Doesn't Congress have a say in what happens in the Pinelands reserve?
" It's classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and in 1978 was established by Congress as the country’s first National Reserve. "
http://www.nps.gov/pine/index.htm
Natural Gas Pipeline
- Thread starter Jason Bladzinski
- Start date
Doesn't Congress have a say in what happens in the Pinelands reserve?
" It's classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and in 1978 was established by Congress as the country’s first National Reserve. "
http://www.nps.gov/pine/index.htm
Well, if the Pinelands Commission approves the pipeline I'd imagine that there's not much Congress could do.
The problem is Christie and the make up of the commission.
The problem is Christie and the make up of the commission.
All things end. Most likely, the distant future, if humans are still around, will be a planet sized metropolis. Kind of like the planet Coruscant in Star Wars.
Exactly. The commission is supposed to be the ultimate and independent authority in these types of situations. If the federal government stepped in and bypassed the decision of the commission they would be undermining the authority of the commission as well. Christie might be an egomanical and intolerant hot head, but he isn't stupid. Stacking the commission works perfectly for him. It's obvious what is going on, and that is the part that angers me the most.
LETTER: Kyrillos vote on Pinelands commissioner disappointing
http://www.app.com/story/opinion/re...inelands-commissioner-disappointing/25344359/
http://www.app.com/story/opinion/re...inelands-commissioner-disappointing/25344359/
Cowards who care only for the mighty dollar
Cowards. They only care for the mighty dollar. What an apparent lack of vision and a lost sense of preservation.
I've been against the pipeline from the beginning, mostly because it runs through my local stretch of the pines, but also because of the precedence it would set, the possible environmental damage, as well as encouraging other politicians that they can find ways to alter decisions if it doesn't fit their plan. In addition, the collusion between SJ Gas and the governors office is appalling; I grew up with and became close friends with one of Christie's aides and she just happens to also be married to an executive at SJ Gas. There is obviously a conflict of interest, but none of this should be surprising, as this happens all across the United States to the detriment of those who enjoy the out of doors. Furthermore, I'm not sure that the pipeline would alleviate much of the energy problems that necessitated its creation in the first place. (I apologize for lack of citation, but I don't think I'm speaking in hyperbole, at least too much). This isn't a political diatribe against either party, as I believe the system is inherently broken and I'm not sure if change can be affected using political channels, but it is still disheartening to see any politician pull the moves Christie has, even if they are legal. I would hate to see this issue divide the forum, as I believe we all want the same thing (to enjoy the pines and ensure their preservation) especially at this juncture when a united front is needed to send the message that we will not back down to special interest groups. I am usually reticent in posting as I would hate to see my words misconstrued without having the opportunity to defend them, as translation can be lost online, but this issue has ignited a passion within me that was heretofore dormant. I hope I haven't spoken out of turn or have drawn the ire of anyone, as that isn't my intention. Thanks.
Very well said. I am totally aligned with your ability to make a perfect point on this issue. Thank you for this.
I just had to laugh at a few paragraphs in this article.
http://www.courierpostonline.com/st.../2015/08/14/pinelands-pipeline-plan/31736855/
http://www.courierpostonline.com/st.../2015/08/14/pinelands-pipeline-plan/31736855/
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With the latest Presidential executive order on coal fired plants, there is little doubt this will now happen.
I’ve been a card-carrying member of the NJ Farm Bureau since 1984, so receive their newsletter. Agriculture is in my DNA. This Week in the Farm Bureau (July 31, 2015, p.1) contained a note Candidate Christie excerpted from the national blog Agri-Post. This is what Christie recently told Iowa farmers at a Clinton County hog roast near Camanche, IA:
Little doubt Chritie’s political philosophy has been extended to the Pinelands Commission.
S-M
Asked about the EPA, Christie said he was very familiar with Lisa Jackson ... “I saw the damage she caused in New Jersey and I replaced her” ... “we have worked to make the DEP much more business-friendly, more transparent and more cooperative with our customers - the business community in New Jersey,” ... “so I had the experience of dismantling the business-unfriendly environment that Lisa Jackson created in New Jersey. I cannot wait to dismantle it at the EPA as well.”
Little doubt Chritie’s political philosophy has been extended to the Pinelands Commission.
S-M
What an incredible jerk. I would really love to Just go all Eddie Griswald on Christie from national lampoons Christmas vacation.
OK, I think this is how the scheme works. The State had an agency that guided where and how development would take place, first through the Department of Community Affair’s Office of Smart Growth, then via its replacement the Office of Planning Advocacy. Planners worked hard to create a unifying State Development and Redevelopment Plan, efforts that now appear to have been all but abandoned. In default the State Plan stands as approved in 2001. But who needs business-unfriendly plans that stand in the way of Pinelands businesses (in this case developers)?
In lieu of existing rules or planning, Village development will determined not by planning rule, but through money controlled by the State Department and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and its partners (e.g., NJ Partnership for Action – created by Governor Christie, NJ Board of Public Utilities, NJ DEP, Port Authority of NY & NJ, etc.).
Pinelands Villages are no longer slated to be Priority Growth Areas, which would have been fettered by pesky planning rules. Instead a floodgate of our own money will pour in through vested grants, loans, and tax incentives that will be used to dismantle Pinelands CMP safeguards put in place to protect Villages from rampant growth. The jetport has returned.
S-M
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Isnt that a clear violation of the development plan and authority of the Pinelands Commission? Isn't their vote the ultimate authority?
There's an article about the pipeline in today's Wall Street Journal: http://www.wsj.com/articles/protesters-pledge-to-block-pinelands-pipeline-1440117928
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A previous proposal to build the pipeline drew fierce opposition from environmentalists and was rejected last year by the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, an independent state agency charged with protecting the reserve. The proposal failed when the commission voted 7-7 in January 2014.
Last week, the commission’s executive director, Nancy Wittenberg, awarded a key approval to the project without holding a public hearing or a vote, angering the activists.
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The pipeline proposal doesn’t yet have final approval. It now goes before the Board of Public Utilities for a hearing and a vote before returning to the staff of the Pinelands Commission for final review, Ms. Wittenberg said. The commission won’t vote on the proposal, she said.
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Note - if it says you need to be a subscriber then paste the following line into a Google search and it should show the whole article:
wall st journal Protesters Pledge to Block N.J. Pinelands Pipeline
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A previous proposal to build the pipeline drew fierce opposition from environmentalists and was rejected last year by the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, an independent state agency charged with protecting the reserve. The proposal failed when the commission voted 7-7 in January 2014.
Last week, the commission’s executive director, Nancy Wittenberg, awarded a key approval to the project without holding a public hearing or a vote, angering the activists.
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The pipeline proposal doesn’t yet have final approval. It now goes before the Board of Public Utilities for a hearing and a vote before returning to the staff of the Pinelands Commission for final review, Ms. Wittenberg said. The commission won’t vote on the proposal, she said.
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Note - if it says you need to be a subscriber then paste the following line into a Google search and it should show the whole article:
wall st journal Protesters Pledge to Block N.J. Pinelands Pipeline
Maybe this will help you to understand what is going on. Pinelands Commision Executive Director Nancy Wittenberg worked as a lobbyist (“environmental affairs director”) for the New Jersey Builders’ Association for 12 years before she became an Assistant Commissioner at the NJ Department of Environmental Protection for 7 years.
S-M