2003 Musconetcong Wild and Scenic River
Update
MMWA Executive Director John Brunner and MWA Trustees
Bill Leavens and Susan Dickey traveled to Washington DC in March
to meet with New Jersey congressional staff to discuss the Musconetcong
River Wild and Scenic River study. Brunner and Leavens also met
with representatives from the National Park Service and American
Rivers to learn about how other river advocacy groups secured
Wild and Scenic designations.
During July Brunner worked with American Rivers
and the American Rivers and the National Park Service to craft
legislation that will be used to designate portions of the Musconetcong
River as a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
The final draft "Musconetcong River Management
Plan" was completed by Sharon Yates of the Heritage Conservancy,
with editorial assistance from Brunner and Paul Kenney of the
National Park Service. Copies will be mailed to each municipality
and will also be available at local libraries.
2002 Musconetcong Wild and Scenic River Update
The members of the Musconetcong Advisory Committee, Musconetcong
Watershed Association, National Park Service and Heritage Conservancy
are working hard to complete the most important phase of our quest
to secure a place for the river in the National Wild and Scenic
Rivers System. We are seeking the support of the twenty-five municipalities
and four counties within our watershed for the river management
plan and wild and scenic designation.
It is especially important to gain resolutions of support from
the fourteen municipalities that are along the sections of the
river deemed eligible for wild and scenic designation. The Musconetcong
River study process was conducted under the "Partnership Program",
a relatively new part of the Wild and Scenic Rivers System that
applies to rivers that flow primarily through private land. The
Maurice River, White Clay Creek and Lower Delaware River are all
Partnership Rivers. For the Musconetcong this management system
means the National Park Service will not own, manage or police
the river and surrounding riparian areas, such as it does within
the boundaries of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
The Musconetcong Wild and Scenic partners have produced an excellent
River Management Plan (RMP) that prescribes actions to protect
the Musconetcong River ands its important historic, scenic and
recreational features. Of course the RMP becomes another dust
collector if it is not put into action. The Plan calls for a River
Management Committee to be formed to guide implementation of the
plan's action items. The recommended actions are aimed at state
agencies, municipal and county governments, nonprofit groups,
and landowners.
The River Management Plan is voluntary. It does not come with
a "stick" but there will be "carrots" in the form of funding from
the National Park Service. The Musconetcong Watershed Association
will continue providing leadership on tackling the many river
protection and restoration projects. After all, many elements
of the River Management Plan were included in MWA's 5-year Strategic
Plan. Many elements from the ill-fated NJDEP Musconetcong Watershed
Management study were also included the River Management Plan.
NJDEP summarily abandoned that effort in 2000 to expand (dilute?)
the watershed management study to include all the watersheds in
northwestern New Jersey.
One thing we have going for us is the overwhelming support and
concern expressed by hundreds of individuals and organizations
for the future of the Musconetcong River and its tributaries.
People really love this river and its valley. The Plan concentrates
on the immediate river corridor, but we have not ignored the tributary
streams nor has a watershed approach been abandoned. MWA will
continue to be part of the Upper Delaware Watershed Management
process once it gets back on track.
Perhaps the single greatest benefit of the Wild and Scenic effort
is that it has brought together people from all over the Musconetcong
watershed to identify problems and solutions and the many wonderful
natural and cultural features found throughout the river valley.
It invites people to look beyond their own neighborhood to see
the whole river and its watershed.
The Musconetcong River study is unique among all other W&S efforts
that have come before it because the Musconetcong River municipalities
passed resolutions inviting the National Park Service to conduct
the study. Historically, these studies have been established through
federal legislation.
Ours has been a truly grassroots effort. Now we are visiting
every town meeting whenever the support resolution comes up for
a vote.
As of this writing the following municipalities have voted to
adopt resolutions endorsing the Musconetcong Wild and Scenic Rivers
Management Plan and supporting designation of portions of the
Musconetcong River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers system.
All the votes were unanimous. There are 14 towns that fall within
sections of the river deemed eligible for wild and scenic designation.
We are also seeking letters of support from county freeholders
and the 11 other municipalities that are within the watershed
but not within the eligible river segments.
In more or less chronological order of resolution adoption:
Lebanon Township
Town of Hackettstown
Mt. Olive Township
Borough of Bloomsbury
Allamuchy Township
Mansfield Township
Byram Township
Franklin Township
Bethlehem Township
Borough of Hampton
Holland Township
Greenwich Township
Washington Township (Warren County)
Yours truly,
John P. Brunner
Executive Director
(908) 537-7060
