The Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act is a 2004

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law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

aimed at protecting the

Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Africa * Highlands, Johannesburg, South Africa * Highlands, Harare, Zimbab ...

region of northwest New Jersey by regulating development within the region under the supervision of the New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council (Highlands Council), under the

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution. NJDEP now has a staf ...

. The Highlands region covers , nearly one-ninth of the state, and is home to 880,000 residents.About the Council
accessed January 15, 2007 The area is primarily in

Warren Warren most commonly refers to: * Warren (burrow), a network dug by rabbits * Warren (name), a given name and a surname, including lists of persons so named Warren may also refer to: Places Australia * Warren (biogeographic region) * War ...

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, Hunterdon,

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counties, while also reaching into parts of

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and

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counties. The act is intended to preserve both large volumes of New Jersey's

fresh water Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salt (chemistry), salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include ...

sources for 5.4 million residents and the

biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...

in the area, in the face of increasing development in the exurbs of

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. The act was signed into law on August 10, 2004, by

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The ...

James McGreevey James Edward McGreevey (born August 6, 1957) is an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as the 52nd governor of New Jersey from 2002 until his resignation in 2004 amidst a sex scandal. McGreevey served in the New Jersey Genera ...

. The provisions of the Act are monitored and controlled by the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council. The Council has 15 members, with a minimum of eight officials named from the Highlands Region, at least five of whom are municipal officials and three of whom must be county officials. It is allocated within the Department of Environmental Protection but is independent of any supervision or control by the department or by the commissioner or any officer or employee thereof. The Highlands Council approved the Highlands Regional Master Plan on July 17, 2008, and the plan became effective on September 8, 2008, after the governor's review period. Legal challenges to the Highlands Act have been filed, including at least one in federal court in Trenton. In that case, the Phillipsburg Alliance Church of Phillipsburg, Warren County, sued the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection seeking to enjoin her and NJDEP from denying the church an exemption under the Highlands Act which would permit it to build its proposed new church sanctuary on a parcel in neighboring Lopatcong, New Jersey. The property lies on the boundary of the Highland's Act's Preservation and Planning Areas.

Municipalities

The following municipalities are in the region regulated by the act:

References

{{reflist

External links

Highlands Water Protection and Planning ActNew Jersey Highlands CouncilText of the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act: Assembly Committee Substitute for Assembly, No. 2635New Jersey Highlands Planning and Preservation Boundaries (map, PDF)New Jersey Highlands Coalition
Bergen County, New Jersey Hunterdon County, New Jersey Morris County, New Jersey Passaic County, New Jersey Somerset County, New Jersey Sussex County, New Jersey Warren County, New Jersey New Jersey statutes 2004 in the environment 2004 in American law 2004 in New Jersey United States state environmental legislation