Bass River Fire Tower proposal
- Thread starter lj762
- Start date
How much is an acre of pines worth? Back in 2006, I watched them clear about two acres of very nice woods to build a McMansion next to my home on Atsion Rd in Medford (that is why I moved away). It was pretty startling, took around two days IIRC, maybe a third day to finish grinding. Everything went into a huge hopper and there was a mountain of wood chips in a field of mud when they were done. Not pretty.
I was thinking that those trees weren't worth much, since they just ground them up instead of hauling them away. What are wood chips worth? Again, I assume not much, because a couple miles from my home here there's a big mountain that the town leaves, apparently for anyone who wants it. Often see people loading up their trucks.
I was thinking that those trees weren't worth much, since they just ground them up instead of hauling them away. What are wood chips worth? Again, I assume not much, because a couple miles from my home here there's a big mountain that the town leaves, apparently for anyone who wants it. Often see people loading up their trucks.
Not that it matters, LOL, but this is what the woods looked like when I moved to that home in Medford
https://online.boydsmaps.com/#17/39.83029/-74.80368/pines1995bw
And here is it with the McMansions. Actually forgot, they built two side-by-side, they had to get a variance because the lots were too small. Ugh.
https://online.boydsmaps.com/#17/39.83029/-74.80368/njgin2006
(BTW, if those links don't work, it's because the elves are moving the maps to a new server this weekend
)
https://online.boydsmaps.com/#17/39.83029/-74.80368/pines1995bw
And here is it with the McMansions. Actually forgot, they built two side-by-side, they had to get a variance because the lots were too small. Ugh.
https://online.boydsmaps.com/#17/39.83029/-74.80368/njgin2006
(BTW, if those links don't work, it's because the elves are moving the maps to a new server this weekend
)Not that it matters, LOL, but this is what the woods looked like when I moved to that home in Medford
https://online.boydsmaps.com/#17/39.83029/-74.80368/pines1995bw
And here is it with the McMansions. Actually forgot, they built two side-by-side, they had to get a variance because the lots were too small. Ugh.
https://online.boydsmaps.com/#17/39.83029/-74.80368/njgin2006
(BTW, if those links don't work, it's because the elves are moving the maps to a new server this weekend
Very much Ugh. My dad bought a small house on the bay in Stone Harbor in the 1950's that started out as a garage. Most houses there were modest summer cottages surrounded with local shrubs and small trees. We sold the house in 2001. It was enlarged into a fancier place, resold, and whole thing torn down 5-6 years ago. Now an enormous, ostentatious 2-story, completely covering the lot.
Similar construction throughout 7-mile beach, large homes more suited to a city suburb than a barrier island. Built all the way out to the protected area at Stone Harbor Point.
I only go there off-season now, for birds and fish. And to swim in creeks.
Sandy was a big factor in the vertical movement in the shore towns. Insurance pretty much mandated new construction go up and owners took advantage to the limit. Sandy took care of the demolition. My wife's parents built a Sears mail order home after the war. After some storms her father and Uncle raised it one level, garage underneath. It was sold in the 90's.
Speaking of dirt bikes.... Shortly after I moved there, I came home from work and police were there with helicopters hovering over the woods. They were telling everyone to stay in their homes. A kid murdered his Mom in a house around Gravelly Hollow Rd (?) It was awful, he killed her because she wouldn't give him money to buy cigarettes, and he sped away on a dirt bike. A little kid was just in the wrong place on his bicycle somewhere around Kings Grant and got killed too. That was quite a "welcome to the neighborhood". 
OK, sorry for the thread hijack.
OK, sorry for the thread hijack.
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@Boyd I know this is 30 years late but I want to apologize to you for all my dirt bike noise. I spent a lot of time going up and down those powerlines!
That's funny. My daughter was looking at a house right here 3 weeks ago, and I said she should not do it, that the kids would be up and down that powerline in ATV's. So she gave it up.
