Open Trails NJ

Here’s what we found:

• The cameras are being operated by non-police personnel, without oversight from the State Park Police.
• Cameras are aimed not at sensitive ecological areas, but at recently closed roads — raising questions about their intent.
• The DEP conducted no legal review, no privacy assessment, and issued no internal authorizations or approvals for this surveillance.
• Cameras were screwed into live trees, a direct violation of DEP’s own code (N.J.A.C. 7:2-2.18(d)), which forbids the public from doing the same.
• Photos and videos are being sent to unknown DEP personnel, with no indication of data security, privacy protections, or chain-of-custody safeguards.

OTNJ supports responsible stewardship of our forests. But this is surveillance without rules — and it violates the same policies the DEP enforces on the public.

We’re calling on state legislators and oversight bodies to investigate this unauthorized program.

Want to take action or learn more? Visit opentrailsnj.org or follow us for updates.Guiding your business through the project

The Details and Evidence

Unlike other organizations, OTNJ does not make claims without evidence, we bring the receipts. OTNJ submitted 3 OPRA requests which covered what was purchased, what reviews or privacy assessments were done and what reviews or waivers were given to bypass the DEP’s own direction on screwing things into trees. Below are the details of those:

What Was Purchased

Open Public Records Request #1:

Please provide all related expenditures, contracts, invoices, or purchase orders of all Spypoint Micro LTE cameras or similar field-deployable trail cameras purchased, leased, or deployed by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), State Park Service, or Division of Fish & Wildlife from January 1, 2020 to present, for use in Wharton State Forest.

Include the same information for any solar panels, mounts, memory cards, or accessories related to such systems.Additionally, include any contracts, quotes, or agreements entered into with vendors or service providers for the supply, maintenance, or data services related to these cameras.This request is strictly limited to equipment procurement and administrative expenditures and does not seek operational or investigative records.

Open Public Records Request #1 Results:

Date	Item	Qty	Cost
9/5/21	SD Card 16GB	1	$14.97
9/5/21	Game Camera	1	$99.99
9/5/21	Game Camera	1	$99.99
9/9/21	Micro SD Cards 32 GB	2	$11.94
2/17/23	Micro SD Cards 32 GB	10	$49.96
2/17/23	Spypoint Link-Micro-LTE Twin Pack	8	$689.88
2/17/23	Trail Cam mounts	6	$85.89
3/13/23	Spypoint Recharchable Batter Packs	6	$299.94
3/13/23	48 pack AA batteries	2	$32.30
7/19/23	Spypoint Link-Micro-LTE Twin Pack	8	$467.96
7/19/23	Trail Cam mounts	8	$43.98
10/23/23	Bingfu 4g LTE Camera Antenna	4	$13.85
2/2/24	SpyPoint Flex G-36	4	$229.99
2/10/24	SpyPoint Flex G-37	4	$229.99
2/12/24	SD Card  32GB	10	$62.14
2/12/24	100 Pack AA Batteries	1	$73.14
2/12/24	Camera Tree Mount	2	$33.60
3/13/24	Trail Cam mounts	2	$33.60
	Total		$2,573.11

What Reviews Occured

Open Public Records Request #2

Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA), N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq., I respectfully request access to the following records:

1. Any authorizations, approvals, or internal memoranda from January 1, 2020 to present issued by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) or State Park Service that authorized the deployment and operation of cameras (e.g., trail cameras, surveillance cameras, motion-activated cameras) to monitor public activity or access within New Jersey state parks or forests. This request specifically pertains to activities undertaken by the State Park Service staff (non-State Park Police personnel), including regional superintendents such as those operating within the Southern Region.
2. Any privacy impact assessments, legal reviews, risk assessments, or policy analyses conducted prior to, or in connection with, the deployment of these cameras by State Park Service staff.
3. Any communications, directives, or administrative orders outlining the legal authority or justification relied upon by State Park Service personnel for the placement and operation of such cameras.

If no such authorizations, assessments, or formal policies exist, I respectfully request confirmation that no responsive documents are available.

This request is strictly focused on policy, authorization, and compliance documents and does not seek operational surveillance data or investigative records.

For context, this request relates to similar subject matter as OPRA Request #374065.

I kindly request that responsive records be provided electronically where possible. If clarification or narrowing of the request would facilitate a more efficient response, I am willing to confer and revise accordingly.

Open Public Records Request #2 Results:

“Based on the record request, no responsive records have been identified.”

What this means: In plain terms, that means they have no documents, policies, or approvals related to the cameras, not that they’re withholding them under an exemption.

This isn’t a case where records exist but are confidential – they’re saying nothing exists at all.

Approvals to Screw Cameras into Trees

Open Public Records Request #3

Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (OPRA), N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq., I respectfully request access to the following records:

1. Any internal policies, procedures, memoranda, directives, or communications issued by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), State Park Service, or Division of Fish & Wildlife from January 1, 2020 to present that discuss or authorize the attaching of equipment (e.g., cameras, brackets, mounts) to live trees within New Jersey state parks or forests.
2. Any Land Management Reviews (LMRs) or similar documentation conducted or approved by the DEP related to the installation or use of cameras or other equipment in Wharton State Forest, particularly those that address tree-mounted equipment or alterations to the natural environment.
3. Any exemptions, waivers, or written justifications that allow DEP staff, contractors, or partner organizations to attach equipment to trees in ways that may differ from public use rules — specifically as related to N.J.A.C. 7:2-2.18(d), which prohibits the public from affixing items to trees. This request is informed in part by the DEP’s own published interpretation of N.J.A.C. 7:2-2.18(d), as outlined at: https://nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/treestandpolicy.html, which reinforces that affixing items to trees is prohibited for the public.
4. Any environmental impact statements, inspection logs, or site assessments that evaluate the effect of attaching equipment to trees in Wharton State Forest or other state-managed lands.

For context, this request relates to similar subject matter as OPRA Request #374065.

If these documents are available electronically, I request digital copies. If clarification is needed, I am happy to revise or narrow the scope of this request.

Open Public Records Request #3 Results:

“Based on the record request, no responsive records have been identified.”

What this means: In plain terms, that means they have no documents, policies, or waivers related to hanging the cameras, not that they’re withholding them under an exemption. 

This isn’t a case where records exist but are confidential – they’re saying nothing exists at all.