The South Orange Village government established the Environmental Commission in 1999 to protect and restore the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the open space we share. These life-supporting elements link us to the larger community of species—the birds and insects (pollinators), trees and flowers—that together affect the watershed of the East Branch of the Rahway River. Watersheds protect local water quality, reduce flooding, and sustain healthy ecosystems.

Through programs, publications, activities, and advising on governmental policies and actions, the Commission seeks to enable positive and practical change that makes environmental sustainability a way of life for members of our community.

The Environmental Commission is composed of seven resident volunteers, two alternates, and one liaison to the Village Council. It oversees the Green Team, which is unlimited in membership and open to all residents who wish to pursue projects affecting the environment, climate change, and quality of life. It also supports, along with the Maplewood Environmental Committee, a grass-roots volunteer initiative called Electrify SOMA, which offers free advice to South Orange residents about electrifying their homes.

As a governmental body, the Commission can propose new laws and guidelines, or motions to amend existing ones, to the Village Council. It also has the authority to conduct research into the uses of land within the municipality, and may sponsor events and projects, submit grant applications, coordinate with donors and other bodies, and prepare maps, plans, books, and pamphlets.

The Commission seeks to empower residents with the knowledge that their individual and collective actions directly affect our environment and the health and well being of South Orange residents. For example, eliminating the use of lawn chemicals reduces toxins in our water, reducing the burning of fossil fuels in cars and home furnaces improves our local air quality, and reducing the use of plastics reduces the toxins in the seafood we eat and the air we breathe. The Commission sponsors events and initiatives, such as River Day, designed to help people better understand these linkages.

The Commission is required by law to keep a Natural Resources Inventory and a list of all open spaces, publicly or privately owned, to ensure proper use of such lands. The index of open lands is kept both as part of the Recreation and Open Space Index (ROSI) provided by the Village to the NJ State Dept. of Environmental Protection, and by the Village Planner as part of the Master Plan.

Members:

• Kathleen Grant, Chair
• Andy Stone, Secretary
• Lorraine Graves
• Robert Orgera
• Julianna Garreffa
• Lauren Sklaver
• Cynthia Thompson
• Olivia Lewis-Chang, Village Council Liaison
• David Kraiker, Planning Board Representative

Meetings: Generally held on the 3rd Thursday of each month in the Municipal Offices, 76 South Orange Avenue, South Orange, NJ 07079 in Conference Room 1 at 7:30 p.m* and online via Webex. All meetings are open to the public in accordance with the requirements of the “Open Public Meetings Act” (Sunshine Law).

*Currently, our meetings are virtual. See Village Calendar for meeting link information.