When the United States was founded, the East Coast's land was divvied up to such a degree that there's almost no public lands. And what public lands there are on that side of the country have been piecemealed together into small locales so as to not upset the landowners or take too much available land away from them.
So while you get hundreds of thousands of acres, or even millions, in the West, the East's public lands are minuscule in comparison. We're talking a couple thousand to a hundred thousand acres. It's public land, for sure, just not that much.
Why the history and geography lessons? Well, because whenever something comes up about Eastern public lands, it's assuredly a hot-button issue for all those involved, given they don't have much to begin with. Everyone has to use it together. The hunters, fishermen, hikers, backpackers, recreators, off-roaders, and campers. Everyone has a stake.
And that's why it becomes so heated, as there isn't that much to go around. And that's absolutely the case with New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection closing hundreds of miles of off-highway roads and trails in the heart of the Wharton State Forest.
Now I've talked a lot about how everyone who uses the outdoors needs to come together, put aside our differences, and protect what we all love. And that when we divide the group and only think of how one individual group uses the land, and that it's more important or better than others, we'll end up losing ground to those who wish to see public lands split, sold, and strip-mined.
That seems to somewhat be the case here.
The Wharton State Forest encompasses 124,000 acres of public land. It's used by hikers, fishermen and hunters, campers, bird watchers, and off-roaders. And all have coexisted with one another, not always on the up and up, for as long as everyone can remember.
But the state's Department of Environmental Protection has had a far more contentious relationship with the residents who use the tract of public land, putting forth a number of proposals to close off sections of trails and roads that repeatedly don't take into account public discourse, fail certain measures it sets, and push through regulations that inhibit the use of said public land. All of which culminates in the closing of off-road trails everyone uses.
One such point of contention between the recreaters and DEP came after adopting new regulations in 2015 that closed 250 miles of road, ones the public didn't even have a say on. Or at least, the DEP didn't care to weigh the public's outrage into. Ultimately, however, the department had to issue an apology and retract the plan completely after residents and local groups protested the department's actions.
"We want to apologize for the way the plan was rolled out and developed,” said DEP Manager of Constituent Services Kerry Kirkpflugh to a group of constituents at a local high school meeting at the time and reported by The Press of Atlantic City, adding, “We are starting from scratch working with stakeholders and all of you to develop a map.”
But that hasn't stopped the department from continually moving toward attempting to reduce the number of roads within the state forest. In fact, opponents to the new regulations and DEP-directed accessible roadways, say the new 2024 map is almost identical to the 2015 map the DEP had to apologize for. The new map, however, is now the law of the land and it closed around 300 miles of off-road roadways. And, wouldn't you know, people are pissed.
"Given the shattered public trust, there is no path forward on this current plan," starts Open Trails New Jersey, one of the grassroots organizations attempting to block these new rules, adding, "The DEP must scrap this 2024 map and adopt the topographical maps that were codified by the Pinelands Commission. The DEP should re-reread the feedback it has already received and, instead of asking the public to justify which roads are needed, the DEP needs to justify to the public each road they believe needs to be closed, individually. We the citizens of your state, districts and municipalities are asking you to take any action within your power to force the DEP to scrap the 2024 map and start over."
Yet, here's where the contention between the outdoor groups comes into play.
According to New Jersey Spotlight News, "The new map is the culmination of a long-running debate over how to balance public access and environmental protection in Wharton. The 124,000-acre tract of land has long been a popular draw for off-road enthusiasts, and many of the winding dirt roads have allowed hunters and fishers to access prized spots. But other users who pursue more passive recreation, like hiking or bird watching, have long raised safety concerns about sharing with vehicles, and conservation groups have documented how illegal off-road has severely harmed sensitive ecosystems in the forest." Emphasis mine.
That last bit is where the DEP signals its hand, as well as those residents who support DEP's closure of the roads. Now, I'm all for conservation. And land and ecosystems absolutely need to be protected. And we could all do way better with ensuring we leave these wild places better. But the proponents of this plan seem to only want their form of recreation to be allowed, and that's not kosher in my book.
First and foremost, not everyone can use their legs and mechanized recreation allows them to explore our natural wonders too. And whether that's on the back of a dirtbike, an ATV, a UTV, or in an off-road capable SUV or truck, who am I to limit their ability to go out and have fun? I will say that I agree that the off-roaders who deliberately go off trails, attempt to establish new trails, and generally cause damage just for damage's sake, as has been levied against the off-roaders here, should be singled out, fined to within an inch of their lives, and have their access restricted or completely taken away. Again, we need to protect these areas and if you can't do that, enhanced enforcement is the way to go.
Second, we should be coming together, not fighting amongst ourselves and reducing the number of people who use the outdoors. Especially right freakin' now, when our public lands are so severely under threat. Those who hate the idea of public lands will just use our reduced voices to their advantage and then we'll have nothing left. And how will you feel then?
Right now, New Jersey residents are once again mounting a grassroots campaign to fight for your public lands. They're calling on the state's Governor Phil Murphy, the DEP Commissioner, and state legislators, as well as those in local municipalities, to halt these closures. However, as of right now, those new regulations are on the books and law enforcement has said it'll begin enforcing them.
Hopefully, public lands prevail once again.
