FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
9/23/2020

Hunterdon Warren Sierra Club Group Announces Endorsements in Local Races

The Hunterdon Warren Group of the New Jersey Sierra Club is a leader in fighting sprawl and protecting the environment in the state. Today we announce the endorsement of two outstanding candidates running for township committee that if elected will help bring these issues to the forefront.

For Raritan Township Committee in Hunterdon County, we endorse Kent Davis with pleasure. The cornerstone of Davis’ campaign is to fight for water quality and open space: “I am proud to be endorsed by the Hunterdon Warren Group of the Sierra Club. As a Cook College graduate and former NJDEP employee, I have always considered the Sierra Club the State’s ‘environmental conscience.’ I look forward to working with the Sierra Club to garner support on local environmental initiatives ranging from climate change to creating contiguous green spaces.

According to Jonathan Wall, Hunterdon Warren Group Chair, “Kent embodies the leadership qualities our community needs to curb overdevelopment. He is sensitive to the needs of our neighbors. He embraces the values inherent in social justice reform. And he is keen to protect the critters amongst our woodlands and the pastoral quality of the lands about us.”

For Franklin Township Committee in Warren County, we are pleased to endorse Tracey Heisler. As president of the Skyland Preservation Alliance, Tracey did not passively accept powerful corporate interests and their cozy relationship with municipal officials. She took the lead to hold the township and businesses accountable so that taxpayers are not seduced by the phony promise of pocket change ratables while homes are devalued, roads clogged, and the community divided. Rather than squandering our ‘AAA’ farmlands for big business to build million-square foot distribution centers and to invite more sprawl, Tracey wants our neighbors to enjoy our farmer’s markets, hiking trails and pastoral vistas.

“I am humbled by and grateful for the Sierra Club’s endorsement,” said Heisler. “We share the belief that each of us has a responsibility to be good stewards of our environment and our resources. I am seeking to serve on the Franklin Township Committee because I believe local leaders have a responsibility to seek out sustainable development projects that protect our community. If elected, I pledge to do just that.”

“As president of the Skylands Preservation Alliance, Tracey effectively fought to protect valuable agricultural lands and ecologically sensitive areas, including the federally designated Wild and Scenic Musconetcong River and its surrounding watershed” said Cinny MacGonagle, the Highlands Issues Coordinator for the Hunterdon Warren Sierra Club Group. “She will continue to champion open space and land preservation and advocate for sustainable development as a member of the Franklin Township Committee.”

“Let’s protect our tourism and maintain the beauty of the lands around us all the while seeking sustainable development projects that enhance our lives while valuing the nature we are blessed with. The leadership that Tracey has taken over the years running the Skylands Preservation Alliance will make her an outstanding committeewoman. The passion and focus I see in Kent Davis, especially when it comes to water quality and open space, will make him an outstanding addition to the Raritan Township Committee” according to John Kashwick, Political Chair of the New Jersey Chapter.

The Sierra Club is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization with over 1,000,000 members nationwide. The Sierra Club traces its roots to 1892 and is credited influencing decision-makers to create some of the nation’s first national parks. The Sierra Club boasts an estimated 20,000 members in New Jersey, the tenth largest of the organization’s 65 chapters.

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