 NJ Assembly Bill 4221 (Pinkin) is coming before the Environment Committee on Thursday, Feb 14. That bill and its Senate companion, S. 1074 (Smith/Bateman/Gopal), provides for the protection of the public’s rights to beach access under the Public Trust Doctrine.
We thank Assemblywoman Nancy J. Pinkin for championing this bill in the NJ Assembly and believe it will ensure everyone has access to tidal waterways and their shores in the state. The American Littoral Society and other organizations have worked for years to protect public access to New Jersey beaches and tidal shorelines. This right is, unfortunately, often limited, interfered with or prevented throughout the state – from our ocean waters to the waterfronts of our cities and urban communities.  The American Littoral Society empowers people to care for their coast. Regardless of changing times, economies, and politics, the Society has defended the coast since 1961. We won't stop our efforts to protect coastal environments and their inhabitants, respond to the realities of climate change, rising seas and more frequent storms, and promote smart, nature-based solutions to these issues. We will continue to speak out for healthy and vibrant coastal and ocean environments.
Your gift, combined with those of others, enables us to accomplish our work of coastal conservation, and protect all the benefits the coastline brings to our lives. Working together, we can do more. Please make a one-time or reoccurring donation to our Annual Appeal to support the Society. As we continue to rely on support from you, and all those who love the coast, you can count on us to help keep you informed and involved.  Tuesday, February 26
6:30 - 9:30 p.m. Surf BBQ & Burger 132 East River Road Rumson, NJ Reservations Required $32 per person Click Here to Purchase Tickets Together with the American Littoral Society, The Rumson Environmental Commission will screen the award-winning documentary film The Oyster Farmers, which beautifully illustrates life on the Barnegat Bay for oyster farmers who are trying to bring these delicious and environmentally beneficial bivalves back to New Jersey Waters. Oyster Farmers featured in the film will host a raw bar before the screening and will join the American Littoral Society after the film for a Q&A for attendees. Ticket price includes a prix fixe menu (with tax and tip), a raw bar, and the movie. A cash bar will be available.  Thursday, February 14, Noon (REGISTER)
Monday, February 25, 9 a.m. (REGISTER) Saturday, March 2, Noon (CLOSED) American Littoral Society HQ 18 Hartshorne Drive Highlands, NJ $10 for members $20 non-members Nothing says romance like spending Valentine's Day with seasonal wildlife on Sandy Hook. Bring your binoculars and join us on Feb. 14 for a trek through the park to observe the seals and waterfowl that overwinter in New Jersey. Or register online to attend one of the other scheduled walks. Participants will be car caravanning to multiple locations in Gateway National Recreation Area's Sandy Hook Unit. Dress for the weather and expect to walk about a mile on sandy beaches. Afterwards, warm up at Littoral Society Headquarters with snacks and toasty beverages. Keep an eye on the Littoral Society events calendar for any additional details.  In one New Jersey town, Christmas trees will find new life protecting the shoreline.
As part of an American Littoral Society project, trees will be collected and recycled in Point Pleasant to help protect the shoreline of a tidal creek running past Slade Dale Sanctuary. Trees can be dropped off at a donation site in town: the field behind the parking lot at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (708 NJ-88, Point Pleasant, NJ). The location will be marked. Also, Point Pleasant borough residents can leave their trees curbside for normal DPW pickup. "We want people to think of the restoration at Slade Dale as a holiday miracle that they helped create," said Capt. Al Modjeski, Habitat Restoration Director for the American Littoral Society. "Rather than mulching or burning trees, the community came together to provide inexpensive materials that will not only restore a shoreline but help protect the surrounding area." Littoral Society staff will be at the church on Saturday, January 12 and Saturday, January 19 from 10 a.m. to Noon to talk about the project. For more information, contact the American Littoral Society at 732-291-0055. American Littoral Society Among Recipients of 2018 Governor's Environmental Excellence Awards12/11/2018
 Dec. 10, 2018 [TRENTON, NJ] - The American Littoral Society is honored to be a recipient of two New Jersey Governor's Environmental Excellence Awards.
