To the Editor:
With the coming of 2026, the Princeton Environmental Commission (PEC) would like to highlight some of our accomplishments in 2025.
In 2025 the PEC provided four site plan reviews to the Municipality regarding development applications submitted to either the Planning Board or the Zoning Board. Using the Green Development Checklist (GDCL), which the PEC wrote in cooperation with the Planning Department, the PEC was able to analyze the proposals from the viewpoint of the Climate Action Plan, the Master Plan, and sustainable building practices. We published a brochure for residents explaining how items in the GDCL could be applied to new or remodeled homes. This brochure can be downloaded at princetonnj.gov/535/Environmental-Commission. The PEC was recognized by the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) with an Environmental Achievement Award at their Annual Congress in October. The award recognized the efforts of the PEC during 2023 and 2024 as we worked with the Planning Department to revise the Green Development Checklist, and as we wrote and published supporting documents for the checklist.
In conjunction with Sustainable Princeton (SP), the PEC continued the free program of Green House Tours but added Green Garden Tours to the mix. This year’s tours featured seven houses and four gardens and had over 150 individual registrants. In conjunction with the tours, a well-attended panel at the Princeton Public Library discussed the houses and gardens on the tour and steps homeowners could take towards sustainability.
The PEC cooperated with the municipality and SP in several events during the year. We attended the Sustainable Home Expo in March, Earth Day Festivities in April, Community Night Out in August, and worked all year with the Shade Tree Commission and Inga Reich, the municipal open space manager, to help plan, organize, and plant the Microforest established at Quarry Park. At these events we encouraged residents to consider easy steps they can take to live a more sustainable lifestyle, from backyard chickens (not for everyone!) to the municipal food scraps program, building mosquito buckets instead of using pesticides, and leaving the leaves. In November we heard a compelling presentation on the importance of dark skies for both human and ecosystem health. The PEC will continue to investigate this important environmental concern in 2026.
To encourage interest in using native plants in landscaping, the PEC writes and publishes a quarterly information sheet on native plants which thrive in New Jersey. In addition to working locally, the PEC approved resolutions sent on to Council regarding the Transco Pipeline project, and the Skip the Stuff Bill considered by the 2025 session of the state legislature.
Our meetings are held monthly, and our agendas can be found on the municipal calendar, as can the minutes of our recent meetings. In addition, residents can email us via a link on our municipal web page.
I look forward to another active and productive year for the commission.