Pinelands Preservation Act
The Pinelands, also known as the Pine Barrens, is the East Coast's largest contiguous wilderness area and ecosystem. The area covers much of southern New Jersey, stretching across seven counties. The Pinelands is composed of a diverse array of plants and wildlife, and helps to replenish large underground aquifers which contain pure and mostly potable water. In an effort to protect and preserve the natural and pristine state of this area, Congress designated the Pinelands the country's first National Reserve in 1978, and subsequently enacted the Pinelands Protection Act in 1979. The area is also a U.S. Biosphere Reserve of the Man and a part of the Biosphere Program.
Other People Are Reading
-
History
-
Before the arrival of European settlers to the Pinelands, the Lenape Indians were the area's original inhabitants. During prehistoric times, the Lenape burned the Pinelands. Such fires played a major role in developing the ecology and different ecosystems found in the area.
During colonial times, several different industries thrived in the Pinelands, including bog iron mining, paper mills, sawmills, gristmills, and charcoal and glass manufacturing. As time passed, these industries and the towns that cropped up as a result were abandoned, and the Pinelands grew wild once again.
Once European settlers arrived, they found that the area's nutrient-poor soil was not conducive to the growth and cultivation of the crops they brought with them. However, it was later discovered that the sandy, acidic soil is ideal for the growth of a distinctive and widely varying array of plant life, including orchids and carnivorous plants. The area is also notable for its diverse wildlife, as well as its huge underground aquifers, which contain mostly potable water.
Pinelands National Reserve
-
In order to preserve its natural state, Congress designated 1.1 million acres of the coastal area as the Pinelands National Reserve (PNA), pursuant to the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978. The Pinelands National Reserve is the nation's first National Reserve, was designated a U.S. Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1983, and was recognized as an International Biosphere Reserve in 1988. The area is governed by New Jersey's Coastal Area Facilities Review Act (CAFRA), a body of regulations that controls development along the Jersey Shore.
The Pinelands National Reserve encompasses 22 percent of New Jersey's land area, and is the largest body of open land on the Mid-Atlantic seaboard. Under the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan, the region is protected to keep its unique ecology intact while allowing appropriate development.
The public owns approximately 50 percent of the Pinelands National Reserve, while the other 50 percent is owned privately by home owners, farmers, business, corporations and nonprofit organizations.
-
Pinelands Protection Act of 1979
-
Concerned by the possible threat of damage to the Pinelands due to increasing commercial land development, scientists, politicians and citizens began lobbying the state and federal government to protect the area in the 1960s and 1970s. Their actions successfully led Congress to pass the National Parks and Recreation Act of 1978, and New Jersey consequently passed the Pinelands Protection Act of 1979. This act designated approximately 900,000 acres of the Pinelands National Reserve as the Pinelands Area, and appointed the Pinelands Planning Commission to govern development. The act also prohibits construction on a 576-square-mile area located in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden and Ocean counties.
New Jersey Pinelands Commission
-
The enactment of the National Parks and Recreation Act and the Pinelands Protection Act resulted in the creation of the New Jersey Pinelands Commission. The commission's goal not only is to preserve, protect and enhance the Pinelands' natural and cultural resources, but also to encourage activities and economic growth that promote that purpose without damaging the environment.
The commission is composed of five distinct committees:
1. The Policy and Implementation Committee reviews major policy issues and makes recommendations to the commission regarding such matters, issues involving the application of and changes to the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan, which governs the commission, as well as the implementation of new initiatives or special projects.
2. The Permanent Land Protection Committee focuses on the long-term protection of parcels of land that are environmentally, historically or agriculturally significant. The committee accomplishes this in a variety of ways, including limiting the purchase of land so that it is owned in its entirety--that is, no obligations or rents are due to anyone else--but that is still subject to government specified encumbrances and/or conditions, as well as deed restriction. While the committee's goal is to preserve specific areas of importance, it also works to identify new areas for protection.
3. The Personnel and Budget Committee advises the commission on business management and operating matters. Responsibilities include, among other things, the annual budget, other fiduciary matters, and human resource and employee policies and practices.
4. The Public and Governmental Programs Committee examines federal, state and local governmental and legislative actions that may impact the objectives and/or implementation of the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan, as well as develops its own legislation that is cohesive to the commission's goals. The committee also guides the commission in areas of public relations, outreach and education, and supervises the Pinelands Education Advisory Council.
5. The Science Committee oversees the science program's work and the results of scientific investigations. The committee also recommends adjustments in the policies of the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan to the commission.
Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan
-
Subsequent to its creation, the New Jersey Pinelands Commission adopted the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan in 1980. This plan regulates where development can take place by requiring all development to abide by strict environmental standards, and by creating conservation and growth zones. The plan was implemented to assist the commission in protecting the Pinelands' natural resources while allowing commercial and agricultural development that is consistent with the overarching goal of environmental protection.
-
