“To waste, to destroy, our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them amplified...”
Theodore Roosevelt
Soil Erosion and Sediment Control ~ Chapter 251
As the nation’s most densely populated state, New Jersey continues to experience rapid shifts in land use greatly accelerating the process of soil erosion and sedimentation. Unchecked, the resultant is added pollution to the waters of New Jersey and the loss of fertile soil. New Jersey’s State Legislature recognized the scope of this problem and the effect it was having on the state’s environment.
In response, the State declared to strengthen and extend the present erosion and sediment control activities and programs in passing the soil erosion and sediment control act. Soil erosion and sediment control act rules and policy can be found on the website for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Under this Act, developers are required to follow a District approved sediment control plan for most major soil disturbances over 5,000 square feet. The State Soil Conservation Committee has developed and maintained technical standards and guidance to assure that soil, water and related natural resources are managed during development. In this way, soil loss and related environmental damage are minimized. Ongoing housing development within Burlington County makes up the majority of the workload for the Burlington County Soil Conservation District (BCSCD). A regular inspection of these sites by BCSCD staff ensures that the certified plan and the Standards for Soil Erosion and Sediment Control in the state of New Jersey are being followed. |
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