Environmental Commission - Regular Meeting

Welcome to the Township of Sparta Environmental Commission meeting. We are live in the council chambers at the municipal building. Our stream can be watched uh on www.youtube.comspartwpstreams. Please take notice that the that action will be taken on the following items at the Sparta Environmental Commission meeting on Thursday, March 12th, 2026. The meeting is called to order at 7:02 p.m. Um, adequate notice of this meeting was provided to the public and the press on March 6th, 2026 by delivering to the press and posting on the township website a copy of the notice. Can we have a salute to the flag? I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. We have the roll call accordingly. Chair Neil Sourwood here.

Vice Chair Christine Rogers here. Christine Dumbar here. Robert Otto here. Barbara Casulka here. Alex Birdie, Councilwoman Margie Murphy, Nicholas Drato here. Thank you.

Okay, first item on our agenda is approval of the minutes from February 26, 2026. on uh page six for the winter road salt monitoring section. It should just be 60 sites in the pollen skill wershed instead of pochuk creek. So that's spelled P A U L I N S space K I L L. Thanks Christine. Anyone else have any corrections or comments?

Anyone needs more time, let me know. But otherwise, you good, Chris? Um, I wasn't here, but I listened to the whole meeting. I thought it was a terrific meeting. Yeah,

I'll make a motion to accept the minutes with a minor change. I'll second. All in favor?

I are accepted. Next item on the agenda is correspondence and we have none tonight. Okay. We have no applications and for the public comments section we have none. No one from the public here. So we'll move on to reports. Who would like to go first? Um, I was I could do uh the planning board. Um, but I actually uh do not have anything uh to report except for to say that I was a little surprised to learn that we had just done a an affordable housing plan. And um it seems like the rules now have changed. And so, um, this is something that I didn't expect to be working through right now, um, because we had worked so hard on that, um, just last year. So, um, and it's there's a deadline, a looming deadline, uh, by the end of March, I believe. Um we have to come up with uh meeting certain other uh requirements um and are not able to um we're not able to really count um some of our exclusions as we were before because we don't have such uh infrastructure that um like sewer and such that um would give us a lower number of affordable housing. that we that we're

required to have. So, um so yeah. So, so I this is going to probably dominate uh our conversation for March. Yeah. Thanks, Chris. Anything? Oh, how about the salt? Uh

oh, yeah, I could do the salt and I also can update on the trails committee a little bit um for Sparta. Um we for the salt snapshot that we did in that two-day period on Wednesday and Thursday um we were able to get to 23 sites. Some of the sites that were up in uh Sparta Lake area and Hayward area, they had so much snow around the rims of the lakes um that it just wasn't safe or practical to to really sample those. But we did get 23 sites. Most of the sites were in the wall. Um, but there was a few in the pollen skill. We didn't get any in the Pquest or Muskanet Kong or Rock or Rockaway, I don't think. But, um, it boiled down to that 13% of the sites that we sampled had, um, low levels of, um, of salt in the surface water. um that's 0 to 50 parts per million. And then in the category of rising levels of salt uh pollution in surface waters, which is from 50 to 230 parts per million, there were 43 um.5% of our sites had rising levels. And then um the next category that exceeds the water quality standard that's 230 to 650 parts per million. We had 43 and a half% of our sites that were um had exceeded the water quality standard and we had none that were beyond testing so high. Um, but I do see

those crop up uh in certain areas at other times during the winter, but we didn't have one uh on that day, which I think was the fourth and the 5th of of March that we sampled. So, this data has been submitted to the Straoud Water Research Center for their analysis to add to their body of of data throughout the region. And we'll we'll hear from them, I'm sure, in the future. Now, had we had the We hadn't had the large amount of snow melt uh happen on those dates yet, had we? It was melting, was it? It was melting, but there still was a lot of snow and was cold, you know, slowly melting situation.

