I received this email late last night from NJ Audubon and thought it would be of interest to Stewardship Roundtable folks. Some great news on the Forest Stewardship Bill and ATV registration and a final push to try to stop a bad bill….

This evening the NJ Legislature took the final steps necessary to pass two pieces of legislation that New Jersey Audubon and many of you, our members, have been working on for years!

(1) Tonight the Assembly PASSED FOREST STEWARDSHIP LEGISLATION WITH OVERWHELMING BI-PARTISAN SUPPORT. This bill will help alleviate unnecessary harvesting pressure on qualifying wooded land in New Jersey, and therefore promote sustainable forestry and the many benefits resulting from healthier forests, such as cleaner water. Many of you emailed and phoned your Assemblypeople last week, and numerous legislators told us in the last few days that they’ve been receiving a lot of messages in favor of Forest Stewardship! Your efforts have clearly helped make a difference. The Governor is expected to sign the legislation into law in the coming days.

(2) Secondly tonight, both the Assembly and Senate passed legislation that ESTABLISHES REGISTRATION FOR OFF-ROAD VEHICLES AND APPROPRIATE PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL RIDING that damages our state’s fragile land and wildlife. Many of you have contacted your legislators more than once in favor of this legislation, and tonight’s success shows we’ve helped make a positive difference on this issue as well! We believe the Governor will sign this legislation too.

BUT NOW WE MUST MAKE A FINAL, URGENT **CALL TO ACTION** BEFORE THE CORZINE ADMINISTRATION ENDS ON JANUARY 19TH: PLEASE PHONE THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE IN THE NEXT 24 HOURS — (609) 292 6000 — AND ASK HIM TO **VETO A4345 / S2985**. This legislation would postpone implementation of New Jersey’s Water Quality Management Planning Rules. These rules wisely ask county and local governments to plan to remove some of our state’s most environmentally sensitive land from sewer service areas that were established decades ago. New Jersey should not postpone implementation of these important rules, which should curtail urban sprawl into some of our most environmentally sensitive areas that protect our clean water, our steep slopes, and our threatened and endangered species. That is why we’re asking you to call Governor Corzine and request that he VETO A4345 / S2985 — so that Water Quality Management Planning Rules are allowed to go into effect as originally planned.

Thank you again for all that you have done to preserve our natural heritage and support prosperity in New Jersey. Tonight we recorded two big successes, and we’re hoping for one more — the Governor’s veto of A4345 / S2985. We look forward to updating you in more detail with our Trenton Flyway email shortly!

Sincerely,

Kelly Mooij, Director of Government Relations, New Jersey Audubon