Hopatcong's Environmental Commission Sets Sustainable Jersey Goal

The end of 2011.

That's when environmental commmission head Jerry Scanlan hopes Hopatcong will earn Sustainable Jersey's bronze certification. The commission entered the  program last year and has about a third of the 150 points needed for the recognition, Scanlan said.

"I think the whole thing is good for the community," he said. "It brings a good sense of community. It'll feel good to say, 'Hopatcong did this.' There are a lot of other towns that have done it and are doing it. But it'll be nice to say, 'Hopatcong put together some effort and did it.'"

Municipalities are given checklists and awarded certain amounts of points for each task, such as creating an environmental commission or passing particular ordinances.

Scanlan said the commission recently doled out assignments and is near completing some of them. He said he sees the bronze certification as a carrot at the end of the stick.

"I look at is as having a tangible, specific goal and achieveing it," he said. "It means you're part of a small, select group of municipalities in New Jersey."

While 334 New Jersey municipalities have registered for the program, only 74 are certified, according to its website. Sparta earned Sustainable Jersey certification in November.

Hopatcong's next step would be to earn silver status, which requires 350 points, among other achievements.