CHESTER, NJ – Representatives from The Nature Conservancy (TNC) testified in Trenton today at the New Jersey Assembly Special Committee on Infrastructure and Natural Resources hearing on water, dam and road infrastructure improvements, and effective use of allocated funding to pursue them. Their remarks highlighted provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act that support more widespread adoption of green infrastructure projects, maximizing use of nature-based solutions, fighting climate change, and adequately funding removal of obsolete and dangerous dams in our waterways.

Leaders in New Jersey have an opportunity to take significant action to support the state’s rich biodiversity of plants and animals, especially in the face of changing environmental conditions. As the most densely populated state in the country, with one of the most extensive road systems, improvements to infrastructure in New Jersey should benefit citizens of every species and nature overall in the region whenever possible. Past planning did not take into consideration the natural migration of aquatic and terrestrial animals, resulting in impediments and threats to their populations that persist today. For wildlife now facing the added challenges of climate change, healthy habitat and appropriate migration corridors are existentially vital.

“Outdated dams degrade water and habitat quality, contribute to community flooding, are dangerous for recreational paddlers and also pose liability risks to their owners,” said Beth Styler Barry, Director of River Restoration for The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey. “Removing them provides measurably valuable benefits to people and nature.”

According to the 2017 Infrastructure Report Card from the American Society of Civil Engineers, 558 of the 1,702 New Jersey dams regulated by the Bureau of Dam Safety rank as “high and significant hazard,” meaning nearly 1 in every 3 dams in New Jersey carries potential risk. The poor condition of the dams combined with increasing downstream development and frequent severe weather events make potential dam failure a public safety risk as well as an economic liability. Like all infrastructure, dams have an expected lifetime which, without regular maintenance, is 50 years. New Jersey’s 1700 dams average close to 60 years old with many of them at 100 years or more.

“As we continue to build a state that is strong, resilient and ecologically thriving, it is critical that we consider all our residents, from people to plants to animals,” said Phil Echevarria, Director of Government Relations at The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey. “The action we take today will shape the natural future for all of us.”

The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey also leads the New Jersey Statewide Dam Removal Partnership (SDRP), a collaboration of nonprofits and government agencies that seeks to advance the removal of antiquated, dangerous or ecologically detrimental dams. Its members meet quarterly to discuss beneficial dam removal projects and to exchange information regarding policy, regulatory issues, funding and the practical considerations of dam removal. The SDRP also provides information to the public about how dams and dam removal may affect their communities and their lives.

About The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy, a global 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has been committed to protecting the lands and waters on which all life depends for more than 60 years in New Jersey. Using science and an equity lens to guide our focus and execution, we are tackling the dual threats of biodiversity loss and climate change, maximizing resilience and benefits for nature and people.