Exploring the Mid-Atlantic Highlands and the Legislation Surrounding Their Protection – A Comprehensive Overview of the Highlands Conservation Act
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In the heart of the Mid-Atlantic region, the Highlands stand as a beloved outdoor destination for millions of residents, including those from New York City. This forested region, stretching through northwestern Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, is cherished for its rolling hills, steeper rocky outcrops, rich agricultural valleys, natural lakes and reservoirs, and forests. However, it is also threatened, making conservation efforts crucial.
The Highlands region has a long history of providing natural resources for extraction, such as forestry, iron mines, and tanneries. But now, it is more oriented towards outdoor recreation and providing habitat and clean drinking water to downstream communities. Major cities like Newark, N.J., have reservoirs in the New Jersey Highlands and pipe that water down. The clean water from the Highlands region is vital for many businesses, including Anheuser-Busch and other food and beverage manufacturers.
The Highlands Conservation Act, first enacted in 2004, plays a significant role in preserving this unique ecosystem. The Act provides for the purchase and preservation of threatened lands in the four-state Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic corridor. Beartown Woods Natural Area in Pennsylvania's Michaux State Forest is an example of the distinctive natural landscapes preserved by the Act.
The Highlands Coalition, led in part by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), is advocating for the passage of the Highlands Conservation Act reauthorization bill before the end of 2021. The Coalition aims to reauthorize the Act with a focus on incorporating climate change science, adjusting the boundary of the region, involving more government agencies and nonprofit land trusts, and potentially doubling the yearly funding from $10 million to $20 million.
For individuals wanting to support the Highlands Conservation Act and its conservation objectives, there are several ways to get involved. Supporting and promoting the work of local and state agencies, nonprofits, and community groups that receive Highlands Conservation Act grants is one approach. Another is to contact your congressional representatives to express support for continued funding and potential reauthorization of the Act to ensure its longevity. Participating in public comment periods or advocacy campaigns around federal budgets and appropriations that impact conservation funding is also crucial. Volunteering or donating to conservation organizations active in the Highlands region is another way to show support.
While the Highlands Conservation Act reauthorization bill has not been specifically mentioned as undergoing reauthorization in the most current publicly available documents up to mid-2025, the Highlands Conservation Act Grant Program continues to be active and supported by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The program has been updated and expanded to address current challenges such as climate resilience, habitat connectivity, and outdoor access, including allowing county and municipal governments to receive grants.
Monitoring the websites of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and relevant environmental advocacy groups will help stay informed of any new developments related to the Act’s reauthorization or funding opportunities. In the meantime, the Highlands region offers a plethora of outdoor recreational activities, making it a popular destination for hiking, backpacking, camping, summer camps, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, wildlife watching, hunting, rock climbing, section-hiking portions of the Appalachian Trail and the Highlands Trail, spelunking, and Breakneck Ridge, considered the most popular day hike in America. The Stephen and Betsy Corman AMC Harriman Outdoor Center, located in Harriman State Park, within the Highlands region, is a significant recreational facility.
The Highlands region is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including the bobcat, Indiana bat, bog turtle, brook trout, warblers, dwarf wedgemussel, and various orchids like the ladyslipper and wild Columbine. By supporting conservation efforts, we can ensure that these unique ecosystems and the wildlife they support continue to thrive for generations to come.
[1] U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. (n.d.). Highlands Conservation Act. Retrieved from https://www.fws.gov/refuges/planning/regional-planning/highlands-conservation-act/
[2] Congressional Research Service. (2021, July 15). Highlands Conservation Act: Overview and Legislative History. Retrieved from https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46804
[4] Senate Appropriations Committee. (2021). Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, 2022. Retrieved from https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/sites/default/files/2021-06/FY22_Agriculture_Report_Final.pdf
- Engaging in outdoor activities, such as hiking, skiing, or wildlife watching, can support the Highlands region's environmental science and lifestyle, while simultaneously raising awareness about the need for climate change science in conservation efforts.
- As someone who appreciates outdoor-living and home-and-garden, you can contribute to preserving the Highlands region by donating to or volunteering for organizations that work towards the reauthorization of the Highlands Conservation Act, which aims to double its yearly funding for habitat protection and outdoor access.
- The Highlands region, with its diverse wildlife and unique natural landscapes, serves not only as a popular outdoor destination but also as an essential provider of clean drinking water for many businesses in the region, making it crucial to preserve this environmental science and its interconnected impacts on lifestyle and industries like sports and home-and-garden.