Some of the salt that was trapped in the ice and everything was being released into the surface waters at that point, but not like we saw just a few days ago. Great. So, so thank you. That's all for now. Thanks, Chris.

Yep. Oh, I was going to say something about trails. Um, we had our trails committee meeting last night. It was very well attended. We had a guest speaker, uh, Glenn Glenn Sumpner Sumpman, um, from the uh Sussex County Partnership Trails Committee and he um wanted to just touch bases with us because members of the trail committee had attended one of their meetings at the chamber and he was updating us on uh a town uh the Sussex Bureau who wants to expand their trails also. Okay. and um we shared with him our um our latest focus which is um really to we're going to apply for the grant. There's a Sussex County Trails Grant and we're going to apply for a a grant to clean up and uh get functioning that section from Sunset in Road to Demerest. It's through a beautiful carsted limestone area. has walking fern uh in it. And so we're going to um figure out at the end of March how we can um what we need to do, put together a budget. Um it's about I would say it's about um a mile long and it just would be the very first section of what um has become known as the Iron Horse Trail.

Wonderful. How much are the grant uh how much grant money is available?

Thank you. Thank you.

Anyone else? Okay. Um the master plan subcommittee met this past Monday. Um the circulation element that was presented to the planning board last month uh continues to be refined. Um and our next presentation will be the climate change related hazard vulnerabil vulnerability element which is another required element of the master plan. Um that will be the next presentation. Our next meeting will be on the sec the meetings are the second Monday of every month. And

do you want me to um mention I attended town council and uh zoning board? Town council I attended um to give comments from this uh environmental commission and zoning I attended as a member of the public. Do you want um

Yeah. So just um I just went over the detention centers as far as wastewater concerns that I think we had talked about that we could generate 75 to 100 gallons per day of waste water and so just a major stressor on infrastructure at the very least. Um and then I guess we're going to get to unfinished business but zoning board. Um just I guess keeping it high level for environmental uh I was encouraged to see that the application um that we saw before um our recommendations did seem to be taken into consideration. Um the existing forested area um remains the parking standards um were varied according to the code um with uh you know the engineer weighing in. Um so that I think that was beneficial. Um I do want to mention that uh I I brought up some other points. I don't need to use this for that except for one thing as it relates to kind of high level discussions we're having. Um so I think this is another application where we have an applicant who's in this case um they they presented inherently beneficial use. So that's it's a use that's not contemplated or zoned for. Um but hospitals, schools, that sort of thing would be allowed. Um but I I had raised concerns and I think it would be helpful if we could tackle them in an advisory capability as far as scope and scale of these inherently beneficial uses. I know in planning board um I

think uh there was prior discussion about um gyms, boutique gyms versus largecale gyms, there's obviously an intensity difference. And so if that's not going to be addressed on planning board or zoning board, um I think we could advise on that and at least get them talking and the governing body considering um these for so for this application it came in as inherently beneficial but um so they went through a see test but I well I'm not going to say what I thought that they have to demonstrate positive proofs outweighing negative proofs. Um there was traffic concerns, there were safety concerns, um and those need to be weighed. So, as we proceed with kind of the tree ordinance, with the plant ordinance, uh, data center that we're going to get to, uh, any wastewater concerns, natural resources, when we do our research in open space usage, I'd like to kind of see if we could have those discussions about scope and scale because I see we've we've seen two or three applications that I can think of that I don't want to speak specifically to that uh the definition is arguable one way or the other so it just gets tricky. So, um, all right. Thanks.

Great. Great. Thanks, Rob. Finishes our reports. I see we have a member of the public here. We, um, Girl Scouts decided to come in. Oh, okay. Uh, we had we had a public comment period, but we'll know if he Okay. Thank you for coming, though. Um, so unfinished business, Earth Day 2026.

