Whose Future is being Plotted?

Pemberton Township is plotting the future
By: MARK ZIMMARO Burlington County Times

PEMBERTON TOWNSHIP - An environmental study of the township's 64 square miles will be conducted to help plan its growth over the next 20 years.

The township Planning Board approved amendments to its master plan in July and is waiting for the Township Council's approval. The master plan outlines the town's developmental goals.

The study will help planners better understand the community's environmentally sensitive areas before physically developing the land once the master plan is approved.

"We need to be able to protect our assets in the township," said Marilyn Loeser, spokeswoman for the township Environmental Commission. "In the end, if we know where we're going we can avoid making mistakes affecting our natural and historical areas. It seems like a very intelligent, chronological way to do things."

The study will take one year and is being supported by a $6,000 grant from the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions, with matching funds allocated from the township.

The township Environmental Commission plans to invite residents to several meetings over the next year to gather information on areas about which officials might lack information.

"The residents will be a huge part of this," Loeser said. "Many of the places in town have no historical documentation and a lot of that information hasn't been shared. We are looking for people with specific local knowledge to come out and share that information to help us understand the area better."

A meeting was held last month that included commissioners, planners, council members and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. The purpose was to educate local officials on how to gather information and approach specific ecological options.

The finished project, which will be called the Environmental Resource Inventory, will provide information such as soil composition; surface and groundwater resources; archeological sites; plant and animal diversity, including endangered and threatened species; land-use patterns and preservation tactics.

The goal is to protect those resources from being wasted or inadvertently mismanaged.
"It's a lot easier to be able to do things right the first time instead of having to go back and correct problems," Loeser said. "We want to be able to understand all aspects of Pemberton Township before it's too late."

Contact: mzimmaro@phillyBurbs.com or 609-871-8059
October 05, 2009