By Elizabeth Wulfhorst
FAIR HAVEN – This small borough is once again making a big impact when it comes to environmental practices.
Fair Haven was recently awarded silver certification by Sustainable Jersey, an organization that “provides tools, training and financial incentives to support communities as they pursue sustainability programs,” according to its website. Since 2009 the group has been recognizing New Jersey municipalities that meet rigorous environmental standards, all in support of making the state overall a sustainability haven.
In all, 81 municipalities were certified at some level in 2022, as announced at the Sustainable Jersey Annual Luncheon in November in Atlantic City during the New Jersey State League of Municipalities Conference. In the Two River area, that included Atlantic Highlands, Colts Neck, Holmdel and Little Silver, which all received Bronze Certification; and Middletown which joined Fair Haven in receiving Silver Certification. Other municipalities have received certification in recent years: In 2021, Red Bank and Rumson were certified silver, and in 2019 and 2017, Highlands and Sea Bright, respectively, received Bronze Certification. Additionally, three other Two River area towns – Monmouth Beach, Oceanport and Shrewsbury – have all registered with the program.
To become Sustainable Jersey certified at the silver level, Fair Haven submitted documentation to show it had completed a balance of the required sustainability actions and 370 points, meeting the minimum of 350 required action points. In addition to points totals, each community had to create a green team and select at least three of 14 priority action options. Fair Haven accomplished four: energy tracking and management; creating a green business recognition program; taking a natural resource inventory; and developing a system for prescription drug safety and disposal.
“Sustainable Jersey has provided a perfect template for our sustainability efforts and we are thrilled to have reached silver certification,” said Kelly Flanagan, chair of the Fair Haven Green Team, in a release.
“Sustainability is a shared goal and we have enjoyed collaborating with groups such as the Knollwood School Green Team, Fair Haven Business Association, Fair Haven Garden Club, various Borough Commissions, and local Scouts.”
Fair Haven Mayor Josh Halpern commended the Fair Haven Green Team, part of the borough’s environmental commission, for its efforts.
“Getting to silver was a team effort and it was achieved through hard work, collaboration and follow-through at every level of our community,” Halpern said in the release. “I am grateful to the Fair Haven Green Team for leading the charge, our borough administrator Theresa Casagrande and assistant Betty Ann Berube, and our many partners like OEM Coordinator Chief Joseph McGovern and our School District Superintendent Sean McNeil for helping us reach our goal.
As Flanagan noted, “Sustainability is a value that can be practiced at every level of our community.” The green team will continue to look for ways to improve Fair Haven’s programs and processes through outreach and education, she said.
Currently only three municipalities in the state – Princeton, Readington and Woodbridge – have received gold stars through Sustainable Jersey, awarded for outstanding practices in three areas, energy, health and water.
In 2022, certified towns excelled in areas like improving energy efficiency, health and wellness, reducing waste, sustaining local economies, protecting natural resources and advancing the arts.
But actions that help the environment require community efforts, as Halpern noted. “Together, we have made the Borough of Fair Haven more sustainable, and demonstrated the positive impact that volunteerism can have on a town.”
Garden Clubs Unite For A Cause
In addition to sustainability efforts from green teams, local garden clubs from Fair Haven and Rumson are joining the push to get Gov. Phil Murphy to declare April “NJ Native Plant Month.”
The 18,000-member Garden Club of America launched a national initiative in October to have all 50 states designate April as Native Plant Month, highlighting native flora.
In New Jersey, a proclamation needs to be introduced and passed as a resolution through both legislative bodies and then sent to the governor’s office to be signed into law. More than 850 garden clubs across the state have called for their members and others interested in emphasizing the importance of native plants to contact their state legislators to ask for support of the resolution in the state Senate and Assembly.
The clubs hope, if passed, the proclamation will increase awareness and education of the critical role native plants play in supporting a healthy environment. Planting species native to the area encourages thriving wildlife and pollinator populations, helps reduce the need for pesticides and fertilizers, and cleans air, water and land.
The article originally appeared in the January 26 – February 1, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
