January 28, 2026, Planning Board Special Meeting - WEHI Transcript

02/26/2026 05:17:42 PM Page 53 to 56 of 155 14 of 66 sheets 53 by hand, taken out by the pack animals, not with heavy1 equipment. The soils were undisturbed.2 Now, in the, the year 1900 report of the3 state geologist, there was a gentleman by the name of4 Cornelius Vermule who mapped all of the existing forests5 in northern New Jersey in the year 1899. So we know6 that if it was forested in 1899 and forested today these7 are lands, these are forests that were never disturbed8 by agriculture, which is what disturbs soils as well as9 development, etc. These soils have been developing10 since the underlying geology was formed. It's11 characteristic of many of the soils in the Highlands12 province in it's better forests. It's very rare outside13 of the Highlands and this is 300 acres of those soils.14 And what the latest research is telling us is that these15 soils are -- create, they sequester 13 billion tons of16 carbon every year and they account for 30 percent --17 they absorb 30 percent of our emissions. They are18 responsible for the greatest biodiversity aboveground19 and they also, that's where most of our rare plants are20 found today. They are also naturally resistant to21 evasive plants. These are the soils in this 300 acres22 and they're tremendously valuable to us and I wanted to23 point that out to you. Thank you.24 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Thank you very much.25 54 Please come up and state your name for the record, sir.1 MS. McGOVERN: Your name and address.2 THE PUBLIC: My name is Chief Mann. I am3 the chief of the Ramapough Lenape Nation. My address is4 21 Hemlock Ave, Andover, New Jersey. And I'll start5 again.6 MS. McGOVERN: Do you swear or affirm to7 tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the8 truth.9 THE PUBLIC: Yeah, I promise to tell you the10 truth.11 MS. McGOVERN: Okay.12 CHAIRMAN BAGOFF: Go right ahead.13 THE PUBLIC: Thank you.14 I'll skip speaking in my language, because15 it's a sacrifice for me to have to come here.16 Watchung Mountain, number two, number one,17 the ridges all the way up to the Ramapo Mountains have18 been the very thing that has protected us, Ramapough.19 For those of you who don't know who we are, we are state20 recognized in the State of New Jersey by law. We have21 relatives all the way out to Kansas, Wisconsin, Canada22 on three other reserves and across the river in23 Pennsylvania.24 On the land that's in

recognized in the State of New Jersey by law. We have21 relatives all the way out to Kansas, Wisconsin, Canada22 on three other reserves and across the river in23 Pennsylvania.24 On the land that's in question there is over25 55 100 ceremonial stone markers. There is three serpent1 walls, there is a directional tree. And what all of2 those things mean is that many, many years ago before3 first contact our ancestors are the ones that actually4 placed them there. They placed them in a prayerful way.5 They came to be protected not only by us and by our6 actions but even in the New Jersey's new state7 developmental and redevelopment plan we are named in8 there directly. We have the help of the Narraganset and9 Neo Nation, which is a federally recognized tribe, which10 we have had contact with for hundreds and hundreds of11 years. I wanted to enter this into evidence, as well as12 this that's on the side here, showing those things and13 showing actually the ownership and the way that the14 lands had transpired over the years.15 Governor Corzine's Executive Order 122, it16 still stands valid in the State of New Jersey, as well17 as the changes that we just saw with the state plan18 require the protection of these things that we call19 ceremonial stone landscapes and I'm sure that many of20 you have probably seen them.21 Ceremonial stone landscape is just as22 important as the Wailing Wall is and I, a Ramapough23 Indian, whose ancestors roamed upon this land before24 contact was to go there and do anything to deface that,25 56 what would happen to me. Right. And that's what we1 have here. We're sitting on the precipice of ruining2 forever the prayers of our ancestors have placed in a3 particular way. Whether it was to communicate from this4 mountain to the other mountain to the other mountain.5 If it was to communicate all the way over to what we6 call the Hudson River nowadays. It's imperative that7 this Planning Board, in my opinion, puts back in place8 any of those protections that you had that so far, in my9 understanding, that are not there, like completely10 removing all those trees. And as you heard before those11 trees are living and they communicate and I know that12 you all know about mycelium, right. And psilocybin. It13 is the same exact thing, right. So imagine me coming14 into your community and cutting down one of your15 relatives. Imagine the pain

ow that12 you all know about mycelium, right. And psilocybin. It13 is the same exact thing, right. So imagine me coming14 into your community and cutting down one of your15 relatives. Imagine the pain that you would feel. I'm16 running short on time, even though we don't have a word17 for it, but I just want to bring a couple things to18 mention and I want to read something, if I may have19 permission to do so.20 Back in the early 1900's the Ramapough21 people, the Ramapough Munsee people, were subjugated to22 what's become known as genocide or eugenics, right. And23 the Vineland Training School in New Jersey actually24 studied our people and came up with 18 different ways to25