RRI Green Planning Archives: USA—New Jersey
(current to 1998)

Case Study: New Jersey: Learning from the Dutch Model

New Jersey is fast emerging as a national leader in the development of innovative environmental management approaches. It has shown strong interest in the Dutch approach because it faces similar environmental challenges. The state has a similar size to the Netherlands, is densely populated and heavily industrialized, and much of it is low-lying and therefore under significant threat from the threat of global warming. New Jersey promises to become a model of its own, in particular with the comprehensive 'cross-acceptance' process of the State Development and Redevelopment Plan, and the highly collaborative Sustainable State project recently launched in the form of partnership between the State of New Jersey and the cross-sectoral organization New Jersey Future.

1. Development of Environmental Policy

RRI has been tracking progress in New Jersey for a number of years. A year after RRI-initiated trips in 1993 and 1994 to the Netherlands by New Jersey government, business and NGO representatives, Governor Christine Todd Whitman created a task force to determine how the Dutch model could be best applied in New Jersey. This task force was called the Green and Gold Task Force, named to reflect how protecting the "green" of environmental quality assists in ensuring a sustainable and growing "gold" of economy.

Since that time, New Jersey has been a leader in establishing collaborative partnerships between government and business, particularly in the area of pollution prevention. New Jersey has chosen to move away from strict command and control regulation to combat pollution, instead focusing on performance based regulation and collaboration rather than conformation between business and government.

Partnership between the Whitman Administration and the non-profit organization, New Jersey Future, facilitated the launch of New Jersey as the nation's first "Sustainable State" -- one that recognizes that a high quality of life depends on a balance of economic, environmental and social goals.

New Jersey Future was created in the mid-1980s to respond to the simultaneous decline of New Jersey's major cities and the rapid spread of low-density suburban development, which were altering the geographic and social landscape of the state. New Jersey Future's sole mission at its inception was the creation and adoption of the State Development and Redevelopment Plan, which promotes open space protection and managed growth policies. New Jersey's State Development & Redevelopment Plan has been hailed as a national model in its adoption of "smart growth" strategies and open space preservation, and in particular its participatory model of planning at all levels of governance entitled "cross-acceptance".

On Earth Day 1997, an Office of Sustainability was created to encourage sustainable business development and expansion statewide, and a major public education and marketing campaign was launched to involve all people in the state. The Office is also charged with assisting New Jersey's State government in providing institutional support for sustainable businesses and assist State government in incorporating the elements of sustainability in its policies and programs.

More recently, New Jersey signed a landmark agreement to work with the Netherlands to address the issue of global climate change. Margaretha de Boer, of the Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment for The Netherlands, and New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Robert C. Shinn Jr. agreed in June of 1998 to work together to tackle climate change issues that could be solved regionally, respectively.

An early indicators report by the Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is entitled: New Jersey Environment. NJDEP assessed the current state of the environment, evaluating the effectiveness of past efforts by looking at historic improvement trends, developing goals and strategies for future improvement and possible partnerships with constituents to meet targets.

In 1999, a companion State Sustainable Development Indicators Report was developed through the Sustainable State Project, a collaboration between New Jersey Future and the Whitman Administration to create a comprehensive and authoritative set of goals and indicators of sustainable development. The Report is entitled: "Living with the Future In Mind: Goals and Indicators for New Jersey's Quality of Life". The process behind this report was begun in 1995, and the report is a "report card" on the long-term trends that can enhance or destroy the state's quality of life, as well as the lives of those who inherit the Garden State in the future. There are 11 goals such as equity, good government, quality education, healthy people, and effective transportation and 41 indicators to measure specific progress toward the goals.

2. Innovative Environmental Management Programs

Sustainable Communities

Yes, New Jersey is a national leader in regard to model process and practice for achieving sustainable communities. The State Development and Redevelopment Plan was adopted by a unanimous vote of the 17-member the State Planning Commission on June 12, 1992. The General Plan Strategy is to achieve all State planning goals by coordinating public and private actions to guide future growth into compact forms of development and redevelopment, located to make the most efficient use of existing and planned infrastructure systems and within the capacities in infrastructure, environmental, natural resource, fiscal, economic and other systems to support growth. The State Plan has two major sections: the Statewide Policy Structure and the Resource Planning and Management Structure.

The State Development and Redevelopment Plan responds to legislative and public demand for organizing future growth into forms that meet the public's desires for attractive communities of character and integrity, where infrastructure can be provided efficiently and at reasonable cost. The Plan calls this quality-of-life vision "Communities of Place."

NJDEP also held a sustainable communities workshop in 1998 where goals were developed for communities. Redevelopment of New Jersey's urban communities begins with neighborhood-based planning. The goal of the NJRA is to assist local organizations to develop and implement neighborhood-based plans. This guide introduces the members of the Urban Coordinating Council and the resources available through their respective departments and agencies.