Eleven organizations and individuals were recognized on Monday at the 19th Annual Governor's Environmental Excellence Awards for work in various areas of environmental stewardship, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe announced. This marks the first time since the inception of the GEEA in 2000 that a single organization has received two in one year. The Littoral Society also previously received GEEA's in 2011 and 2015, for the "Bayscape for Barnegat Bay" Healthy Ecosystem project and work restoring coastal habitat on the Delaware Bayshore, respectively. American Littoral Society Says NO to Atlantic Ocean Fossil Fuel Exploration and Seismic Testing12/4/2018
 Helen Henderson, Mid-Atlantic Ocean Planning Manager for the American Littoral Society, speaks in opposition to ocean seismic testing and oil exploration, during a gathering on the Asbury Park, NJ boardwalk. (Photo courtesy of Clean Ocean Action) December 4, 2018 – [Asbury Park, NJ] – On Tuesday the American Littoral Society, along with Congressman Frank Pallone, local officials, and other environmentalists, gathered on the Asbury Park boardwalk to oppose federal plans for seismic testing and oil exploration off the Atlantic Coast.
The following is the statement delivered at that event by Helen Henderson, the Littoral Society's Ocean Planning Manager for the Mid-Atlantic. The American Littoral Society has fought to protect New Jersey’s coast since 1961. Today, we are here to reiterate this commitment – loud and clear – this time in opposition to the federal government’s most recent reckless decision to allow seismic testing off the Atlantic coastline, which will harm marine mammals and other wildlife. The Society is greatly concerned about the impacts of climate change on our ocean and coast. We lived through Sandy and have felt these impacts first-hand. We should not be exploring for new fossil fuel development off the Atlantic Coast.  A bill to ban shark fin possession and trade in New Jersey unanimously passed a key Senate Committee on Monday, Nov. 26, with the support of the American Littoral Society.
We believe enacting A3945/S2044 will prevent anyone in New Jersey from contributing to a fishing practice that is decimating shark populations. We ask that our NJ members and supporters urge their state legislators to turn this bill into law. "The Littoral Society and numerous other organizations are deeply concerned with the decline of shark populations, which are crucial to the health of the ocean," said Tim Dillingham, Executive Director of the American Littoral Society. "We have been working for years to ban the possession, sale, trade or distribution of shark fins in order to help shark populations recover.  Communities in New Jersey and all along the East Coast are searching for ways to protect themselves from the impacts of climate change. Many roadways are impassable at high tide; oceanfront beaches are washed away by rough storms; and marshes are being engulfed by rising waters.
Now, more than ever, we need a strategic plan and set of tools to prepare for and react to coastal threats - including policies that reduce our vulnerability to the impacts of sea level rise, more frequent and powerful storm and rain events, and storm surge. Ensuring our coastal communities are prepared and resilient requires a collaborative effort between federal, state, and local governments and residents of our communities and coastal stakeholders. As New Jersey continues to face the harsh climate realities, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) announced a new commitment to developing a New Jersey Coastal Resilience Plan during a coastal resilience summit at Monmouth University, an event that brought more than 150 coastal experts and stakeholders together to help inform the plan. We applaud them for their dedication to protecting the New Jersey coastline and communities.  Jenna Valente, Ocean Policy Manager and Healthy Oceans Coordinator for the American Littoral Society, is bringing a Sea Change to podcasting.
The Sea Change Podcast kicks off today, Thursday, Oct. 18, on the American Shoreline Podcast Network, which also hosts shows such as The Next Shoreline and The Beach Shack Trailer. The Sea Change Podcast will offer insight into the powerful world of coastal non-governmental organizations and coastal advocacy. Jenna is a coastal advocate and a conservationist who has worked for the American Littoral Society as the Ocean Policy Manager and Healthy Oceans Coalition Coordinator for three years. Prior to her role with the Society previously worked for the Chesapeake Research Consortium at the Chesapeake Bay Program, where she was a member of the communications staff and focused on building the brand of the program and ensuring the health of the Chesapeake Bay. |
Archives
April 2019
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
