TRENTON--The New Jersey Assembly passed a bill Monday that would establish a New Jersey Coastal and Ocean Protection Council to help safeguard the state's resources.
The state Senate passed the same bill on December 10, 2007 and environmental groups now are asking that Governor Jon Corzine sign the bill into law.
The nine-member New Jersey Coastal and Ocean Protection Council would consist of agency staff and members of the public working to prevent depletion of marine resources through adopting ecosystem based management approaches.
Ecosystem management moves beyond traditional species-by-species, problem-by-problem management to take account of factors that sustain healthy oceans such as food web interactions and the availability of suitable habitat.
The council would have the power to make recommendations to the New Jersey Commissioner for Environmental Protection that will protect, maintain and restore coastal and ocean resources, and could study, consider and make plans for ocean and coastal protection.
The council would be empowered to hold a public hearing at least once a year to take testimony from the public concerning ecosystem based management approaches. The council must present a report of its activities, findings, and recommendations to the commissioner within one year after its organizational meeting, and biennially thereafter.
Ninety-seven percent of New Jersey's tidal rivers and 24 percent of its bays are restricted for shellfish harvesting because of bacterial pollution. The Jersey shore experienced more than 130 days of beach closings and advisories due to pollution in 2006.
In addition, urban construction has now impacted a third of Barnegat Bay's estuary system; and a third of New Jersey's most important commercial and recreational saltwater fish and shellfish are depleted or are being overfished.
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
www.nj.gov/dep
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