Rutgers Announces Sustainable Raritan River Initiative; Goal is to Foster Public-Private Stewardship of Valuable Resource for Future Users

The Sustainable Raritan River Initiative will be led by the faculty and students of Rutgers’ Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS). The schools will enlist the cooperation of Raritan River Collaborative stakeholders from the public and private sectors, some of whom attended a briefing at the Rutgers Boathouse at Boyd Park.

The initiative will be officially launched Sunday, Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. with the inaugural Raritan River Collaborative’s Fall Float, when kayakers and canoeists paddle six miles from Piscataway to the boathouse in New Brunswick.

“The Raritan River may well be recovering from over a century of unfettered industrial growth, but data is limited and cleanup has been slow to happen,” explained Judy Shaw, senior program associate at the Bloustein School’s National Center for Neighborhood and Brownfields Redevelopment and the initiative’s project manager. “Our challenge is to simultaneously protect the resource and redevelop this regional asset to ensure its sustained value into the future.”

Bloustein School Dean James W. Hughes observed, “Comprehensive planning for renewal and enhancement of this unique asset will be critical for the economy of the future. Through this process, students will gain real world experience that will enhance their professional credentials.”

Robert M. Goodman, executive dean of SEBS, added, “The Raritan River is an important portal, not only to our municipalities but also to Rutgers. The work of our many programs, from our Cooperative Extension and Environmental Research Clinic to the work of our oceanography and marine biology students, support the restoration of the river.”

Shaw observed that:

·         More than 130 major Department of Environmental Protection brownfields and over 20 federal Superfund sites (including the pending Raritan Bay Slag) are near the Raritan.

·         The public has limited access to the lower stretch of the river: 10 access points serve 750,000 regional residents.

·         The Raritan and its fish and shellfisheries are at risk from stormwater runoff, and high nitrogen levels from upstream runoff impacts ecosystems in Raritan Bay.

·         Antiquated infrastructure throughout the river basin leaves the potential for flooding and concerns about rising water levels in the region.

·         Public and private stakeholders have been slow to engage in commercial riverfront development.

“The Sustainable Raritan River Initiative will raise public awareness, encourage policy discussions and engage the public in efforts to restore the river through numerous activities and research projects,” Shaw said.

Besides the Fall Float, other planned activities include:

·         Nov. 10 – The Association of Environmental Commissions and Rutgers will host a regional workshop, “Sustainable Raritan River: Why Our Local Efforts Matter.”

·         Dec. 2 – The Bloustein School will host the inaugural Raritan River Business Roundtable to encourage regional businesses to “go green” and to highlight their potential role in the stewardship of Raritan River ecosystem.

·         March 22, 2010 – Rutgers and the Raritan River Collaborative regional environmental organizations will celebrate “World Water Day” to encourage personal stewardship with a joint effort to clean up the river and to promote better littering enforcement.

·         April 2, 2010 – With Rutgers Global Initiatives and Ecologies in the Balance, Bloustein and SEBS will sponsor a universitywide symposium on the Raritan River ecosystem.

·         June 4, 2010 – The second annual Sustainable Raritan River Conference will examine the state of the river and the improvements achieved with the initiation of the strategic regional plan for ecologically balanced redevelopment.

The Sustainable Raritan River Initiative is supported through a grant by the Mushett Family Foundation.

For more information about the initiative and to participate in the collaborative, contact Shaw at judy.shaw@rci.rutgers.edu or 732-932-5475, ext. 720. To learn more about the Oct. 11 Raritan River Collaborative’s Fall Float, contact Karen Lowrie, Rutgers’ National Center for Neighborhood and Brownfields Redevelopment, at klowrie@rutgers.edu or 717-471-0160 or visit www.blueraritan.org.