New Jersey wants to make almost 100 new acres of wetlands, which could cost up to $27,000 a year in mosquito control.
The Island Dragway may be feeling a little more like an actual island.
New Jersey's plans to turn nearly 100 nearby acres in Independence Township into wetlands have raised concerns among leaders in Warren County, including the track's owner.
"They're taking perfectly good farmland and returning it to wetlands," said Melissa Milano, who also serves on the township land use board.
But the effects of a new swamp could be felt beyond the township.
The state Department of Environmental Protection acquired the 84-acre property off Alphano Road in 2011, according to property records.
The Warren County Mosquito Commission estimates it could cost between $10,000 and $27,000 to treat new wetlands proposed by the DEP for mosquitoes. (AFP/Getty Images)That amount of new wetlands would become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. The Warren County Mosquito Commission estimates it would cost $10,000 to $27,000 to treat the new area.
The state's plan is
"really against our mandate to reduce mosquito populations," said Bob Duryea, an entomologist with the commission. "It's working the exact opposite of that. They're creating a mosquito environment."
Township officials' concerns are reminiscent of a similar fight two years ago when the DEP established another 28 acres of wetlands -- also adjacent to the dragway property -- as mitigation for development elsewhere.
The difference this time, Mayor Bob Giordano said, is that the state is taking it upon itself to return land drained for farming in the 1800s to its natural state.
"We have no control over it," said Jim Kelsey, another land use board member. "We can't deny it. They're just letting us know what they're doing."
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Representatives from the Division of Fish & Wildlife presented their plans to the township April 18. A DEP spokesman did not return a request to elaborate on the state's intentions.
Giordano said the wetlands plan puts a squeeze on Independence Township's western side, while the east already falls under development restrictions from the water-protecting Highlands Act.
"This is the finest farmland that we have around here," he said. "It's great land for the farmers and they're taking that away from us."
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.