New Jersey Meadowlands Commission

Last updated
New Jersey Meadowlands Commission
Njmc.jpg
Former logo of New Jersey Meadowlands Commission
Agency overview
Formed1969, consolidated in 2015
Jurisdiction New Jersey Meadowlands
HeadquartersOne DeKorte Park Plaza, Lyndhurst, NJ 07071
Agency executives
  • Michael Ferguson, Chairman
  • Wayne Hasenbalg, President and CEO
Website http://www.njsea.com
NJMC Headquarters WinterDeKorte C2.jpg
NJMC Headquarters

The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC; formerly the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission) was a regional zoning, planning and regulatory agency in northern New Jersey. Its founding mandates were to protect the delicate balance of nature, provide for orderly development, and manage solid waste activities in the New Jersey Meadowlands District. The Commission operated as an independent state agency between 1969 and 2015, loosely affiliated with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. In 2015 NJMC was merged with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) through legislative action. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Establishment

The Meadowlands Commission was established by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature in 1969, [4] sponsored in the New Jersey Senate by Fairleigh S. Dickinson Jr. [5] The merger with NJSEA was made effective in February 2015. [1] [6] [7]

Geographic jurisdiction

The Meadowlands District is composed of 19,730 acres (79.8 km2), approximately 31 mi2, of 14 municipalities in Bergen and Hudson counties. [8] They are: Carlstadt, East Rutherford, Little Ferry, Lyndhurst, Moonachie, North Arlington, Ridgefield, Rutherford, South Hackensack, and Teterboro in Bergen County; and Jersey City, Kearny, North Bergen, and Secaucus in Hudson County.

The Meadowlands District stretches mainly along the delta of the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers as they flow into Newark Bay; tributaries of the Hackensack include Berrys Creek and Overpeck Creek. The District is bordered by U.S. Route 46 on the north, Routes U.S. Route 1/9 (Tonnelle Avenue) and the freight rail line owned by Norfolk Southern Railway and CSX Transportation Corp. (the former Conrail main line) on the east, the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) commuter rail lines and Pulaski Skyway on the south, and Route 17, the Pascack Valley Line, and the Kingsland rail line on the west. [9]

Program history

Filling wetlands in the mid-19th century Diking and Draining the New Jersey Meadows - Scientific American - July 1868.png
Filling wetlands in the mid-19th century
A landfill in the Meadowlands in 1973 MUNICIPAL GARBAGE DUMP IN HACKENSACK MEADOWS ATTRACTS THOUSANDS OF SEAGULLS. LANDFILL AREA WILL EVENTUALLY BE... - NARA - 549757.jpg
A landfill in the Meadowlands in 1973

Prior to the establishment of the NJMC, the Meadowlands region was viewed as a dumping ground, [10] and the Hackensack River and its marshes were often seen as places to fill for commercial and industrial development.

Through cooperation with environmentalists, businesses, mayors, state and federal agencies, the NJMC authored a new Master Plan for the Meadowlands District in 2004 to target development to brownfield and greyfield sites, revitalizing formerly blighted areas into places of economic and community growth and preserving 8,400 acres (34 km2) of wetlands and open space. The new Master Plan anticipates a market value of $5.6 billion and the creation of 56,250 new permanent jobs in the Meadowlands District through the Secaucus Transit Village, Belleville Turnpike Redevelopment Area, and other redevelopment projects.

Following the Master Plan's adoption, [11] the NJMC focused its goals into four policy areas: improving environmental stewardship, fostering economic success with an eye on business growth, aiding municipalities, and expanding special services, educational and cultural programs. These policies are backed by MAGNET (Meadowlands Area Grants for Natural and Economic Transformation), a five-year, $32 million funding plan.

All but one landfill in the Meadowlands district have been permanently closed. [12] [13] [14]

In 2006, milestones for the NJMC included plans to bring 20 megawatts of renewable energy (solar, tidal, geothermal, etc.) to the Meadowlands District by the year 2020, [15] the establishment of green building guidelines to encourage environmentally friendly development, endorsement of the Kyoto Protocol to lower greenhouse gas emissions, and the release of "Birding and Wildlife Trails: Meadowlands and More," a free, 72-page color guide encouraging visitors to enjoy eco-tourism activities in the region including birding, catch-and-release fishing, hiking, canoeing, and pontoon boat cruises offered in the summer. [16] [17] [18]

The NJMC also advanced the sharing of services between the 14 Meadowlands municipalities to lighten the municipalities’ individual tax burdens. The agency has established a municipal equipment pool, offered financial and technical assistance with New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) planning, and allocated $1 million to investigate additional shared services programs. The agency is also leading regional efforts to improve stormwater management [19] and create a comprehensive transportation plan for the Meadowlands District.

