PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:
October 1, 2007

Contact:
Jon Meade, Highlands Coalition Executive Director 267-664-4111

Coalition Celebrates First Property Preserved with Federal Highlands Funds

Thanks Congressional Leaders, Urges NJ Voters to Pass Nov. Open Space Question

West Milford, NJ - The Highlands Coalition honored the successful efforts of Senator Frank Lautenberg, Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, and Congressman Scott Garrett to secure the first funds under the Highlands Conservation Act (HCA) towards the preservation of Camp Vacamas in the Wyanokie Highlands. The Coalition also recognized the important role of the Garden State Preservation Trust (GSPT) in preserving the property and urged New Jersey voters to approve ballot question #3 in November to replenish the Trust for another year. The State is purchasing 310 acres of Camp Vacamas using its share of the $2 million in HCA funds approved by Congress last year, as well as funds from the GSPT.

“The New Jersey Congressional Delegation provided incredible bi-partisan leadership in passing the Highlands Conservation Act,” said Jon Meade, Executive Director of the regional Highlands Coalition. “We greatly appreciate their efforts in securing the first funds under the Act for such vital projects as the preservation of Camp Vacamas, which is emblematic of the great partnership among Congress, federal and state agencies, nonprofit conservation groups, and local landowners in the region. We all recognize the tremendous need for land conservation in the Highlands, and we look forward to continued leadership from New Jersey’s delegation to fully fund the Act.”

The Highlands Conservation Act was passed in 2004 and authorizes $10 million annually in federal matching funds to assist the states of Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania in purchasing priority lands or development rights in areas identified by the U.S. Forest Service as having high conservation values.

"This is a historic day not only for Camp Vacamas, but for protection of the Highlands,'' said John S. Watson, Deputy Commissioner for Natural and Historic Resources in the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. "Surrounded by hundreds of acres of woodlands and the rolling Ramapo Mountains, this land will continue to provide our children with diverse opportunities for outdoor experiences that show us precisely why we need to protect the Highlands for future generations.''

Camp Vacamas’s was founded in 1924 by a group of dedicated business people and educators. The organization is committed to enabling children from underserved families and communities to enjoy positive experiences. Over 5,000 children from the New Jersey and New York Urban Centers benefit from the camps services in areas of recreation and education. The Camp is generously preserving 310 acres for its campers and the community to enjoy.

“We want to keep Camp Vacamas forever green and provide an opportunity for the 5,000 youngsters we serve a year to connect with nature and enjoy the outdoors,” said Michael Friedman, Executive Director for Vacamas Programs for Youth.

Also highlighted at the event was NJ ballot question #3, the Green Acres, Farmland, Blue Acres and Historic Preservation Bond Act of 2007. If passed the Act would authorize the state of NJ to issue $200 million in general obligation bonds providing much-needed funds to keep New Jersey’s open space, farmland and historic preservation programs funded for another year.

“New Jersey residents deserve clean water, natural areas, preserved farmland and historic sites, and new, safe urban parks for our children. Passage of Public Question #3 will protect New Jersey’s quality of life for future generations, and ensure that our children and grandchildren can continue to enjoy New Jersey’s land, water and natural beauty,” explained Thomas J. Gilmore, President, New Jersey Audubon Society.

The Highlands Coalition, made up of over 180 local, regional and national conservation groups, works to protect the sustainability of natural and human communities in the more than three million acre Highlands region of CT, NJ, NY and PA. For more information, see www.highlandscoalition.org.

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