Issues & Actions

Fishermen have plied the coastal waters of New Jersey since colonial times. Commercial fishing and recreational angling continue to be an important part of New Jersey’s culture, character, and economy. In 2004, 1400 commercial fishermen received permits or licenses to fish in state waters, and an estimated 1.3 million recreational anglers visited New Jersey’s marine waters to try their luck.  Read more »

Global warming threatens New Jersey’s coastal ecosystems by decreasing water flow in streams and rivers; threatening coastal wetlands and the forested Pine Barrens; and causing sea level to rise, which could damage New Jersey’s beaches and valuable coastal real estate.

Emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) contribute to global warming. The major sources of CO2 emissions in New Jersey are from transportation and electricity generation. Together, these two sectors contributed 70 percent of the CO2 emissions in 2001 (the latest year for which data is available).  Read more »

Tourism in New Jersey’s coastal counties contributes $16 billion to the state’s economy and provides thousands of jobs. Despite this economic value, pollution continues to force closures of the Raritan and Delaware Bays for beach use and shellfish harvesting. It is clearly in the state’s economic interest to continue to improve the quality of its beaches and coastal waters. While there has been some increase in coastal water quality over the past 25 years, more needs to be done in order to make New Jersey’s shore and bays consistently a first-rate public resource.

New Jersey is the nation’s most densely populated state and is projected to be “built out” (the point at which all available land is developed) between 2030 and 2050. In 2000, eight out of 10 New Jersey voters felt the state is running out of land, and more than three-quarters said the state should give spending priority to existing communities over new development.  Read more »

On an annual basis, sand and sediment are moved at great public expense to accommodate navigation, beach nourishment and construction. From the 1930s through 2003, 65.5 million cubic yards of sand has been placed on New Jersey beaches.  Read more »

How will New Jersey’s share of 27 million additional people impact watersheds already in peril?

You be the judge, by reading info and linking to stories below about proposed development in Monmouth County…

- What effect will future roads, sewers, and utilities have upon our most precious resource — water — and what can we do to control Coastal Sprawl? (link to below)

WHY IT MATTERS
An astounding 55% of all Americans live within 50 miles of the ocean, resulting in human activity that is destroying our watersheds. Think the ‘circle of life’.  Read more »