Author: jdruding

  • Reminder of the November 5th Public Meeting on the MAP program

    Just a reminder of the November 5th public meeting on the MAP program. The meeting will be held on 11/5 at 6:30 PM at Hammonton High School. We are told you are still able to register by calling 609-704-1964 or by emailing whartonmapcomments@dep.nj.gov. Tell the DEP that you support their new commitment to engaging the…

  • Open Trails Ideas for Wharton State Forest

    As posted about recently, Open Trails participated in the Stakeholder forums for the redevelopment of the M.A.P. plan.  Leading up to this forum, we consulted with members of many different groups and developed an approach that we think all users of the forest can support, which does not involve mass closures. You can review the…

  • Update on MAP Plan and Stakeholder Forum

    The Stakeholder forum meeting went very well. There were lots of great ideas shared and great interaction with the DEP. Also, in a show of goodwill and commitment to his word, Commissioner Martin has ordered that ALL the newly posted no motor vehicles be removed by the end of the day. HOWEVER, it is more…

  • Open Trails NJ to Participate in Stakeholder Forum, 10/22

    Open Trails NJ will be participating in the Wharton State Forest Stakeholder Forum on 10/22.  We will be advocating continued responsible use of Wharton State Forest for all outdoor enthusiasts.  Some of of the key points we will be promoting are: All USGS defined roads should remain open unless they meet objective, agreed upon, criteria…

  • Outstanding News From the Office of the Commissioner- A clean slate!

    Our friends at the NJOA have shared some excellent news from the DEP Commissioner, Bob Martin.   The DEP has heard the publics voice.  Effective immediately, the MAP Plan is suspended indefinitely.  All roads that were recently closed that do not pose a public safety risk or expose sensitive areas will be reopened.  Further,  from…

  • The Story of How Open Trails NJ Came to Be

    We have so many new followers that are discovering Open Trails NJ, we thought we would tell the story of how our group came to be.  Please see the link below for the inspiring story. The Story of How Open Trails NJ Came to Be

  • Please register with us!

    Please register with us at http://www.opentrailsnj.org.  If you are on mobile, the register link is at the bottom of the page. If you are on a PC/Mac, the link is in the black side bar at the bottom left of the page.  Or you can click here to go directly to the registration page. Also, please follow us on…

  • A Beautiful Weekend For Outdoor Activities

    Hope you all enjoyed this beautiful fall weekend, doing all the outdoor activities you appreciate. This photo was taken by a member of the Open Trails team yesterday at Batsto, doing one of the activities he enjoys, photography. The leadership of Open Trails NJ participate in a broad range of activities including hiking, kayaking, geocaching,…

  • Please Sign this Petition

    The DEP has agreed to hold Stakeholder forums and a public meeting on the M.A.P.; however, we are gravely concerned with their approach. Instead of following through with their commitment to truly work with the stakeholders, they are instead starting with the M.A.P., and asking the stakeholders to defend their needs to the DEP.  Please…

  • We need your help!

    The DEP has indicated that many of the roads that were closed by the Motorized Access Plan (M.A.P) were either damaged or not really roads, however, we know this is not true We need your help documenting roads that are proposed to be closed but that are clear, and undamaged.   Head out out to your…