WESTFIELD — A group of Kean University students has partnered with the Westfield Green Team to create a local Environmental Resource Inventory that community leaders say will help to identify areas of need and establish better land-management practices going forward.
“This was a major undertaking,” Daniela Shebitz, Ph.D., chair of the university’s Environmental and Sustainability Sciences Department, said. “The idea behind these types of surveys is to compile a comprehensive list of natural and environmental resources within a given area in order to establish a solid baseline. Once you know what you have, you can figure out how to protect it.”
The 271-page inventory — which includes, among other categories, a detailed analysis of local water sources, vegetation, wildlife, geology, erosion patterns, soil compositions, land use, air quality and contamination sites — was presented to the Westfield Town Council earlier this month.
“The inventory also looks at things like infrastructure development, past and future construction projects, stormwater management and the impact of global warming and climate change,” former Green Team Chair Lois Kraus said, speaking during an agenda-setting meeting of the council on June 11. Similar studies, Ms. Kraus said, can cost upwards of $20,000 to complete.
“This is something that we can really use,” Town Planner Don Sammet said. “It’s not just a student project. There is a lot of great information here.”
And while the report suggests that Westfield (which has been awarded high honors from environmental groups like Sustainable Jersey) has been relatively proactive in terms of flood-water mitigation, environmental stewardship and responsible governance, the community still faces a number of challenges.
“The lack of open space in Westfield really scares me,” Dr. Shebitz said. “The truth of the matter is that New Jersey has simply gotten too built up. There are some really wonderful parks in Westfield, but they are there by design. We’re running out of natural, untouched space.”
In addition to cataloging parks, athletic fields, public gardens and wildlife management areas, the inventory identifies about 35 acres of designated wetlands within the town boundaries, but notes that many of these spaces are actually owned by Union County.
Wetlands, Dr. Shebitz said, not only bolster important ecological systems but also help to naturally mitigate flooding — a problematic issue that is becoming ever more prevalent across the state.
“While major events like hurricanes and superstorms may lead to less frequent but more severe flooding, they tend to impact a greater number of properties compared to less significant flood events caused by heavy rains,” the report notes. “As the Town of Westfield grapples with the consequences of environmental changes, all types of events are expected to affect more properties within the community.”
The inventory suggests that if a low-probability storm (a 100-year flood event like Hurricane Ida) were to occur today, it could potentially impact 1,087 properties in the Town of Westfield. Three decades from now, a similarly rare event is projected to affect 1,152 properties due to what the inventory refers to as “the evolving environment.”
The report also identifies about 33 active contamination sites (which include minor pollution sources like auto body shops, gas stations and dry-cleaning businesses), looks at floodplain erosion and examines the prevalence of invasive plant species like Garlic Mustard, Japanese Knotweed, English Ivy and Snow Drops.
“It’s a lot to take in,” Dr. Shebitz said, “but it’s important to have all of this information in one place. These documents can really help to guide planning and land-management decisions, and hopefully, this inventory will prove to be a valuable asset for Westfield.”
The Kean University Environmental Resource Inventory will be published to the town’s website over the course of the coming weeks.
