Montville Moves Closer To Sustainability Certification

After reviewing its potential application at a meeting on July 28, the sustainable Montville advisory committee is optimistic that the township will be able to receive bronze-level certification from the Sustainable Jersey program.

According to the committee's unofficial count, the township currently qualifies for 260 points under the statewide certification program's guidelines. According to the Sustainable Jersey website, a township must have 150 points for bronze certification and 350 for silver.

"If we pull all of this together, we're well within bronze and we could probably qualify for silver next year," committee member Anthony Angiolini said. "We're in the ballpark."

The committee, formed by township committeewoman Deborah Nielson in December 2009, has been working toward Sustainable Jersey certification since the beginning of 2010. The committee plans to submit its application to the certification program by the September 15 deadline.

"That's the goal, to get certification," she said.

According to the certification program's website, Sustainable Jersey-certified townships receive special priority access and notification of incentives and grants, as well as being eligible for a grant from the program itself. Nielson does not deny the financial benefits possible with certification, but also points to the community's ever-present focus on the environment as a motivation for certification.

"The citizenry is very much aware of the environment," she said. "Montville was doing this long before it was fashionable. There is a long history of preserving the environment and being progressive in that regard. It's a win-win."

According to its website, The Sustainable Jersey program was launched in February 2009 as a means for municipalities to practice responsible environmental management and conservation while supporting local economies. Municipalities must meet a certain number of requirements to achieve one of the two levels of certification. Requirements range in scope and size and include leading environmental education and outreach programs and completing natural resource inventories that provide a summary of the natural resource characteristics in a given area.

Currently, 34 municipalities across the state have achieved certification, while another 286 are registered for consideration.

Angiolini said that, despite the committee's tentative count going beyond the program's requirements, they plan to continue to strive for more points, given the subjective nature of the certification program's requirements and the overall focus of the committee to promote sustainability.

"We'll be looking at outreach programs for the community," he said. "It's not just for the municipality from a government level, its for the residents that businesses as well. There are a lot of people in town who want to be involved in this, and the more they learn they, the more excited they are. People are asking the right questions."

"[Certification] is only one component," Nielson. "This committee is the nucleus, its not meant to be exclusive. It's meant to be about outreach, to gain community support."

The committee's next meeting is scheduled for August 25.  Currently, it is the last meeting scheduled before the certification submission deadline of September 15.