Pennsylvania Honors Governor McGreevey
for His Environmental Leadership
Environmental Group Also Awards DEP's Campbell
(03/78) TRENTON Governor
James E. McGreevey is being honored tonight by the Pennsylvania
Environmental Council, which has bestowed its highest award
to New Jersey's chief executive for his leadership on smart
growth and open-space protection.
Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell of the
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is accepting
the organization's prestigious Curtin Winsor Award on behalf
of Governor McGreevey at the organization's 33rd Annual
Philadelphia Dinner.
The statewide, nonprofit, educational organization,
founded in 1969, has advocated for policies, laws and regulations
on key environmental issues in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
The council has directed its efforts in three major areas:
sustainable use of land and natural resources; protection
of watersheds; and innovative solutions to environmental
problems.
"Combating sprawl and protecting our
open space and environment are among my most important priorities
for improving New Jersey's quality of life. Recognition
from such an effective environmental advocacy group is tremendously
rewarding and I thank you," Governor McGreevey said.
"I am committed to continue with our aggressive agenda
to preserve our remaining open space and farmland, protect
our drinking water supplies and revitalize our cities and
older suburbs."
The Governor has taken new and unprecedented
measures to safeguard New Jersey's water resources, strengthen
environmental enforcement and promote many smart growth
policies.
"I'm deeply honored to be chosen for
this award because I consider it a privilege to serve Governor
McGreevey and the people of New Jersey as steward of our
air, water and other precious natural resources," Campbell
said.
On Earth Day 2003, a historic package of
regulations proposed by the Governor on Earth Day 2002 was
adopted, strengthening protections for nine drinking water
reservoirs and six river and stream segments by upgrading
their status under the Clean Water Act to Category One.
Governor McGreevey is the first New Jersey
governor to use this regulatory tool to provide the highest
level of protection to the State's drinking water resources.
The Governor has announced plans to provide this Category
One designation to other water bodies throughout New Jersey.
Under Governor McGreevey's leadership,
the administration has introduced new reforms to its brownfields
program to encourage and accelerate the cleanup and redevelopment
of New Jersey's polluted sites. The Governor has also committed
to create two new state parks and establish or improve 200
local parks.
As part of his environmental and community
enhancement efforts, Governor McGreevey has committed to
planting 100,000 trees statewide to help urban and older
suburban communities improve their air quality, reduce their
energy costs and summertime temperatures, and improve the
quality of life in neighborhoods. Five hundred trees have
already been planted in Camden using money from a clean
air enforcement settlement.
"To stop mindless sprawl in its tracks,
we need to work together - the state, counties, towns, developers,
nonprofit organizations and environmentalists. Our fight
against sprawl will shape the New Jersey that we will leave
to our children and grandchildren," McGreevey said.
The Winsor award is given in memory of
the Council's founder and longtime president, Curtin Winsor.
Winsor retired as chairman of the organization in 1989 and
died in 1998 at age 92.
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