Raritan Valley Group:
covering
Southern Somerset and Middlesex Counties
Contacts | Programs/Meetings | Other Events | Flyers | Issues | Members | links
New Page under Issues: Climate Change - Global Warming
Sign-up for our email list:
Go to lists.sierraclub.org and sign-up for NJ-RARITAN-VALLEY-NEWS
Meetings are on hold until April 2009
We will be reorganizing the group this Spring and are looking for volunteers for our executive committee and suggestions for locations and programs; Should we move the meetings back to Bound Brook, stay with East Brunswick or find a new location? We plan to have an organizational meeting in April, time and place to be announced by postcard, email and on our web site.
Past Chairs: Steve Ember, Sandi Lowich, Don McBride
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Programs:
Meetings are on hold until April 2009
If you would like to help in reorganizing the group contact Don McBride.
See: Old Programs for past meetings.
Community Plans
Many communities have Green Community Plans or Master Plans which include green components.
Green Highland Park
Other Events
Duke Farms:
Hillsborough, NJ (March 2, 2008)- Duke Farms announced today an expansive and bold new vision for the 2,740-acre property. Duke Farms has always been committed to the environment, but we're taking our vision to a whole new level of green.
For the first time since Buck Duke closed the park at Duke Farms nearly 100 years ago, hundreds of acres of trails will be open for visitors to walk, bike and hike on their own.
To serve as a demonstration site for sustainability, Duke Farms also will undertake various renewable energy, habitat restoration and ecological research projects.
See Tours
ISSUES
We are supporting several of the National Sierra Club's major issues at the local level:
* Climate Change - Global Warming - New Page with links from speakers and information about local events.
* Electrical Companies clear-cutting under high-tension electrical power lines - The Raritan Valley group is working with Bridgewater township, local citizens and the NJ Board of Public Utilities (BPU) to revise the current vegetation management plan so more trees can be retained without compromising safety and reliability.
See details.
* Rutgers University is planning to put new buildings on Frank Deiner Park. Help us save it. See details.
* Clean Water - The New Jersey Chapter is fighting development along streams, wetlands, flood plains and steep slopes.
* Stop Sprawl - The Raritan Valley Chapter is
monitoring/reviewing as many township/regional land use master plans in our area as possible.
Group members are involved in local issues, answering
questions for concerned citizens regarding development.
Specific issues we are involved
with are:
- Monitor Regional Center part of Bridgewater Master Plan.
- The Pulda farms - one in North and one in South Brunswick - well over
200 acres of prime farmland, with environmentally sensitive and historical
features.
- Tamarack Hollow - 56 houses that would be a blatant intrusion into the
environmentally sensitive Rural Preservation Zone of East Brunswick.
- DEVCO high-rise apartment complex on the Raritan that would replace old
New Brunswick Police Department.
- Energy Efficiency & Work Time Reduction work being done by Prof. Dan Aronson, at Raritan Valley Community College. Energy efficiency enables us to improve quality of life while reducing costs and maintaining productivity.
Other New Jersey Chapter issues are listed at
the NJ Chapter Action Center!.
See the Issue Coordinator list for contacts.
Links:
Web Resources
Sierra Club New Jersey Chapter Action Center
- The easiest way to learn about and take action on pressing issues.
Sierra Club New Jersey Singles Section -
Join Online! MLP - Membership - To join the Sierra Club online.
Garden State EnviroNews -
This daily posting of articles, alerts, events is another excellent resource, the work of Phil Reynolds.
To subscribe (free) to receive the GARDEN STATE ENVIRONEWS, send an e-mail to: gsenet-L-subscribe@topica.com
Save New Jersey Coalition -
A coalition of over 50 NJ-based environmental and civic groups working to repeal the Fast Track Bill that gives developers a green light to build in Planning Areas 1 and 2 (metropolitan and suburban areas) through the automatic approval of permits if DEP doesn't meet a 45-day limit.
Office of Legislative Services, New Jersey Legislature -
Bills, votes, statutes, information about individual State Senators, Assembly Persons, etc.
Highlands Coalition -
Photos, maps and information, and contacts/ resources for anyone interested in the Highlands and Highlands conservation issues.
Members:
There were 1,800 members in Southern Somerset and Middlesex counties and more than 20,000 members in New Jersey and 750,000 total members as of Sept., 2006. Our group membership by community:
| Num. | Town |
| 20 | Bound Brook |
| 26 | Branchburg |
| 125 | Bridgewater |
| 10 | Dayton |
| 10 | Dunellen |
| 122 | East Brunswick |
| 1 | East Millstone |
| 124 | Edison |
| 16 | Fords |
| 30 | Franklin Park |
| 17 | Green Brook |
| 1 | Helmetta |
| 205 | Highland Park |
| 197 | Hillsborough |
| 24 | Jamesburg |
|
| Num. | Town |
| 3 | Keasbey |
| 25 | Kendall Park |
| 6 | Manville |
| 28 | Martinsville |
| 78 | Metuchen |
| 27 | Milltown |
| 23 | Monmouth Junction |
| 9 | Monroe |
| 122 | Monroe Township |
| 16 | Neshanic Station |
| 50 | New Brunswick |
| 50 | North Brunswick |
| 36 | Old Bridge |
| 20 | Parlin |
|
| Num. | Town |
| 7 | Perth Amboy |
| 77 | Piscataway |
| 17 | Raritan |
| 1 | S Bound Brook |
| 20 | Sayreville |
| 124 | Somerset |
| 63 | Somerville |
| 11 | South Amboy |
| 4 | South Bound Brook |
| 15 | South River |
| 12 | Spotswood |
| 5 | Three Bridges |
| 2 | Whitehouse |
| 19 | Woodbridge |
|
|
