Author: jdruding
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Clean Up at Bass River State Forest
Thank you to all who participated in the clean up of Bass River State Forest in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Over 20 yards of trash, construction debris, tires, and TVs were removed. This project was funded by a grant from Tread Lightly! without a single tax payer dollar. Please consider…
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OTNJ Launches Petition Against New Road Closures
Please sign our petition! As promised, our petition is now available. The results will be delivered to the Governor, DEP leadership, legislators and municipality leadership. Note: please include your town so that the results can be delivered to the right district and municipality. Sign the Petition!
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The 2024 Map IS the 2015 MAP.
The 2024 Map IS the 2015 MAP. The DEP received 1,610 surveys. The illustration indicates which roads were open on the two maps. Did the DEP take even ONE of those surveys into consideration? Doesn’t seem like it, does it?
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DEP Map Open House 1/24 12-7:00 PM Batsto Visitor Center
On January 24th, from 12-7:00 PM, the DEP is holding an open house at the Batsto Visitor Center to review a proposed map that will restrict access to Wharton State Forest. If you care about your access to Wharton State Forest, you need to attend this meeting and provide your input. This is a link…
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Take Action: Comment on “Outside, Together”
Take Action Today! The state recently released “Outside, Together”, the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP). This effort is separate from the survey that was releases last fall and the plan to develop a new map or a permit system. That being said the state is asking for feedback and we should take this opportunity…
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DEP Announces Next Round of Meetings on Wharton Access and Permits
Important! The State is planning on having its next meeting on February 8th. It is critically important that you participate and demand that no roads should be closed and permits are not acceptable. https://nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2023/23_0006.htm?fbclid=IwAR3oUONzS72LQGxNYPuwEp0ETNl8k2b8UH5lN-ajeknEJzC89PXBtlQUPew
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Contact Your Representatives
Concerned about new permits and roads being closed? So are we. Let’s ask our elected officials to help! We created this page to help you with finding and contacting your elected representatives. (Governor, State Senators, Mayors and the DEP) If we don’t ALL act, we shouldn’t be surprised by the results. Post below to let…
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Wharton Usage Survey Released
The Wharton usage survey has been released! There are only 30 days to submit your input (Closes 10/28). PLEASE take your time and be as detailed as possible with your submission. Important Tips: Mark as many locations as possible but DO NOT just “circle the whole map” Do you record your tracks in a GPS…
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Recording of 9/27 Virtual Meeting has been posted
The recording of the stakeholder meeting has been released. If you have not seen this, you need to watch it and get ready to provide feedback within 30 days. In the coming days, OTNJ will provide some guidance and resources on how you can help. Keep an eye on our page for details. We also…
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New Wharton State Forest Stakeholder Meeting Coming Up!
As we have heard over the last several months, the State is beginning a stakeholder engagement process to evaluate changes to access to Wharton State Forest including a map and permit system. OTNJ is considered one of the stakeholders and we will be keeping everyone informed of what we learn and how the public can…