new development won't be attracted or approved. Wastewater management planning should be more responsive to local needs. Ecotourism and wastewater planning illustrate how each plan can be part of a wider vision, and sometimes planning must evolve to fill that role.

Transportation and economic development provide another example. Mass transit has the ability to link distressed communities with job opportunities, as evidenced by the high ridership on the Bridgeton-Atlantic City bus route. A greater challenge for both transportation and economic development is linking smaller communities such as Port Norris to job locations. Rural areas are typically unable to support full sized buses running on fixed routes and schedules. The County Traffic and Transportation Plan, 2001, identifies non-traditional transit options for those areas. This may lead to a program to connect the smaller centers with our larger urban areas via mini- buses, vanpools or shuttles.

Certain recommendations in the Transportation Plan are expanded in a subsequent report: Cumberland County Bike Trail Study. The Bike Study identifies how existing road characteristics such as smooth shoulders and low traffic volumes can create recreational and ecotourism opportunities for biking. Biking can then become a quality of life component for County economic development efforts to market and promote the County.

Building upon the general public's favorable view of agriculture as a major contributor to the region's quality of life and their support for public efforts to retain farmland, the Farmland Preservation, Open Space, Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Plan, 1996, was produced as an initial guide for funding county farmland preservation and open space activities. A comprehensive farmland preservation plan, now under production, will reassess target areas for preservation and incentives after consideration of agriculture features, development trends and municipal intentions. Discussions are also beginning on other possible county roles for open space protection, such as establishing a county park system.

Some plans develop in response to a critical situation in a specific geographic location. This has occurred along the Delaware Bayshore (Cumberland County Delaware Estuary Study), the Maurice River (Comprehensive Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the Maurice National Scenic and Recreational River) and the lower Cohansey River (Recommendations for Managing Land Use Along the Lower Cohansey River). These plans were undertaken to gain public understanding, reach a consensus, and recommend actions in response to perceived threats to resources. The County worked in collaboration with the affected municipalities, and other agencies in the production of these documents. In each case environmental protection and economic development were treated as mutually related components of an overall goal to maintain and improve quality of life.

Other plans, particularly those with an economic orientation, seek to capitalize on resources and opportunities, address deficiencies, and prioritize efforts. The Cumberland County Economic Development Strategy for Action, produced on a semiannual basis, provides an updated and focused look at past and future economic goals. The Urban Enterprise Zone Program in Millville, Bridgeton and Vineland supports downtown redevelopment efforts which the County would like extended to other areas. The Federal Empowerment Zone for Vineland, Millville, Port Norris and Bridgeton combines social and economic development incentives to support an array of small business, social service, and community development improvements. These efforts acknowledge open space, recreation and environmental resources as quality of life features important for attracting a quality level of economic development, which in turn would provide jobs and incomes needed to address many social and community problems. Transportation and education are also important to prospective employers, which makes local resources such as the Millville Airport and the Cumberland County College important partners in economic development.

An important aspect of county economic development efforts is the recognition of the need for regional and inter-municipal approaches to development. For example, rather than 11 different proposals from 11 rural townships vying for one potential industrial park developer, the townships banded together to form the Cumberland Development Corporation. They can then concentrate on ways to share the risks and benefits. The CDC has taken the lead on rural economic development efforts, including smart growth studies for the towns and villages and "centers designation" from the State Planning Commission. They also advance the discussion of providing infrastructure needed to support economic opportunities for rural centers.

To all of the above efforts the County applied a common planning approach: y identify strengths, weaknesses and opportunities; y develop themes and visions; y facilitate a public process of discussion, input and consensus; y recommend a course of action.

This approach allows Cumberland County to target and address critical planning issues in a far more responsive fashion than if it had to re-open and revisit an entire county comprehensive management plan. It also allows the unique aspects of each issue to be accommodated under the wide umbrella of a common vision for the county without sacrificing productive planning activities in order to comply with "one size fits all" procedural requirements. The success of this approach is evident in the planning achievements of Cumberland County as summarized in this document.

Cumberland County Traffic and Transportation Plan: Update 2001

Effective transportation planning is critical both to sound growth management and economic development. As the Traffic and Transportation Plan indicates, an improved transportation network can advance the recommendations of the Ecotourism Plan and the Empowerment Zone. The Traffic and Transportation Plan: Update 2001 focuses primarily on roadway transportation, but also makes recommendations on transit, air, rail and other modes, as follows:

Goal I: Plan, construct and maintain the transportation, public transit and circulation network to advance the growth and development of the county. This goal recognizes the vital role that transportation has in fostering economic development. Toward that end, the Plan calls for using the Empowerment Zone and Enterprise zone designations as catalysts for roadway, transit, bicycle and pedestrian improvements, and for developing a new transportation center in Vineland. Ecotourism, a major priority of the County in recent years, can be advanced by developing bike and pedestrian trails and by working with the National Park Service on enhancing the Coastal Heritage Trail. The industrial and commercial sectors of Cumberland County can be strengthened through improving access to the Millville Airport, and by creating new interchanges off Route 55 for the Vineland and Millville Industrial Parks.

Goal II: Plan, design, construct, maintain and manage a circulation system which provides for efficient vehicular movement within and through the County. Relatively low-cost means of ensuring a more efficient transportation network include the installation of clear signage at major intersections, adjusting traffic signal timing to permit a more even flow of vehicles, and implementing an “access management plan” through controlling the location and number of driveways along county roadways as properties are developed. More significant improvements include the construction of “missing links” in the County highway network and bypasses, such as aiding north-south movement around Vineland, and extending Big Oak Road in Upper Deerfield. The Plan identifies close to 40 roadway projects that are in various stages of design. The Plan also lists high priority improvement areas still to be studied, such as the intersection of Carll’s Corner and Cornwell Drive, and the area of Bridgeton Industrial Park and South Woods Prison.

Goal III: Maintain and improve the traffic safety features of the County road network. The County can take a more active role in reducing accidents by expanding its database on roadway conditions, and using GIS technologies to better track accident patterns. The County will also work with state and federal officials on such projects as identifying County roads to incorporate evacuation routes, and in improving rail/highway crossings.

Goal IV: Enhance regional connections to and from Cumberland County. Improving the County’s regional accessibility is critical to economic development. The Plan calls for enhancing east-west connections, and to the north; specifically, connections to the Delaware Memorial Bridge, the Commodore Barry Bridge, and Atlantic City need improvement. Links to the north-south highways, NJ Route 55 and NJ Route 42, and the east-west roadways, CR 540, NJ Route 40 and NJ Route 322, are especially desirable. The Millville Airport – which has the only paved runways in the County, and which was designated as a Foreign Free Trade zone in 1987 – has the potential to be a regional freight hub and would benefit from improved access.

Goal V: Maintain rail freight service in Cumberland County. A good rail system can help companies achieve efficiencies in moving freight, and can help remove trucks from County roadways. The Winchester and Western Railroad operates much of the freight service in the County, including in the municipalities of Bridgeton, Deerfield and Upper Deerfield, and to such major employers as Seabrook and the Bridgeton Industrial Park. The Plan calls for improvements to the Winchester and Western system and the Southern Railroad of New Jersey, and further expanding rail links to industrial areas. The County will also continue to cooperate with the Norfolk Southern and CSX in marketing land and buildings along the County’s rail network.

Goal VI: Maintain, expand and explore new opportunities for mass transit connections within and around the County. Mass transit is not as prevalent in Cumberland County as in the rest of the state. The County would like to redress this, by creating circular routes within Bridgeton, Millville and Vineland; subsidizing transit for welfare recipients; and by instituting express bus service to Atlantic City and regular service to the Millville Airport and other employment centers. The Plan also calls for exploring the viability of passenger rail service to Philadelphia and Atlantic City.

