New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Susan Bass Levin recently announced an award of $80,000 for a regional planning initiative aimed at preserving the character and natural resources of the 60-square-mile Sourland Mountains area.
The Sourland Planning Council representing Hillsborough, Hopewell, Montgomery, East and West Amwell townships and Hunterdon, Mercer and Somerset counties received a Smart Growth Planning Grant to study the residential, commercial, industrial historical and agricultural conditions of the region.
"Protecting our natural resources is especially important in the Sourlands. The region provides refuge to many animals and holds numerous cultural and historic resources," said Commissioner Levin. "I am pleased to be here today to announce the formation of a partnership to preserve our aquifer, wetlands and wildlife."
The five municipalities and four counties will develop a regional plan for residential and commercial smart growth and set aside historically significant land.
The growth management plan will determine the present condition of the area and detail ways to protect the mountains and control growth. This will include the development of policy on water use and the protection of breeding areas of migratory species and other environmentally vulnerable areas within the region.
"We are tremendously excited about the opportunity this award presents for the preservation of the Sourlands," said East Amwell Mayor Andrea M. Bonnett. "This grant means an increase in the momentum for the renewal of our unique environmental resources. We are truly thankful that Gov. (James E.) McGreevey and Commissioner Susan Bass Levin support our efforts."
The 60-square-mile regional has the largest contiguous forest in central New Jersey, and each of the five municipalities and three counties encompassing the area has a stake in its planning.
For additional information, contact, Danielle Nottingham, DCA, at 292-6055 or Jennifer Bryson, Sourland Planning Council, at (908) 369-7151.
