NEW JERSEY’S RESPONSE TO GLOBAL WARMING
By Courtenay Mercer, APA-NJ Chapter President

The State, late in 2008, released an Energy Master Plan and implementation Recommendation Report in response to Governor Corzine’s Executive Order 54 and the passage of the Global Warming Response Act of 2007. The Act calls for greenhouse gas reductions to 1990 levels by 2020, and 80 percent below 2006 levels by 2050. The Recommendation Report, whose comment period ended January 23rd, puts forth short, medium and long-range strategies and targets to meet these goals. While many of the strategies include tangible, scientific reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) production (e.g. low/zero emission vehicles), the report also includes a set of somewhat less tangible Land Use and Transportation Planning strategies. From a planner’s standpoint, however, these recommendations are not sufficient.

The first concern is that the Report makes no mention of the State Plan, the State Planning Commission or the Office of Smart Growth. I will only make mention of, but not expand on, the implications this omission has on the long rumored demise of the Office of Smart Growth. While the Report recognizes “the present lack of a unified and mandatory process for sound growth management in New Jersey”, it also calls for “a comprehensive land use planning process that integrates smart growth objectives with transportation system planning and funding”. I thought the latter was embodied in the State Plan and Plan Endorsement; we just need the Administration to give the State Planning Commission the backing and authority to make these existing structures meaningful. In fact, the aforementioned desire for unity would be better served if the Energy Master Plan and the Recommendation Report were a part of the State Plan, rather than stand-alone documents. That said, an immediate action item of this Report should be the creation of a Cabinet- level position that coordinates the various land use agencies under the auspices of the Office of Smart Growth, which should correspondingly be moved to more neutral territory like the Governor’s office or Treasury.

I commend the recognition that sound land use planning can contribute to green house gas reduction. Unfortunately,the Report perpetuates a broken municipally based land use planning system. Specifically, the Report calls for amendments to the Municipal Land Use Law, although it does not delineate what amendments are appropriate and necessary. As long as NJ continues to allow municipalities to plan in a vacuum, ignorant and/or indifferent of their neighbors and the region, we cannot realize the significant change necessary to effect green house gas production. Accordingly, the Report should call for a shift from municipal planning to a County or other appropriate regional planning structure. I realize this has tax implications to municipalities, and further suggest that the regionalization of schools, services and taxes would also help in reducing green house gas production.

Perhaps I am a little idealistic, utopian... naive? Maybe it is because I am watching the inaugural festivities as I write this? Or, maybe it is because I think these things are going to happen eventually anyway? It is only time before property taxes get so out of control that structural changes will occur at the mandate of the burdened public. So, why not start working on it now, before the system is completely broken. I know that I have digressed from climate change and green house gas, but the economy is inextricably linked. Making these changes now will go a long way toward addressing both issues. I also know that these are not politically expeditious recommendations, but we often think of them as planners. If they are not spoken aloud and spoken often, then they certainly will never be heard.

For more information about the Global Warming Response Act and to view the Recommendation Report, please visit http://www.state.nj.us/globalwarming/.

As always, I welcome your thoughts. Please contact me at pres@njapa.org.

The President’s Corner reflects the President’s opinion and not necessarily that of the NJAPA Executive Committee or NJAPA membership.