Pinelands Battle Continues STw * « . | Skirftxish Nat’l Reserve Needs Protection 5

By Ihi.vld F. Moore '(^ivemor Byrne reportedly will not permit adoption of a controversial piece,of legislation discuftsed in this space several weeks ago .It’s supposed to amend the Pinelands Protection Act so as to pretty well eradicate the protection part of it - , The bill. S 3335. sponsored by Senator Steven P. Perskie of Atlantic County, was mdentified by myself and many others as the latest in a long series of gambits aimed at opening up the*outer ring (the* Protection Area > of the Pinelands National Heserve to helter-skelter develop men't It looked for a whild. what with the Governor being out of reach on a trade mission to Moscow, as though Per skie and other supporters of increased Pinelands Development vfciuld get their own way IT W’AK REASSURING to read that Governor Byrne is still unswerving in his Pinelands supporfive stance ^he'day before Byrne's statement, the Senate Natural Kesalirces and Agriculture Committee held a public hearing in the t)ill in Trenton Most of those testifying were against the bill ^ Ohe of them. James Tripp, speaking for the En vironmental Defense Fund, indentified the problem well when he said ’ What is going on here is an experiment. This fragile land has been designated as the country's first optional Reserve as a means Of protecting it. If in four or five years ^you think it's been a mistake, then you can make changes But this is not the time to do it. The damage which'can be done is irreversible. There is no other way to protect the region than by fltringJnt environmental regulations. ^ ' • THE PERSKIE BIM. was Just one more khot in an ongoing battle, and there is absolutely no reason to think that the money oHhe Atlantic City casimfcindustry and other developers won't mainifest itself in some other fb'shion one of these days ^ t Gov. Disregards South Jersey

Despite the fact that legislation legalizing the Atlantic City casinos piously cited benefits to that long-decaying city and its residents, many of them hanging onto the bottom run.of the economic ladder, it’s manifestly foolish to think tlfat the casino bosses want Atlantic City's native population cluttering up their, own development plans They'd like to see a lot of those people living somewhere else - such as nearby Atlantic County sections, which unfortunately are in the Pinelands Protection Area HAD THE PERSKIE amendment gone through, it would have been ironic because evidence now points to growing success of the protection activities which are in force I say that because, under terms Of the Pinelands Protection Act. a critical bne-year period began last Jan . 14. when the plan officially took effect. That one year.iiow only half finished, is the period during which localgovenv ments in the protection zone cah^eview and revise their master plans to win certificatiqp of the Pinelands Commission Funding is available twthe to^s to accomplish this, but in a number of cases none has been required * Despite outcries of those who want taopen up the protection zone to easier developmersL I understand something like 38 of the 52 eligible muhi<^»|Lilies have applied for funding. That indicates to me that those towns

are adjusted to the program and are prepared to coordinate with it. v OF THE IS PINELANDS Commissioners, I’m told that • one informal poll found nine of them with serious reservations about the Pefskie amendment. And half of the commissioners' are appointed various involved county governments — providing another indication of grassroots adjustment to the plan. No. I'm convinced that without the calculated nudging of the casino industry and its relatives from behind the scenes, there would be no organized outcry for changes in ‘ the Pinelands Protection Act. What will happen next? Even though the Perskie amendment now appears to be a shot which feltshort of its target, we can look for more challenges to the saving of this vast natural area which-is so vital.to the future of new Jersey in terms of water supply, agriculture and open space. I’ve hr'ard it said that the next action may be in getting moro anti-protection types appointed to the Commission. This might be accomplished by Senate refusal to confirm Byrne appoirttmente, of which I believe four are now due. * David Moore is executive director of tfie N.J. Conservation Foundation.

by Robert Marshall By witbdrawing'his support of proposed.amendments to the Pinelands Management Plan, Governor Byrne has again demonstrated his callous disregard for the needs and problems of the people of Southern New Jersey. The governor, previously said to support amendments introduced by Senators Steven P Perskie (D-Atlantic), and co-sponsored by Senators Jdseph. P. Merlino (D Mercer), Charles B Yates (D-BurJIngton), and John F Russo, (D Ocean), in Senate Bill S-3335, withdrew that» support, effectively eliminating any chance of the bill's passage The bill amplified local jurisdiction ih the" Pinelands, while maintaining the Pinelands CoHimisqioh's review and oversight powers. BY REFUSING TO EVEN consider this bill, following a day-long public hearing on it, the Byrne administration ik giving the Pinelands Commission a license to continue UT run roughshod over the rights of private property owners. As it stand now, the Pinelands Plan effectively takes away the land, and its value from thbusands of landowners. While builders didn't think the proposed amendments went far enough to correct the inequities of the Pinelands Plan, at least they demonstrated an attempt to correct some of the hardships the present plan imposes on individuals and local governments which must conform toil. while still preserving and protecting the essence of the Pinelands -v By bowing to the demands of a constituency of rigid environmentalists — many of whom don't live in the Pinelands and are not affected by attempts to preserve it the governor is demonstrating his unconscionable disregard not only for the rights of the people in seven §outh Jersey counties, but also for the legislative process. Robert Marshall is president of the Builders League of South Jersey. J v

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More than Lights Needed

One of these days soon there will be-traffic signals on the north side of the Route 109 canal bridge near the entrance to Cape May. And on the south side of the bridge, on the other side of the bridge crest, there will Mba warning device, letting northbound motOTists know when the lights on the other side are red. Hopefully the revamped Route-109 Ocean Drive intersection — including numerous traffic signals replacing numerous traffic signs — will help stem the numerous accidents, some fatal, which have marked this area as perhaps the worst in Cape May County. Whether it docs or not, the recnanneling and widening of the approach lanes, and the lights have been a long time coming... But even at this late date, the solution to the overall trafficmiess is still not at hand. The latest traffic devices should be looked upon only as part of the remedy. They do nothing, however, for the traffic situation before you get to the bridge intersections and after you get past them. Once into

the danger zone you either cross th» canal bridge and come upon the congested marina area with its left and right-turn potential off the narrow highway, or make the left turn onto Ocean Drive enroute to the Wildwoods and the two extremely narrow bridges before the toll bridge. Even north of the Routhe 109-Ocean Drive intersection, what about the dangerous situations that exists where Route 109 and the Garden State Parkway cross and merge? Southbound 109 driven; (many strangers to the area coming from the ferry terminal) wishing to go north on the parkway must cross over into the left-hand fane and compete with the high-speed traffic comirig off the southbound parkway lane. While waiting for the traffic engineers and the politicians to come up with the design and the funding to alleviate these traffic nightmares, there is only one thing we can all — drive carefully; as if you life depended upon it. If does. The Herald