2008

• CLEAN gears up to oppose flaws in the 2nd draft of the Highlands Regional Master Plan that promote more growth on Preservation Area parcels in our area.
  

2007

• CLEAN questions West Milford planning officials on Greene Valley Estates, where homes were built without final site plan approvals.
  
• Valley Ridge and Eagle Ridge, totalling 388 homes, lose their Highlands Exemption on August 10, 2007.
• Water's Edge withdraws application for 96 townhome development on Upper Twin Lakes site in Wanaque, a project that CLEAN opposed.
• CLEAN celebrates 20th anniversary with October 13th awards dinner, honoring co-founders Jon Berry and Jeff Tittel, as well as Councilwoman Wenke Taule for her efforts to assist Upper Ringwood residents in remediating the Ford Superfund site, CLEAN counsel Michael Kates, Greenwood Lake News editor Ron Nowak, Pequannock River Coalition Executive Director Ross Kushner, Trustee Peter Gonzales and Peter Kellogg for their support of CLEAN.
• CLEAN and others participate in a "Save the Highlands" rally in West Milford to bring attention to flaws in the Highlands Regional Master Plan. Changes are later made to the Plan thanks to our members advocacy.
  

2006

• CLEAN challenges Valley Ridge, a 100-townhome development on 27 acres in West Milford. The project's Highlands Exemption is called into question.

• CLEAN continues to battle Eagle Ridge, a 280-home townhome development on 70 acres in West Milford. Lack of water is the main concern. The developer, K. Hovnanian, sued the NJDEP and the Township in two separate cases in an effort to push the project through.

• West Milford tries to obtain a lease for all 800-acres of Jungle Habitat property in Norvin Green State Forest. It is rumored that the property would be opened to ATV/ORV use by the Township. CLEAN had successfully fought to prevent an ATV park on the property in 2002.

2005

• CLEAN participates in a protest Rally against Eagle Ridge, the 280 townhome development in West Milford. The rally draws hundreds of Township residents, as well as numerous public officials, including Senator Robert Martin, who arranges a meeting to discuss CLEAN's hydrogeological data and resident concerns with Commissioner Bradley Campbell

• CLEAN holds an awards dinner for Senator Robert Martin (R-Morris) and Councilwoman Sue Smith (R-Bloomingdale). Senator Martin was awarded for his efforts in saving the Horse Farm and Eagle Ridge. Sue Smith was awarded for her ongoing advocacy on Federal Hill and the Horse Farm.Bloomingdale finally loses its battle to develop Spring Brook Acres Farm, a 104 acre parcel on Union Avenue. The Borough claimed that the project was the only viable way to build mandated affordable housing. CLEAN, and the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH), disagreed. COAH revoked Bloomingdale's COAH certification, which opened the Borough to builder's remedy lawsuits.

• CLEAN works with Bloomingdale officials and committee members to create a viable COAH plan for the Borough. The Borough adopts many of the ideas, and rejects the use of "builder's remedy" style market rate housing which generates few COAH units.

• CLEAN staff and members of Windbeam Trout Club meet with NJDEP officials to advocate for tough new stormwater provisions for quarries. The new quarry permit includes some provisions for temperature monitoring, protecting trout from excessively high temperatures which could result in a fish kill. The program is modeled after one implemented by CLEAN and Pequannock River Coalition on the West Brook.

• CLEAN teams with neighbors who challenged a single-family home in the Cupsaw section of Ringwood as a potential violation of the Highlands Act. The impervious cover for the home, which included over 850 feet of retaining walls, exceeded the 1/4 acre limit allowed in the law.

• CLEAN educates residents about upcoming referendum put forward by Recreation Activists proposing to use the Township's open space funding for maintenance of recreation fields, in spite of an already large annual budget for recreation. The referendum is defeated, and open space funds are maintained for land acquisition purposes.

• CLEAN challenged the Passaic County Planning Department's third round Cross Acceptance Report, which includes controversial provisions for a transit village in Pompton Lakes, and a combined Regional Center comprised of Bloomingdale, Wanaque, and Pompton Lakes. Citing lack of available sewer and water supplies, CLEAN challenges the plan both at the County and State level.

• CLEAN hires second staff member, Associate Director Eve Tomczak, who is responsible for organizing residents in West Milford and Wanaque.

2004

• The Highlands Council is formed in December 2004, just months after the Act is signed.

• CLEAN receives award from the Highlands Coalition as "Outstanding Grass Roots Group" for 2004. CLEAN was recognized for its advocacy in favor of the Highlands Act.

• Local developer Chuck Forbes' small office park is issued a stop work order on August 10, 2004 as a violation of the Highlands Act, just hours after Governor James McGreevey signs the Act into law.

• The Highlands Act passes on June 10, 2004, and is signed into law by Governor James McGreevey at the Wanaque Reservoir's Raymond Dam on August 10, 2004.

• Bloomingdale reopens Spring Brook Acres Horse Farm issue by moving ordinance to rezone the farm for high-density housing. CLEAN promptly files suit against Councilman Jon Dunleavy and Borough officials. Dunleavy ended an 18 month recusal and voted for the rezoning, providing a crucial 4th vote that allowed the rezoning ordinance to pass.

• West Milford residents and CLEAN oppose water allocation permit in West Milford, hiring hydro-geologist Peter Demicco to analyze the well studies performed on behalf of developer K. Hovnanian for the Eagle Ridge project.

2003

• NJDEP Commissioner Bradley Campbell appears at final hearing of West Brook Hills II, asking the Planning Board to deny the application based on lack of stormwater management and lack of DEP permits. The Board unanimously votes to turn down the application.

• Quarry denied appeal by NJ Supreme Court.

• Appellate Court judges uphold extraction limits for quarry to 1996 levels. Saddle Mountain Quarry loses appeal that would allow them to continue extraction at nearly twice the rate.

• Ringwood agrees to sell Hickory Road parcel to Passaic River Coalition.

• CLEAN stalls Bloomingdale Horse Farm rezoning at State Planning Commission. Bloomingdale required to meet with CLEAN and Office of Smart Growth to negotiate solution.

• US Forest Service releases updated Forest Service Study, reveals loss of 5000 acres of land to development in the Highlands annually.

• CLEAN plans Summit meeting on ratables and sprawl in response to local government statements regarding open space.

• CLEAN organizes important MTBE forum for local Ringwood residents suffering from well contamination.

• Ringwood "senior housing" proposals stall at Board of Adjustment thanks to efforts by residents and CLEAN.

• West Brook Hills II development application re-opened at CLEAN's urging,

• CLEAN reorganizes, names Robin O'Hearn director and Jeanne Stark as part-time staffer for membership & outreach.