SENATE RESOLUTION No. 106

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED DECEMBER 1, 1997

By Senator MARTIN

A Senate Resolution memorializing the Congress of the United States to create a Highlands National Forest Preserve for the Highlands Region in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.

Whereas, The Highlands Region, stretching from Pennsylvania through Connecticut, is a vital watershed, environmental, and recreational resource for the nation; and

Whereas, At the turn of the century, former President Theodore Roosevelt and leaders in the eastern states envisioned the establishment of a greenway from Georgia through Maine, including the Highlands Region in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut; and

Whereas, The federal government has preserved land from Georgia through Virginia and in parts of New England, but has left a major portion of land unpreserved in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut; and

Whereas, Although the Highlands Region contains New Jersey's most critical watershed lands, and supplies surface water and ground water to more than half of the State's residents, much of the region is threatened with suburban sprawl, with one-third of the region's land already developed, and over half of the remaining space unprotected; and

Whereas, Continued development would subject the Highlands Region and its watershed lands to excessive amounts of point and non-point sources of pollution, would require the construction of water treatment plants costing millions of dollars and requiring long-term maintenance, and would further stress a limited water supply for New Jersey's residents; and

Whereas, Acquiring land for watershed protection would be more cost-effective, over time, than building and maintaining treatment plants; and

Whereas, The Highlands Region's ecosystem is increasingly recognized as having significant biodiversity value, and provides habitat for many wilderness-dependent species, such as the black bear, otter, bobcat, and native trout, as well as many species on the "Watch List," including the American Bittern, Chimney Swift, Red-headed Woodpecker, Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoos, Veery, Wood Thrush, Cerulean, Prairie, Canada and Kentucky Warblers, Field Sparrow, and Orchard Oriole; and

Whereas, Within 40 miles of the George Washington Bridge and the World Trade Center, the Highlands Region offers open space and recreational opportunities to America's most populous metropolitan area, hosting millions of recreational visits yearly and accounting for hundreds of millions of dollars annually in wildlife-related activities; and

Whereas, The United States Forest Service recently identified the New York/New Jersey Highlands as a "resource of national significance," and the Highlands Region is a critical natural link in a larger "Appalachian Highlands," which, in turn, makes up part of the Appalachian Mountain system; and

Whereas, Designation of the Highlands Region in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut as a National Forest Preserve would make it eligible as an authorized federal project for land acquisition funds, including grants from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund; and

Whereas, Designation of the Highlands Region as a "Preserve" would mandate special rules and regulations on public lands in the region that would recognize its proximity to the densely populated areas of the East Coast, its significance as a water supply to millions of people, and its unique ecological biodiversity; and

Whereas, The State of New Jersey in 1995 took a critical first step in acknowledging the importance of the Highlands Region by expanding the jurisdiction of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission so that this body could participate in the region's management; and

Whereas, The Congress of the United States has established the Land and Water Conservation Fund to aid states in the preservation of resources of "national significance"; now, therefore,

    Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

    1. The Congress of the United States is memorialized to create a Highlands National Forest Preserve in the Highlands Region in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut, subject to the concurrence of those states.

    2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the President of the Senate and attested by the Secretary of the Senate, shall be transmitted to the Governor of the State of New Jersey, every member of Congress elected from this State, the President and Vice President of the United States, the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, the Chief of the United States Forest Service, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, the majority and minority leaders of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives, the Governors of Pennsylvania, New York and Connecticut, and every member of Congress elected from the states of Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut.

STATEMENT

    This resolution memorializes Congress to create a Highlands National Forest Preserve in the Highlands area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut, subject to the concurrence of those states.

Memorializes Congress to create Highlands National Forest Preserve.