Exploring the Mid-Atlantic Highlands and the Legislative Protections Offered by the Highlands Conservation Act
The Highlands Conservation Act, a crucial piece of legislation aimed at preserving the natural landscapes and water supplies of the Mid-Atlantic region, has been reauthorized for five years, effective from July 2024 to June 2029. The bill, announced by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney with bipartisan support, aims to continue and potentially expand the conservation efforts initiated under the original Act.
The Highlands, a forested region stretching across northwestern Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, serves as an outdoor oasis for more than 25 million residents, including those in New York City. Not only does it offer recreational opportunities, such as hiking up to New York's Breakneck Ridge for unparalleled views of the Hudson River, but it also provides clean water to downstream communities like Newark, N.J., and hosts a diverse range of wildlife, including the bobcat, Indiana bat, and various orchids like the ladyslipper and the wild Columbine.
Major businesses, such as Anheuser-Busch and other food and beverage manufacturers, rely on the clean water provided by the Highlands. The forests of the Highlands also play a significant role in saving water treatment costs for many Northeast and Mid-Atlantic cities, potentially saving $50 billion over the next 50 years if protected.
The reauthorization bill seeks to double the yearly funding to the Highlands Conservation Act program from $10 million to $20 million. The legislation will also allow the four states to use science to adjust the boundary of the region, ensuring that habitat and forested areas connected and consistent with the Mid-Atlantic Highlands resources can be protected.
The Highlands reauthorization legislation will bring climate change science more to the forefront and update the areas considered most important to protect with the best available science. It will also expand opportunities for other government agencies to be involved in more Highlands open space projects and for nonprofit land trusts to be more involved as well.
The Highlands Coalition, for which the Appalachian Mountain Club serves as fiscal agent and helps lead, is mounting a campaign to ensure passage of the Highlands Conservation Act reauthorization bill before the end of 2021. Your support will be needed to join the AMC's Conservation Action Network and be alerted when your voice can make a difference in advocating for the Highlands Conservation Act reauthorization bill in 2021.
The Highlands, with their rolling hills, steeper rocky outcrops, rich agricultural valleys, natural lakes and reservoirs, and forests, are both threatened and cherished by millions of people. If you value the clean water, diverse wildlife, and recreational opportunities the Highlands provide, consider supporting the reauthorization of the Highlands Conservation Act.
- The Highlands reauthorization bill will bring climate change science more to the forefront, ensuring that the best available science is used to protect the most important areas.
- The legislation will double the yearly funding to the Highlands Conservation Act program, from $10 million to $20 million, allowing for more conservation efforts and protection of connected habitats and forested areas.
- Not only does the Highlands region offer recreational opportunities such as hiking and sports like hiking up to New York's Breakneck Ridge, but it also provides clean water for millions of residents and hosts a diverse range of wildlife, making it a crucial part of environmental science and lifelong learning for individuals and government agencies.