All right. So, as I've reported previously, we're having an Earth Day event on Saturday, April 25th from 11 to 3 right here at the municipal building. Um, it's going to be a family-friendly event that we're welcoming the public to come to. There's going to be different exhibitors from environmental organizations throughout North Jersey. There's going to be crafts and games for kids made out of recycled material. Um, we're going to have different food there, music. So, it's going to be a really great event. So, here is the latest update of which groups are scheduled to come. So far, uh, we're going to have our environmental commission table and we're going to be at serving that welcoming ro role to our event. Uh, New Jersey Highlands Coalition is coming.

Office of Mosquito Control will be there. Um, the organization I work for, the Walkill River Watershed Management Group will be there. Lena from the Americanore, New Jersey Watershed Ambassador Program is coming. The Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority will be there to speak about recycling. uh Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation, the Foodshed Alliance and the Pollen Skill Wershed Community, New Jersey Forest Fire Service is returning again and they're going to be bringing Smokeoky the Bear as they did at our previous event. So, that should be great. Uh Ridge and Valley Conservancy, North Jersey Trout Unlimited, that's a new addition since last time. Um, they're going to be having their station and also having some fly tying demos. Sussex County Beekeepers Association. Sparta High School Ecology Club is going to be doing their biodiesel powered popcorn machine. Uh, Sparta Community Food Pantry is going to be there because we're conducting a food drive as part of the event. Sparta Recycling. They're going to be providing some uh giveaway items that are made of recycled materials. Steve Kums is doing the music as he has the past couple events that we've had. And then I have 39 students signed up from the high school um key club and National Honor Society. So, they're going to be the ones in addition to the

high schoolers that are running the biodiesel and popcorn machine. Um, these kids are going to be helping with the kids activities and setting up um some of the different games. So, we're definitely going to have face painting, pine cone bird feeder making, some pollinator planting, crafts made out of recycled materials, uh recycling bingo games. So, at the last meeting, I had talked to uh Courtney about how the process works. So, she checked with the township manager. Um, I gave her a draft budget of some of the supplies we would need as far as like the popcorn and the planting supplies. He said the process is I would buy it and then I would get reimbursed from our budget. So, that's kind of how the process works. And then um I've also requested to have the Earth Day fair message posted on the electronic board outside of town hall as well as on the township signed by the post office. Um so it's coming along and I guess we just need to decide what we're going to specifically do for our station um for the environmental commission. And I guess if we wanna end up borrowing any games from Anjac, we should probably do that sooner rather than later. Find out if if they have um anything that we can borrow.

Yes, I'll reach out to them in the Okay. Coming. Perfect. All right. Do people have comments or questions about the event? No, I think that's great. I think it's going to be the best ever yet. Yeah, it's really coming together. I think we're going to have a really good lineup. So hopefully we have good weather, good attendance, but I guess I should have mentioned even if we don't have good weather, we have access to the inside. So come anyway, even if it's raining. Can we can we have that list of the like everyone attending posted on the Facebook so it brings more people maybe like interest or Right. That would be great. That that you provided, right?

Yeah. We can just put the list of every Yeah. And I want to make sure it also goes out. So I'm going to have the formal press release go out and tap into Sparta like we've done in the past, but I also want to make sure it could go and be distributed to the schools as well so that we get a lot of families there. Great. Can that go on the township website too? Absolutely.

Thanks. Great. Thanks Christine for all the work you're doing on this. Um, next is a data center model ordinance. I know we have circulated a an ordinance that was um long one from Warren County, I believe. Yep. And Rob, you had some thoughts on this. I believe you found some uh some additional ones.

