We need the friends of the Bay to tell the Ocean County Freeholders to
1 – Acknowledge the current desperate condition of Barnegat Bay and
2 – Support the four bills now before the legislature.
YOUR HELP NEEDED !!
Attend:
119 Hooper Avenue, Toms River
Wednesday, September 15, @ 4 PM
During the August 12 legislative hearing in Toms River, it became painfully obvious to all that the Ocean County Freeholders are in denial about the severity of the ecological decline of Barnegat Bay.
Action is needed to wake them up to the realities: Shellfishing has almost disappeared as an industry; eutrophication resulting from excessive nitrogen is rampant; fish abundance is down; bay swimming beaches are being closed in huge sections of the bay due to stinging jellyfish; bay beaches in Toms River are being closed due to high fecal coliform; declining real estate values on jellyfish prone waterfronts.
The Freeholders are resting on their laurels. In fairness many of their past accomplishments have been impressive: installation of sanitary sewers in the 1970’s; creating the only county energy plan in the state; creating the Ocean County Natural Lands Trusts; creating a system of marine pumpout boats on the bay.
But anyone looking at reality understands that Barnegat Bay is in crisis notwithstanding these meaningful accomplishements.
Our message is to the Freeholders is two-fold:
1 – Acknowledge the severity of the decline of the Bay and your responsibility to vigorously address the problem.
2 – Start by vigorously supporting the four bills before the legislature:
S-1411 / A-2290 Fertilizer Regulation
S-1410 / A-2501, Soil Erosion & Sediment Control Act
S-1815 / A-2577, Ocean County Stormwater Demonstration Act
S-1856 / A-2501, Stormwater Runoff Control Authority Act
Together these bill are very strong attempts to address two of the four major policy objectives for saving Barnegat Bay.
