Regulatory Reform Workgroup

Overview

Regulatory Reform Working Group’s mission is to achieve reforms of environmental regulations to facilitate the creation of accessible trails and scenic sites. New Jersey needs more trails, scenic sites and similar facilities in natural settings that are accessible to people with disabilities, but existing environmental regulations present unintended obstacles to improving these assets for accessibility. This working group aims to work with state agencies to reform those rules in order to facilitate the creation of high quality, accessible trails, sites and facilities.

Goals

1. Clarify the rationale and criteria for environmental regulations that both protect the environment and support improvements for accessibility.
2. Achieve reforms of environmental regulations that currently bar or discourage accessibility improvements by making them impractical, too expensive and/or ineffective.
3. Ensure that land managers, friends groups and other interested parties are aware of the issues raised and successes in improving the regulations.

Actions

1. Identify the design standards the working group will use for high quality, accessible trails, sites and facilities.
2. Identify the regulations that create barriers to accessibility improvements and the changes needed to remove these barriers.
3. Discuss the changes we propose with relevant experts and government officials and make changes that these discussions suggest.
4. Advocate for the changes we propose with the relevant public agencies.
5. Support public agencies in adopting and implementing reforms.

Contacts