Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act

rdf:langString Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act

rdf:langString The Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act was passed by the New Jersey Legislature on July 1, 1987, to "preserve the purity and integrity of freshwater wetlands from random, unnecessary or undesirable alteration or disturbance." This statute extended state and federal protection of waterways. Prior to this act, only coastal and navigable waters were protected. The act extended protection to inland waterways and freshwater wetlands, which serve to protect water quality, provide flood protection, and provide habitat for wildlife. Passage of the act followed quickly on the heels of a moratorium on development in New Jersey's wetlands declared by Governor Thomas Kean. This was the second time in New Jersey history that a governor declared a moratorium on development activity threatening New Jersey's environment. Kean declared the moratorium after four years of asking for legislation protecting wetlands. The first such moratorium was declared by Governor Brendan Byrne in the late 1970s, prohibiting development in the Pinelands prior to passage of the Pinelands Protection Act of June 28, 1979. Both moratoria were challenged in court, but the challenges became moot when the laws were passed. In late 2018, a coalition of environmental groups demanded that Governor Phil Murphy declare a moratorium on fossil fuel infrastructure, citing the incompatibility of future increases in New Jersey greenhouse gas emissions with the of 2007.