Complex sentence: Byrne served as governor of New Jersey from 1974 to 1982, and both championed and signed the Pinelands Protection Act in February 1979 which preserved thousand of acres in southern New Jersey.
Split into simpler sentences: Byrne served as governor of New Jersey from 1974 to 1982. He championed and signed the Pinelands Protection Act in February 1979 which preserved thousand of acres in southern New Jersey.