Back Roads Sourland Planning Council www.sourland.org Spring 2006 Toward A “Smart Future” Phase II of Smart Growth Begins Phase I of the Smart Growth and exclusively dedicated to end product is consistent with the project for which the Sourland Sourland Mountain issues, the SPC community values of each of the Planning Council received $80,000 will manage the funds. The seven participants, as well as providing for from the New Jersey Department of municipalities, three counties, and the long term protection of the Community Affairs (NJDCA) is three nonprofit organizations, as unique character of the Sourlands. now complete. The final report of well as several State agencies, will Thanks to NJDCA for their gen- all the information gathered during be invited to appoint members to a erous support of this important the course of this project has been steering committee which will work. printed in a limited edition book approve the overall plan and all which has been distributed to the expenditures of grant funds. The municipalities and counties, as well tasks enumerated in the grant agree- Visit Our Website as other participants. All of the ment are: (1) Selection of Steering same reports, along with maps and Committee and Planning www.sourland.org other graphics, are also available on Consultant(s); (2) Data Collection our SPC website at www.sour- and Analysis; (3) Regional and It features land.org. We are very excited about Community Visioning Sessions; (4) A virtual tour of the the enormous amount of informa- Preparation of a Draft Sourlands tion which has now been assembled Comprehensive Management Plan. Maps of the Sourlands documenting the special character The result of this process will be a A calendar of events of the Sourlands. In future newslet- set of policy recommendations for ters we will summarize the various land use, conservation, and open News and information reports that are in the book. space that will be presented to the about the organization and planning boards and governing bod- our planning initiatives The Council has now signed a ies of the towns and counties for A history of the Sourlands contract with the State for an addi- their consideration. tional $100,000 to build upon this Links to related organiza- tions information in Phase II of the This kind of regional planning process called "Smart Future." As will require a great deal of public The full Sourlands Smart the only organization specifically involvement and input so that the Growth Phase I Report The Sourlands Planning Council is a non-profit volunteer organization formed to protect the ecological integrity, historical resources and special character of the Sourland Mountain region. Back Roads Page 2 Meeting information President’s Message Please come The Sourland Planning Council trustees will meet during 2006 on the dates listed below. As a nonprofit organization, the Sourland Planning Council We hold our meetings at the historic Hopewell cannot endorse candidates running for election. We can, how- Railroad Station on Railroad Avenue, just off ever, support policies that we believe will enhance our mission North Greenwood Avenue in Hopewell Boro, of protecting the fragile environment of the Sourland Mountain. at 7:30 p.m. They are the first Tuesday of every It is with hopeful enthusiasm that I have read the final recom- other month, except for August. Note that this is a change from 2005. You are warmly invited mendations of Governor Corzine’s Transition Team Environ- to join us. mental Policy Group. The report can be read in its entirety at Apr 4 Jun 6 Oct 3 (Annual meeting & http://www.state.nj.us/governor/home/pdf/environment.pdf. elections) Dec 6 Four subcommittees-Air, Water, Communities, and Natural Resources-have developed a plan to continue and expand Officers and Trustees of the upon the environmental achievements of previous administra- Sourland Planning Council tions of both political parties. Recommendations which could 2005 - 2006 specifically benefit the Sourlands are: Elected at the annual meeting on Oct. 6, 2005. Update the 1996 Water Supply Master Plan. Officers Strengthen all of the State’s water rules. President: Andrea Bonette, Oppose budget cuts at the Department of Environmental Montgomery Twp. Protection, even in the light of New Jersey’s current fiscal Vice President: Steven Sacks-Wilner, problems. Montgomery Twp. Treasurer: Cliff Wilson, Immediately repeal the notorious “Fast Track” legislation East Amwell Twp. which allows developers to push projects through local Secretary: Tom Kilbourne, approvals processes without sufficient time for thorough Hopewell Twp. Grants Director: Jennifer Bryson, consideration of impacts. Hillsborough Twp. Strongly support the Highlands and the Pinelands, which Trustees by association must have a positive effect on the Ken Bogen, Lambertville Sourlands as well. Tracy Carluccio, East Amwell Twp. Steven Davison, Hopewell Twp. Adopt long-delayed scientific recommendations that Richard Greene, Hopewell Borough would add protection of habitat to