First meeting April, 2009 Come to find out more about the Sierra Club and what we are doing in New Jersey. We will also have a talk related to climate change. Pizza and snacks will be served.
We will be discussing ideas on the best time and place for future meetings, activities of interest and looking for volunteers to serve on our executive committee.

The meeting is tentatively scheduled for 7:30 PM Thu. April 23 at the Bound Brook Presbyterian Church, 409 Mountain Ave., Bound Brook. Check our web sit

Past Chairs: Steve Ember, Sandi Lowich, Don McBride

Join the Sierra Club! - Join Online... it's easy to join the Sierra Club online.
The Sierra Club is America's most effective advocate for the environment and helps you protect the environment locally and globally.

Programs:
Meetings start again April, 2009
If you would like to help in reorganizing the group contact Don McBride.

Green Highland Park

Other Events

Go Green Event - Menlo Park Mall:
April 17-19 (Fri. - Sun)

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.

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 are about 1,800 members in Southern Somerset and Middlesex counties in the following communities:

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