DECEMBER 13 Call to Action! Hearing on the Dredging of the Delaware & Raritan Canal!

Please attend this hearing about the planned dredging of the D&R Canal to protect this beautiful and unique historical treasure!

DATE: Monday, December 13, 2010
TIME: 5:00 to 7:00
PLACE: Franklin Township Municipal Building
675 DeMott Lane, Somerset

Public Notice

Dredging of the Delaware and Raritan Canal

The New Jersey Water Supply Authority (Authority) is developing a program to dredge a 10.5 mile stretch of the Delaware and Raritan Canal from Lincoln Highway (Route 27) to Amwell Road in Franklin Township, Somerset County. Flow in this section of the Canal is being impeded by sediment accumulation and is compounded by the growth of weeds during the summer months when flow demand is the greatest. The water surface elevation of the Canal is typically raised during these periods, which causes water to discharge over the lower elevation spillways. The objective of the project is to remove an estimated 250,000 cubic yards of sediment from the Canal to restore flow capacity.

The Canal serves as a source of drinking water for millions of residents in central New Jersey and provides recreational opportunities for its numerous visitors. The dredging design will address the water supply needs for the area and take into account the surrounding cultural and natural resources.

In 1973, the Canal was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. This action placed the Canal under the protection of Section 106 of the National Historic Register Preservation Act of 1966 whereby any actions undertaken or licensed by as Federal agency which impact upon the resource are subject to review by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The Canal, which is within the D&R State Park, is also on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places whereby projects that impact the Canal require prior written authorization or consent from the NJDEP Historic Preservation Office. Accordingly, any rehabilitation or construction work undertaken along the Canal must consider the historic and cultural significance of the Canal and adverse effects to these features must be minimized.

An open house to discuss the project is scheduled for Monday, December 13, 2010 from 5:00 to 7:00 at the Franklin Township Municipal Building, 675 DeMott Lane, Somerset NJ. Members of the Urban Dredging Consultants design team and the URS Corporations, cultural resource consultants for the project, will join Authority staff to discuss project progress, schedule and answer questions raised before or during the meeting. There will be a presentation of the project at 6:00 that evening.

December 2009: GIVE THE GIFT OF MEMBERSHIP!

Holidays are coming! Why not treat your loved ones the eternal gratitude of future generations with a membership in one or more of these wonderful historical and environmental preservation organizations?


The Meadows Foundation, Stewards of Early Dutch & American Heritage
Mission: The Meadows Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to give the past a future by preserving historic sites with an emphasis on early Dutch and American heritage... The Meadows Foundation meets this mission by:
1) Fully restoring Meadows Foundation historic sites.
2) Providing public educational and cultural programs.
3) Encouraging public appreciation for local heritage and vernacular architecture.
4) Supporting environmental concerns by preserving open space, farmland, and historical sites.
Membership Information


The Raritan-Millstone Heritage Alliance
Mission: The Mission of the Raritan-Millstone Heritage Alliance is to promote preservation and understanding of the rich eventful and cultural heritage of significant historical, educational, and cultural sites located in the Raritan-Millstone region.
Click on "Join"


The Abraham Staats House
Mission: The Friends of the Abraham Staats House, Inc. was established in 1999 and incorporated in 2004 to support the ongoing restoration, preservation, ad interpretation of the historic Abraham Staats House. The Abraham Staats House was built c. 1740 near the banks of the Raritan River. The property is associated with significant people and events during the American Revolution.
Membership Information
On-Line Membership Form


Blackwells Mills Canal House
The Canal House is a picturesque old home (1830) of honest masonry and stone, bordering the historic Delaware and Raritan Canal at Blackwells Mills in Franklin Township.... [The] Canal House opens its doors to the public and plays host to several events such as craft and antique shows, art exhibits, flea markets, plant sales, holiday events, children's programs, nature walks, community clinics in canoeing, fishing, cooking, furniture repair and much more! It also serves as a museum and library of canal history.
Membership Form on Site


Canal Society of New Jersey
Purpose: [T]he Canal Society of New Jersey is a non-profit organization formed in 1969 t0:
• Foster the study of the history of New Jersey's two towpath canals.
• Preserve and restore canal remains and artifacts.
• Educate the public in this history.
• Provide enjoyment to its members by visiting canals and other historic sites.
On-Line Membership Form


Canal Watch
The Delaware & Raritan Canal and its towpath form a v-shaped linear park that crosses of the New Jersey, providing recreation, a respite from the tumult of the state's busy centers, a history lesson in the development of New Jersey, and drinking water for the million people who live near this 66-mile greenway in the heart of the nations' most densely populated state.
Download Membership Form, Individual and Family Memberships available


Kingston Greenways Association
Kingston Greenways Association aims to establish a permanent green belt around the village of Kingston consisting of natural environments, recreational park land, agricultural and horticultural land, wetlands, streams and ponds, and sites of historical significance... The Association aims also to promote understanding of our local region through study and education, and provide oversight and advocacy for open space in the Kingston area.
On-Line Membership Form

October 31: CALL TO ACTION! Postponed Crane Test for Construction of Cell Towers in Protected Area Rescheduled for Saturday!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31
9:00AM to 12:00PM
ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO
**MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD**
Just say, "Elsewhere!"

As reported here on the RMVE blog earlier this month, the construction of two industrial cell towers is planned within the--now NATIONALLY--protected Millstone Valley Scenic/Historic Byway. This is an explicit violation of the agreed upon Corridor Management Plan's specific prohibition of cell towers within this area.

Due to inclimate weather, the test that was to take place two weeks ago at 139 Green Avenue in Montgomery, near the Staats Farm Road intersection, has been rescheduled for Saturday, October 31, from 9:00AM to 12:00PM.

Please come out to the site on the day of the test to take pictures to document this violation! With your permission, we would like to share your photos with the RMVE Blog community.

Click HERE for more information about these violations of the prohibition of cell towers and information to learn what you can do to help stop the intrusion upon these pristine historic and natural treasures. Please voice your objections by clicking on "comments" at the bottom of this blog entry!

Click HERE to learn more about the recent national designation of the Millstone Valley Scenic/Historic Byway.

October 17 & On-going: CALL TO ACTION! Unnecessary Cell Tower Intrusions Will Mar Pristine Vistas of Protected Sites!

**MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD**

Just say, "Elsewhere!"

The construction of two industrial cell towers is planned within the protected Millstone Valley Scenic/Historic Corridor. This is an explicit violation of the agreed upon Corridor Management Plan's specific prohibition of cell towers within this area.

Millstone Valley Scenic/Historic Byway

1) Weather permitting, on Saturday, October 17, 2009, from 9:00AM until 12:00PM, a crane test will be performed at 139 Green Avenue in Montgomery, near the Staats Farm Road intersection. Green Road runs one block northwest of River Road.

Please take pictures to document this violation and voice your objections by clicking on "comments" at the bottom of this blog entry! With your permission, we would like to share your photos with the RMVE Blog community.

2) The construction of second tower is also planned for 138 Coppermine Road in historic Griggstown (Franklin Township, Block 11.01, Lot 61.01), adjacent to the beautiful Native Grasslands Preserve.

Once again, please voice your objections to this intrusion upon one of the most beautiful and pristine natural preserves in Central New Jersey by clicking on "comments" at the bottom of this blog entry and submitting your thoughts!

Griggstown Native Grasslands Preserve

With your permission, your objections will be forwarded to the appropriate authorities in Montgomery, Franklin Township, and Trenton. You will be heard! The construction of cell towers in historic and environmentally sensitive areas have been successfully fought without interruption to cell users service as they we constructed in more appropriate areas.

-Jan ten Broeke