Protect the Highlands

Developers pushing the governor for Highlands access

Developers want Gov. Chris Christie to dismantle protections for the Highlands, the beautiful forests up north that provide clean drinking water for more than 5 million New Jerseyans. We're bringing people together to stand up to the developers and call on the governor to enforce these protections, not roll them back. 

Will Gov. Christie side with developers?

The law requires New Jersey to protect 400,000 acres of forests in the Highlands area. Yet development is already consuming 3,000 acres of the Highlands each year — that means less protection for our water, less habitat for wildlife, and less green space for New Jersey residents.

Big developers are lobbying the governor to undo key rules that protect the region's mountains, forests and streams from even more development.

By stacking the deck, the governor puts our forests and water at risk

In 2004, the Legislature passed the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act — a promise that we would keep these north Jersey forests green and the drinking water they protect clean. The law set up a special council to guide planning in the area.

In 2010, Gov. Christie announced his opposition to the law. While the law still stands, the governor has stacked the Highlands council with his pro-development allies. Some of these new council members have ignored key components of the law and worked to block towns from limiting development on environmentally sensitive lands.

We're calling on the governor to drop his back-door attack on the Highlands Act and to keep the law's promise to protect our mountains, forests and streams. 

Click here to join our campaign.