September 18, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 7 Franklin Lakes Council supports goals of Highlands Water Act by Frank J. McMahon The Franklin Lakes Council has adopted a resolution to indicate the governing body’s strong support of the goals, poli- cies, and objectives of the 2004 Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act (The Highlands Act) and the Highlands Regional Master Plan. During several discussions at recent work sessions, Mayor Frank Bivona and the council have discussed the pros and cons of indicating the borough’s support for the Highlands Act. During those discussions, it was pointed out that the Highlands Act was enacted in order to protect the state’s water supplies and other significant resources, and that legislation was passed with over- whelming bipartisan support in both the New Jersey State Senate and New Jersey State Assembly. In 2008, the New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council adopted the New Jersey Highlands Regional Master Plan and proceeded with a program for its implementation though a plan conformance process. While some of the council members questioned how much the borough was affected by the Highlands Act because none Library plans programs for adults The Franklin Lakes Public Library will host programs for adults during September. These 7 p.m. programs are free and seating is on a first-come basis. On Sept. 19, Bob Lukasik, certified clinical nutritionist from Millers Pharmacy, will lead a discussion on the symptoms and treatments of hormonal imbalances. Lukasik will provide information on how one can have a healthier lifestyle through proper treatment. A question and answer session will follow. Actor and author Prudence Wright Holmes will perform a one-woman show, “Call Me William: The Life and Loves of Willa Cather,” on Sept. 25. The program is based on the life of Cather, author of “My Antonia” and “O Pioneers.” Vic Lotito will offer the rudiments of the game of football with “Don’t Know Much about Football” on Thursday, Sept. 26. Lotito, a long-time football coach, will provide an explanation of the game from its very basics. of its land is in the Highlands preservation or planning areas, the council acknowl- edged that the borough is a municipality that receives all or a portion of its drinking water from sources within the Highlands region; and, that the borough relies on the resources of the Highlands area to meet the current and future needs of its residents. The overall Highlands area covers 1,343 square miles in the northwest part of the state stretching from Phillipsburg in the southwest to Ringwood in the northeast, and lies within portions of seven counties and includes 88 municipalities. The High- lands area yields approximately 379 million gallons of water daily and is a vital source of drinking water for over five million New Jersey residents. The Highlands Council was formed in 2004 as a result of the state’s Highlands Act that was signed into law in August 2004 to preserve open space and protect the state’s diversity of natural resources including the water resources that supply drinking water to more than half of the state’s residents. According to information provided by the Highlands Council, the Highlands area is increasingly at risk of being overdevel- oped. Within a five year period, 1995-2000, the Highlands Council claims that the Highlands lost 17,000 acres of forests and 8,000 acres of farmland, and growth pres- sures continue to consume land at a rate of approximately 3,000 acres every year. The council also says development is threaten- ing the region’s significant natural resources and the state’s drinking water supply. While growth management efforts by individual municipalities continue under the Municipal Land Use Law, the New Jersey State Legislature determined that a coordinated regional effort was neces- sary to safeguard the Highlands Region. The Highlands Act provides the necessary mechanism to enhance local land use plan- ning efforts. The Highlands Council Regional Master Plan divides some towns in the Highlands, such as Mahwah, into two areas, one called the “preservation area” and the other called the “planning area.” The fundamental distinction between the two areas is that municipal and county conformance with the Highlands Council Regional Master Plan is required in the preservation area but is voluntary in the planning area.