Environmental research

In order to support its land use management and other policies with scientific data, the NJMC established the Meadowlands Environmental Research Institute (MERI). MERI has placed comprehensive air and water quality monitoring systems throughout the Meadowlands District, and has developed geographic information system digital mapping technology for the Meadowlands municipalities. MERI functions as a center for scientific investigations of the urban wetlands, their functioning, restoration, and sustainable management.

As reorganized under NJSEA, the research facility is called the Meadowlands Research and Restoration Institute. [20]

Land protections in the district

Entrance gate at the Mill Creek Marsh Trail Mill Creek Marsh closed jeh.jpg
Entrance gate at the Mill Creek Marsh Trail

The NJMC has acquired more than 1,800 acres (7 km2) of the remaining wetlands in the Meadowlands District for preservation and enhancement. The Skeetkill Creek Marsh in Ridgefield, Harrier Meadow in North Arlington, and Mill Creek Marsh in Secaucus have been restored or enhanced through the agency's efforts. Goals of restorations include increased tidal flow, the reduction of phragmites, and greater use of the site by estuarine species of fish, waterfowl, and shorebirds.

According to a report by the New Jersey Audubon Society, the Meadowlands is a major part of the Atlantic Flyway migration route. Two hundred and sixty five species of birds including great and snowy egrets, tree swallow, peregrine falcon, osprey, black-crowned night heron, ruddy duck, red-tailed hawk, double-crested cormorant, and American bald eagle [21] have been spotted in the Meadowlands.

Many of these species can be seen from the 100 acres (0.4 km2) of park lands and eight miles (13 km) of trails that have been constructed by the NJMC for public access, environmental education, conservation and enhancement. These parks include Richard W. DeKorte Park in Lyndhurst, home to a butterfly garden, World Trade Center Memorial, overlook of New York City, several trails, the NJSEA Meadowlands Environment Center, an educational facility, and the William D. McDowell Observatory. [22] [23]

Other parks in the region include Laurel Hill County Park in Secaucus, Kearny Marsh in Kearny, River Barge Park and Marina in Carlstadt and the Richard P. Kane Natural Area. [24] [25]

Related Research Articles

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Hudson County is the smallest and most densely populated county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It lies west of the lower Hudson River, which was named for Henry Hudson, the sea captain who explored the area in 1609. Part of New Jersey's Gateway Region in the New York metropolitan area, the county seat is Jersey City, which is the county's largest city in terms of both population and area. The county is part of the North Jersey region of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyndhurst, New Jersey</span> Township in New Jersey

Lyndhurst is a township in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 22,519, an increase of 1,965 (+9.6%) from the 2010 census count of 20,554, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,171 (+6.0%) from the 19,383 counted in the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Secaucus, New Jersey</span> Town in Hudson County, New Jersey, US

Secaucus is a town in Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the town's population was 22,181, an increase of 5,917 (+36.4%) from the 2010 census count of 16,264, which in turn reflected an increase of 333 (+2.1%) from the 15,931 counted in the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Meadowlands</span> Region of New Jersey, United States

New Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the primary river flowing through it, is a general name for a large ecosystem of wetlands in northeastern New Jersey in the United States, a few miles to the west of New York City. During the 20th century, much of the Meadowlands area was urbanized, and it became known for being the site of large landfills and decades of environmental abuse. A variety of projects began in the late 20th century to restore and conserve the remaining ecological resources in the Meadowlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackensack River</span> River in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey

The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles (72 km) long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban area outside New York City just west of the lower Hudson River, which it roughly parallels, separated from it by the New Jersey Palisades. It also flows through and drains the New Jersey Meadowlands. The lower river, which is navigable as far as the city of Hackensack, is heavily industrialized and forms a commercial extension of Newark Bay.

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The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA) is an independent authority established by the State of New Jersey in 1971 to oversee the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Originally consisting of Giants Stadium and the Meadowlands Racetrack in 1976, Meadowlands Arena was added to the complex in 1981 and New Meadowlands Stadium replaced Giants Stadium in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meadowlands Environment Center</span>

The Meadowlands Environment Center is an educational facility in the New Jersey Meadowlands in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, located along the Hackensack River. It is operated by Ramapo College of New Jersey under the auspices of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NJ Transit Rail Operations</span> Commuter rail division of NJ Transit

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bergen County Line</span> Commuter rail line in New Jersey