Goal VII: Expand and improve pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the County. Awareness of the importance of bicycle and pedestrian facilities has been increasing at both the federal and state levels, and Cumberland County has acted on this awareness by conducting a Bike Trail Study. The County will encourage NJ DOT to implement the recommendations of the Route 49 Bicycle and Pedestrian Study, and will also encourage municipalities to require sidewalk and pedestrian improvements in their site plan approval process.

Goal VIII: Coordinate transportation planning with environmental and land use programs. Sound transportation planning must consider impacts upon the environment.

Goal IX: Maximize funding opportunities and promote a well-coordinated funding strategy for transportation projects and programs. The success in achieving this goal directly affects the ability to achieve Goals I through VIII.

Cumberland County Bike Trail Study (2000)

The Cumberland County Bike Trail Study recommends facility improvements and programs that can help advance bicycling for local transportation, recreation, and tourism. The study also recommends ways to integrate bicycling into two other County planning efforts: the County Ecotourism Plan and the Traffic and Transportation Plan: Update 2001.

Much of Cumberland County is ideal for bicycling due to its flat terrain and the wide, smooth shoulders on County roadways; many of the roadways lacking shoulders have low traffic volumes, and are therefore also suitable for bicycling. The area’s natural beauty – tidal marshes, pristine rivers and pineland forests – provides an attractive backdrop for all bicycling activities. Due to the attractive surroundings, recreational bicycling in particular has potential for growth in Cumberland County.

The heart of the Bike Trail Study is a bike compatibility analysis, in which the posted speed, lane and shoulder width, traffic volumes and parking restrictions are reviewed to determine whether a roadway is suitable for bicycle traffic. The analysis concludes that the majority of county roadways are bike-compatible. Some of the most scenic bicycle-compatible roads include County Routes 642, in Greenwich; CR 347 in Maurice River; and CR 553, linking the villages of Fairton, Cedarville, Newport, Dividing Creek and Port Norris. Examples of bicycle-compatible routes in farming areas include CR 553 in Upper Deerfield and CR 552 in Deerfield.

The Plan also cites county routes which should be priorities in upgrading to bike-compatible status: these include, among others, CR 607 and 650 in Hopewell, CR 610 in Lawrence, CR 649 in Commercial, and CR 637 in Downe.

A significant route in the planning stages by NJDOT is the High Point to Cape May Bicycle Touring Route. This bike route, which spans the state from north to south, does not enter Cumberland County. However, the County would like to develop a spur route to link to this Touring Route; two possibilities under consideration include a route in the vicinity of Parvin State Park, or along CR 552.

The Study also contains recommendations for off-road facilities. It recommends investigating the ownership and conditions of several abandoned rail corridors for conversion into a bike trail. The Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Line, Millville Branch has the greatest promise for short-term development as a recreational facility. The State has purchased much of this abandoned corridor between Weatherby Road (CR 548) in Maurice River Township and Woodbine in Cape May County. Another promising route is the Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Line (Bridgeton Secondary) branch from Bridgeton to Glassboro, which could be developed as part of an extensive east-west network across southern New Jersey.

Off-road trails may also be considered in Wildlife Management Areas, but these would be more limited since the Division of Fish and Wildlife does not permit extensive paving. One example of a paved trail would be an interconnection between CR 644 and Cannon Range Road through the Peaslee WMA.

Recommendations are made on bike tourism to dovetail with a theme found in the Cumberland County Ecotourism Plan: “Birding, Biking and Hiking: Passive Recreation.” The Study recommends expanding regional advertising in bike shops and accommodations, and in publications for bike clubs and other outdoor activity organizations. The Transportation Plan should include recommended standards on bike parking and other facilities, such as bike spaces at 3% of the rate of vehicle parking.

The Study also recommends improvements for bicycle traffic on Routes 47, 49, 55, 56 and 77, which are under NJDOT jurisdiction.

Following are some of the actions that the County can take in both the short-term and long-term to increase the use of bicycles in the county:

Short Term Promotion • Form a bicycle advisory committee; • Coordinate with NJDEP on potential trail options in Wildlife Management Areas; • Promote the county as a biking area in bicycling magazines, and through clubs; • Link biking with other events, such as birding and historic tours; • Identify local routes to tie into the NJDOT High Point to Cape May route; • Urge Bridgeton, Vineland and Millville to prepare bicycle master plans.

Physical Improvements • Establish a county wide numbered bike route system; • Produce a county wide bicycle signage plan; • Install signs and markers along selected bike routes; • Adapt standards for bike racks and install at public facilities.

Long Term Longer-term promotional actions include establishing a bike safety curriculum at elementary, middle and high schools, and distributing safety literature to all populations. Long-term physical improvements include the construction of new bike routes and rail-trail projects, and installing bicycle friendly stormwater grates and other improvements on roadways. Cumberland County Wastewater Management Planning

In 1991, the Cumberland County Department of Planning and Development (CCDPD) assumed the role of the Wastewater Management Planning Agency for Cumberland County. The County was subsequently divided into four districts: the Cumberland County Utilities Authority Service Area; the Landis Sewage Authority Service Area; the City of Millville Sewer Utility and the Rural District. The first three sewerage facilities listed – all pre-existing - maintain responsibility for their districts. For the first time, however, a plan has been prepared for the Rural District, this by the CCDPD. The Rural District Plan provides guidance for wastewater management planning through the year 2010.

Following is a summary of the Rural District Wastewater Management Plan, along with recent wastewater management planning efforts for the other three districts:

Cumberland County Utilities Authority (CCUA) The CCUA, based within the Cohansey River Basin in the western portion of the county, provides regional sewage treatment at its facility in Bridgeton. It processes sewerage from portions of the City of Bridgeton, Upper Deerfield Township, Hopewell Township and a small portion of Fairfield Township. The existing service area extends to Seabrook in Upper Deerfield and a small portion of Deerfield to the north, the Federal Prison in Fairfield to the east, and portions of Hopewell to the west. As of 1994, the average daily flow was 2.8 MGD (Million Gallons per Day), with a capacity of 7.0 MGD, and thus has ample capacity to accommodate sewer service area expansion. The sewer service area is planned to expand along Route 49 in Hopewell and Route 49 in Fairfield, along with the southeast section of Upper Deerfield and the Borough of Shiloh.

Landis Sewage Authority The Landis Sewage Authority services the City of Vineland. Vineland is 69 square miles, New Jersey's largest city in terms of area. The Landis Sewage Authority owns and operates an 8.2 MGD advanced wastewater treatment facility, the largest public wastewater facility in New Jersey using land application of treated waste. The average daily flow is 5.4 MGD. The Authority is extending service into several residential areas that currently use septic systems to process waste, but no major expansion is planned.

The Authority uses all of the biosolids (sludge) produced from wastewater treatment on its own farm. Due to the large number of food processors in its service area, the wastewater and biosolids have a higher percentage of nitrogen and phosphorus. These plant nutrients are used as fertilizer on the Authority’s 400-acre farm, which grows rye straw, hay, field corn and small grains like wheat, oats or barley. All crops raised on the farm are fed to livestock.

City of Millville Sewer Utility The City of Millville Sewer Utility serves approximately 26,000 residents in the City of Millville. The treatment facility, located on the Maurice River at Fowser Road, has a capacity of 5.0 MGD. A sewer main and lateral rehabilitation project was just completed, which reduced the average daily flow by 1.0 MGD and will serve to free up capacity for expansion of residential and industrial service. The average daily flow is about 2.1 MGD, and the capacity of the plant is 5.0 MGD.

