45°
The bill, sponsored by area Assemblyman Bob Schroeder, creates the Bergen-Rockland Bistate River Commission to develop a coordinated flood management and prevention plan between the neighboring counties.
“We need a holistic and proactive approach to protect homes and businesses from the constant threat of flooding,” Schroeder said. “Bergen and Rockland counties may be divided by a state line, but their communities experience the same types of flooding problems. This commission will make sure that one community’s ‘solution’ doesn’t make things worse for another downstream.
“Piecemeal approaches have not resolved this perpetual problem,” added Schroeder (below). “The creation of a bistate commission is a long overdue initiative to tackling the ongoing flooding that has plagued our region for far too long.”
The measure creates an 18-member commission that would, in the wording of the bill, “facilitate the cooperation of governments in New Jersey and New York to protect the streams flowing south from Rockland County into Bergen County[,] including the Hackensack River, Sparkill Brook/Creek, Saddle River, Ramapo/Mahwah River and their tributaries and communities that are prone to flooding.”
Elected officials in both states would appoint the commissioners, whose duties would include “coordinating a comprehensive plan to remediate existing hazards, assessing potential development that could impact the waterways and coordinating environmental cleanup, maintenance and protection efforts.”
Under another measure, signed into law last week, local councils would have to seek voter approval first for an annual levy at a rate deemed appropriate, in a long-term solution similar to the federal “Green Acres” program.
“What might have been a viable property years ago isn’t necessarily the case now due to development, infrastructure and changing weather patterns,” said Bergen County Assemblywoman Connie Wagner, one of the measure’s sponsors. “It’s time to look at the bigger picture and figure out how we can address this problem moving forward.”
“Residents need more than a Band Aid,” added Assemblywoman Valerie Vanieri-Huttle, a co-sponsor. “They need a long-term solution to help avoid flood-related damage altogether.”
Under current law, municipalities are authorized to establish “Municipal Open Space, Recreation, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Funds.” The new law amends the name of these municipal open space trust funds to “Municipal Open Space, Recreation, Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Funds.”
More importantly, the bill would also include “Blue Acres projects” for restoring the natural state or creating recreational areas on land that has been damaged by, or may be prone to incurring damage caused by, storms or storm-related flooding, or that may buffer or protect other lands from such damage.
The funds would be allowed to be used for the demolition of structures or the removal of debris from those properties.
{loadposition log}
Click here to follow Daily Voice Northern Highlands and receive free news updates.