Well, I think we talked about last time uh I was still looking for Anjac Highlands, uh the state of New Jersey typically would have like rough guidance. So, I was looking a little bit. I saw how other towns uh I think Philipsburg had a very short just kind of uh restriction. um it's disallowed. But this kind of goes back to that other point I made uh without going down the rabbit hole, but just I I don't worry too much about this. I mean, I think that's a good idea and and this one looks pretty good. Um I think when we have our liaison here, we should I knew she wasn't going to be here, so um

Margie's here next meeting. could we try to just have this with any additions and and data I think is something that would be helpful for the governing body to consider. Um but my other concern is I came across uh like redevelopment loopholes zoning by ordinance not process with some other areas and I want to learn more about that. Um, but it just got me thinking about when we define these uses and I I mentioned that we define a use, a developer comes in and says it's this and we say we think it's this and then we're setting ourselves up to have an argument and I'm just wondering if we could stay high level with it and say and I think the concern here is natural resource use. Right. Um,

right. and water water resource pressures and then air noise and light pollution. So if if we could kind of target th like do this but then also target those things so that we kind of backfill

some other thinking so that if some new thing comes in again you know we have a gym is an allowed use in certain zones. Oh, but this is a tiny little exercise studio catering to three to five people and this is potent, you know, does this allow 300 people? Those are wildly different intensities, but our code is imperfect. So I you know maybe I think there's a risk when we we either don't clarify our existing code obviously um I took some heat for trying to clarify that but so another way to maybe address it is to step back and say what are we really trying to do? We're we're trying to be thoughtful with our uh um intensity of use and make sure that we're planning for what development might come. So yeah. So yeah, I just think again water resource impacts, air noise and light pollution, uh environmental justice concerns. Um, we should look at those and and maybe use the framing of this data center ordinance as kind of do this, but then how can we broaden it so that if if there's something like comes in but it's not quite like this or similar then we've protected against that ahead of time because I know several years ago I came before the governing body and I said, "Hey guys, there's this guidance on warehouses. Uh this is the next big thing that is hitting uh the state of New Jersey. Have you guys looked at this?" And they

hadn't looked at it, but there was draft guidance from the state. And I sent it to everyone. Uh the governing body didn't do anything with it. And um I just feel like we should be kind of ahead of the game with some of the stuff. It just seems like we're constantly responding to stuff. I mean, even again, referring to to a zoning application, it it was great that um the applicant came back to us with an amendment. Um, but I was a little bit frustrated because we have planning and zoning, we have codes, and rather than follow our design standards, they they referred to our corporate standards kind of as if those were more important than what the township would want to do. So, I kind of want to lead them again and I think that'll help businesses. Oh, maybe maybe this this isn't the best site for us, but another site might be better. And we we could kind of help steer them and uh locations better suited. Um because we don't want to turn businesses away, but we just want to find the, you know, the best businesses for the best parcels. Um, and then the last thing with that is, so we're today we're not hearing uh any applications, but I am curious, we brought this up before, Courtney, uh, how do we hear every application? How does what is the process just like where we would get applications to take a look at them

for like for you guys to review? Just any applications. Do we get every single zoning and planning application? Do we just get what the manager or the planning and zoning office decide that we should review? How does it work? Yep. Whatever I receive from the the zoning board is what I bring for the zoning board asks for environmental to weigh in. So then that was something that right we had talked about that maybe every application deserves to have a review by um this body. So, I don't know how we make that happen or if that's unreasonable. At least like a quick look,

but just putting it out there. Yeah. I mean, I could I can ask and see if that's possible. I'm not too sure myself. Okay. But I can get back to you on that. Yeah. It would not be nice to know the criteria for which uh that we get the we get applications.

Yeah. So, so I went a field on Neil had started and said I had thoughts on data center. So, I guess I want to take another look at it. Uh, I think if we could all take a look at it, um, look at some other surrounding communities and then maybe we and unless someone wants to add something, uh, have something ready for Margie to take to the governing body or I mean, do Chris, do you want to like do you think

I just I just want to clarify what what you're um what you're suggesting that we take a look at in this because this is a This is a an ordinance um from our neighboring county, Warren, and we have a lot of things that are in common with them, but they have the threat more imminent, right, than than we do, and we can always get something on the books and modify it, but there's a cost associated.

