One of NJ's most amazing natural communities is located in the center of densely populated Hudson County in the interior of Liberty State Park. This rare urban oasis is on the verge of being preserved and restored through a long awaited Interior Management Plan. However, the private development interests of Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler and the relentless Liberty State Park Development Corporation threaten the ecological integrity of the park.

An Interior Planning Committee has been established to recommend management alternatives for the interior 250 acres of Liberty Park. Three management alternatives are being considered by the Committee and will be presented to the public. Each alternative maintains the heart of the interior as habitat and nature trails, but presents a different level of development in the perimeter ring of approximately 45 acres. Alt. 1 calls for only a passive trail on the perimeter. Alt. 2 allows additional passive activities along the perimeter, such as biking, unstructured recreational activities and interpretive areas. And, despite Governor Whitman's promise to keep the area undeveloped, Alt. 3 would allow for commercial development including a waterpark.

By broad consensus the committee recommends: keeping this area open and natural; preserving environmentally sensitive plant communities and wildlife habitat; creating hiking trails and nature interpretation areas for people, particularly children, to enjoy wildlife and learn about the environment; and ringing the area with a passive activities trail. But, Mayor Schundler is campaigning for a clutter of commercial fee-based ventures here.

What's at stake?

Liberty's interior is a classic example of the resurgence of nature in the Hudson-Raritan Estuary. Here the former Central Railroad yard that once transported immigrants from Ellis Island to the rest of the country has since been reclaimed by nature. Well over one hundred different species of birds use this area, making conservation of the interior 250 acres as one contiguous area so important.

A commercial waterpark would use 20 acres of open space, require a parking lot, increase traffic, and divert resources from appropriate park projects. It's quite telling that when asked to help plan for this sensitive habitat and public open space, the Mayor sent his representative from economic redevelopment rather than the Parks department. There are many alternative sites where a water park might help revitalize a neighborhood. However, large contiguous natural areas are scarce around the urbanized Hudson-Raritan Estuary.

Moving from contention to consensus

The Park's interior has been the battleground between developers and public advocates since the Park opened in 1976. The Liberty State Park Development Corporation and developers made several attempts to put golf courses in the Park but were thwarted by determined civic campaigns lead by Audrey Zapp, Sam Pesin, Rich Kane, Bill Neil and Andy Willner. At public hearings, hundreds of citizens spoke loud and clear about stopping development and preserving trees, birds and open space. Now, moving beyond this legacy of failed development schemes, we are poised to recognize Park founder Morris Pesin's vision of a park that is free, green, and accessible to the public.

NJDEP Assistant Commissioner Cari Wild deserves great credit for implementing this long awaited Interior Planning process based on natural resource preservation. Please help support a natural, non-commercial interior of Liberty Park by sending this e-mail to the Assistant Commissioner requesting that she reject Alt. #3.

Thank you.

Sincerely, Greg Remaud President Liberty State Park Conservancy

PS

The public hearing will be held this Saturday, Jan. 27 at 1:30 at the Liberty Science Center, Jersey City

For more information visit:

Liberty State Park Conservancy http://www.enviroweb.org/lspc/

NY/NY Baykeeper http://www.nynjbaykeeper.org