Highlands towns unite to demand state relief from development restrictions

Led by Jefferson and West Milford townships, municipalities across Northern New Jersey’s Highlands region are rallying and working together to get state political leaders to address the inequities of Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act (Highlands Act).

Adopted in August 2004, the Highlands Act sought to extend land use protection to the region’s resources by restricting development while providing fresh water to 5.4 million residents (today over 6 million) or 70% of municipalities across 15 of the state’s 21 counties.

“The state adopted a master plan that included water fees, surcharge on public water supply systems, land preservation funds, and tax relief,” West Milford Mayor Michele Dale said. “Instead, we get zero compensation and massive school aid cuts.

“We do our part proudly, but we do it without compensation and the financial burden lands squarely on the backs of Highlands taxpayers. We are working to fix the unintended consequences and the state’s failure to meet its obligations.”

The Highlands — which represents about 15% of New Jersey’s land mass — exports some 860 million gallons of clean drinking water to the rest of the state daily.

“We love being stewards of open space, water resources and land, but we’re paying the price of the open space,” Jefferson Mayor Eric Wilsusen said. “The promised balance to being good stewards has not come to fruition.

“We’ve been impacted for some 15 to 20 years. Jefferson is looking at devastating cuts because the state’s school funding formula, along with the restrictions of the Highlands Act, that, together, limit our ability to grow our tax base while simultaneously reducing state aid.

“It’s a perfect storm,” Wilsusen said. “As a result, programs like athletics and extracurricular activities may be reduced or eliminated altogether.”

The Jefferson school district faces a roughly $4.8 million budget gap as of early 2026.

The price of preservation

The Highlands region covers 859,000 acres, nearly one-ninth of the state, with 880,000 residents primarily in Warren, Morris, Hunterdon, Passaic, and Sussex counties, with reach into parts of Bergen and Somerset counties.

West Milford (100%) and Jefferson (88%) are within the Highlands preservation area. Other municipalities are also wholly or partially in the preservation zone.

“The Highlands Act bars development of our land and growing our tax base,” Dale said. “It’s broken math. Our hands are tied and the state continues to slash our school aid, forcing our local property taxes through the roof.

“Highlands’ residents pay a higher ‘tax bite’ than almost anywhere else in the state. The Highlands are becoming unaffordable.

“Sixty percent of West Milford’s 80 square miles of land is untaxable, with no commercial and residential development allowed,” Dale said. “Effectively, our residents pay more while receiving less support from the state.”

Dale says Newark residents pay about 7.2% of income to property taxes and the typical New Jersey family pays 10.5% on average. Highlands’ residents pay up to 11.4% to 11.8%.

“We have done our part as stewards of the state’s water,” Dale said. “Now, it is time for the state to do its part for our communities and schools.”

Highlands mobilization

Mayors Wilsusen, Dale, and Anthony Rossi of Vernon met on Feb. 3, 2026, to align positions and publicly reveal the regional coalition’s platform and push for a fair solution for all Highlands communities.

According to the mayoral leadership group, actions include:

Reaching out to other municipal mayors that have 75 percent or more of land within the Highlands region to encourage them to mobilize their residents and contact legislators.

Continue working closely with our legislative delegation to begin drafting bills that address the financial effect of the Highlands Act and the need for the state to provide appropriate funding to offset lost revenue.

The #HighlandsImpactAidNow campaign unites residents of Jefferson, West Milford, Vernon, and surrounding Highlands communities.

On Saturday, the mayors will meet with commissioners and assembly members in Sussex County to reinforce the need for legislative action and sustained support.

The Highlands Impact Aid Now will hold a public rally at Jefferson High School on March 7, 1 p.m.

“We will keep educating residents on why the Highlands Act exists, why it remains critical for environmental protection and water supply, and why the state must uphold its responsibility to support the municipalities that bear the burden of these protections.

“We are leaving no stone unturned, exploring every legislative, legal, and policy avenue. We are engaging every partner willing to stand with us.”

Wilsusen points to public e-mail campaigns, letter writing, and social media to get the attention get the attention of state legislators.

“Trenton needs to be aware, listen, and take action,” Wilsusen said. “People must be upset put themselves out there. It takes a crisis to get people motivated. Our people are now acting. We have a unified front that is growing and can have a positive impact.

“We’re building regional momentum on Highlands advocacy and state accountability.”

Marissa Goth, Board Member and Co-founder of Highlander Education Foundation spoke on the Highlander Preservation Act on Feb. 11, where it affected not only West Milford, but her hometown Jefferson.

She also encouraged others to send letters to legislators.

Leadership support

Supportive legislators include LD-25 Assemblywomen Aura Dunn and Marissa Sweeney as well as State Sen.Anthony Bucco (LD-25), who offered the following statement.

“The Highlands Act has played an important role in protecting some of New Jersey’s most critical natural resources. But for many Highlands communities, development restrictions can also limit the local tax base, forcing residents to carry an outsized share of the cost of essential services.

“When you add in a broken school funding formula, the results are devastating. Districts like West Milford and Jefferson are facing massive deficits, cutting staff, increasing class sizes, and even considering eliminating basic skills, sports and extracurricular activities that are central to a well-rounded education.

“We cannot continue down a road of misplaced priorities that leaves more school districts across New Jersey in crisis. I look forward to working with Acting Commissioner of Education Lily Laux to restore fairness to the funding formula, stabilize school budgets, and ensure every child has access to the quality education they deserve.”