SR162

A Senate Resolution urging the State of New York to join New Jersey in efforts to improve the water quality of Greenwood Lake.

Whereas, Greenwood Lake is an interstate lake approximately nine miles long, straddling the border of New York and New Jersey; and

Whereas, Greenwood Lake is located in the Township of West Milford, New Jersey (in Passaic County) and the Village of Greenwood Lake in the Town of Warwick, New York (in Orange County); and

Whereas, Greenwood Lake is a popular destination for outdoor activities, such as fishing, water skiing, jet skiing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, boating, and hiking in the surrounding parks; and

Whereas, In 1999, the Legislature and the legislature of New York created the bi-state Greenwood Lake Commission, the purpose of which is to provide a means to effectively facilitate the cooperation of officials in both New Jersey and New York to help ensure that the natural, scenic, and recreational resources of Greenwood Lake and its watershed are protected from despoliation due to environmental and other threats from both sides of the border; and

Whereas, In July 2019, the Department of Environmental Protection published a news bulletin that advised the public to avoid swimming in, or coming in contact with, water in Greenwood Lake following water monitoring and aerial remote-sensing surveillance that confirmed the extensive presence of a harmful algal bloom; and

Whereas, Harmful algal blooms occur when colonies of microscopic algae or bacteria in freshwater or saltwater grow out of control, producing toxins which may be harmful to humans and animals; and

Whereas, Harmful algal blooms are exacerbated by high temperatures and nutrient-laden runoff from farms, septic systems, and lawns; and

Whereas, The no-swimming advisory will adversely impact the economies of the municipalities surrounding Greenwood Lake, which benefit from the presence of thousands of tourists every summer; and

Whereas, Finding a permanent way to control the nutrient levels in Greenwood Lake to prevent future harmful algal blooms will require the cooperation and expertise of officials in both New Jersey and New York, and it may require additional funding from both states; and

Whereas, It is fitting and proper for this House to urge New York state and local governments to work with their counterparts in New Jersey to find a long-term solution for the maintenance of Greenwood Lake and to provide equal funding to implement this solution; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

1. This House urges state and local governments in New York to work with their counterparts in New Jersey to find a long-term solution for the maintenance of Greenwood Lake and to provide equal funding to implement this solution.

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Governor of New York, the President of the New York State Senate, the Speaker of the New York State Assembly, the members of the New York Legislature representing Greenwood Lake, the county executive of Orange County, and the Mayor of the Village of Greenwood Lake.

STATEMENT

This resolution urges state and local governments in New York to work with their counterparts in New Jersey to find a long-term solution for the maintenance of Greenwood Lake and to provide equal funding to implement this solution. In July 2019, the Department of Environmental Protection published a news bulletin that advised the public to avoid swimming in or coming in contact with water in Greenwood Lake following water monitoring and aerial remote-sensing surveillance that confirmed the extensive presence of a harmful algal bloom.