Book examines quality of our land and water

EDITORIAL

   Most environmental books aren’t generally best sellers. Usually, they find a comfortable niche among those who consider themselves environmental activists.
   But "H2O: Highlands to Ocean" deserves a wider audience. Authors Tony Hiss and Christopher Meier undertook the "first close look at the outstanding land and waterscapes of the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan Region." According to Mr. Hiss, "Much is at stake. The next 20 years may determine what future is in store. … The report sets out to create a useable regional/bioregional scorecard and checklist that can tell us the shape we are in and what to do next."
   More than 15 million people in this metropolitan region make it one of the most densely populated places in North America. And most of the region’s natural wonders have been covered over with generations of pavement. One has to look closely to find enduring natural treasures among the artifice. But the "Highlands to Ocean Region" is home to the Highlands, the Palisades, the Hudson River, New York Harbor, the Passaic River with its Great Falls, the Great Swamp, the Hackensack River and Meadowlands and the Raritan River and Bay.
   Mr. Hiss and Mr. Meier provide a wealth of information about these treasures, and relate them directly to the land under our feet and the waterways we drive over every day. The book’s short sections make it an easy read, and the historic and scientific information sprinkled throughout should interest everyone.
   "H2O: Highlands to Ocean" points to 14 indicators of the region’s overall health. Water, which includes water quality, wetlands, droughts and floods, sturgeon and striped bass; Flyover, the Atlantic Flyover used by hundreds of millions of migratory birds, highlighted here by harbor herons and peregrine falcons; Land, exemplified by the Highlands, black bears, bog turtles and sprawl; Air, air quality and asthma; and Global Climate Change. The news is mixed, but the authors remain optimistic about the future. The authors encourage us to "live regionally" as a way to think globally and act locally.
   One thing that sets this book apart is its mixing of interesting, instructive stories with traditional data and analysis. Most environmental reports are not what anyone would consider "light reading." The authors of "H2O: Highlands to Ocean" take their readers on a few "field trips"’ to make and reinforce some key technical and scientific topics.
   Anyone interested in the land, water, air, and wildlife of the NY/NJ metro area, or curious about what a broad range of current environmental indicators are trying to tell us about prospects for the future, should read this book.
   You can get a copy of the book by contacting the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, 163 Madison Ave., Box 1239, Morristown, NJ 07962 or by visiting www.grdodge.org.
   I hope you’ll contact me at 1-888-LAND-SAVE or [email protected], or visit NJCF’s Web site at www.njconservation.org, for more information about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural resources.
Michele S. Byers is executive director of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation.