Our New Jersey Forests Are Not ‘in need of redevelopment’

Heidi Yeh, Special to USA TODAY Network

September 30, 2023 | app.com

Credit: Valiphotos on Pixabay

How does one "redevelop" a forest? The answer to this question could determine the fate of 718 acres of forest in Pemberton Township. The Pole Branch Forest, and many other undeveloped tracts of land in South Jersey, are threatened by a law originally meant to transform "blighted" areas. We need a legislative fix for the loopholes that are causing undeveloped forests and fields in South Jersey to be "redeveloped" into sprawling subdivisions, strip malls and warehouses.

Read More: Click Here

NJ SEED: Commercial interests turn more and more to South Jersey’s open lands on which to expand. It’s a balance question. Do the state’s forested lands need legislative protection to prevent, or at least, moderate “redevelopment” to accommodate the desire to provide more housing and warehouses?