New Jersey Highlands Council

06/19/2026

Happening in the Highlands this weekend:

Tomorrow, June 20, Warren County will be hosting a lawn concert at the Garret D. Wall Park in Belvidere as a celebration of America 250. The concert is from 2 to 3pm and is free to attend! Street parking is available and is also free.

Don't forget to bring snacks and lawn chairs! Come have a celebratory afternoon with your family and neighbors!

Shippen Manor

06/19/2026

Want to participate in the Sustainable Jersey Success Stories Contest? There's still time! The application deadline is this Monday, June 22.

Municipalities are encouraged to submit projects and initiatives that improve environmental outcomes, advance local sustainability goals, and make a positive impact in their communities. Winners will be recognized at the Sustainable Jersey Annual Awards Luncheon at the NJLM Conference in November.

Learn more and submit a brief application: https://champ.ly/8zsOsl8N

Questions about eligibility? Contact Em Boxer, Sustainable Jersey Grants Program Assistant, at [email protected] or 609-771-3196.

PSEG Sustainable Jersey

06/19/2026

Today is a day for celebrating freedom! Happy Juneteenth from all of us here at the Highlands Council!

06/18/2026

Quick reminder! There will be a public Council meeting tonight at 4pm! It will be held at the Highlands Council office - 100 North Road, Chester, NJ. Meeting materials are available at 🔗 https://champ.ly/3AjjRIrf 🔗.

06/17/2026

You can’t drive very far in the Highlands without passing a road, historical site, or restaurant with the word ‘Mill’ in it. The fertile soils of the region support a variety of grains and the hilly terrain combined with numerous creeks, streams, and rivers in northern New Jersey set up idea conditions for the construction of water-powered mills to grind that grain into meal and flour.

The milling of local grains including wheat, corn, and barely was already a vital part of the local economies when the Revolutionary War came through the New Jersey Highlands. Grain mills across the Highlands helped keep the troops of the Continental Army fed during some of the worst winters of the Revolutionary War.

📸 1-3: Colonel John Taylor’s Mill, Readington Township, Hunterdon County. Technically just outside the legislative boundary of the New Jersey Highlands, this historic mill leveraged the waters of Rockaway Creek, which forms part of the southern boundary of the NJ Highlands and Tewksbury Township in Hunterdon County. According to The Friends of Col. John Taylor's Grist Mill (taylorsgristmill.org) “Documentation provides a direct link between the requisitions of General Washington and the flour produced at the mill. John Taylor himself, a local carpenter and miller, served the Revolutionary Army in the 4th Hunterdon Militia and fought in the Battle of Trenton.”

📸 4-5:The Grain House at the Old Mill Inn. Today a restaurant and event destination, the mill for which this venue is named helped feed the Continental Army encampment at Jockey Hollow during the winter of 1779-1780. Powered by the Passaic River, the mill found itself positioned right along the Revolutionary War corridor between New York and Philadelphia.

06/17/2026

Yes, AND protecting the resources of the New Jersey Highlands region and other important watershed areas of the state all year long can help minimize or prevent drought.

New Jersey is in Drought Warning. ⚠️

Help prevent a Drought Emergency. A few small changes can make a big difference.

🔗 Learn how you can help: dep.nj.gov/conserve-water

06/17/2026

Warren County is updating its Open Space, Recreation, and Parks Plan. Learning more and find out how to make your voice heard!

Warren County is inviting residents, community organizations, and local stakeholders to help create a shared vision for the future of the County’s parks, trails, preserved lands, and recreational opportunities, with the first public engagement session planned for Tuesday, June 23 in Blairstown.

The update to the County’s Open Space, Recreation, and Parks Plan will serve as a roadmap for future investments in open space preservation, park improvements, trail connections, recreation programming, and natural resource protection. Building on the County’s 2018 plan, the update will identify new priorities and opportunities that reflect the evolving needs of Warren County’s communities.

“A successful plan begins with public input,” said Warren County Commissioner James R. Kern III. “We want to hear directly from the people who live, work, and enjoy Warren County so that future investments reflect the values and priorities of our communities,” he added.

To guide the process, Warren County has partnered with Brandstetter Carroll, Inc., a planning and landscape architecture firm with extensive experience throughout New Jersey.

A cornerstone of the planning effort will be an extensive public engagement process designed to gather ideas and feedback from residents, municipal leaders, recreation organizations, environmental groups, agricultural stakeholders, and community partners. Input collected through surveys, public events, and stakeholder meetings will help shape recommendations for preservation, recreation, parks, trails, and future funding priorities.
Residents are encouraged to complete a brief online survey and participate in upcoming community engagement events. Access the survey at https://bit.ly/wcosrp and learn more about the project at https://wcparksplan-bci.hub.arcgis.com/

Upcoming public engagement opportunities include:

Open House
June 23 | 5–7 p.m.
Blairstown Township Municipal Building, 106 Route 94, Blairstown Township

Hackettstown Street Fair
July 19 | 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Warren County Farmers' Fair featuring Hot Air Balloon Festival
July 25 | 3 p.m. – 7 p.m.

“These parks, trails, farms, forests, and waterways are among Warren County’s greatest assets,” said Planning Director Ryan Conklin. “This planning process is an opportunity for residents to help define how we preserve, improve, and connect these resources for future generations.”

The completed plan will provide a long-term framework for protecting open space, enhancing recreation opportunities, strengthening community connections, and guiding investments that improve quality of life throughout Warren County.

For more information, contact the Warren County Planning Department at (908) 475-6532 or [email protected].

06/12/2026

An agenda and related materials have been posted for the Highlands Council meeting scheduled for next Thursday, June 18 at 4 p.m. https://www.nj.gov/njhighlands/about/calendar/2026/approved/2026_06_18_hc.shtml