existing protections for Jerry Haimowitz, Raritan Borough the critters that live there. Robert Harris, Hopewell Twp. Judy Jengo, Hopewell Borough Reward woodland owners by allowing them to qualify for Patricia Sziber, Hopewell Twp. favorable property tax treatment for conservation and Catherine Urbanski, West Amwell Twp. habitat protection, rather than only for logging their forests. Honorary Trustees Joel Coyne, West Amwell Twp. We plan to work with the municipalities, counties, and nonprof- David DelVecchio, Lambertville it organizations with a presence in the Sourlands to support Tim Dillingham, Hopewell Borough State proposals that would protect our Mountain. Truman Goines, Lambertville Robert Harris, Hopwell Twp. Andrea Bonette, President Leonard Lance, Flemington Sourland Planning Council Nancy Palladino, West Amwell Twp. Back Roads Page 3 Alexauken Creek Watershed Protection Plan West Amwell Township has (the grantee), the City of received a grant to develop a protec- Lambertville, Hunterdon County tion plan for the Alexauken Creek Planning Board, Hunterdon Land watershed and the Sourland Plan- Trust Alliance, Delaware ning Council is a partner in the proj- Riverkeeper Network, The Regional ect. SPC trustee Jerry Haimowitz Planning Partnership, and Stony attended a kickoff meeting held Brook - Millstone Watershed November 10, 2005 at the West Association. Amwell Twp municipal building on In the first year of the study, the behalf of the Sourland Planning Delaware Riverkeeper will be Council, as did trustee Cathy Alexauken Creek developing a visual watershed Urbanski, who attended officially as assessment technique. This will be a member of the West Amwell funds to other entities to reduce done by a small group of experts Environmental Commission. water quality impairment and, for training and managing a team of lay the past few years, New Jersey's Alexauken Creek flows from the top volunteers who will walk the water- Nonpoint Source Program has tar- of the Sourland ridge north towards shed and report what they find on geted these grants on the develop- Mount Airy, then hooks southwest standardized forms that Delaware ment of watershed restoration and to flow along Creek Road into Riverkeeper is developing. The first protection plans. Lambertville - roughly six miles of training was held February 25, the still-pristine waterway. (See the The purpose of the project is to second on March 11. Volunteers will map.) The Alexauken Creek Water- develop a plan that will recommend then pair up and be assigned about a shed drains 15.12 square miles, specific measures for protecting, one-mile stream segment to walk mostly in West Amwell, but also maintaining and, where possible, for a one-time survey in February including Delaware, Lambertville improving the water quality and and March. and East Amwell. The main stem is ecological integrity of the streams To learn more about this project about five miles long and drains within the watershed. The project contact Faith Zerbe, Monitoring about 40% farm land, 39% forest, will run from August 2005 to Coordinator at the Delaware 13% developed land, 6% wetlands August 2008. Riverkeeper 215-369-1188 or and 2% barren lands and open Princeton Hydro LLC is coordinat- [email protected]. water. The Alexauken has been des- ing the work for the Township. ignated a Category One stream by A second initial task involves com- Princeton Hydro is a consulting firm NJDEP, which affords it extra pro- piling and synthesizing existing GIS specializing in water and wetland tections. (Graphical Information System) and resource management. Chris Krupka other watershed data of the sort The grant comes from New Jersey of Princeton Hydro is the project's found in SPC’s Smart Growth Department of Environmental manager and point of contact. At the Report. Protection's 319(h) program, which meeting, Chris emphasized that provides funds for nonpoint source active participation of all partners is Anyone interested in participating pollution control projects. Under critical to the success of the project. should contact Chris Krupka at: federal guidelines, each state may The other partners, in addition to 908 237-5660 or pass through a portion of 319(h) SPC, are: West Amwell Township [email protected] Back Roads Page 4 Become Poet’s Corner a member! We begin a new feature with this issue of Back Roads. Poet’s Corner will feature work by residents and friends of the Sourlands that evokes the beauty and character of the region. We are proud to inaugu- Sourland rate the Poet’s Corner with this piece by SPC trustee Dick Greene. Planning Council We invite submissions. Please send them to Steven Davison at [email protected]. Join or renew your membership in a grassroots community of individuals interested in preserving and protecting First Notes the precious natural resources of the Sourland Mountain region. Our goal? Though winter is with us still, Save the Sourlands! the birds have begun to sing Membership and dues information are on to the cues of spring, the enclosed envelope.