DEP Launches ‘Environmental Management’ Initiative

October 27th, 2011 by Chris Sturm

The state Department of Environmental Protection has posted a new vision for how environmental management can be most effective.

Called the “Next Generation of Environmental Management: Working With Communities to Address their Greatest Environmental Concerns,” this effort is designed to effect a more holistic, regional approach to deliver better environmental outcomes.  It features five goals that are expected to guide the department’s work over the next few years.    

Each goal has a “sponsor” from the DEP management team, and will be led on a daily basis by a staff “owner”:

1. Comprehensive regional environmental management (Irene Kropp and Ray Cantor/staff owner TBA)
2. Utilize Barnegat Bay restoration project as a model to establish watershed-based protection and enhancement of all New Jersey’s surface water bodies (John Plonski/Jill Lipoti)
3. Restoration and enhanced protection in environmentally overburdened communities (Wolf Skacel/Julie Krause)
4. Sustainable parks (Amy Cradic/Lou Valente)
5. A renewable energy strategy for public health, environmental protection and economic vitality (Michele Siekerka/Andrea Friedman)

The first goal is the broadest and most ambitious, and could affect operations department-wide.  Listed among its action steps is one of particular interest to New Jersey Future: “Establish a unified DEP implementation strategy that successfully achieves the intentions of the New Jersey State Strategic Plan, which includes land procurements, protecting water quality, providing high quality parks, and advancing our environmental mission.”

What this will mean in practice could tell us a great deal about how the Christie administration intends to fulfill the mission statement of the State Strategic Plan: “To focus New Jersey’s policies and investments on vibrant regions by fostering targeted job growth, supporting effective regional planning and preserving the State’s critical resources.”

Posted in Climate Change and Energy, Environment and Agriculture, Farming, Governor, Land Preservation, Planning and Governance, Sprawl, State Planning, Water and Sewer

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One Response to “DEP Launches ‘Environmental Management’ Initiative”

1. Bill Wolfe says:

   February 11, 2012 at 12:09 pm

   This is full of SLOGANS!

   If you want to learn how Chrisite administration is rolling back regulatory protections under the guise of promoting economic growth and eliminating Red Tape”, try reading Executive Orders, regulations and policy documents instead of the press releases.