Sourlands future to be debated

The first of five meetings will be held in West Amwell on Monday.

By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
   WEST AMWELL — The first of five regional public meetings scheduled to discuss the future of the Sourland Mountain region will kick off Monday night in West Amwell.
   The Sourland Planning Council is asking residents who have concerns or ideas for the region to attend one of the gatherings, which have been dubbed “community visioning sessions.”
   According to the council, the purpose of the sessions is to bring together those who have a stake in the future of the Sourlands and to develop a vision for the region that can be supported across municipal boundaries.
   Comments gathered during the sessions will become part of a formal comprehensive management plan.
   If residents cannot attend the meeting scheduled in their municipality, they are encouraged to attend one of the other four meetings.
   Hillsborough Township will host a meeting Sept. 26. A third meeting is scheduled for Oct. 1 in East Amwell Township. Hopewell Township will host a meeting Oct. 10. The fifth and final meeting will be Oct. 11 in Montgomery Township.
   The meetings will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in the respective municipal buildings.
   The Sourland region has been called an “oasis of biodiversity” with a fragile ecological balance. An island in a sea of development, it contains the largest contiguous forest in central New Jersey, which lies along the Atlantic Flyway used by migratory birds. The avian visitors, including the black-throated blue warbler, find the resources they need to continue their flight along the north-south corridor, including plenty of fruit and insects.
   More than 90 percent of the Sourlands is habitat for threatened and endangered species, according to the New Jersey Audubon Society. These species include the upland sandpiper, the Savannah sparrow, the grasshopper sparrow, Cooper’s hawk, the wood turtle, the barred owl, the scarlet tanager, the spotted salamander and the pileated woodpecker.
   In addition, the Sourlands’ surface waters are the headwaters for a drinking supply that serves millions of people.
   The 90-square-mile region spans parts of seven municipalities. These include the City of Lambertville and Hopewell Borough and the townships of West Amwell, East Amwell, Hopewell, Montgomery and Hillsborough.