(10/P15)　 TRENTON – New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Bob Martin delivered the following testimony at his confirmation hearing today before the New Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee:

Mr. Chairman and Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

I want to thank you for having me here today to discuss my candidacy to be the next Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection. I thank all the members of the committee who took the time to meet with me either in person or by phone. I want to also thank Governor Christie for his confidence in nominating me for this distinguished position.

I am very excited about taking on this position*and if confirmed, I will work to advance DEP’s core mission of protecting and preserving the environment of NJ. At the same time I will help the DEP fulfill its role in growing the economy of this state.

I am personally committed to ensuring that the DEP protects our water, air, ocean, natural resources and beaches, and that we rapidly clean up contaminated sites and ensure we have plenty of open space for future generations.

I bring an extensive array of skills and experience to help protect the environment and natural resources of the state, while significantly improving the operation and performance of the DEP.　 DEP desperately needs leadership, management and direction*.and I will bring them that. DEP also needs continuous operational improvements and more technology to be an effective organization to get permits processed quickly, inspections done more timely and to bring predictability and efficiency to all its programs. I bring over 25 years of experience consulting to numerous types of businesses and industries. Most of my consulting work has been in the utility and energy industry.　 I have extensive experience in all aspects of business and management consulting, including business strategy & planning, business transformation & re-engineering, IT strategy, systems implementation and change management. I have a pragmatic style and I’m focused on results. I’m also focused on communications!
, transparency and have a willingness to listen to all points of view.

While my resume in strong on management skills, my knowledge of environmental issues and policy is also quite strong. While I was not an environmental consultant, my 25 years in the utility and energy industry gave me extensive knowledge of air, water and land use issues.　 In addition, I have extensive experience bringing together differing points of view and stakeholder groups toward resolving complex issues. Taken together, I firmly believe my managerial skills within a large international organization and my extensive involvement with environmental issues have prepared me well to lead the DEP.　

I was also the primary advisor to Governor Christie for both his Environmental policy and Green Energy policy.　 These policies included growing “Green Industries and Jobs” significantly, including building Wind Turbines and Solar panels manufacturing facilities here in NJ, while leveraging the State’s outstanding port facilities, protecting NJ’s clean water, protecting our shores, beaches and ocean, and working to ensure Environmental Justice in all our communities.

I take my responsibilities as Acting Commissioner very seriously and, if confirmed will continue to do so throughout my tenure at DEP.　 I will enforce the environmental laws of this state to protect the health and safety of all our citizens. At the same time, we must change the way DEP operates.

DEP is broken and needs to be fixed.　 I have spoken to most of you on the Judiciary Committee and most of you have shared your “DEP stories”*stories of your challenges and your constituents’ frustrations in dealing with DEP.　 We must and we will make dramatic changes to how we fundamentally do business at the DEP. I reject the premise that we must choose between a healthy environment and a vibrant economy.　 We can have both with the right leadership and our resolve to changing the old paradigm.

While I have learned a lot over the past 8 weeks at DEP, I recognize I still have a very steep learning curve to get over*.and I’m eager to learn and work with the members of the legislature and the committees that deal with issues affecting our department.

My commitment to all of you in the legislature and the DEP stakeholders, including the environmental community and the business community, is that while we may not always agree*I will always listen and my door is always open.

I look forward with working with all of you over the next four years and addressing your questions here this afternoon.

Thank you.

TRENTON — New Jersey could come into compliance with the East Coast shark conservation plan by July 19 – and keep the Shore’s immensely popular shark-fishing tournaments on schedule – under a timetable that acting state environmental Commissioner Bob Martin proposed Tuesday to the National Marine Fisheries Service.

“In these challenging economic times, I am deeply concerned about hurting New Jersey’s struggling fishermen and associated businesses through no fault of their own,” Martin wrote to NMFS chief Eric Schwaab, asking the fisheries service hold back from imposing a shark-fishing moratorium on the state.

In addition to recreational fishing and a modest commercial shark fishery, New Jersey is the scene of seven major tournaments every year that typically draw 4,000 participants. Those anglers hope to win purses in excess of $500,000 and spend much more than that on lodging and other expenses, Martin says in the letter.

New shark rules were part of a package of fishing regulation that were delayed during the Corzine administration, and recreational advocates urged Gov. Corzine to exempt those measures from his executive order delaying new rule adoptions. In early February the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission found New Jersey out of compliance, and started the clock running on enforcement actions that potentially include a moratorium.

But if New Jersey officials show they are moving promptly to come into compliance with the ASMFC plan, federal officials can delay action enforcement action for six months. Martin’s letter spells the plan out, from filing the rule proposal Thursday this week, followed by legally required milepost including a 60-day comment period, and ending with rule adoption July 19.

February 24, 2010

I am here today to listen to those who have come to rally Congress. I know the key to any successful fishery management program is active involvement by commercial and recreational fishermen as well as other interested stakeholders.

Marine fish and fisheries have been vital to the prosperity of this nation’s coastal communities for hundreds of years. Today, however, more than 20 percent of the nation’s fish stocks are overfished and need to be rebuilt to larger, healthier populations so that they can produce their full economic potential for fishermen, coastal communities and the nation.

In 2006, Congress reauthorized and strengthened the Magnuson-Stevens Act to meet that important goal. This reauthorization was groundbreaking in many respects, including the requirement that we use science-based annual catch limits to end overfishing on all stocks. Ending overfishing is the first step to allowing a fish stock population to rebuild to a level where the stock can be fished sustainably for the long term.

I recognize and appreciate the sacrifices being made today by the men and women in the commercial and recreational fishing industries to end overfishing and rebuild marine fish stocks as required by Magnuson. These sacrifices have the potential to result in significant long-term economic benefits to fishing communities and the nation as well as benefits to the overall ocean ecosystems. Recognizing the sacrifices being made to transition to more sustainable fishing, NOAA and Congress has made a commitment of $18.6 million to assist in the transition to sectors in the Northeast groundfish industry.

Rebuilding stocks has already led to important successes and significant economic benefits for fishermen, coastal communities and the nation. Some examples are the sea scallop, monkfish, bluefish and Gulf of Mexico king mackerel fisheries. The dockside value revenues in the sea scallop industry have increased from $84.7 million in 1994 when the stock was overfished to $370 million in 2008. The healthy bluefish stocks on the Atlantic coast provide consistent, reliable fishing opportunities for shore and party and charter boat anglers and the related economic benefits of sportfishing to a wide variety of shore businesses.

We estimate that once the nation rebuilds all fisheries, which we are on a track to do and required to do by law, the dockside value of our commercial fisheries would go from $4.1 billion to $6.3 billion annually, a 54 percent increase. Rebuilding recreational fisheries will help improve the economies of our nation’s coastal communities; saltwater angling generated $82 billion in sales and supported more than 500,000 jobs annually in NOAA’s most recent report.

I understand the criticism of the 10-year rebuilding timeframes in Magnuson. However, I believe Magnuson already contains the flexibility we need for rebuilding stocks by allowing certain exceptions based on biology and other issues. Balancing rebuilding for the long-term health of coastal communities with the immediate economic effects remains a challenge for everyone involved in implementing the act’s mandate to end overfishing and rebuild stocks.

Although I’ve only been in my job as head of NOAA’s Fisheries Service for a little more than a week, I am familiar with fishing communities, their proud traditions, and the challenges we face in keeping them vibrant for future generations. I am interested in hearing the concerns of everyone involved, and I look forward to a cooperative and productive relationship.