Committeewoman Leah Vassallo and Deputy Mayor Dave Deegan along with Environmental Chairwoman Barbara Halpern welcome our newest junior members of the Environmental Commission Trenton Fischer, Paula Thompson, Malaina Mattson, and Victoria Tyran.
Welcome and congratulations!
They ask good questions.
The EC (Environmental Commission) got the letter from a science class at Reutter School.
They want to know when did the EC start?
What areas of Franklin Twp have you (EC) helped the most?
Why did the EC start?
The Franklin Township Environmental Commission was formed in 1976, 8 years before I became involved. It was formed in response to increasing environmental awareness and enabling legislation that was first passed in 1968. The first chairperson was Ted Kiefer, who may have been an advocate for the establishment of the Commission. Aubrey Patten was chair when I began attending meetings.
Sustainable New Jersey gives a fairly concise statement about hows and whys of Environment Commissions: “The Environmental Commission takes the lead on local environmental issues and serves as a base of local expertise. Created by the municipal government, it informs the local planning and zoning boards about the environmental impacts of proposed development, advocates for open space preservation, researches and makes recommendations on natural resource issues, informs residents on ways to protect the environment, and develops a natural resource inventory (NRI)–also known as an environmental resource inventory (ERI)– for the town. In these and various other ways, the Environmental Commission is an essential ingredient for creating a sustainable community.”
Franklin Township’s Environmental Commission has actively pursued all of the activities listed in the quoted paragraph and had major roles in the development of the recycling program and the annual Franklin Township Community Day celebration. All sections of the township have benefitted from the Environmental Commission’s work. The improvements made to the township’s Master Plan and Planning and Zoning ordinances that guide development in our community are largely a result of Environmental Commission input working with many others.
I hope this is helpful to these young people.
Jay
Picture and caption from: http://www.franklintownshipnj.org/junior-members-of-the-environmental-commission/
Environmental Commission, Franklin Twp, Gloucester County NJ 