Rural District The Rural District Wastewater Management Plan Area consists of Commercial, Deerfield (except for sites served by the Cumberland County Utilities Authority), Downe, Lawrence and Maurice River Townships. Residential wastewater management in the district consists of individual subsurface septic systems under the jurisdiction of the Cumberland County Health Department; commercial and industrial plants have their own sewage facilities. The lack of wastewater infrastructure is a result of fiscal and environmental constraints, and limited regional demand.

Three areas are of special concern: the Village of Port Norris and the community of Laurel Lake in Commercial Township; and the Village of Fortescue in Downe Township. Partly due to the need to attract new industry and to establish the infrastructure for ecotourism, a future sewage treatment plant discharging 627,650 GPD (Gallons Per Day) to the Maurice River is proposed for Port Norris. This plant would serve the existing and future residential population in Port Norris and the seafood processing facilities in Shellpile and Bivalve. A plan of action must yet be prepared for Fortescue. The Plan recommends addressing Laurel Lake’s septic problems through stringent subdivision and site plan codes for new developments.

Outside of these special areas of concern, the Plan recommends that villages, and zoning districts covering medium to high density residential uses and most commercial and industrial uses be served by wastewater facilities with flows under 20,000 GPD. Finally, in the remainder of the rural district, residential facilities with flows under 2,000 GPD are proposed. Non-domestic facilities with flows less than 20,000 GPD – such as those serving small food processors – are also proposed.

Cumberland County Delaware Estuary Study (1993)

In 1990, Cumberland County Department of Planning and Development received a grant from the US EPA to conduct a study on balancing the two critical goals of natural resource protection and economic development. The study focuses on the 40 percent of Cumberland County that lies within the Coastal Area (i.e., the CAFRA zone) ringing the Delaware Bay. The Study culminates in land use recommendations that are intended to inform land use decisions both locally, and to serve as a case study for the rest of the Delaware Estuary region in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware.

None of the recommendations in this study are mandatory. Indeed, the report stresses that without a collaborative effort by local governments, individuals and organizations, the study objectives of protecting important wildlife habitat while promoting economic development will be difficult to meet.

The coastal area in Cumberland County contains a diversity of plants and animals that are not found in other areas of the state, largely because much of the land in the CAFRA zone has not experienced larger scale development. The region consists of high quality wetlands, home to over half of the endangered or threatened species in New Jersey. It provides some of the best habitat for raptors and migratory waterfowl in the Northeastern United States.

The study identifies strategies for protecting seven areas of special significance that are home to concentrations of critical habitat and endangered species. These areas are:

Areas of Special Significance

The Bayside/ Lower Cohansey area of Greenwich and Fairfield Townships The study recommends that continuous woodlands in this area be preserved to protect essential habitats; river corridors and green belts should be preserved to provide both habitat and recreation. Agriculture is an integral part of this area’s heritage, and ecologically sensitive farming practices are recommended, such as the maintenance of buffers and vegetated swales.

The Sockwell Road area of Commercial Township Although this privately owned area consists of only fifteen acres it is of special significance to two species of endangered amphibians: the Southern Gray Treefrog and the Eastern Tiger Salamander. These species use vernal ponds (ponds that are not wet all year) to survive. It is critical to manage the ponds and surrounding land uses in this area to ensure that these ponds are not drained or filled.

Bear Swamp in Downe Township The Bear Swamp is the largest vestige of a primeval hardwood swamp forest which once covered much of the CAFRA zone. It is home to a number of rare, endangered and threatened species, including a nesting pair of Bald Eagles. Public access and use in the area should be monitored; any activity that would alter the hydrology or woodlands in the area should be stringently governed.

Turkey Point/ Glades in Downe Township This area is one of the estuary’s most pristine coastal marshes, inhabited by such species as northern harriers and short-eared owls. It represents the largest expanse of unbroken natural habitat in Southern New Jersey outside of the Pinelands. Turkey Point is a state-owned Wildlife Management Area and the Glades is owned by the Natural Lands Trust. In appropriate areas, ecotourism should be encouraged.

Heislerville Fish and Wildlife Management Area Located in Maurice River Township, this area is known as a high marsh. High marshes, which are dominated by salt hay, are disappearing from the Delaware Bayshore. The area contributes significantly to biodiversity by providing a different habitat than the lower marsh. The study encourages the state to retain the high marshes in this area by permitting continued salt hay farming, and by addressing erosion along the Maurice River.

The Maurice River Corridor The Maurice River and its tributaries are home to various endangered or threatened plants and animals. Although the river is both an environmental and economic resource, it is important that the river corridor and greenbelt be maintained.

The Natural Beaches of the Delaware Bay Shore The bay shore beaches in the Delaware Estuary contribute to shorebird activity, recreation and tourism and storm protection. The study suggests using local regulations to control beach uses when egg laying and shorebird feeding occur in the late spring.

Along with these recommendations for “areas of special significance,” the study identifies “major conclusions” that are pertinent to the entire region, some of which follow.

Major Conclusions Undeveloped natural beaches should be left that way; in developed coastal areas such as Fortescue, beaches should be maintained and enhanced by covering bulkheads with sand, dredge spoils or other natural materials. The study recommends the protection of natural corridors along streams because they provide critical habitats and offer a range of scenic and recreational uses. Contiguous tracts of woodlands should also be conserved.

The study recommends revising regulations to permit appropriate economic development in Bridgeton, Port Norris and Fortescue. The study notes that habitat preservation does not preclude dredging when necessary. Dredging is needed at the mouth of the Maurice River to help the fishing and oyster industries in Port Norris survive, and the viability of the marina at Fortescue is also dependent upon annual dredging. New infrastructure – particularly wastewater treatment systems – is also needed in these small towns.

The creation of a Marine Enterprise Zone to foster river-related business is suggested, along with attractions such as an Institute for Estuary Study. Because of the importance of ecotourism to the regional economy, the study recommends promoting marinas and other recreational facilities.

The report calls for tax credits for sand mining companies that engage in wildlife habitat restoration, and standardizing regulations between different municipalities to the extent possible. It recognizes that land taken off of the tax rolls burdens many municipalities and suggests that additional public acquisition of land should be limited, unless municipalities receive compensation through tax credits. The study also addresses the need to support businesses in the coastal region by proposing funding mechanisms to provide low interest loans and wastewater pre-treatment assistance.

The report cites decentralization of the regulatory process as essential, with greater authority for issuing permits and interpreting regulations given to federal and state branch offices that are accessible to local citizens and businesses.

In addition to the report’s “Major Conclusions,” the report issues a host of other recommendations aimed at balancing resource protection with economic development.

Recommendations for Managing Land Use Along the Lower Cohansey River (1998)

The Cohansey River Management Plan is intended to, for the first time, balance the sometimes conflicting issues of environmental protection and economic development along the river from a regional perspective. The recommendations in this Plan are consistent with those made in the Delaware Estuary Study conducted by Cumberland County in 1993.

From its starting point in Salem County, the river drains approximately 103 square miles of land as it meanders for 27 miles to the Delaware Bay. The study area is limited to the lower portion of the Cohansey River, consisting of the tidal waters and surrounding areas from the base of Sunset Lake Dam in Bridgeton to the river’s mouth at the Bay. The Cohansey River is a navigable tidal waterway. The lower portion of the Cohansey River has been identified as a particularly outstanding example of the CAFRA zone, due to its vast wildlife habitats. The two major uses in the corridor are agricultural (33 percent of the 51,800 acres) and woodlands (28 percent), with commercial and industrial uses accounting for less than two percent of the total land area. Greenwich, Fairton and Bridgeton remain the three centers of development along the river.

