The New Jersey Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council (or Highlands Council for short) was created by the

Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act The Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act is a 2004 New Jersey law aimed at protecting the Highlands region of northwest New Jersey by regulating development within the region under the supervision of the New Jersey Department of Environmental ...

in 2004 for the purpose of preserving the quality and quantity of the water resources of the New Jersey Highlands region. It is allocated within the

New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution. NJDEP now has a staff o ...

but is independent of any supervision or control by the department or by the commissioner or any officer or employee thereof. The Highlands Council approved the Highlands Regional Master Plan at its meeting held July 17, 2008, and the plan became effective on September 8, 2008, after the governor's review period.

External links

Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council web site

Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act of 2004
State agencies of New Jersey {{NewJersey-stub