More than a century ago, the governors of New Jersey and New York decided that the great cliffs along the lower Hudson River deserved protection from builders, quarries and homesteaders. They wanted a long, green stretch of those palisades to be “beyond the reach of devastation.”

Now, the natural beauty of the Palisades Interstate Park is being threatened by plans for a new corporate tower nearby. LG Electronics USA is planning to build an office tower four times higher than the 35-foot limit normally allowed in the area. The building, sitting just west of the park in Englewood Cliffs, would rise far above the tree line and be visible across the Hudson River from Fort Tryon Park in Upper Manhattan.

Officials in Englewood Cliffs approved this zoning variation, but as word spread about the tower, opposition has grown. Earlier this month, four former governors of New Jersey — Thomas Kean, Christine Todd Whitman, James Florio and Brendan Byrne — sent a letter to the vice chairman of LG Electronics in South Korea asking the company to reduce the building’s 143-foot height to under 35 feet. They said they are “concerned that this tower would not only interrupt the historic, natural vista enjoyed by millions, but would also set a precedent for greater building heights stretching northward along these iconic cliffs, eroding the unique American landmark of the Palisades.” The 27-acre site is large enough for a substantial low-rise office complex that would fit the company’s needs.

Two weeks ago, Judith Enck, regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency, revoked the agency’s stamp of approval because the tower would mar the beauty of the Palisades. She said she arrived at her decision after her office realized that the proposal “would be like building an office tower on the rim of the Grand Canyon.” The company would be serving history, the environment and its corporate image if it agreed to a new plan.