Yeah. What I'm hearing you say is is that we really need to dig in and look at the environmental concerns in this and perhaps um look at our town in terms of factors we're concerned about and make sure that they are um in here. Um it's a very this is a very long ordinance. Maybe it doesn't need to be quite this long if we're able to simplify it and uh cut to the chase a little bit more.

So, I mean, I I think we could just make a recommendation that we adopt an ordinance that would um res disallow data centers. Then we provide a definition for a data center and that would be in common. But but my concern is that uh it's like a game with development um where definitions can be flexible and so and definitions like we're looking at a master plan now that's being rewritten for a master plan that you know is 40 years old or something. So a lot of these uses they evolve over time. So, what I was saying for the specific data ordinance is um take a look at it. If we're happy it's our neighbors and you know, you want to reduce it, fine. I'm happy with that. But I'm uh I don't really trust, oh, we have the data center ordinance on the books. were protected from data centers because I saw what happened with warehouses and we weren't protected and there was guidance that we didn't really look at for a long time. So I'm wondering if if the goal is to help the governing body and the statutory boards for planning board and zoning board of adjustment um guiding them so that they're well prepared for threats or things that we want to encourage. Um the due diligence would be find out what's important to the community, which I think we've done with surveys, open space surveys. Um find out uh what resources we have, how we can best protect them. We have a pretty good idea what that is. And then rather than

say or simply say data centers aren't allowed, go further. and have another document that goes along with the the master plan um that's a separate project and just says we're concerned about our water resources. These are things that we think would be problematic. We're concerned about traffic. These are things that were so that I mean you're you're at this point everyone's read awesome acreers the awesome acres um determination route 15 that was awesome acres the Anderson farms field was determined to be

all right so I just think the more that we could show that we've contemplated what we want in this town and justify it with good science rationale, the better prepared we will be for challenges that may come to our future development, challenges to our our natural resources. That's all I'm saying. So, let's do this. Let's have it ready for Margie. Um or at least talk about it when she's here. I I've been sending reports to to to the to the mayor and and to Margie as well. So um yeah, one of the concerns that I've heard is that uh h how do you define largecale data centers and how do you uh um you know maintain the ability of of small businesses to uh to handle data you know and we need to define like the the intensity of the resource usage which is water and energy uh and and traffic as So,

well, yeah. Um, so I think I I think it needs to be a little bit more specific than just saying data centers. So, I've already I've reached out for some guidance also to the Highlands uh council and sustainable Jersey and ANJ. So, I haven't heard anything yet, but I think continuing to research this a little bit more um would it would behoove us to do that.

Well, and yeah, and then um just as we talk about things for planning perspective, the that idea of like the commercial gentrification, small business displacement, I think we're we're pretty agreed that we want to be small business friendly. We want to encourage like not a monoculture of large applicants, right? Because we put all our eggs in one giant basket then. So that's kind of the other thing is is spread out the risk, spread out the reward. Um and uh I so it kind of it's related to this and I just want to have people think about that. Thanks, Rob. Um, our next unfinished business topic is uh the forest management activities on Sparta Mountain. I was wondering if someone I I haven't written anything any comments yet. I was wondering if someone wanted to craft a collective comment that uh we could or if we could get together and craft a collective comment to to send to Fish and Wildlife in addition to doing

Nicholas had started. Oh. Oh, no. Alex, I think Alex supposed to work on that. I think he had already started something. I I know he had he had commented on his own. But I uh wasn't sure if he wanted to do one for the for the entire commission and maybe a suggestion to the volunteers. I think we had volunteered. Oh, that's I think he said he will do it. Yeah, great. We can reach out to him and see. Okay, good. Uh and we could also forward that to the council,

see if they would like to like to do the same same thing. Thanks for reminding me, Barbara. Um, the next topic is sustainable Jersey grant. the resolution uh supporting our application for uh a new grant was uh passed um at the uh council meeting on uh Tuesday. So, moving ahead with that. Um I think that's been submitted or Michelle was going to submit it. submit the the resolution part you talking about

that yeah but but to actually submit the application for the grant uploaded to the application that's Oh yes I believe so right that's what I so and and the old the uh previous grant has been closed out so Oh good we're uh look good on that front um we' already talked about the uh road salt monitoring. Um can I just add one thing to that? Oh, sure, Christine.

