Land Use Programs

The Pinelands protection program is a regional land-use program that protects natural resources through various measures, including planning and zoning.  The Commission’s Land Use Programs Office is responsible for a wide range of planning activities that are crucial to the successful implementation of the Pinelands Comprehensive Management Plan. Among the many planning functions of the Pinelands Commission, some key responsibilities include: 

• Reviewing all county and municipal land use ordinances, master plans and zoning maps for consistency with the Comprehensive Management Plan;
   
• Administering the Commission’s permanent land protection programs, including the Pinelands Development Credit program, the Limited Practical Use program and the acquisition component of the Pinelands Conservation Fund;
   
• Administering the Long-Term Economic Monitoring Program to continuously gauge the health of the Pinelands economy; 
   
• Reviewing and implementing comprehensive plans for the siting of wireless facilities (towers and antennas);
   
• Implementing the Alternate Design Wastewater Treatment Systems Pilot Program, as well as other wastewater projects;
   
• Reviewing water supply planning activities and coordinating the development and amendment of water quality management plans with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection;
   
• Conducting geographic spatial analysis through computer mapping; 
   
• Conducting special projects to support Commission initiatives, such as the rapid landfill assessment, Housing Task Force and Pine Barrens Byway; and
   
• Administering the rulemaking process, including the adoption of amendments to the Comprehensive Management Plan and the processing of amendment petitions.