By Betsy Kohn, 06/08/99 BetsyKohn@aol.com
Located in the heart of the NY/NJ metropolitan area, the Hackensack Meadowlands represent a regionally rare expanse of open space. The 7,000 acres of wetlands along the Hackensack River provide a critical stopover and feeding ground for many thousands of migratory birds along the Atlantic flyway. They help provide the nursery habitat on which three-quarters of the Mid-Atlantic's commercial fish species depend. The Meadowlands also cleanse the Hackensack River, filtering out and bio-degrading tremendous quantities of pollutants. Used extensively by birders, boaters and other outdoor enthusiasts, the area also provides an important respite from the metropolitan area's urban landscape.
The Meadlowlands remain under threat of development !
The revised Special Area Management Plan (SAMP) for the Meadowlands permits the fill of 465 acres of valuable wetlands -- the largest fill since passage of the Clean Water Act in 1972. This will destroy vital marsh habitat for fish and wildlife and irreparably fragment the metropolitan area's largest remaining open space. The Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission (HMDC) and Governor Whitman claim that the SAMP only permits fill of the most "degraded wetlands." This is not true. They have no solid scientific study backing this. U.S. Fish and Wildlife studies show these are valuable wetlands. It should be noted that these "degraded wetlands" just happen to match the developers' property lines.
This SAMP allows for the construction of the giant Mills Mall on 90 acres of wetlands. This mall will increase traffic congestion to nightmare levels, erode the health of downtowns and worsen flooding. This SAMP will ruin out natural environment and degrade our quality of life. Development should be directed into existing urban areas, as advocated by the New Jersey State Development and Redevelopment Plan.
The Meadowlands should be designated a NATIONAL URBAN WILDLIFE REFUGE, now being considered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This would restore the health of these critically important wetlands, preserve needed open space, and improve the quality of life for million of residents in the NY/NJ metropolitan area.
PLEASE WRITE GOVERNOR WHITMAN TODAY! And if you have time, WRITE VICE PRESIDENT GORE too! We must make our elected officials realize that we will not tolerate another mall in the Meadowlands. The best way to do this is to flood their mail boxes. Your letter is needed now in the fight to protect the Meadowlands!
WRITE: The Honorable Christine Whitman, Governor, 125 West State Street, CN-001, Trenton, NJ 08625. Ask the Governor to withdraw the SAMP. She has the authority to stop the mall and other developments through New Jersey's wetlands protection regulations or through purchase. Tell her the destruction of 465 acres of wetlands contradicts her open space goals and disregards the NJ State Plan which recommends redevelopment in existing urban areas and maintenance of large areas of open space. Tell her the SAMP should heed the wishes of Bergen County's voters who last November voted more than 2 to 1 to preserve open space.
WRITE: The Vice President, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500. Ask Al Gore to stop the SAMP and to designate the Meadowlands a National Urban Wildlife Refuge. Tell him this SAMP contradicts Vice President Gore's proposal to restore 100,000 acres of new wetlands a year.
WRITE (or OR SEND COPIES OF YOUR LETTERS): The Honorable Frank R. Lautenberg, Senator, 506 Hart Office Bldg., Washington, DC 20510. Ask Senator Lautenberg to help implement a National Urban Wildlife Refuge for the Meadowlands.
For more information, contact: NY/NJ Baykeeper 732-291-0176 or 212-462-4738; nynjbay@keeper.org or Hackensack Riverkeeper 201-692-8440; captain@keeper.org