Four former governors who opposed a new natural-gas pipeline project through the heart of the Pinelands have now come out against a controversial nominee to the Pinelands Commission.

In a joint letter, Republican Govs. Thomas Kean and Christine Whitman and Democratic Govs. Brendan Byrne and James Florio urged the full Senate to withhold the confirmation of Robert Barr to replace Robert Jackson on the commission.

The opposition of the four governors is highly unusual since they rarely, if ever, weigh in on nominations by a sitting executive. In this case, it appears to reflect their worries about the future of the Pinelands and the independence of other executive commissions.

Read the rest of the article here.