2022 Memorial Day Issue

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Hopatcong Environmental Commission Marks 50 Years of Preservation Story by MELISSA SUMMERS Photos by KAREN FUCITO One of the oldest environmental commissions in the state has turned 50 this year. But the Hopatcong Environmental Commission certainly isn’t showing its age, keeping up with evolving environmental conditions and the need to educate residents on how to keep their surroundings beautiful and healthy. The organization was established in May 1972 as the Hopatcong Conservation Commission. It was modeled after a Massachusetts program designed to create a local unit of government that would be the watchdog for the environment, according to Cliff Lundin, 70, one of the original members appointed by the mayor and borough council. “At the time, Hopatcong was an environmental catastrophe,” said Lundin, who left the commission in 1975 when he became a councilman. “The population had almost doubled between 1960 and 1970, due primarily to Route 80 opening up and it became a cheap place to live and commute to jobs east. You had all these summer bungalows that were in the process of being converted to year-round homes. The privately owned water systems were collapsing. The lake was showing major signs of stress. Septic systems were spilling over and running down the street.” The group was put in charge of protecting and representing the environment in the community, according to Lundin. “One of the first things the commission set out to do was to perform a national resource inventory, which was completed in 1975.” The study looked at all the natural resources— wetlands, streams, steep slopes, flood plains— mapping out where the most sensitive areas were. “The result was a recommendation that the borough adopt critical area zoning, an overlay that defined the natural resource areas,” Lundin said. The council adopted an ordinance that required anyone looking to build in an environmentally sensitive area to go before the zoning board and demonstrate how they were going to address the environmental feature. According to Lundin, that provision remains in the borough code today. Jule Girman, 79, was appointed to the Hopatcong Environmental Commission in 2012, later becoming a full member and voted in as chairperson in 2014, a position she still holds today. “We are very lucky to be an environmental commission in a very environmentally diverse community, and we have the best—the lake, the woods, the trails, the wildlife. It’s just a great place to live,” she said. “Mayor [Mike] Francis has appointed a great team that works together with motivation and energy and has the knowledge and wherewithal to get things done,” said Girman. Current members include Jen Barone, Lisa Hirschfeld, Brad Hoferkamp, Pat Hoferkamp, Jon Rafalowski, Willa Scantlebury and Georgia Schilling. One of the group’s biggest achievements has been becoming involved with Sustainable Jersey, according to Girman. The program encourages communities to work toward certification, a distinction Hopatcong has held since 2015. “The borough had to accomplish actions and complete environmental projects that support us as a sustainable community,” she said. Hopatcong gained “points” through the maintenance of a community garden, the establishment of a farmers market, as well as by supporting recycling and “shred days.” “All these things that we do make Hopatcong a better place,” she added. Certification is good for three years, and communities can recertify by maintaining or increasing their points. The commission works in conjunction with the borough council. John Young, 72, who has served as a councilman since 2009, was asked to act as the liaison between the council and the commission. “I’m the spokesperson for the environmental commission to the council and vice versa. If there is something the council wants the commission to look into, I might be the delivery mechanism, and I report to the council on the environmental commission.” Young said educating the public about how to become better contributors to the environment is of the highest priority. “People don’t realize that a lot of the plants you can buy for gardening are actually invasive species,” he said. “If they are not indigenous to this area, they can take over— like bamboo. It’s about recognizing in your yard what’s not natural to the area and what’s harmful if you let it go.” One of the ways the commission has encouraged that knowledge is through participation in programs such as a free tree giveaway—held this year at the end of April—through New Jersey State Tree Recovery. “We received 500 trees; we gave away over 400,” said Young. “What we had left, we made arrangements with the Cub Scouts to replant the rest of them off Stanhope-Sparta Road. So, none of them went to waste.” Young believes the yearly distribution is also an opportunity to educate residents on native trees and also provide advice on how and where to plant them. “Trees are a natural resource and replenishing them is not a bad idea.” Sometimes an extra special honor comes around. “This year we were given a seedling from the historic Salem oak tree. It’s been potted and will be planted somewhere in town,” Young said. The environmental commission was also very instrumental in the installation of two small rain Volunteer Jamie Windt advises Katelyn MacDonald and Jeffrey Rundle on how best to care for a tree sapling. Nicholas Tommasulo, center, looks skyward on a recent guided bird hike in Hopatcong. Jule Girman shows a group of hikers in Hopatcong one of many invasive plants in the area. 12 LAKE HOPATCONG NEWS Memorial Day 2022
gardens by the senior center. “Rain gardens are important in helping to put water back in the aquifer,” said Young. “We’re teaching people that a rain garden doesn’t have to be very big; you can do it in your backyard.” Girman is especially proud of other enhancements like a dog park installed near Jefferson Field and the beautification committee that’s been planting perennials and beautifying the parks and streets. Certain projects are still on the commission’s wish list. They’ve talked about forest management in the natural area preserve along Stanhope-Sparta Road. Young said they’d also like to address the water runoff that draws salt into Lake Hopatcong in the winter, specifically near Witten Park. “The Lake Hopatcong Foundation and the Lake Hopatcong Commission have gotten some grants for the reconstruction of the drains as well as putting in a small retention pond that would help filter out the sediment,” he said. The commission is also a big part of the Hopatcong Green Bill, which has been key in the ongoing development of the Lake Hopatcong Trail, a continuous path that will eventually encircle the lake. “That’s all land that’s been preserved in the last 40 years,” said Lundin. “The commission was always there supporting it.” But, he says, it’s important they remain vigilant, especially when it comes to future land use and its impact on the lake. “In the 50 years, the commission has always played a key role in protecting the environment,” said Lundin. “They’ve done a great job in getting the message out that the environment needs saving.” “We want to establish a healthier and more sustainable beautiful community and we are on our way to doing that,” added Girman. “We’re constantly working with the council and the mayor to accomplish these things.” Recently, the commission hosted a guided bird hike at Roland May Eves Mountain Inlet Sanctuary, taking advantage of the spring bird migration with Mike Anderson, director of the New Jersey Audubon’s Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary in Bernardsville. The group scheduled nine events for 2022. Upcoming events include the dedication of the newest rain garden in June and Hopatcong Days in early September. “I think people come to Hopatcong for a reason—it’s beautiful here,” Girman said. “We have the lake, we have the trails, we have a lot of community spirit. We want it to continue to evolve into a place where everyone is happy to say they’re from Hopatcong.” MORRIS COUNTY'S BEST COLLECTION OF SPECIALTY AND RARE BOURBONS • CRAFT BEERS • CURATED SELECTION OF WINES PLUS ALL YOUR FAVORITE SPIRITS ALWAYS IN STOCK GIFT CARDS AVAILABLE • CURB SIDE PICK-UP SERVICE IN-STORE TASTING EVERY FRIDAY & SATURDAY 973-252-0559•1001 Rt. 46 Ledgewood, NJ 07852 bestcellarsledgewoodnj@gmail.com BestCellarsLedgewood Best Cellars Ledgewood lakehopatcongnews.com 13
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2022 Memorial Day Issue

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