Prior to this planning effort, there had been controversy and disagreement among the communities along the lower Cohansey River about appropriate uses of the River. To address these concerns, the municipalities of Fairfield, Greenwich, Hopewell and Bridgeton formed the Cohansey River Planning Committee with Cumberland County serving as facilitator. The Committee’s charge was to serve as a forum for a deliberate, non-adversarial dialogue about the River as a regional resource.

The following statements appear in the Consensus Framework that established the Cohansey River Planning Committee:

• The Cohansey River is an important regional resource thereby requiring the cooperation of all interests and municipalities in the development of a sound river management plan; • The depressed economic conditions in Cumberland County and particularly in the City of Bridgeton justify the City’s right to some level of commercial use of the River; and • The River’s fragile ecosystem and natural conditions limit to a certain extent the ability of the River to accommodate commercial traffic.

The Cohansey River Management Committee developed three types of issues during the study of the river area:

1. Environmental concerns about development; 2. Economic concerns about environmental protection; 3. General public interest in the river and its resources.

The committee made the following recommendations based on those issues.

Minimizing Environmental Concerns About Development This issue arose from concerns that future development, particularly in Bridgeton’s port district, would degrade the quality of the river. Fairfield and Hopewell also have industrial districts along the river. The plan recommends improving infrastructure systems for roads, wastewater treatment, solid waste management and stormwater management. This can help accomplish the goal of reducing the flows of stormwater and wastewater that enter the river, the two largest discharges into the river. Building setbacks can assist in preventing stormwater and septic systems from flowing directly into the river. Municipalities may also use setback standards to prevent buildings from being constructed near flood and bank erosion areas.

Through mandating lower building heights near the river, site design standards can protect the river viewsheds. Planning and zoning initiatives can encourage uses that allow public use and access to the river, such as boat docking facilities, boat building, restaurants with river views, and parks and recreational facilities. Municipalities should move industrial zones away from the river, or permit only light industrial uses.

Minimizing Economic Concerns About Environmental Protection This planning issue is intended to address concerns that environmental protection will prevent redevelopment in Bridgeton. The Plan recommends maintaining a navigable river channel up to Route 49, connecting the waterfronts in Bridgeton, Fairton and Greenwich to the Delaware Bay. Certain land uses, such as waste disposal sites, mining and excavation, and heavy industry on undeveloped rural sites should be prohibited along the river, but traditional economic uses of the river should be permitted to continue. The Plan calls for regional support for well designed downtown activities and projects.

General Public Interest in the River and Its Features This issue recognizes that certain natural and cultural features should be preserved regardless of any other projects. The Plan states that people should have access to areas along the river in the developed areas of Bridgeton, Fairton, and Greenwich. Large land acquisitions by the state should coordinate with local interests to maximize public benefits, and Green Acre funds should be directed to property maintenance. Stream corridors should be protected in their natural vegetated state. Each municipality along the river should notify the other three when development along the river will have regional impacts. Municipalities should participate in voluntary environmental management programs to keep the river clean. Where large concentrations of public land exist, municipalities should be compensated for tax losses.

Comprehensive Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement for the Maurice National Scenic and Recreational River (2001)

The Maurice River is an unusually pristine Atlantic coastal river that serves as an important biological link between the Pinelands and the Delaware Bay. Partly in response to concerns about controversial land development proposals along the river corridor, in 1993 Congress designated 35.4 miles of the Maurice River and its tributaries as a National Scenic and Recreational River. At its widest, the boundaries for the corridor extend one-quarter mile from each bank. The river corridor is located in four Cumberland County municipalities (Commercial Township, Maurice River Township, City of Millville and City of Vineland) and one Atlantic County municipality (Buena Vista Township).

The water that the Maurice River delivers to the Delaware Bay is essential for regional oyster, crab and fin-fish industries. The corridor includes the least disturbed tidal freshwater wetlands in New Jersey. The river supports New Jersey’s largest stand of wild rice, and 53 percent of the animal species (excluding marine mammals) that the state has recognized as endangered. Further, the Maurice River system both contributes to and draws from the Cohansey aquifer, the region’s source of groundwater. The River can also serve as a generator of economic activity; the Ecotourism Plan prepared by Cumberland County addresses facility needs for this river corridor.

The goal of the Comprehensive Management Plan is to preserve the Maurice River and its tributaries in free-flowing condition, and conserve the remarkable resources for present and future generations. To avoid duplicating other efforts, the Plan, although prepared by the National Park Service, is drawn completely from existing documents prepared by municipal, county, state and federal documents since 1993.

As a cooperatively managed unit of the National Park System, management of the river corridor is shared among the neighboring municipalities, Atlantic and Cumberland counties, the State of New Jersey and the National Park Service. In addition, a host of other governmental agencies– the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NJ DEP, and Pinelands Commission – have regulatory authority over different activities within the River Corridor. The Citizens United to Protect the Maurice River and its Tributaries, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that has been a strong advocate for preserving the River. The municipalities have primary responsibility for the river, and all five have developed River Conservation Zones to protect the river and its resources. Commercial, Maurice River, and Vineland require a minimum of five- acre residential lots in this zone. Municipal regulation is critical, given that a large percentage of the land within the corridor is owned by private citizens.

Congressional directives and findings based on citizen input produced the following guidelines for management of the river corridor:

• The National Park Service will not acquire land, nor will the National Park Service directly manage the corridor; • Managing the river corridor will primarily be the responsibility of the five local governments; • Existing laws should be used to avoid over regulation; • Traditional uses of the river, such as agriculture, fishing, marinas, hunting and trapping will be maintained; • Landowner rights will be respected; • Designation should be used to foster economic revitalization in keeping with resource protection.

An Environmental Impact Statement prepared in conjunction with the Plan recommends keeping the existing management plan – with Cumberland County as the lead agency – as the preferred option.

The Plan identifies a wide range of resource management issues and recommendations, such as encouraging soil bio-engineered bank stabilization systems, and using conservation easements to protect undeveloped waterfront property. It establishes two “resource protection areas”: in waterways over 200 feet wide, motorized recreational activities are permitted; waterways less than 200 feet wide are restricted to non-motorized vehicles, with use of electric motors permitted in certain areas. Finally, the Plan makes recommendations on visitor management and interpretation services.

Cumberland County Farmland Preservation, Open Space, Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Plan (1996)

In 1994, Cumberland County voters passed a trust fund referendum to set aside one (1) cent per $100 of assessed valuation to preserve agricultural lands or open space. The primary purpose of the Cumberland County Farmland Preservation, Open Space, Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Plan is to continue providing County matching funds for the Easement Purchase Farmland Preservation Program. The Plan also marks the beginning of a comprehensive effort to coordinate local, state and federal government, and non-profit and private investments.

This Plan is based upon several principles. It recognizes the importance of recreational facilities to health and fitness, as well as the importance of hunting, fishing and birding to Cumberland County’s ecotourism program. Agriculture has long been the backbone of Cumberland County’s economy, generating over $2 billion per year and employing over 5,000 people. Further, because farms require relatively little public services, the lands result in a net positive tax ratable even with the application of Farmland Assessment tax rates. Finally, when the Cumberland County Department of Planning and Development conducted a business survey preceding its Economic Development Strategy for Action, the presence of farmlands and open space were identified as the most prominent aspect of the County’s quality of life.

