Township Eyes Steps Towards Sustainability

A three-pronged effort in the coming months will advance the township's work towards the goal of receiving the state sustainability recognition.

While the township is a long way from receiving the first level of recognition offered by the Department of Environmental Protection's Sustainable Jersey program, the township's Green Team, a municipal committee coordinating the township's effort to become sustainable lead by Laura Mandell, is pursuing several projects to help.

At the June 23 Township Committee, Mandell reviewed four pending actions with the committee: a land use resolution matching current ordinances to Sustainable Jersey goals, an anti-idling program, the township's Green Purchasing Program and a program that offers coupons and discounts for recycling products called the Recycle Bank.

"One of the things they like to see at Sustainable Jersey is when a town takes on a major impact project," Mandell said, adding this could be such a project for Warren.

While recycling in the township is handled by the county, Mandell said the Recycle Bank offers a number of different programs, some of which are tailored for similar recycling arrangements. She said Warren could become the lead community in the project, helping other county municipalities join in to effect the "major impact."

Mandell also discussed the Green Team's upcoming anti-idling efforts, which seeks to reduce air pollution by unneccessary idling of vehicles. Such efforts have already been at place at schools and Mandell said the Green Team is seeking to increase the public's appreciation of the issue, primarily with signs posted at locations where people may often leave vehicles idling.

On a other project, the township's land use policies, Township Adminstrator Mark Krane said the committee woud be voting on a resolution noting the township's compliance in land use ordinances with the state's sustainability goals.

Speaking Tuesday, Mandell said the land use resolution does not change any existing rules or ordinances, but instead seeks to define Warren's land use policies in sustainable contexts.

"Sustainable Jersey's sample has a cluster ordinance—that's not how we're set up," she said. Clustering seeks to limit the amount of land developed by reducing lot sizes and places homes closer together, but Mandell noted "Three-acre lots preserve a lot of habitat."

"We worked hard to show that what we do is sustainable and meets the Sustainable Jersey guidelines," she said.

And finally, Krane said he would also be proposing a "pretty basic" purchasing policy for the township, which would encourage the township to buy environmentally-friendly products when economically feasible.

The Sustainable Jersey program awards points for various municipal projects furthering environmental sustainability in the state, offering grants for many of the projects. Mandell said the first goal is for Warren to achieve the bronze designaiton, which requires 150 points—a long way off when projects such as the anti-idling effort or a resolution on green puchasing receive 5 or 10 points.

But she said bigger projects—such as the natural resources inventory currently getting underway after the township received a grant—will bring up to 20 points.

The goal of the Green Team and sustainability effort is to identify "quantifiable actions the twonship can take that preserves the environment for future generations," Mandell said.