Highlands Draft Regional Master Plan

On November 30, 2006, the Council released the Highlands Draft Regional Master Plan.  The release follows months of data collection, technical report preparation, planning analysis, consultation with experts, policy discussion and public input. 

The release of the draft Plan represents the beginning of a process of public review, comment, and discussion.  The Council anticipates making changes to the draft prior to adoption.  The Council welcomes public input.  The Council will begin accepting comments immediately at
http://www.state.nj.us/njhighlands/master_plan.html
It will also hold public hearings throughout the Highlands Region and in Trenton in January 2007.


The draft Plan release includes the following items:

Text of the Plan:   The Plan establishes policies for the Highlands Region.  It outlines specific standards that apply in each of the zones in the region as reflected on the Land Use Capability Map.

Land Use Capability Map:   The Map establishes geographic zones based upon a comprehensive evaluation of natural resources and existing development.  The scale is 1:120,000.

Atlas:  To assist the public in seeing Map details in specific areas, the Council has released an Atlas for the Land Use Capability Map.  The interactive map shows individual lots at a scale of 1:26,000 with zones superimposed on top.  Map users can search for a location on the Land Use Capability map Atlas by selecting from the municipal grid index.

Property Search Tool:   This tool allows the public to search for a property to determine if it is in the Highlands Act's Preservation or Preservation Areas.  It will soon be updated to show Land Use Capability Map overlay zones.