Rally for the Pine Barrens

From the NJ Sierra Club:

The Pinelands are under attack and we must fight back Monday, March 14th! 40 years ago the Pinelands Act was passed to preserve and protect one of the most ecologically important areas in our country. Now the Governor Christie is trying to Pave over the Pinelands. 

Instead of protecting the Pinelands, our Governor is systematically replacing Pinelands Commissions with political cronies and pushing inappropriate development, all in his attempts to weaken the Comprehensive Management Plan. The Administration has proposed one thing after another to weaken protections, including allowing sewers and stormwater retention basins in the Pinelands, soccer fields on preserved farms, and Off-Road Vehicles in Wharton State Forest, but there may be worse to come. 

The Christie Administration is trying to push through two natural gas pipelines that will threaten an area known for its biodiversity, risk 17 trillion gallons of clean water, while adding a tremendous amount of air pollution. Two years ago, in an environmental victory, the Pinelands Commission voted down the South Jersey Gas pipeline. Now, the Commission’s Executive Director, who is a political crony of Christie, is trying to rubberstamp the South Jersey Gas Pipeline in the Pinelands Forest Preservation Area without a vote or scrutiny by the Commissioners. 

The South Jersey Gas pipeline’s purpose is to keep open the B.L. England power plant, which will be the biggest polluter and greenhouse gas emitter in South Jersey. The New Jersey Natural Gas pipeline will also cut a scar through the Pinelands and is purposed to bring more development to our coast. Both of these pipelines violate the Comprehensive Management Plan because they go through the Forest Preservation Area, where such development is prohibited without benefiting the people living in the Pinelands. These are the biggest threats to the Pinelands since the Act was passed! 

We must demand our legislators and state agencies take action to Protect the Pinelands this Monday, March 14th in Trenton! Join us and other environmental organizations to march from the NJDEP Offices to the Patriots Theater for a rally (about a 15-minute walk). After the rally, you will be able to go to the State House and lobby your representatives to strengthen and enforce Pinelands protections. 

Rally and Lobby Day Details, Monday March 14th

Arrive at NJDEP for March: 8:30 AM, NJ Department of Environmental Protection, 401 East State Street, Trenton NJ 

Rally at Patriots Theater at the War Memorial: 9:30 AM, Trenton War Memorial: Memorial Dr., Trenton, NJ 08608 

Lobby Legislators at State House: 10:30 AM- 12:00 PM Noon, NJ Statehouse 125 W State St, Trenton, NJ 08608 

For RSVP and Rain Location Please e-mail: Toni Granato at toni.granato@sierraclub.org. 

Other Details: Please Wear a green shirt and bring a sign!

Parking: Street meter parking or at various private garages, including behind 22 S. Clinton Ave for the NJDEP. Enter the garage entrance at driveway at middle of S. Clinton Ave. For more information about parking in Trenton and possible carpools, please e-mail Toni at toni.granato@sierraclub.org.