Assembly Passes Good and Bad Enviro Bills

The following bills have been passed by the Assembly on Monday, March 26^th:

Prescribed Burn A1675 (Dancer) authorizes prescribed burning in certain circumstances. This legislation will allow for prescribed burns on any area of land in the State designated in danger of wildfires.  Prescribed burns are used to reduce the danger from uncontrolled wildfires, however this bill does not take into account environmental criteria such as protections for areas containing endangered species. This is not only dangerous to the environment, but public health with particulate matter being emitter during these burns putting people with respiratory illness and our public health at risk. This bill passed by a vote of 75-0.          

“We are concerned that this legislation is too broad and should focus only on the Pinelands.  Prescribed burns can cause problems in other parts of the state and impact people with respiratory problems. This bill is not about making our forest healthier it is about providing insurance for those people who want to burn their lands. It is about indemnification not about forest management,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “This bill would also allow nonprofits and governmental agencies to avoid liability in the case of a prescribed burn getting out of control. A lot of damage could be done without anyone held accountable for it, not only to forests but to homes as well.”

Multi-Species Permits A792 (Andrzejczak) authorizes issuance of multi-species depredation permit for wildlife control on farmland. This bill passed by a vote of 75-0.          

“We oppose this bill that arbitrarily allows for the taking of multiple species. There’s no look at wildlife impacts of the taking of any of these species individually or together. This bill basically allows farmers to just shoot animals without consequences. This is not how you manage wildlife appropriately,” said Jeff Tittel.

Palisades Park A1033 (Johnson) makes Palisades Interstate Park Commission eligible for certain open space and historic preservation funding. This bill passed by a vote of 77-0.

“The Palisades has been an oasis in one of the most densely populated places. The view sheds and their protection are critically important for the public to enjoy,” said Jeff Tittel.

Equal Pay A1 (Lampitt) would stiffen penalties for employers who don’t pay women the same as men for similar jobs. This bill passed by a vote of 74-2-0 and has now passed both Houses.

“The Sierra Club believes that for far too long women have been paid less than men for doing the same work. This inequality has to end and that’s why we support this bill,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.