Vol. 3 No. 3 Winter 1995
A Newsletter About New Jersey's Water Quality Programs

The DEP and the partnership received the Elwood Jarmer Award for Outstanding environmental Planning from the New Jersey Chapter of the American Planning Association.

"This award recognizes the DEP's and the Whippany Partnership's creation of a new model for environmental protection based on consensus building and effective, strategic planning. The watershed approach will allow us to better identify and address pollution problems that affect precious natural resources," said DEP Commissioner Robert C. Shinn Jr.

"The project proves that people with diverse backgrounds and interests can work together for environmental protection," said Barbara Harris, chair of the Whippany Watershed Partnership. The partnership includes members representing local, county and state government, business and industry, water purveyors, wastewater treatment facilities, environmental and civic groups, and academia.

The annual award, named for former Cape May County planner Elwood "Woody" Jarmer, honors his commitment to sound environmental planning. The award may be given to a plan, program, process or person recognized as achieving excellence in environmental planning.

In addition to bringing various groups together and helping them find common ground, the Whippany River Watershed Pilot Project includes detailed studies of existing water quality as part of a characterization of the entire watershed, which is the drainage basin for all or part of 16 Morris County municipalities.

The concerns of all parties and the research findings are to be incorporated into a realistic plan to manage the watershed's land and water resources. The watershed project, led by DEP Project Manager Sandra Cohen within the department's Office of Environmental Planning, is in the second year of a five-year process.

Previous winners of the Elwood Jarmer Award for Outstanding Environmental Planning include Richard Sullivan, the DEP's first commissioner, the Monmouth County Park System for its park management plan and the Alaimo Group for Passaic County Open Space and Natural Resources Management Plan.

NOTE: The Whippany River Watershed includes all or part of the following communities: Boonton, Boonton Township, Denville, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Harding, Madison, Mendham Borough, Mendham Township, Morris Plains, Morris Township, Morristown, Mountain Lakes, Parsippany-Troy Hill and Randolph.