As per my conversation with a representative of the park about 5 minutes ago. This was done completely in the dark of night as there is no mention of it on their website, nor even a map available of what is still accessible. I'd like to say that I'm shocked by what the Division of Parks and Forestry is doing, but I guess I'm really not at this point. Just last May I led a group of friends who had never been to the area before on a two day tour of Stokes and the Water Gap and had mapped routes to a couple of old farmsteads long reclaimed by the forest that will now require miles of hiking to get to. Not to mention the difficulties this will present for hunting this fall. I'm almost afraid to see what the National Park Service might do on their adjoining lands. Crater Lake, quite possibly the finest swimming hole in NJ is located at the very end of a 3 mile long dirt track and is the first lake my daughter ever swam in. No lifeguards, no "designated swimming area," and no crowds-you can even *GASP* legally drink a beer there since it's federal land. Access to Crater was blocked for two years after Hurricane Irene and the NPS took forever to fix the roads-I was amazed when they finally did.
I think at this point none of us have any reason to believe that Bass River, Lebanon, and other State Forests won't be next, provided the roads haven't been closed already without any notice to the public whatsoever. Getting back to Stokes, I kept my composure on the phone with the representative from the Forest office, but was pretty clearly stating my displeasure. She of course, stated that, "the fourwheelers" were the reason for the closure and that the trails were still accessible for hiking and biking. When I reiterated what a shame it was that the roads were closed and that the fact that no notice was given to the public was not very transparent, she pressed me "Well, do you want to go off-roading?" in an accusatory tone. I explained to her that I've been to Stokes many times, driven my truck to remote parts of the forest, parked it, and embarked on a hike from there, fished out of the way streams and ponds, and just used my vehicle to support my outdoor activities rather than just tearing up the land, but it's clear to the Division, all motorized vehicle use is considered to be nefarious and destructive in nature.
I think at this point none of us have any reason to believe that Bass River, Lebanon, and other State Forests won't be next, provided the roads haven't been closed already without any notice to the public whatsoever. Getting back to Stokes, I kept my composure on the phone with the representative from the Forest office, but was pretty clearly stating my displeasure. She of course, stated that, "the fourwheelers" were the reason for the closure and that the trails were still accessible for hiking and biking. When I reiterated what a shame it was that the roads were closed and that the fact that no notice was given to the public was not very transparent, she pressed me "Well, do you want to go off-roading?" in an accusatory tone. I explained to her that I've been to Stokes many times, driven my truck to remote parts of the forest, parked it, and embarked on a hike from there, fished out of the way streams and ponds, and just used my vehicle to support my outdoor activities rather than just tearing up the land, but it's clear to the Division, all motorized vehicle use is considered to be nefarious and destructive in nature.
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