ABOUT THE HCA: The Highlands Conservation Association (HCA)was founded by concerned or impacted citizens and property owners in the seven county northern New Jersey area that has been included within the boundaries prescribed by the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act comprising over 800,000 acres in 88 municipalities. ========================================= CONCERN: The Highlands Act has established sweeping and controversial requirements and controls regarding the ownership and use of lands that have negatively impacted property value and equity. The Act has also assigned control of land planning and use to a 15 member Council appointed by and responsible solely to the Governor of New Jersey. By this action the traditional municipal and personal owner control of land use has been removed. The land use constraints and regulations and area boundaries appear to NOT be based upon science or site specific conditions. The principles and rights of private citizen ownership of property, upon which this Country was founded, have been lost as a result of this legislation. ========================================= MISSION: The mission of HCA is to restore and protect the constitutional rights of citizens to own and use private property in the New Jersey Highlands Area and to prevent the loss of these rights from actions of government under the guise of public benefit without just compensation. More specifically , the mission of HCA is to (1) secure repeal of the actions taken by the Legislature and Governor through the adoption of the ill conceived Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act; (2) restore full ownership equity of all lands in the Preservation area designated by the Act; (3) restore the time honored home rule authority by municipalities and their citizens in the Highlands region and (4) help to assure that local economy will not become depressed because of constraints on local businesses that will result in their failure or departure and increased local property taxes. ========================================= GOALS: 1. Secure repeal of the act at the earliest opportunity 2. Stop the taking of property rights without compensation 3. Secure just compensation for lost equity ========================================= ACTIONS: 1. Recruit landowners and other citizens to join this effort 2. Educate the public about the extreme negative impacts of the Act 3. Secure funding to support legal challenges to the Act 4. Secure appropriate attorneys and needed land use experts to challenge the act 5. Generate publicity to support challenges to the Act 6. Initiate such other actions as may be needed to correct the extreme inequities of the Act and other threats to private property rights. ========================================= THE PETITION: The undersigned supports the repeal of the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act as it violates the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments which promise that private property will not be taken for public use without just compensation and citzens will not be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law nor will they be denied equal protection under the law.