As of 1993, there were 3,036 acres of state forest and natural areas, 50,727 acres of federal fish and wildlife management areas, 14,210 acres in private and quasi-public holdings, and 95 other acres in protected land in Cumberland County. Largely because of the considerable acreage in protected natural areas, the total amount of protected open space is consistent with New Jersey Balanced Land Use Guidelines, despite the fact that the County has no state park, and runs a 22,000-acre deficit for local park land according to these same guidelines.

The County has 609 farms covering 68,000 acres, or 20 percent of the County’s area. Easement Purchase Target areas encompassing more than 64,000 acres of prime farmland are concentrated almost completely in the western half of the county, with the one exception being an area in eastern Vineland. As of 2000, over 7,000 acres were permanently preserved. The Plan projects that the use of Trust Fund Revenues will enable the County to preserve 800 to 1,000 acres of farmland per year.

Following are the short-term objectives and long-term goals for the Plan:

Short-Term Objectives • Continue to support the Easement Purchase Farmland Preservation Program using Trust Fund revenues. • Continue to solicit Easement Purchase applications from land owners adjacent to program participants in an effort to assemble blocks of contiguous deed restricted farmland; • Evaluate application selection criteria and target areas annually; • Collaborate with municipal officials to keep target areas and priorities coordinated; • Update the county inventory of open space, preserved farmland, and parks and recreation facilities on an annual basis; • Encourage municipal planning boards to provide incentives for clustered development in exchange for permanent preservation of open space; • Begin dialogue between residents, local officials, and state and federal agencies to identify priorities to protect strategic resources;

Long-Term Goals • Identify and acquire key access points to outdoor recreation facilities, especially water resources; • Provide increased outdoor recreation opportunities for citizens with disabilities; • Seek opportunities to partner with other organizations to protect resources; • Use State Balanced Land Use Guidelines to continue to create a coordinated network of open space; • Link investments in open spaces, farmland and recreation facilities using trails and greenways as linear parks; • Leverage additional funding to the maximum extent in preserving and developing projects; • Cultivate the philosophy of preservation of critical farmland and open space in advance of development. 2000-2001 Cumberland County Economic Development Strategy for Action

The Cumberland County Economic Development Board produced the Cumberland County Economic Development Strategy for Action as a comprehensive vision for the future of the County economy. The most prominent theme that permeates this document is the need for cooperation among the different levels of government, government agencies, non-profit organizations and the private sector. One important move toward cooperation happened in 1999 when the 11 rural municipalities in the County organized into the Cumberland Development Corporation.

As in the rest of New Jersey, recent economic trends have favored the service and retail sectors over the manufacturing sector. Steady economic growth over the 1990's culminated in an unemployment average of 7.8% at the end of 1999, high compared to the state but the lowest rate the County has seen for many years. Among projects that have contributed to job growth have been the U.S. Filter and T-Fal Plants, the expansion of the Cumberland Mall, construction of the Cumberland Crossing Shopping Center, South Woods Prison in Bridgeton, and the Cogeneration Plant at Progresso Foods. The Millville and Vineland Industrial Parks have added, or are in the process of adding, new lots.

Priorities for the Strategy for Action have been informed by a survey of county businesses in 1995. The survey indicated that the County’s people are an important business asset, with the friendliness of customers and clients particularly cited. The rural character is seen as a positive asset, but businesses perceive a need for improved neighborhood activities. The most critical need, however, is education and workforce development.

Based on the business survey and other Cumberland County initiatives and business summits, the Strategy for Action set forth five goals with specific recommendations:

I. Focus county economic development in and around existing centers and villages. The major economic development initiative of the 1998-99 Strategy for Action was the designation of an Empowerment Zone in Cumberland County, focused on the Cities of Vineland, Millville, Bridgeton, and Port Norris Village in Commercial Township. The County Economic Development Board will continue to assist the Empowerment Zone program in upcoming years.

The traditional strengths of the County include its agricultural heritage, historic villages, glass making, cultural diversity, food processing and scenic waterways. These themes can be featured in stores in the downtowns. The downtowns would also benefit from streamlined land use regulations and from inputting information on available commercial and industrial sites into a regional database. The promotion of regional events can also tie into the County's cultural heritage. Infrastructure improvement - particularly roadway and sewerage treatment facilities - will make the County more attractive to businesses. Other roadway projects, through landscaping and other improvements, can present an attractive welcome to the County; these roadways would include Route 77 from the north, Route 49 from the east and west, and Routes 55/47 from the north and south.

II. Identify ways that business costs in Cumberland County can be reduced. The County Improvement Authority is promoting the idea of shared services, such as construction officials and inspectors, and shared purchasing. The County will also continue to identify state or federal regulations that are unnecessarily burdensome and should be eliminated. Loan and grant programs should be expanded, such as for ecotourism efforts, women and minority-owned firms, incubator facilities, and new manufacturing.

III. Continue to expand and improve training and educational opportunities. Remedial and life skills are targeted for training. Other areas of interest include computers and electronic technologies (Cumberland County College is seeking to become one of the 10 new technology incubator centers designated by the State of New Jersey in the next two years) and agribusiness. Aquaculture, a farming practice requiring specialized training, is receiving great attention from the County College. The County should promote development of new and innovative technologies, such as solaraquatics and wetlands management. The City of Bridgeton is working with Rutgers University and a consortium of food processors to establish a food industry technology center.

IV. Maintain and improve the quality of life for the county’s businesses, citizens and visitors. According to the business survey, preservation of farmland and open space is seen as key to maintaining the quality of life in Cumberland County. The limited availability of family entertainment opportunities, on the other hand, is seen as below average. Further, there are no County parks to provide picnicking, fishing, children's activities or other organized recreation. It would be desirable to develop a regional recreational facility, rather than expect municipalities to develop their own. Biking and hiking trails are also needed, although the County has moved to identify opportunities through a recently prepared Bike Plan. Ecotourism activities can greatly enhance quality of life, and the County has acted on numerous fronts, such as developing new tourism flyers and other promotional materials for area attractions, increasing advertising, attending tourism trade shows, and the like.

V. Target specific industrial development projects. New industries should fit with the natural and socio-economic characteristics of the area, and the County has therefore selected certain industries to recruit. These include data processing; distribution (aimed at proximity to rapidly growing Atlantic City market and Millville Airport); manufacturing (such as scientific glassware); technology; health services; tourism; retail trade; and agribusiness (aquaculture and nutraceuticals). Other means of promoting industry include an industrial development loan pool, patterned after the UEZ loan program in Vineland/Millville; and shared industrial development, such as the multi-municipal industrial park sought by the Cumberland Development Corporation.

Improved transportation systems are critical to economic development. Regional projects of special merit include highway improvements to enhance access to Atlantic City and the I-95 corridor in Wilmington, and better connections to Philadelphia crossings. Dormant plans to improve Routes 40 and 322 should be reactivated, and improvements to Route 55 are also needed, particularly in conjunction with the recently completed NJ DOT Shore Connection Study. The County should continue to solicit interest from a world class motor sports facility as well.

The UEZ program should be retained, and the 3% sales tax expanded into other parts of the County.

Cumberland County Intermunicipal Empowerment Zone (1998)

Cumberland County is one of the most economically depressed counties in New Jersey. The percentage of families on welfare and public assistance is one of the highest in the state, and five census tracts have poverty rates in excess of 25 percent. In a concerted effort to revitalize this area, Cumberland County collaborated with the Cities of Bridgeton, Millville and Vineland, and Commercial Township in preparing an Empowerment Zone application.

In January of 1999, an area covering these three cities and Port Norris Village in Commercial was designated as one of fifteen new Urban Empowerment Zones by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Over a ten-year period, the Empowerment Zone initiative will provide the County with $100 million in grant funds and $130 million in tax exempt bond financing for various economic development projects.

