Foundation director: Green makes green
Gov. Jon Corzine says he wants to see more green in New Jersey, the kind that grows on trees and absorbs harmful carbon from the air. To do that, the state needs more of the other kind of green to pay off our state's massive $32 billion debt.

"Believe me, I want to keep it green," Corzine assured a crowd of about 300 during an address at the annual New Jersey Land Conservation Rally in New Brunswick on March 8. "I have no intention of allowing us to get out of the business of preserving open space."

But finding the greenbacks to pay for more parks and natural areas won't be easy. New Jersey faces a daunting debt load, and Corzine's proposed budget includes a 13 percent spending cut for the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which runs the state's parks, forests and wildlife programs.

Despite New Jersey's difficult financial state, I urge the governor to reconsider the projected cuts to the DEP and state parks, and make a top priority of creating a stable source of funding for the Garden State Preservation Trust. Investing in the environment and open space now will pay huge dividends, especially in a future challenged by climate change.

The theme of this year's Land Conservation Rally was global warming, with a special focus on ways land preservation can help. Let's not forget that a single tree "sequesters" a ton of carbon dioxide from the air during its lifetime. Imagine how much all of New Jersey 's preserved forests, wetlands and grasslands can absorb - especially with more conservation.

New Jersey is a national leader in the effort to reduce greenhouse gases that are causing the warming of the Earth's temperature. Legislation signed by Gov. Corzine last summer calls for greenhouse gas emissions to be reduced to 1990 levels by 2020, a decrease of about 20 percent; and for emissions to be further reduced to 80 percent below 2006 levels by 2050.

Cutting energy consumption is one big piece of the puzzle, but so is preserving our green lands.

Then there's the question of economics. Closing down parks, swimming areas and camping areas would result in some savings to the state by reducing personnel and maintenance. But accessible and well-maintained natural areas are a boon to New Jersey's growing ecotourism economy. Each year, wildlife-related recreation- including fishing, hunting and nature observation - generates $3.9 billion, creates over 37,000 jobs and brings in nearly $170 million in sales tax revenue. Preserved open lands also help the bottom line in other ways. They stabilize property taxes by requiring fewer services than residential development, reduce water treatment costs by protecting drinking water sources, control flooding by absorbing storm water, and decrease health care costs associated with obesity and asthma by promoting healthy lifestyles. With the passage of Ballot Question 3 last November -- allowing the borrowing of $200 million for parks, open space, farmland, historic sites and flood control - voters sent a clear message to our leaders that New Jersey's quality of life is of utmost importance to them.

The governor is right to make a priority of getting New Jersey back on a healthy fiscal track. Protecting our air, water, lands and natural resources is a fundamental part of the solution. I hope you'll contact me at info@njconservation.org, or visit New Jersey Conservation Foundation's website at www.njconservation.org, for more information about conserving New Jersey's precious land and natural resources.

Michele S. Byers

Executive Director New Jersey Conservation

Foundation

Far Hills