Yesterday, the Times of Trenton Editorial Board wrote:
The million-plus acres of pinelands sprawling across 56 communities and seven Garden State counties represent one of the most highly protected environments in the country. And for good reason.
Rare species of plants and animals flourish in its leafy expanses, trillions of gallons of water flow under its sandy soil.
But many of the state’s environmental activists are rightfully concerned – if not downright angry – that the men and women charged with the stewardship of this precious jewel have bungled the job.
They’re calling on Gov. Phil Murphy to overhaul the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, the 15-member panel charged with preserving, protecting and enhancing the natural and cultural resources of the vast parcel of land that more than 40 years ago became the country’s first National Reserve.
At a fiery rally in front of the annex of the State Capitol last month, speaker after speaker urged Murphy to undo damage inflicted by his immediate predecessor, whose appointments to the commission often seemed driven less by protection than by politics.
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Seven of the members are appointed by the governor. Seven others are named by freeholders from the counties within the Pinelands – Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean – while one is appointed by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior.
Under the watch of former Gov. Chris Christie, the panel has repeatedly approved gas pipeline measures, such as the New Jersey Natural Gas Southern Reliability Link Pipeline, and has fallen short on protecting the supply of fresh water that lies beneath the Pinelands.
Moreover, rally speakers pointed out, individuals and environmental organizations have been repeatedly shut out of the decision-making process, leaving the commission without a full understanding of the facts before members make critical decisions.
Doug O’Malley, director of the watchdog organization Environment New Jersey, took aim at Christie’s appointments, individuals he charged were part of a “clear attempt to undermine the Pinelands.”
And he decried the firing of several long-term commissioners, among them Bob Jackson, the only African-American on the panel, whose only “crime” was to stand up for the ideals of preservation and the future of the Pines.
“Gov. Christie played Bridgegate-like politics with the Pinelands, and with Pinelands commissioners,” O’Malley charged.
All seven of the commissioners chosen by the Republican governor are now serving under expired terms. They include its chairman, Sean W. Earlen, the mayor of Lumberton and a vice president of a Pennsylvania construction firm.
We’re not sure why Murphy, with all his progressive zeal, has failed to put his own stamp on the commission 10 months into his tenure. But it’s not too late.
The coalition that rallied in Trenton last month was so right. It’s time for new leadership to assure that this remarkable gem within our borders remains an ecological wonder, and not a developers’ playground.