Um so I just wanted to me mention to everyone here that I did watch um some of the webinars from Saltwatch week that was at the end of January. Um there was one that I thought was really interesting for our group and it was about engineering solutions. Um it was only about a half hour webinar. I could pass it to you guys so you can all take a look, but it had design criteria for parking lots and buildings and landscaping um that should be incorporated to reduce road salt application. So, that's something that maybe as we're reviewing applications and making suggestions, we can have maybe guidance documents ahead of time that we can pass on and also make incorporate that into our comments. But it's things like having like what side of the of the sidewalk you would plant trees to reduce the application of road salt in the winter. Um leaving spaces for snow to be piled away from um where it's going to blow back onto areas that you would have to resalt continuously. Making sure that when runoffs come in off of a rooftop or a street that it's being redirected away from foot traffic. So, it's kind of maximizing safety for people while also reducing road salt. So, I thought it was a really good uh webinar. So, I'll share it with all of you and then we can just take a look and go from from there. But, it's really trying to plan for all four seasons because winter is usually kind of excluded from the planning process.

Oh, that's great. That would be that would be great for the um planning board for the master plan possibly. So I think this is something that like we kind of spoke about as far as having the guidance or like we should yeah maybe next time like everyone thinks of what we should be reviewing for our applications like what we really want to include what's important for everyone and then put the list together and that way we have kind like we have a guidance for ourselves when we reviewing it so we are not missing anything. So we stand. Yes. Exactly right. Like have a list and go point by point. Is everything included? Did we

you know did we give the comments on everything? And then we also based on that we can build our recommendation for the for the environmental impact statement that the township pass required. But right that that's something that uh I could bring up in when they start doing the uh the land use element of the master plan. examination. So it would be great to get something like that together. Yeah. But when we review the applications, I think sometimes we are missing some of the elements because we think we just standing reviewing it,

right? And I think we we are missing some of the elements that we should be looking at. And I think maybe everyone can think in the next month what we should be really including in that review and then put the list together and work from right like have that as the starting point. Correct. I think and then have every application as the start. So every application is subject to this and then have that list of things that we're going to ask for. It doesn't need to be a surprise. So it can go on the environmental website as just like planning and engineering. This is what environmental is going to ask for

and you know there might be things in there like lighting that we say hey engineering we'd like you to take take charge of this and and that will help us because you'll have a professional that's you know foot handles and I don't know these crazy people asking for like color temperature whatever. Um but but they'll be able to do all that step through the engineering step through the planning in the way that makes sense for us.

Yeah, that would be um that's a great idea. Let's uh start working on that. Maybe workshop that. Okay. Next topic is uh the speaker series. We have any updates, Christine? Do you have any? I don't. Um I don't. You have one.

We talked to one. I I know that he's available. Um I know that someone was really eager to hear him so I didn't want to like last minute try to have him do tonight. Um and again when we didn't have a liaison I was like well let's get the liaison and then but yeah I think uh that's the alum dosing right.

So um I think when we call he seemed very flexible and eager. Um but I'd like to have the lake mahul engineer able to attend. Um she's very interested and she's she's a representative at NJC Colola I believe and as working with someone who's worked with him Dr. Soua of Princ formerly of Princeton Hydro the founder of Princeton Hydro. So that would be a good group to kind of get started with. Um and then where we what about deer? We thought about resuming the deer talks as I see my plants coming up. I know

parts of plants. Uh I don't know where we stand on that. Right. We could I think we stood I think the state told us that the best solution this is the state not me is um reducing the population. Um correct

and then I think the state's way to do that was to uh have invite them in. They give a talk to the public. uh they educate the public, bring them up to speed as to why this is the best solution. Um and then we decide to move forward and I think there's costs associated. There was a there was another question with the cost associated that was I believe for testing the venison to provide it to like food banks. Um and so again, Margie would probably be a great resource for that. I know that I've had people ask um hey could we hunt? I don't know. But that that's if with prior town council I know there was an issue of food security and questions about that and so maybe that's a question for town council is you know previous discussions were food security and um and town owned lands. Is there anything there? I I I I thought that this was in the township's in the council's um um the the ball was in the council's court now on this push.