The Department of Community Affairs has launched an innovative pilot program which will incorporate elements of sustainable design and energy efficiency into affordable housing. It is a concrete and affirmative program to implement Governor Whitman's call for protecting the State's resources for our children through sound planning. Five million dollars of Balanced Housing funds has been set aside for this program to produce up to 100 housing units. In August, Commissioner Kenny announced the program's start up with a letter that was sent to developers, architects, consultants, housing authorities, mayors and nonprofit organizations.

Ecosystem-Based Management

The New Jersey Division of Water Quality has adopted a watershed approach to their permitting program.

NJDEP's Watershed Management Approach provides a scientific basis for holistic management of water and water-related resources within a watershed by government, private sector and citizens. Through the adoption of a comprehensive Watershed Management Plan for each of the twenty Watershed Management Areas (WMAs) in New Jersey, regulatory requirements and tools to manage land uses and non point sources will be will be coordinated and implemented, and citizen participation in management decisions will increase. The Watershed Management Plan is based on the results of the scientific Watershed Characterization and Assessment (WCA).

National Environmental Performance Partnership System

New Jersey is a participant in the National Environmental Performance Partnership System (NEPPS). NEPPS is a program which was developed jointly by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Environmental Council of the States to revitalize environmental protection for the 21st century by establishing new state-federal partnerships which will strengthen protection of public health and the environment through enhanced application of the principle of management for environmental results. New Jersey was one of six states in the nation to pilot NEPPS in 1995.

Innovative Business Sector Programs

In 1997, Governor Christine Todd Whitman signed Executive Order #68, which created an Office of Sustainability that is located in the Department of Commerce and Economic Development. The Office of Sustainability assists in the development of sustainable businesses in New Jersey. and provides technical assistance, low interest loans and recoverable grants to companies whose products and services reduce or minimize consumption of energy and resources.

New Jersey DEP Commissioner Mr. Robert Shinn has introduced a range of 'beyond compliance' programs to following the tour to the Netherlands. The NJDEP's Office of Pollution Prevention and Permit Coordination was established by Commissioner Shinn to improve service to permit applicants by way of better communication, coordination and identification of pollution prevention opportunities early in the permitting process. Using the ONE STOP Process, the intent is to work closely with the regulated communities to assure that the permits necessary for each project result in additional environmental value. ONE STOP is a total facility approach; a coordinated permitting and compliance assistance process. A permittee can now turn to one source to identify all permits required for a development or significant facility start-up or expansion project and maintain consistent contact throughout the process. This process will allow the Department to provide better customer service to the public and regulated entities.

Recycling Programs

The State of New Jersey has enacted a number of policies, to promote the purchase of recycled products.
With the passage of the New Jersey Mandatory Statewide Source Separation and Recycling Act in 1987, the State began to purchase recycled paper and paper products.

The mission of the Bureau of Recycling and Planning is, among other things, to realize the State's goal of recycling 65% of New Jersey's total solid waste stream by December 31, 2000. This is being accomplished through the administration of the "New Jersey Statewide Mandatory Source Separation and Recycling Act," N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.11 et seq., and commitments contained in the Department's Performance Partnership Agreement with the United States Environmental Protection.

The New Jersey Buy Recycled Business Network is run in cooperation with the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) since 1993 with the mission of promoting the sale of recycled products. Recently the Network formed a partnership with the Association of New Jersey Recyclers to offer member businesses more services and increase demand for recycled products. The new board will establish an annual work plan and scope of services for the year 2000. DEP will provide funding through this year and will move administration of the program to the Association of NJ Recyclers.

Climate Change

New Jersey is an innovator and leader in regard to developing programs to address the threats of human induced climate change. In June of 1998, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed with the Netherlands to explore mutual solutions to climate change implications, with target groups and strategies having been identified. Margaretha de Boer, Netherlands' Minister of the Environment for the Netherlands, and New Jersey Environmental Protection Commissioner Robert C. Shinn Jr. agreed to work together on several issues important to the economy and the environment of their respective regions, in accordance with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Minister de Boer and Commissioner Shinn signed a letter of intent that establishes a framework for developing joint initiatives to combat global warming, including a trading system for greenhouse gas emission credits. The national Center for Clean Air Policy, of which Commissioner Shinn is a member, will facilitate the project.

3. Assessment And Future Directions

New Jersey does not yet officially have a 'green plan' of its own; however the state remaims one of the most progressive and advanced states in regard to environmental policy in the U.S., specifically in terms of flexible goal-oriented environmental regulation and statewide land use and transportation planning. The state has launched itself as the first Sustainable State in the nation and is striving to achieve this goal; the vision of retaining and enhancing quality of life whilst restoring nature in the Garden State looks set to be realized.