The proposal has not yet been adopted. Sierra Club opposed the proposal in its entirety due to several provisions that would weaken current wetlands protections, and its failure to strengthen the wetlands program in light of alarming new data demonstrating continuing significant loss of wetland resources. Recent DEP data show that since the 1988 passage of the NJ Freshwater Wetlands Protection Act, in just 12 of 20 watersheds mapped by DEP, there was a loss of over 12,000 acres of wetlands. Similarly, Rutgers University scientists estimate that 52,000 acres of wetlands were lost from 1984 - 1995. Wetlands serve critical functions by absorbing water, thereby filtering out pollutants and providing flood protection.
Wetlands also provide rich habitat for numerous wildlife species.