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A South Jersey pipeline that has some opponents 'willing to go radical'

James Pullaro calls the natural gas pipeline proposed for his beloved Pinelands "the one topic that calls me to speak out."

For Cristin Kastner Farney, joining an antipipeline protest Saturday marked "my first time ever doing something like this."

And Barbara Maxwell declares herself "willing to go radical to stop this obscene project."

These three South Jersey residents are far from alone; about 100 people lined up in the rain Jan. 24 for a chance to address the N.J. Pinelands Commission.

The state-appointed body overseeing the 1.1 million-acre Pinelands reserve is accepting comments through Feb. 8.

The soonest the pipeline application by South Jersey Gas could be voted upon would be at the commission's Feb. 10 meeting. But communications officer Paul Leakan says the agenda has not been set, and he adds that the commission may reschedule the session because it is seeking a larger venue to accommodate bigger crowds.

"The pipeline absolutely has struck a chord," says Carleton Montgomery, longtime executive director of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance, a center of antipipeline activism. "We're meeting people we've never met before."

Becky Free, communications and membership director for the alliance, adds that the turnout for the Jan. 24 meeting alone "tells me that people desperately want to be heard about their love for the Pinelands."

That such an unusual wilderness – lush yet stark, with dramatic textures and otherworldly landscapes – has survived despite South Jersey's sprawl has to me always been part of its distinctive allure. It's not like other places, and it's easy to get lost there, in a good way.

And the fact that nearly half of the proposed 22-mile pipeline would be built through pristine forest areas that the commission's Comprehensive Management Plan designates as off-limits for such facilities is inspiring ordinary folks who don't consider themselves activists to get involved in stopping the project.

"I feel I can no longer be passive," says Farney, 38, a Sicklerville resident and professional writer. "The Pinelands are a South Jersey resource for so many different people in so many different ways. Alter it for corporate gain? No. I've had enough."

Adds Maxwell, 70, a frequent painter of the Mullica River who grew up in the Sweetwater section of Mullica Township: "The forces that are driving this pipeline are winning, and not just here. Beautiful places across the country are going to be destroyed because people want to make money. But in the '60s, [activists] were able to stop a war."

The recent upsurge in activism also seems fueled in part by the election and inauguration of President Trump, a climate-change skeptic and foe of environmental regulations. "I have not been a strident person speaking out," says Haddon Township resident Patt Osborne, 64, whose company, Boomer Chick Adventures, offers kayaking and hiking events in the Pinelands.

"The first time I went to a commission meeting and spoke up was after I came back from the women's march" in the wake of Trump's inauguration, adds Osborne, a longtime Pinelands enthusiast. "I knew I had to do something local."

Others say they're motivated by the relentless political, procedural, and legal maneuvering on the part of supporters like Gov. Christie, who has helped resuscitate a project that appeared dead following the commission's 7-7 vote on Jan. 10, 2014.

"Here it is again," says Adam Taylor, a 42-year-old software developer and father of two who lives in Franklin Township.

Like his friend Pullaro, with whom he often hikes in a Pinelands area near the Mullica River they've nicknamed "Wanderland," Taylor says the uniqueness of the Pinelands itself is the most powerful inspiration for opposing the pipeline.

"Projects like this could lead to other projects that are even more damaging," he says, calling the pipeline "another crack in the armor of the Pinelands."

Pullaro, 43, a Galloway Township resident who works in physical plant management at Stockton University, says he and others who love the Pinelands are most concerned that the pipeline will set a precedent. "I want my grandchildren to be able to enjoy this gem," he adds.

Others dismiss the arguments made by advocates who say the pipeline will create jobs and provide reliable energy for the region, including for consumers who live in the Pinelands.

"Those are red herrings," says Cidnie Richards, a retired technical documentation manager who lives in Tabernacle and made it a point to chat with  union members at the Jan. 24 meeting. "I fully understand the need for jobs, but economic development is not the job of the commission."

Says Voorhees resident June Hament, a retired oil company systems designer who addressed the commission Jan. 24: "The Earth is our home, and you don't trash your home. The commission was appointed to preserve the Pinelands."

The larger question, she adds, is "How do we live together on this planet? And how do we clear away some of the noise, so we can hear each other?"

Perhaps by visiting a place called Goshen Pond on the Mullica River trail.

"There are no markers. You have to know the trails," Osborne, a frequent visitor, says.

"It's dense, dense forest, with beautiful sounds, streams, smells," she adds. "You get there, and you are suddenly transported. You forget you've got stress. It's like a transformation."