Overall, it is projected that over 6,000 new jobs can be created through Empowerment Zone programs. Critical social needs will also be targeted, as $10 million will be set aside for childcare, more than on any other identified social service.

All projects fall within one of three categories; following is a description of those categories and examples of projects.

Goal #1. Create new jobs and expand economic opportunity.

Employment Training Initiatives Job preparedness and work training are some of the greatest needs in the Empowerment Zone. Up to 200 residents will be provided with job training skills, through “one-stop” multi-service centers. Other neighborhood-based services include computer centers and a technology center will be developed at the Millville Airport. The Empowerment Zone will capitalize on the region’s glass-making heritage by offering glass training programs.

Small Business Development Initiatives A Small Business Center will operate as an office facility for expanding small businesses requiring office and light manufacturing space between 1,000 and 10,000 square feet. This center will also become the means to recruit new businesses to the region. Once in place, the Cumberland County Loan Assistance Program will be used to help new businesses grow.

Economic Development Initiatives An Intermunicipal Revolving Loan Fund can be one of the more potent means of stimulating growth throughout the study area; interest from the program will be slated for a variety of activities, including adaptive re-use of vacant structures and brownfields redevelopment. More specific initiatives will be aimed at the former Seven-Up, Ritter, Hunt-Wesson and Owens- Illinois plants in Bridgeton, expansion and development of the Bridgeton Industrial Park, and a $3.5 million fund to subsidize electric utility fees for business and industry.

Childcare Initiatives This important initiative will seek to locate one childcare center in each of the business/industrial centers of Vineland, Millville, Bridgeton and Port Norris.

Transportation Initiatives A county-wide public transit system will be strengthened in order to connect Empowerment Zone residents to jobs at the Cumberland Mall, industrial parks, Atlantic City and job centers. Alternative transportation services to shuttle workers to places of employment will also be subsidized.

Goal #2. Strengthen family structure and promote self-sufficiency.

Family Support Initiatives Families making the transition from welfare to work will be provided loans and financial management courses. Courses on parenting will also be offered.

Youth Opportunity Initiatives Early childhood development initiatives will provide basic skills training to prepare children to become successful adults, and to provide a structured after-school environment for latchkey children. A youth recreation/summer camp will be developed for Empowerment Zone children.

Technology Access Initiatives Neighborhood Computer Access Centers will provide access to technology for residents, with outdated computer equipment donated by corporations and businesses. The Cumberland County College is poised to offer human growth, job training and educations services to zone residents in an “annex” in the center cities.

Special Needs Services Supplemental services for the elderly, drug and alcohol treatment centers, and HIV prevention centers will address special needs populations.

Goal #3. Affirm long-term community and environmental viability.

Neighborhood Environment Initiatives One of the larger initiatives is the Community Infrastructure Improvement Fund, which will fund such projects as the Vineland CBD Streetscape, and a Green Acres match for the Bridgeton Riverfront and the Cohansey Development Project. Lead-based removal, community development, a crime community watch program, neighborhood rehabilitation, and the Landis Theater rehabilitation are all proposed under this program.

The Plan also recommends funding for three “developable sites.” The Millville Airport needs facilities such as an air cargo facility and a new hangar, and infrastructure for an industrial park. The Vineland Industrial Park needs sewerage improvements and a new interchange from Weymouth Road, and new warehousing, distribution and processing facilities. Port Norris would benefit from a wastewater treatment facility, expanded food processing businesses, and businesses to promote ecotourism, such as a visitors center and marina improvements.

Cumberland County Ecotourism Plan (1996)

Ecological tourism is defined as nature-based tourism. It involves managing ecologically sustainable resources for recreational purposes, and, as acknowledged in the Cumberland County Economic Development Strategy for Action, is one of the most promising means for increasing tourism in Cumberland County. Tourism is the State’s second largest economic sector, generating over $23 billion per year; in Cumberland County, tourism attracts over $160 million dollars per year, a relatively small amount compared to its neighbors in Cape May and Atlantic Counties. Money spent by ecotourists has the ability to reach a wide array of businesses, such as gas stations, boat rental facilities, bait shops, restaurants, hotels, gift shops, and produce stands.

In Cumberland County there are fifteen (15) major State-owned Wildlife Management Areas, encompassing more than 50,000 acres. Non-profit conservation groups own over 10,000 acres of land in the county, and there are 68,000 acres of farmland. The county has abundant natural resources, and the potential for a greatly expanded tourist industry. This Plan thus sets out the goals and objectives by which ecotourism can be promoted in Cumberland County. Three tenets undergird the Plan: 1) to be workable, a plan must provide focus, and certain themes linking together ecotourist sites should therefore be identified; 2) the special places in the County should be promoted; and 3) the effort will succeed only through the involvement of a range of public and private sector actors.

The Plan identifies six themes that build on the county’s historic and natural resources, as follows:

Tracing Cumberland County’s Maritime Heritage Cumberland County was founded by seafarers, and many of the towns and villages built the sloops and schooners that carried raw materials to markets in Philadelphia, and that plied the waters for seafood. Boat yards, maritime museums, old schooners and villages, lighthouses, boat builders and river tours could be tied together to promote this theme. Many of these resources need better public access and facilities, such as parking areas and restrooms, before they can accommodate visitors. Other resources, such as the Delaware Bay Schooner Project, can be marketed immediately.

Boating Adventures in Cumberland County Recreational boating on the Bay, the Maurice and Cohansey Rivers, as well as the smaller streams and creeks is a favorite activity of Cumberland County residents and visitors. Fortescue, with a state marina, has one of the largest recreational boating communities on the Delaware Bay. In all, there are 34 marinas and power boat facilities in Cumberland County. This activity is already well organized, and can easily be promoted. Because this activity is relatively popular, a principal issue of this theme is safeguarding against overuse of the waterways.

Hunting, Fishing and Crabbing Opportunities There are 15 State owned natural areas in Cumberland County. The Plan outlines areas where infrastructure is needed to advance hunting, fishing and crabbing opportunities. The Bevan, Peaslee, and Heislerville Wildlife Management Areas may be able to accommodate larger numbers of ecotourists with minor improvements; other WMAs will require more substantial improvements. The Maurice and Cohansey Rivers also provide excellent hunting and trapping opportunities.

The Heart of Farming in the Garden State Cumberland County is the dominant agricultural county in the state. The marketing of farm products – through produce stands, “pick your own” operations, or active farm markets in downtown settings that integrate crafts or ethnic foods– can all contribute to a farming theme. Farm vacations, an increasingly popular way to experience farm living, can increase farm income by 10 to 30 percent. The story of salt hay farming could also be told. Although farm products can be actively marketed today, the other aspects of the program will need to be nurtured.

Birding, Biking, and Hiking: Passive Recreation and Ecotourism The migration of shore birds in Cumberland County is unrivaled in the continental United States. Recent studies indicated that economic activity generated by bird watching contributes over $15 million annually to the Cape May County economy. The construction of boardwalks, nature trails and observation platforms can enhance the birding industry in Cumberland; the Natural Lands Trust at “the Glades” in Downe Township and PSE&G with a platform at its Bayside tract in Greenwich have been leaders in this effort. Signage and other accommodations for birders are also needed, as well as guided birding tours. There are few well-developed hiking trails and bike paths; these facilities are greatly needed to promote this theme.

