ABSTRACT
The Pinelands are home to two major aquifers and a great many species of rare and endangered flora and fauna. Pinelands cultural history and prehistory are prominent factors in regional protection and planning, although not as central as hydrologic and ecological considerations. The role of contemporary Pinelands culture is critical to our understanding of the region. More widespread concern about Pinelands protection was prompted by a 1967 proposal to build a huge jetport, to serve the New York region, in the Pinelands. The Comprehensive Management Plan for the Pinelands (CMP) was developed quickly, under extraordinary pressure, and this fueled local resentment and the belief that extra-local interests were fully controlling the process. The overarching basis for the CMP is protection of the Pinelands' critical ecological areas; this is operationalized in part through a stringent region-wide water quality standard for nitrate: two parts per million.
