Nature For All
A 2050 Vision for New Jersey
Everyone deserves nature in their neighborhood to survive and thrive.
With 60 years of investment in preserving open space, farmland and urban parks in the Garden State, New Jersey Conservation Foundation has taken stock and assessed the results of this tremendous investment. What has been accomplished? What work has is left undone, and what opportunities, threats and challenges do we face moving forward?
“Nature For All: A 2050 Vision for New Jersey” sets forth a fresh vision for land conservation over the next few decades which will put the state on a path to ensure vibrant, healthy communities for every New Jerseyan. Created in consultation with more than 70 experts, this ambitious agenda includes recommendations for stepping up both land preservation efforts and investments to improve the environmental health and quality of life in New Jersey’s cities and communities.
Recommendation 1: 50x50
New Jersey must preserve 50% of the most critical remaining lands that are ranked highly for ecological, water, and agricultural values by 2050. If developed, their essential ecological functions and services will be lost, leading to an overall erosion of environmental quality.
Recommendation 2: Green and Healthy Cities
New Jersey must establish a comprehensive Green and Healthy Cities Initiative aimed at greening the state’s under-resourced communities and rectifying decades of environmental injustice.
The time for action is now
The state can and must continue to lead the nation in land preservation, environmental protection and sustainability, and environmental justice as crucial elements of a just transition to a better future for all residents. New Jersey must commit to the significant and transformative investments in land preservation and green, livable communities to ensure a future of economic health and livability for current and future generations.
