What message is the DEP sending? The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) needs to hear to from
you. Otherwise, they will think only people in trucks and ATVs care about what
happens to the largest state-protected forest in New Jersey!
The DEP has been struggling to implement a motorized access plan for
Wharton State Forest as a first step in overcoming decades of
abuse.
Yet - last week DEP management
ordered the removal of signs like you see here. Now river banks and habitat for threatened
species appear to open to abuse by motor vehicles once
again.
If you care about New Jersey's State Forests and their plants, wildlife and
the rights of citizens to enjoy some parts of the forests without motorbikes,
jeeps and trucks please take action
today!
Nov. 5th Public Meeting ~ RSVP by Oct. 28th |
Please attend the public meeting at Hammonton High
School, 566 Old Forks Rd, Hammonton NJ 08037. This is a very important meeting
for the Motorized Access Plan for Wharton State Forest. It starts
at 6:30 pm.
You MUST register to attend this
meeting by October 28th.
To register email whartonmapcomments@dep.nj.gov. Tell
them you support the Motorized Access Plan for Wharton State Forest and you want
to attend the November 5th meeting. You can also call them at 609-704-1964.
Email us so we know you are coming - you can reply to this
email.
If you can't attend - please send an
email or call the NJ DEP and tell them that you support the Motorized Access
Plan for Wharton State
Forest.
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This isn't just about Wharton State Forest - it is about
all parks and forests in the state of New Jersey and how we protect our natural
resources in an increasingly crowded state. Wharton State Forest must have a detailed map for its
visitors showing where people can drive their vehicles legally. And it must be
accompanied by signs in the state forest itself. There is no getting around the following
facts:
#1 - Informal trails to river banks, go-arounds, fire service push
cuts to wetlands, and informal ATV playgrounds must be closed
immediately. These are not official roads and their use by trucks and
ATVs is causing great damage. Even the most minimal responsible stewardship
requires these to be closed to motor vehicles.
#2 - Some sand roads are being abused, riddled with puddles that
get deeper every time a truck (or even a vehicle of any type) drives through or
spins its tires. These must be closed until they are made safe and
there is a sustainable plan to protect them over time. This kind of damage
keeps responsible visitors out and prevents emergency services from using these
roads, posing a threat to us all.
#3 - There are some sand roads in exceptional places that should be
closed to motorized vehicles because of their great natural resource value for
wildlife and plants. Unfettered access year round to these special
natural areas harms rare wildlife and plants, damages wetlands and encourages
off-road driving into critical habitats.
#4 - Law enforcement is essential - the State Park Police has not
effectively enforced motorized vehicle and other rules in Wharton State
Forest, in part because of lack of will and in part because there are
too many sand roads and trails for the police to monitor. A well-publicized
access plan is essential to getting effective enforcement against damaging and
illegal activities.
#5 - The Forest Fire Service, hunters, horseback riders and other
recreationists agree with these proposals, but their voices are being drowned
out by "official" representatives whose primary goal is to promote
truck and ATV recreation in all parts of Wharton State Forest, without respect
for natural resources or the interests of those who enjoy the forest in other
ways than driving.
#6 - Wharton State Forest must have a detailed map for its
visitors clearly showing where vehicles can and cannot go and what
behaviors, motorized and non-motorized, are permitted in the State
Forest.
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On A Personal Note:
I was out on a hike with a friend in Wharton State Forest last weekend. As we headed out to one of our favorite spots we noticed a few signs that said No Motor Vehicles barring vehicles from driving down into the Mullica River.
There was a sense of relaxation as we turned off Batsto Fireline Road
towards Mullica River Beaver Pond and passed one of these signs. Since the sign
had been installed earlier in the summer, there were no tire tracks in the sand
- just footprints and a single bicycle track.
We saw a big truck pull up to the sign, stop - and then continue on its
way. The driver apparently had no interest in a place he or she could not drive
into!
The sign worked. We also met a man who spends a great deal of time running
in Wharton State Forest. We talked about the absence of trucks and cars from
the river bank, and he said "Isn't this great!" He had also seen the signs work
in other parts of Wharton this summer and fall.
Unfortunately, DEP management ordered this and other similar signs
removed last Thursday, perhaps forever, perhaps just until a final plan is
adopted. It's a terrible shame to see the river bank opened up again to those
who will abuse this beautiful place.
The Motorized Access Plan is supposed to balance the needs of the users
with the needs of the ecosystem, and the needs of motorized vehicle drivers with
other forms of recreation.
I hope you will take action today and share this with your friends and
family. Wharton and all of New Jersey State Forests are already suffering
severe damage.
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