The Bergen County Line is a commuter rail line and service owned and operated by New Jersey Transit in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The line loops off the Main Line between the Meadowlands and Glen Rock, with trains continuing in either direction along the Main Line. It is colored on NJT system maps in grey, and its symbol is a cattail, which are commonly found in the Meadowlands where the line runs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berry's Creek</span> River known for its pollution in northeastern New Jersey, United States


Berry's Creek is a tributary of the Hackensack River in the New Jersey Meadowlands in Bergen County, New Jersey. The creek watershed contains a diverse array of wetlands, marshes, and wildlife. The creek runs through a densely populated region and has been subject to extensive industrial pollution during the 19th and 20th centuries. Several companies discharged toxic chemicals into the creek in the 20th century, and these chemicals have remained in the sediment. The creek has the highest concentrations of methyl mercury of any fresh-water sediment in the world. Portions of the creek watershed are Superfund sites and cleanup projects began in the late 20th century.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">HX Draw</span> Bridge in Secaucus and East Rutherford, New Jersey

The HX Draw is a bascule bridge carrying the New Jersey Transit Bergen County Line and Pascack Valley Line across the Hackensack River between Secaucus, New Jersey and East Rutherford. The bridge is also known as The Jack-Knife because of its unusual method of opening.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hackensack River Greenway</span> Trail along the lower Hackensack River

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References

  1. 1 2 "Christie signs controversial Meadowlands overhaul, but says bill will be revised". NJ.com. Advance Local Media. 5 February 2015.
  2. ↑ "New Legislation Restructures New Jersey Meadowlands Commission and NJSEA". Secaucus, NJ: Waters, McPherson, McNeill, P.C. 2015-02-06.
  3. ↑ "Opinion: State messing with success in the Meadowlands". My Central Jersey. Somerville, NJ: USA Today Network. 2 March 2015.
  4. ↑ Zeitlinger, Nicholas (2019-01-16). "From landfills to oasis: The Meadowlands is reborn". The Jersey Journal. Advance Local Media.
  5. ↑ Stout, David (1996-10-17). "Fairleigh S. Dickinson Jr., 76, Who Helped Save the Meadowlands". The New York Times.
  6. ↑ Ma, Myles (2019-01-17). "Meadowlands sees housing boom at former industrial sites". NJ.com.
  7. ↑ Wachs, Audrey (2017-04-24). "How is the New Jersey Meadowlands planning for climate change?". The Architect's Newspaper. New York, NY.
  8. ↑ "Natural Resources". Lyndhurst, NJ: New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC). Archived from the original on 2007-10-19. Retrieved 2007-09-29.
  9. ↑ "Who We Are". NJMC. Archived from the original on 2008-02-09.
  10. ↑ Johnston, Richard J. H. (25 October 1973). "9 Killed, 40 Hurt in Crashes in Fog on Pike in Jersey". The New York Times.
  11. ↑ Smothers, Ronald (December 16, 2004). "Mending Fences With a New Meadowlands Plan". The New York Times.
  12. ↑ "Who We Are". NJSEA. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
  13. ↑ Fallon, Scott (2019-05-24). "Citing fumes, judge orders last Meadowlands landfill to be temporarily closed". NorthJersey.com. Gannett.
  14. ↑ "Keegan Landfill Information & Updates". NJSEA. Retrieved 2024-10-21.
  15. ↑ "Solar Power: Meadowlands Commission wants to harness sun over N.J. landfill". E&E News.
  16. ↑ Solomon, Nancy (2018-05-18). "N.J. Meadowlands: From Dumping Ground to Wildlife Preserve". NPR.
  17. ↑ "State to push unlikely site for eco-tourists: The Meadowlands". USA Today.[ dead link ]
  18. ↑ Bonamo, Mark J. (2006-08-22). "Eco-tourism to guide Meadowlands future; Meadowlands Commission issues new area tourism guide". Hudson Reporter. Newspaper Media Group. Archived from the original on 2018-03-03.
  19. ↑ Sullivan, S.P. (2019-03-30). "After Sandy's deluge in the Meadowlands, officials look for regional flood fix". NJ.com.
  20. ↑ "Meadowlands Research and Restoration Institute". Lyndhurst, NJ: New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority (NJSEA). Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  21. ↑ "Bald eagles can stay put in northern New Jersey". App.com. USA Today Network. Associated Press. 2014-11-15.
  22. ↑ "Meadowlands Environment Center". NJSEA. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  23. ↑ "William D. McDowell Observatory". NJSEA. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  24. ↑ "Parks and Trails". NJSEA. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
  25. ↑ "Richard P. Kane Natural Area". Lyndhurst, NJ: Meadowlands Conservation Trust. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
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