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With the exception of cedar, trees in and around the "barrens" are worthless, there is no market. If there happen to be useful trees on a building lot there is not enough quantity to make logging profitable. The keyword here is logging which was done, not bulldozing just to clear the land. I worked for a paper and lumber company almost 50 years ago in Maine, but the company owned the land and harvested the trees themselves. If a private landowner has trees the company wanted they made an offer to buy the trees not charge the owner to take the trees. If the trees to be removed involved 1 or 2 acres then I would agree there is not enough volume to make logging profitable, but 16+ acres?
Back to cedar again. How much does the state pay to local lumber mills to harvest the trees on public property? Why are some cedar "swamps" privately owned knowing they can never develop the "swamp"? It isn't to "save" the green tail tree frog. Perhaps I'm not getting thru or folks just don't want to hear it. I feel so sorry for the little logging company that had to rent equipment, truck the logs to a mill and incurring normal operating expenses.
Again, it's a done deal. I'm just expressing my anger over how this was handled and yes I've bent over once again.
Back to cedar again. How much does the state pay to local lumber mills to harvest the trees on public property? Why are some cedar "swamps" privately owned knowing they can never develop the "swamp"? It isn't to "save" the green tail tree frog. Perhaps I'm not getting thru or folks just don't want to hear it. I feel so sorry for the little logging company that had to rent equipment, truck the logs to a mill and incurring normal operating expenses.
Again, it's a done deal. I'm just expressing my anger over how this was handled and yes I've bent over once again.
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I think you are getting through. You are angry and frustrated about how the state conducts its business. That is understandable, and many of us feel the same. However, I'm trying to put all of that on hold, because anger and frustration about things beyond my control just doesn't help during these difficult times. We'll have plenty of time for that when the crisis is over. Frankly, right now, I'd rather hear about @c1nj 's dirt bike and @bobpbx 's daughter.
I'm not trying to make light of legitimate concerns about the management of our public lands. And certainly not telling you what to think or what to post here. Just my thoughts on a cloudy Saturday morning. Thanks for the info about the value of trees, that is interesting.
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I think it would also look bad if they did the "burning, disking, and drum chopping" as originally said. But then they were going to plant native trees, and I assume within a few years it would start to look like a forest again. Only shorter. But now, with them leaving it as is, what do you think it will look like in 1 year, 2 years, or 5 years?
Here's a picture taken last month. This is area is not visible from the road. That dark gap between trees in the middle is where the hiking trail used to be.
Here's a picture taken last month. This is area is not visible from the road. That dark gap between trees in the middle is where the hiking trail used to be.
An another note, related to this thread: Remember the pictures we saw of the obstructed view from the tower, used as justification for tree clearing? Have you seen any pictures of the view from the tower now? Neither have I. I think the news sources that wrote articles about the clearing being done missed this angle. "Can we see what it looks like from up there now?" would have been a good question to ask.
Take a walk at Double Trouble SP and see the handiwork done there, 25 acres of cedar left in nicely stacked rows. It was supposed to be booty for the logger and sold.
25 Acres Of Sandy-Pummeled Atlantic White Cedars In Double Trouble Coming Down
Tract is being cleared because of dangerous conditions
patch.com
NJPineBarrens Maps
maps.njpinebarrens.com
I haven't been there, are the trees stilled piled up and rotting? Perhaps the trees are too small for any commercial value. You'd at least think a requirement would have been to chip the residue. Did anyone take notice this was the same company that did the fire tower clearing?
This is disgusting. unfortunately, it's inevitable: think of what the barrens will be like in 100 years. current world population is 7.8 billion. It's projected to be 10.9 billion in just 80 years. Where will everyone live? They will live in places which are now rural like the Barrens. Just look at how the Barrens were in 1920 to see what I mean. Our favorite haunts will be gone after we are gone, especially with the amount of money to be made in real estate development and construction.
That doesn't mean we should let it happen without a fight. Many western states have successful open space programs (with very significant acreage) created by local governments. NJ townships can do the same with the right leadership.