Press Release: By Tracey Heisler, Board President, Skylands Preservation Alliance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Jersey (3/12/23): It is no secret that parts of New Jersey have an overdevelopment problem. Visitors flying into Newark can easily see the tractor trailers, the warehouses, the oil tanks, etc. as evidence of our industrial might in this state. What they may miss, however, are the reasons that we are called “The Garden State.” New Jersey is replete with farms, horses, cows, and preserved land. There is so much tranquil beauty to be had here, which is why so many people migrate to places like Hunterdon, Warren, Mercer, Ocean, and Cumberland Counties... There are many who value the quality of life provided by these special places.

As New Jerseyans have adapted their spending habits to include online shopping, developers have sought to maximize their profits by developing warehouses to accommodate this shift. Development in and of itself is not harmful; it is one of the hallmarks of a healthy economy. That said, there has been a troubling trend towards developing warehouses on prime farmland, waterfronts, and previously undeveloped areas in the state, a short-sighted and problematic initiative. Every county in the state has grassroots groups committed to curbing development like this in their communities.

The Skylands Preservation Alliance, based in Warren County, is one such organization, as is the Mercer County Defense League, based in Mercer County. The two organizations have come together to create “The Green Garden State Alliance,” aka GGSA. The principals hope that GGSA will provide a forum for opposition groups to come together, learn from each other, and support one another’s local initiatives.

GGSA is hosting its first networking event on Sunday, April 2nd, from 12-5 pm at Mercer County Park, East Picnic Area, 1346 Edinburg Rd, Princeton Junction, NJ 08550. Every senator and assemblyman in the state have been invited to attend this event; the organizers hope that it will provide a forum for learning, mutual understanding, and dialogue regarding warehouse development in the state and the need to preserve the natural beauty we enjoy and instead funnel development to brownfields. For more information or to register, go to: https://ggsanj.org/ or GardenStateAlliance@gmail.com.