Uncontrolled spread of invasive plants
Tree of Heaven, kudzu, Japanese knotweed, English ivy, and Norway maple crowd out native vegetation and weaken habitat quality.
Our Path to Restoration
We want to restore the Lower Palisades as a connected urban natural area.
The Palisades were nearly destroyed by quarrying in the late 1800s. A grassroots campaign led by the New Jersey State Federation of Women's Clubs helped create the Palisades Interstate Park Commission in 1900.
Land acquisition and long-term stewardship protected the cliffs in Bergen and Rockland Counties. South of that managed parkland, the Lower Palisades remain divided among municipal and private lots without comparable environmental management.
Existing tools such as Jersey City's Palisades Preservation Overlay District provide a foundation, but protecting views and development patterns is not the same as managing an urban cliff ecosystem.
Current Issues
Improper natural-area management practices
Vegetation is often topped only when it obstructs roadways or skyline views, rather than managed according to urban restoration practices.
Trash
Steep terrain, dumping, and encampments create cleanup challenges in areas that are difficult to reach safely.
Our Plan
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Start Small
Begin with City-owned lots on the Palisades cliffs, specifically beneath Riverview Park, and establish a repeatable restoration model.
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Get Organized
Create a master environmental-management plan based on urban habitat-restoration practices, then secure funding for invasive plants and trash removal.
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Build on Existing Protections
Connect current ordinances and planning efforts to ecological goals so protection includes the cliff ecosystem as well as skyline views.
Related Organizations
Public agencies, restoration networks, and community organizations already contribute relevant expertise.
Palisades Interstate Park Commission
Long-term preservation and stewardship of the Palisades in New Jersey and New York.
Palisades Nature Association
Conservation and education at Greenbrook Sanctuary.
Lower Hudson PRISM
Regional coordination and expertise for invasive-species management.
New York Restoration Project
Urban natural-area restoration and community greening experience.
Jersey City Environmental Commission
Local environmental review, advice, and public engagement.
Friends of Riverview Park
Community stewardship of Riverview–Fisk Park in Jersey City Heights.
Riverview Community Garden
Community horticulture and neighborhood environmental engagement.
Our Tern Hoboken
Local habitat advocacy centered on Hoboken's Common Terns.
Help shape what comes next.
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