So you have to Yeah. But uh well, you know, we have we're in a budget uh in budget talks now. So Well, that might affect Yeah. So, so that might affect the state's preferred, but as I said, there there are local um residents that enjoy hunting. I don't know what the legalities are, but that was like there might be an alternate path

that I I remember something about hunting on township property. Yeah, I feel like it was uh Chris Quinn and Josh Herzburg years ago were talking about hunting, but I don't know what ever came up. I think it was Yeah. Okay. I'll Okay. I'll try to find out about that. Yeah.

As far as Okay. I had mentioned last week of maybe trying to get a a speaker on the NJ the green amendment for New Jersey which is the next topic on on finished business. Uh I have not done that yet but I did find a um model resolution in support of the green amendment. Christine, did you mention last week that we had already presented this to the council at some point?

I thought we as a group had landed on a draft resolution and it got passed along. So, I don't know if it's exactly this version that we're looking at, but there was an old version that we had approved and passed along. Okay. Um, I'll try to find out about that too. When we we we do this yearly updates, I believe in like June, July. Yes. So maybe we can review those updates. It will be listed there if uh if that was done, right? That's I think that's the fastest way of doing it.

Yeah. Okay. I'll look in I'll I'll dig that one up. Yeah. last year's report. I don't think it was last year though. I I don't I The last the last update, the last yearly update that that uh that Kim did. Yeah, but I don't think the green amendment was last year. That's what I'm Yeah, two years. Oh, maybe maybe even more. I don't think it was when I was here. So maybe it was even like three years ago. Did you? Oh, so maybe. I don't know. So maybe we can here too. Yeah, maybe we can review like the last three, four to see if it was there.

Yeah, it could have been two or three years ago, but I know we've talked about this before. Yes, we have. All right, I'll I'll try to find out more information on that. Um, one more unfinished business um, item. Uh, Courtney, did you check with the engineer about the uh, tree ordinance where where we stand on that? I did. I know he was going to send me his response and then I was going to forward it. Okay. Um, but I don't know when.

But we're still waiting on that. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Good. Good. Thanks for that. All right, new business. Does anyone have any new business?

Uh, I just wanted to announce for the watershed ambassador for the Walkeill wershed. Uh, Lena asked me to just announce an event that she's doing. Um, where it's going to be at the Painted Grape Craft and Paint Studio on Saturday, March 28th. And it's going to be a crafting event where participants are exploring nature through art. And it's ideal for students um age 6 to 12. So there's a flyer. Maybe this is something we could put up here. I could pass it down and see if this is something that we could put on the Facebook page, but it is for our Walkeill wershed here in Sparta. Great. And there's no cost. I don't know if I said that, but it's free.

That's good. Good to know. Um any new business? I have a couple of things. Um I just wanted to uh remind everyone that ANject training um is this uh coming oh March 24th, 25th and 26th. Uh training for environmental commissions. uh if you uh if you register for the for that which I have um you'll if you're not even if you're unable to attend um they'll send you the link to the recording. So um we should all do that. Um, another couple of things uh I'd like to announce is that there's a a secure document shredding event hosted at the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Utilities Authority on Friday, March 20th from 9 to 12. also uh which is a great thing for all the people in our um lake communities with boats. There's a free boat shrink wrap recycling event uh not event but it's ongoing at the uh at Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority as well. the uh we encourage residents and boat owners to take advantage of this recycling offered by the SCMUA. Uh that it's ongoing from March 16th to July 6th. Uh this program helps keep plastic waste out of

landfills and supports responsible recycling in our communities. Is that considered soft plastic? that part of the like soft plastic. Uh it might be I don't know if it's kept separately or not. Um this is a program. I think it is related but I don't know if it's just through the same program or not. I'm not sure. Is that still the soft is that? Yeah, that's still ongoing. I'm going to if if people are bringing that. Yeah. Should they take a picture and weigh it and Yes. Okay.

