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The preservation of New Jersey’s Pine Barrens began with the signing of the Pinelands Protection Act by Gov. Brendan Byrne in 1979. Forty years later, the Act's legacy persists in the face of new challenges, including the passing of its original advocates.

A "Summit on the Future of the Pinelands," which includes a panel discussion, will take place on April 4 at 7 p.m. at Â鶹Íø. The event is presented by The Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics.

Confirmed panelists include former New Jersey Governor James J. Florio, who built and achieved many Pinelands protections while in office and since; Dr. Jaclyn Rhoads, assistant executive director of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance; and Edward Lloyd, the Evan M. Frankel Clinical Professor in Environmental Law at Columbia Law School and a member of the Pinelands Commission.

"The Pinelands have a fascinating place in New Jersey history and are also an important ecosystem with significant cultural and agricultural benefits," says Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute. "Despite those features, the preservation of the Pinelands is less than assured."

The Pinelands, which are also known as the Pine Barrens or the Pines, comprise more than a million acres across seven counties. Although New Jersey has the greatest population density in the United States, about 22 percent of the state is covered by the mostly uninhabited Pinelands.

Â鶹Íø also a special connection to the Pinelands. Its namesake, Andrew J. Rider, owned more than 500 acres of cranberry bogs in the 19th century near Hammonton, N.J., which is located in the Pinelands. Rider was considered a leading force in the state’s cranberry industry, and the University’s colors — cranberry and white — pay homage to this history.

The Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics is dedicated to public service and scholarly analysis of government, public policy, campaigns and elections in New Jersey. Founded in 2001 by the late Professor David Rebovich (1949–2007), the Institute is a dynamic and creative home where students can network, study and gain practical experience in New Jersey politics.

A "Summit on the Future of the Pinelands," which is free and open to the campus community and the public, takes place April 4 at 7 p.m. in Lynch Adler Hall 208 on Â鶹Íø's Lawrenceville campus.

For more information and to register, please visit rider.edu/pinelands.