Pinelands Preservation Alliance Unites with Jackson Conservation Coalition

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Jackson Township officials adopted ordinances that go against the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan (CMP), violating what is allowed for Rural Development Area and Forest Area in this protected region. The CMP was created precisely to prevent this kind of incremental erosion of regional protections driven by local political and development pressures. If towns are allowed to ignore or reinterpret CMP standards when growth becomes inconvenient, the Pinelands protections become meaningless. The Pinelands Commission should send a clear message: municipalities must conform to the CMP—not the other way around. Granting special treatment to a non-conforming town would set a dangerous precedent and invite similar challenges across the region. Ocean County is essentially trying to revive the "New City" idea from the 1960’s. However, instead of putting this massive development in the pygmy pines, today’s politicians are centering it around Lakewood. And, instead of anchoring everything around a jetport, they are using a wheel and spoke model that would join Manchester and Jackson Townships, with additional sprawl out into the Pinelands. These ordinances will not go into effect until the Pinelands Commission approves them. Pinelands Commission staff have already identified issues with the ordinances—let’s encourage them to stand their ground. The Pinelands Commission should not bend the rules for a town that is refusing to conform to the Pinelands CMP. This is why the CMP was established in the first place—to ensure that local greed would not overwhelm regional resources. Please take a stand for the protection of the Pines and your safety and use our Take Action tool to email these elected officials today. Please personalize your message.