From Silica to Crystal: Tracing the Natural History of Glass Silica sand is one of the major natural resources in Cumberland County. Because of the abundance of sand, glass making operations have chosen to operate here since the eighteenth century, and there are currently over thirty glass manufacturers in the county. Wheaton Village, the premier tourist attraction in the County, is a reconstructed glass manufacturing town that tells the history of glass making. The large sand mining companies in the County could create a museum or heritage facility that would demonstrate the importance of silica sands to the economy; the glass companies could offer tours showing the process of glass making.

The Plan also discusses four sites with significant ecotourism potential:

Cumberland County’s Wild & Scenic Rivers – These waterways are spectacular examples of unspoiled rivers; public facilities are needed.

Port Norris and New Jersey’s Oyster Industry – Oyster shucking houses and oyster boats can still be found in Port Norris. The Schooner Project plans to restore many of the old shipping sheds along the Maurice River. Shellpile and Bivalve are also important oyster sites.

The Maurice River Natural Resources Center – Officials from Maurice River Township, the County, and the NJ Division of Fish, Game & Wildlife have discussed creating a state-of-the-art natural resource center.

Bridgeton, Millville and Vineland – These urban centers offer services to cater to potential ecotourists.

The Plan also offers 90 ideas for advancing an ecotourism program, with everything from a targeted loan program for ecotourist businesses to walking tours of glass architecture.

Finally, the Plan establishes long-term priorities. These include a business development program to help businesses position themselves as ecotourist enterprises, and a comprehensive ecotourist marketing package. Investment in public wastewater treatment would improve the ability of small villages like Port Norris and Fortescue to host tourist services. Public restrooms, visitor centers, information kiosks, signage and additional infrastructure are needed to accommodate visitors in many of the Wildlife Management Areas. Resource protection efforts are also critical; the County should support the acquisition of private lands when payment-in-lieu of taxes can be made, or ecotourism trade-offs negotiated.

The New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan (2001)

In 1985, the New Jersey Legislature passed the State Planning Act (N.J.S.A. 52:18A-196 et seq.) so the state could better plan for its future by maintaining its natural, cultural, economic and social resources. The Planning Act established the State Planning Commission and authorized the preparation of the New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan. The State Plan serves as a guide for public and private sector investment throughout the state.

The State Plan has eight goals:

1. Revitalize the state’s cities and towns. 2. Conserve the state’s natural resources and systems. 3. Promote beneficial economic growth, development and renewal for all residential of New Jersey. 4. Protect the environment, prevent and clean up pollution. 5. Provide adequate public facilities and services at a reasonable cost. 6. Provide adequate housing at a reasonable cost. 7. Preserve and enhance areas with historic, cultural, scenic, open space and recreational value. 8. Ensure sound and integrated planning and implementation statewide.

The original State Plan was adopted in 1992, with a revised State Plan adopted in 2001. Cumberland County has a vital role in shaping the Plan through “Cross-Acceptance”. In this process, the County essentially serves as a negotiating agency between the state and municipalities in deciding how land should generally be developed in the future.

The State Plan divides the state up into “planning areas”; each planning area has a different set of policy objectives. Following is a description of each planning area, selected goals, and the status of the planning areas in Cumberland County:

Metropolitan (PA1) Includes a variety of communities that range from larger urban centers to post-war suburbs. In this planning area the state intends to provide for much of the state’s redevelopment, and revitalize cities and towns. Bridgeton, Millville and Vineland account for the majority of PA1 areas in Cumberland County, although this area also radiates out from Bridgeton into Hopewell, Upper Deerfield, and Fairfield. Millville and Vineland are Designated Regional Centers, and regional growth is intended to be concentrated in these areas.

Suburban Planning Area (PA2) This area is generally located adjacent to the Metropolitan Planning Area but is distinguished by a lack of high density centers. It has a pattern of low-density development and typically includes readily developable land. In the suburban planning area, the State Plan’s intention is to provide for much of the state’s future development, and promote growth in centers and other compact forms. The Suburban Planning Area (PA2) virtually surrounds the PA1 areas in Bridgeton, Millville and Vineland.

Fringe Planning Area (PA3) This area is predominately rural landscape that is not prime agricultural or environmentally sensitive land, with scattered small communities and freestanding residential, commercial or industrial development. In this area the State Plan intends to accommodate growth in centers, protect open lands, and provide a buffer between the more developed and less developed areas. The only PA3 area is in Upper Deerfield.

Rural Planning Area (PA4) The Rural Planning Area – including the Rural/Environmentally Sensitive Area (PA4B) – comprises much of New Jersey’s countryside where large masses of cultivated or open land surround rural centers. In the Rural Planning Area, the State Plan intends to maintain large contiguous areas of farmland and other lands, protect the character of existing stable communities, and confine programmed sewers and public water to Centers. This planning area is largely concentrated in the western half of Cumberland County.

Environmentally Sensitive Planning Area (PA5) This area contains land with valuable ecosystems, geological features and wildlife habitats. This area also includes the Environmentally Sensitive/Barrier Islands Planning Area (PA5B). In this planning area, the State Plan’s goal is to protect environmental resources through the protection of large contiguous areas of land. More than one-third of Cumberland County is found in PA5; most of this planning area is located in the CAFRA zone.

Pinelands Management Areas A little over 45,000 acres of land in the City of Vineland and Maurice River Township is located in the Pinelands Management Area.

The following represents the approximate acreage of each Planning Area in Cumberland County:

Total PA1 PA2 PA3 PA4 PA4B PA5 Park Pinelands Military 313,107 20,557 30,625 629 95,910 6,822 113,364 3,360 45,484 0 Source: NJ Office of State Planning

The preferred approaches for managing growth to achieve the goals of the State Plan are through the mapping of Center Boundaries to identify areas for development and redevelopment. Centers are compact forms of development that, compared to sprawl, consume less land, deplete fewer natural resources and are more efficient in the delivery of public services. Centers have a core of public and private services and a development area surrounding the core defined by a Center Boundary. The State Plan classifies five types of Centers, in order of scale: Urban Centers; Regional Centers; Towns; Villages and Hamlets. The following are Cumberland County Centers:

Location Type* Millville-Vineland Designated Regional Center Bridgeton Designated Regional Center Carmel (Deerfield Township) Village Cedarville (Lawrence Township) Village Centre Grove (Lawrence Township) Hamlet Deerfield (Upper Deerfield Township) Village Delmont (Maurice River Township) Designated Village Dividing Creek (Downe Township) Village Dorchester/ Leesburg (Maurice River Township) Designated Village Fairton (Fairfield) Village Fortescue (Downe Township) Village Gandy's Beach (Downe Township) Hamlet Heislerville (Maurice River Township) Designated Village Laurel Lake (Commercial Township) Designated Village Mauricetown (Commercial Township) Designated Village Mauricetown Station (Maurice River Township) Designated Hamlet Money Island Beach (Downe Township) Hamlet Morton & Lebanon Roads (Deerfield Township) Village Newport (Downe Township) Village Othello (Greenwich Township) Hamlet Stow Creek (Stow Creek Township) Village Port Elizabeth-Bricksboro (Maurice River Twp.) Designated Village Port Norris (Commercial Township) Designated Village Roadstown (Stow Creek/ Hopewell Townships) Village Rosenhayn (Deerfield Township) Village Sea Breeze (Fairfield Township) Hamlet Seabrook (Upper Deerfield Township) Village Shiloh (Shiloh Borough) Village Springtown (Greenwich Township) Hamlet * All centers with the term "Designated" in the type category have received Center Designation. All others are potential centers and have not received Center Designation.

