What is a Greenway?
Greenways connect - they tie together people, parks, historic sites, and natural areas. They follow streams and rivers, ridgelines, abandoned rail lines, hedgerows, canals and other transportation corridors. All within the greenway are unique and created through local initiative and reflecting a sense of community needs and concerns. - J.M. Labaree

This report develops a proposal for a “High Lakes Greenway” that encompasses six communities in southeastern Sussex County, New Jersey. Located within the Highlands Region of New York and New Jersey, these towns are typified by densely wooded mountains, beautiful lakes, streams, rural beauty and charm. The many ecosystems of the region provide habitats for complex plant and animal populations and are the source of drinking water for millions of people in New Jersey.

The Highlands are significant because they hold a “vision for the future with a regional oasis of open land that provides a sustained quality of life and environmental integrity.” (NY NJ Highlands Regional Study Draft Report). This Region’s recreation facilities receive an average of fourteen million visits each year to its 235,000 acres of local, county, state and federally owned parks. Existing recreational opportunities include a network of over 343 miles of trail corridors. From the lakeside and mountainous communities of Byram Township, Hopatcong Borough, and Stanhope Borough, to the agricultural lands in Andover Borough, Andover Township, and Sparta Township, the local vistas and economies are both characteristic of, and dependent upon, the resources inherent to the Highlands Region.

Preservation of this area’s natural features and better accessibility for the community will enhance recreational opportunities and overall quality of life for local residents. In addition, the natural features will attract visitors into the region, creating eco-tourism opportunities. Preservation activities protect water systems and sensitive habitats that are home to threatened and endangered species of plants and animals. Permanent protection of the landscape’s rural beauty and character will ensure that the local agricultural heritage and wildlife habitat will remain for years to come.