The law governing municipal planning in New Jersey Municipal Land Use Law NJSA 40:55D
et. seq. provides for a Conservation Plan element as part of a municipal master plan.
of natural resources, including, to the extent appropriate, energy, open space, water
supply, forests, soil, marshes, wetlands, harbors, rivers and other waters, fisheries,
endangered or threatened species wildlife and other resources, and which systematically
analyzes the impact of each other component and element of the master plan on the
present and future preservation, conservation and utilization of those resources.
This chapter, Mendham Borough's Conservation Plan Element, is particularly important because
this Master Plan places special emphasis on the protection of the high quality natural resources
of the Borough, in particular the quality and quantity of water resources. Below are sections
covering the major categories of natural resources found in the Borough: Air, Surface Water,
Groundwater, Wetlands, Wildlife and Vegetation, and Open Space. These sections
systematically analyze the impact of Borough policies on each category of resource and provide
recommendations for their conservation and preservation. An inventory of our environmental
resources follows this discussion.
The major issues which are significant to the protection of environmental resources in the
Borough are as follows:
Development Pressures
Substantial residential development has occurred in the Borough over the last two (2) decades,
with a trend toward much larger homes and site improvements with larger areas of impervious
surface. Most suitable land has largely been developed, and the remaining vacant property is
increasingly characterized by large amounts of environmentally sensitive characteristics such as
woodlands, steep slopes, wetlands, and surface waters. The detrimental effects of the increase in
development include soil erosion, increased stormwater runoff, decreased surface and
groundwater quality, increased level and frequency of flooding, and increased traffic and air
pollution.
Impact on Surface Water Resources
The headwaters of three (3) major river systems, which are regionally important sources of
potable water, are located in Mendham Borough: the Whippany, Passaic, and Raritan. These
headwater streams are under threat from increased development, especially the development of
the remaining environmentally sensitive properties in the Borough.