If they wish, municipalities, counties and regional agencies may submit their plans to the State Planning Commission for Plan Endorsement. A plan is considered endorsed if the commission determines that it is consistent with the State Plan. An endorsed plan gives a municipality the opportunity to qualify for state discretionary funds, as well as expedited permitting and enhanced planning assistance. Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA)

The Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA) (N.J.S.A. 13:19) is intended to protect coastal areas from the effects of uncoordinated development, and thus preserve the most ecologically sensitive and fragile coastal lands.

CAFRA applies to projects near coastal waters in the southern part of the county, particularly in areas covered by coastal wetlands, and along the Maurice and Cohansey Rivers. CAFRA regulates almost all development activities involved in residential, commercial, or industrial development, including construction, relocation, and enlargement of buildings or structures; and all related work, such as excavation, grading, shore protection structures, and site preparation. In general, the closer the property is to the coast, the more likely it is to be regulated. In the application of administrative discretion, DEP officials are guided by eight basic coastal policies which summarize the direction of the specific rules.

1. Protect and enhance the coastal ecosystem. 2. Concentrate rather than disperse the pattern of coastal residential, commercial, industrial, and resort development, encourage the preservation of open space, and ensure the availability of suitable waterfront areas for water dependent activities. 3. Employ a method for decision making which allows each coastal location to be evaluated in terms of both the advantages and the disadvantages it offers for development. 4. Protect the health, safety and welfare of people who reside, work and visit the coastal zone. 5. Promote public access to the waterfront through protection and creation of meaningful access points and linear walkways and at least one waterfront park in each waterfront municipality. 6. Maintain active port and industrial facilities, and provide for necessary expansion in adjacent sites. 7. Maintain and upgrade existing energy facilities, and site additional energy facilities in a manner consistent with the rules of this Coastal Management Program. 8. Encourage residential, commercial, and recreational mixed-use redevelopment of the developed waterfront.

CAFRA separates the coastal region into zones and centers. Following is a summary of CAFRA planning areas and policies:

Coastal Metropolitan Planning Area Guide development and redevelopment to ensure efficient use of scarce land while capitalizing on the inherent public facility and service efficiencies of concentrated development patterns.

Coastal Suburban Planning Area Encourage mixed-use development and redevelopment in compact centers.

Coastal Fringe Planning Area This planning area encourages development in more compact, deliberately designed community patterns to minimize land conflicts while accommodating growth that would otherwise occur elsewhere. It recommends that such development should not exceed the carrying capacity of natural or built systems while maintaining or enhancing the character of existing communities.

Coastal Rural Planning Area This planning area will enhance the rural character and agricultural viability of the Coastal Rural Planning Area by guiding growth into centers. This planning area will maintain existing low- density and low-intensity development patterns that are supporting rather than conflicting with the rural landscape. It encourages creative land use techniques to minimize the impact of new development on rural features. It will also ensure that development does not exceed the capacity of natural and built systems.

Coastal Environmentally Sensitive Planning Area This plan will protect environmentally sensitive features by guiding development into centers and maintaining low intensity development patterns. It will carefully link the location, character and magnitude of development to the capacity of natural and built environments to support new growth. This area will accommodate development at higher intensities in existing centers, and discourages the development of public infrastructure facilities outside of centers.

The majority of land in Bridgeton is in the Metropolitan Planning Area. The majority of lands in Maurice River Township, Commercial Township, Downe Township, Lawrence Township and Fairfield Township are located in the Environmentally Sensitive Planning Area. Most of Greenwich, Hopewell and Stow Creek Townships are located in the Coastal Rural Planning Area.

To the extent possible, NJDEP would like to concentrate development within the CAFRA area in CAFRA centers. Following is a list of the CAFRA centers in Cumberland County:

Cumberland County Coastal Centers Center Municipality Bridgeton Coastal Regional Center Bridgeton Mauricetown Coastal Village Commercial Township Port Norris Coastal Village Commercial Township Dividing Creek Coastal Village Downe Township Fortescue Coastal Village Downe Township Newport Coastal Village Downe Township Fairton Coastal Village Fairfield Township Greenwich Coastal Village Greenwich Township Othello Coastal Hamlet Greenwich Township Springtown Coastal Hamlet Greenwich Township Roadstown Coastal Hamlet Hopewell and Stow Creek Townships Cedarville Coastal Village Lawrence Township Delmont Coastal Hamlet Maurice River Township Heislerville Coastal Village Maurice River Township Leesburg/Dorchester Coastal Village Maurice River Township Port Elizabeth/Bricksboro Coastal Village Maurice River Township Laurel Lake Coastal Village Millville City

New Jersey Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan

The New Jersey Pinelands is one of the most important ecosystems in the United States. With its unbroken forests of pine, oak and cedar (including a unique “pygmy forest”) the Pinelands are the largest open space on the mid-Atlantic seaboard. The Cohansey Kirkwood Aquifer in the Pinelands contains over 17 trillion gallons of pure water, and 580 mature plant species, 54 of which are threatened or endangered.

Recognizing its importance and the threat that overdevelopment posed, the U.S. Congress in 1978 designated the New Jersey Pinelands as the country’s first National Reserve. New Jersey followed this action of Congress with the Pineland Protection Act in 1979, conferring further protection.

The boundaries of the Pinelands National Reserve and the Pinelands Area, as defined by New Jersey state legislation, differ somewhat. The Reserve, totaling 1.1 million acres, includes land east of the Garden State Parkway and to the south bordering Delaware Bay, which is omitted from the 927,000-acre state Pinelands Area. The two jurisdictions are spread across seven counties: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Ocean.

The Pinelands region is governed by the 15-member Pinelands Commission and is divided into eight areas of different land use capability. (However, local governments have primary responsibility for implementing the Plan.) The delineation of these areas, and their permitted land uses are a central feature of the Pinelands Plan. The districts are as follows:

• Preservation Area District • Forest Area • Agricultural Production Area • Rural Development Area • Regional Growth Area • Pinelands Town • Military and Federal Institution Area • Pinelands Village • Special Agricultural Production Area

Maurice River Township and the City of Vineland are the only Cumberland County municipalities that are affected by Pinelands regulations. The large majority of Maurice River Township falls within the Forest Area. In general, only new land uses compatible with the ecology of the central Pines are allowed in the Forest Area. Examples of acceptable activities are forestry, cultivation of berries and native plants, and operation of recreational facilities, such as canoe rental services and campgrounds designed for minimal impact on the landscape. However, municipalities are given the option of including certain other new uses, such as limited commercial establishments. Each municipality is also assigned a number of new housing units which may be built in its Forest Area. The Plan allows one new house for each 15.8 acres of privately owned, undeveloped upland. To minimize environmental damage, municipalities are permitted to cluster development on 3.2 acre lots.

A smaller portion of Maurice River Township is located in the Rural Development Area, which is concentrated along Route 47 between Port Elizabeth and Delmont. Modest development is permitted in this area; new housing is allowed at an overall density of 200 units per square mile of privately owned, undeveloped upland. The Rural Development Areas serve as a transition area between more and less developed areas, alleviating development pressures which Regional Growth Areas cannot absorb.

Higher density development is permitted in Pinelands Villages; within Maurice River Township, these include Cumberland, Delmont, Dorchester, Hesstown, Leesburg, Milmay and Port Elizabeth.

Only a small portion of this northeastern corner of Vineland lies within the Pinelands, in the Rural Development and Forest Area districts.

Anyone who wishes to develop land within the Pinelands must file an application with both the Pinelands Commission and municipality. Applications are first reviewed by Commission staff to determine whether they are complete, and then forwarded to a municipality for its normal municipal review process. Municipal authorities are required to notify the Commission when they are scheduled to consider an application and when it receives preliminary or final local approval. These local approvals are then subject to Commission review to ensure that they are consistent with the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan.