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Residents press Pinelands Commission to speed CMP amendment, warn of development risks to Black Run watershed
Summary
Public commenters urged the Pinelands Commission on Feb. 14 to expedite a proposed Comprehensive Management Plan amendment to redesignate parts of the Black Run watershed as forest area, and warned that pending development and a recent wetlands letter‑of‑interpretation application could imperil groundwater, habitat and local roads.
The Pinelands Commission heard an extended set of public comments on Feb. 14 urging faster action on a Comprehensive Management Plan amendment that staff said would redesignate parts of the Black Run watershed to forest area.
Sue (commission staff) told commissioners the CMP amendment package — which also addresses expiration dates for old waivers, certificates of filing and changes to regional growth‑area density and the PDC (Pinelands Development Credit) program — is nearly complete but must go to the governor’s office and then through public notice and comment. She estimated the full rulemaking process could take roughly six to nine months from the start of public comment to become effective.
Several speakers during the public comment period said they fear delay will allow private development to proceed under the current management area designation. Dr. Amy Golden, who has been attending commission meetings since April 2023, said the commission must act with urgency: “This is a watershed moment figuratively and literally. I am asking you and pleading with you to work with urgency.” Steven Elliott of Preservation Lines said the commission’s delays have alarmed long‑time stewards and called the pace “a failure to act with urgency.”
Staff clarified the commission had received a wetlands letter of interpretation application covering about 777 acres to confirm wetlands extent; Sue repeatedly emphasized that the letter of interpretation is a confirmation of wetland boundaries and not an application for development, and that extensive fieldwork is required before staff could issue such a determination.
Speakers including John Volpa and Carolyn Gallagher described the watershed’s ecological and recreational importance, warned about traffic impacts if several hundred homes were built, and urged the commission to pursue land acquisition and stronger protections. Commissioners and staff later discussed potential acquisition funding sources — county open‑space programs, State Green Acres and nonprofit partners — and noted the commission maintains conservation funds.
The commission did not adopt a separate motion at the Feb. 14 meeting to change the CMP timetable; staff said the packeted amendment remains near completion and must follow the governor’s review and a 60‑day public comment period before commissioners can consider final adoption.
Next steps: the draft amendments will be submitted to the governor’s office for review (per staff) and, if authorized, the commission will adopt a resolution to publish the proposal and begin the 60‑day public comment period.
