For Immediate Release
August 18, 2025
Contact: Michelle Peal
C: (908) 313-4178
New Jersey LCV and Partners Launch “Enviro Fix in ‘26” Policy Guide to Ensure the Environment Remains a Top Issue in Gubernatorial Campaign
Trenton, NJ - With the race for New Jersey’s next Governor beginning to take shape, New Jersey LCV and 24 leading environmental, health, and equity organizations today launched a comprehensive 121-page “Enviro Fix in ‘26” policy guide aimed at keeping environmental issues at the forefront of the 2025 gubernatorial election.
The policy guide lays out a clear roadmap for the next Governor to prioritize climate action, environmental justice, and clean energy investments that benefit all New Jerseyans, regardless of their zip code. From transitioning to 100% clean electricity, to protecting clean drinking water, to making communities more resilient against flooding and extreme heat, the guide is a blueprint for a greener, healthier, and more equitable New Jersey.
“The next Governor will have a critical role in determining whether New Jersey becomes a national leader in fighting climate change—or falls behind,” said Luke Pavlov, Campaigns Manager, “Enviro Fix in ’26”. “This guide offers real, actionable solutions that put people first and the planet on a better path. We’re making it clear that environmental issues are not optional, they’re essential, and they must be central to every candidate’s platform.”
“New Jersey Conservation Foundation and our many partners support the call for New Jersey to preserve at least fifty percent of the most critical remaining unprotected lands in our state by 2050. This will require motivating conservation sellers, innovative approaches from preservation agencies, and bold leadership by our next Governor,” said Alison Mitchell, Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation. “It’s ambitious but conserving these 500,000 remaining acres will ensure that our homes and communities benefit from the essential ecological functions provided by nature. This work must include greening the state’s under-resourced urban communities and rectify decades of environmental injustice. The time for action is now.” Alison Mitchell- New Jersey Conservation Foundation.
“Environmental challenges need to be front and center in our public landscape. This policy guide gives our public leaders and the general public the information they need to be aware of issues and reach our collective goals, including continued protections for the unique landscapes in New Jersey like the Pinelands.” Jaclyn Rhoads, Pinelands Preservation Alliance.
"From increasingly frequent extreme storms causing flooding and damage to our streams, to increasing water pollution, forever chemicals, and microplastics, our waters and wetlands continue to degrade. Healthy streams and wetlands are vital to New Jersey. NJ's waters provide drinking water, recreational opportunities, and economic activities among many other benefits. It’s long past time that NJ made protecting and restoring its waterways and wetlands a priority." Michael L. Pisauro, Jr., Esq, Policy Director, The Watershed Institute.
"We applaud the NJLCV Education Fund in compiling a very comprehensive environmental policy guide for 2026 and beyond. We fully endorse its policy recommendations for the Highlands, which calls for funding the Highlands Council at levels appropriate to carry out the mandates of the Highlands Act and to dedicate a portion of the corporate business tax so they could fulfill the equity provisions of the Highlands Act while protecting the water supply for 7 million New Jersey residents " said Elliott Ruga, Policy and Communications Director, New Jersey Highlands Coalition. "The policy guide is quite a roadmap for understanding the environmental challenges for New Jersey, whether an elected official, a candidate for office, a policy advocate, or a concerned citizen." Elliott Ruga, Policy and Communications Director, New Jersey Highlands Coalition.
"This is the most important governor's race I've witnessed in my life. We must prioritize environmental protection and restoration more so than ever because federal rollbacks are threatening the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat. The New Jersey LCV Education Fund’s 2026 Environmental Policy Guide provides the roadmap we need to protect the health of New Jersey residents and the natural resources upon which they rely.” Jennifer M., Coffey, ANJEC Executive Director.
“Healthy environments produce healthy communities. Isles initiatives like our Whole House program, the GOTrenton! microtransit service and Community Corps are examples of how community-based programs can create direct environmental benefits. Our Whole House program includes our work in home weatherization and lead poisoning prevention, which has resulted in thousands of energy-efficient and lead-safe homes throughout the state. This shows how prioritizing residents’ health and safety can ultimately lead to critical environmental wins. As NJ welcomes a new gubernatorial administration later this year, we look forward to sharing our best practices and lessons learned with policymakers to ensure that environmental and community health remain at the forefront of New Jersey’s policy priorities.” Laura Fenster Rothschild, Chief Operating Officer.
"New Jersey has a singular opportunity to stand strong in the face of environmental injustice and climate denial as storms get stronger and more frequent, summers get hotter and NJ residents suffer needlessly while paying ever more for energy. The actions in this policy guide are a major component in a holistic plan to protect the people of the garden state and set NJ on a path to cleaner air, water and lands. If our incoming legislative and executive leaders want to have a lasting effect on the lives of New Jerseyans, each of them should start their terms off with bold environmental leadership guided by this policy document.” Nicole Miller, Principal, MnM Consulting.
Partner organizations behind the guide span a wide range of perspectives—from conservation to health, environmental justice to economic policy and include: NJ Audubon, Newark Science and Sustainability, Latino Action Network, NJ Chapter of the American College of Physicians, Rethink Energy NJ, Rewild, MNM Consulting, NJPEEC, NJ Policy Perspective, Duke Farms, Great Swamp Watershed Association, Isles, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Water Spirit, ANJEC, NJ Future, NJ Sustainable Business Council, NJ Conservation Foundation, Pinelands Preservation Alliance, Rebuild By Design, Regional Plan Association, The Watershed Institute, American Littoral Society, and New Jersey Highlands Coalition.
New Jersey LCV and its partners plan to engage candidates directly and elevate these issues across media and public forums to ensure that environmental solutions are a key part of the debate.
To download the “Enviro Fix in ‘26” policy guide or learn more about upcoming events, visit www.njlcvef.org/envirofix26 or contact luke.pavlov@njlcv.org.
About New Jersey LCV Education Fund:
The New Jersey League of Conservation Voters Education Fund is a nonpartisan organization that works to protect our environment by educating, engaging, and mobilizing people across the state to become more civically involved in environmental decision-making.