I think it's kept separately. But um the soft plastic is any kind of plastic that would be on paper towel rolls, toilet paper, cereal um boxes, the inside wrapper. So any kind of that flexible plastic can be recycled at the SCMUA. Oh, in addition to the bins they have at uh at uh Ocean State and Yes. and stock. It's smaller. Yes. Okay. So you can bring it and they'll just recycle it straight from the SCMUA for free. Right. Just for anyone new to that, do you want to since you know the program, do you want to So, what do you have to do? You you go with those types of plastic.

Yep. So, you just bundle them together. You go to the recycling center in Lafayette, which is on Route 94, and then you would just once you come into the facility, you drive towards the recycling center, and you can speak to any attendant and say you have the flexible plastic, and they'll get it recycled for you at no cost. We're not. Are you still Are you still doing that or is the school We don't have to. No, I don't I think that was only for like a one-year um time frame. So, we don't have to do the photos. You can just bring it to recycle directly. That's what I was like trying to lead you. I'm like, what do you

No, no, that I have like 50 pounds of it I've been saving up. I can't do it. All right. No, that's good.

That's great to know. Um, a another event is uh landscaping for lakes property owners rebate program which is a free online webinar. Um, our lakes are increasingly at risk and so are the communities that depend on them for recreation, drinking water and wildlife habitat. Uh this is a webinar to learn how simple science-based landscaping solutions can help protect local water quality. Uh that's Wednesday, March 25th from 7 to 8:00 p.m. online via Zoom. You can register at uh there's a there's a link that's posted on our Facebook page. And Courtney, is that on the township site, too?

I think so. I believe because I got it posted to the Facebook, but I think it should be on the township website. I'll have to check. Okay, great. Thanks.

Uh it's I think I got this from Anjek. Um yeah, it was Anjek. Uh but it's it's the Pinelands Alliance, I think, that's actually doing the the uh thing. And it's and it's uh I'll finish reading this. You'll learn why harmful algo blooms are increasing in New Jersey lakes. How climate change and development impact water quality. How green infrastructure and native landscaping reduces polluted runoff. What resources are available for homeowners and municipalities. How to qualify for rebates if you live on or near eligible lakes in the highlands or pinelands. And as a bonus, all participants will be eligible for a one-on-one garden design session with Ruters engineers and landscape architects,

which is a pretty cool thing. I think space is limited and property owners within rebate areas will be prioritized. Uh the program is funded by the NJD and resources available are available through June 2026. Um, and to learn more about this, visit uh visit uh www.anjack.org. And please share this with your neighbors and anyone interested in protecting our lakes. Can we have this posted on the Facebook? Yes, that's I think it's pretty cool. Yeah, that's kind of pre-esign. Yes,

Courtney, I think I can also get you the flyer for the flexible plastic because that'll have the whole list of everything that people can bring either to Ocean State job lot or to the SEMUA or I think it's also um Weiss Market and there's one more but is it shop right? It might be or stop and shop. I think it's stopping shopping. Yeah, but I could send that to you and that's another thing that we can get posted. Yeah, absolutely. All right, that's all I have. Does anyone else have anything for

the betterment of our township and environment? Go ahead, Rob. Uh, make a motion to adjurnn. I mean, unless someone did have something. Oh, I I don't save power. Can I have a second? I'll second. Can we uh have a vote? All in favor? I I The meeting is adjourned at 7:59. Thanks for coming. Thank you. We had some