Reminding the Highlands Council that Its Job is to Protect Water!

URWA participated with a coalition of environmental groups who rallied outside the Highlands Council’s offices in Chester earlier this month to acknowledge the Seventh Anniversary of the passage of the Highlands Act, legislation that protects the land, natural resources and drinking water for 5.4 million New Jersey residents.

A key speaker at the rally was Senator Bob Smith, co-sponsor of the Act and chairman of the Senate Environment and Energy Committee who said “The Highlands Act is as relevant today as it was seven years ago…the Highlands Council, its staff and participating municipalities have come a long way towards balancing the goals of resource protection and planning for sustainable growth and development. I applaud them for what they have achieved and for their continuing efforts to protect the water supply that so many of us depend upon.”

Members of the environmental coalition took the opportunity to speak about their fear that Governor Christie is strategically weakening the protections of the Highlands water supply by verbally undermining the Regional Master Plan and making appointments to the Council that represent anti-Highlands sentiments.

URWA staff attended the rally to remind the Council that we are watching the conformance process and looking to them to stay focused on meeting the Highlands Act’s goal of protecting New Jersey’s clean drinking water.