Popular state-run Bull’s Island Recreation Area on the Delaware River in Hunterdon County has been all but closed for the year and half of popular camping grounds will never reopen, the Department of Environmental Protection announced Thursday.
Day use activities in the southern section of the recreation area, including the boat ramp and picnic area, will remain open.
Citing the danger of trees falling on campers due to flood-soaked roots and debris, the DEP’s Division of Parks and Forestry has decided to permanently close the campground at the northern end and the campground at the southern end will remain closed until at least the spring of 2013. Plans call for the removal of weakened trees and the restoration of the northern section to a natural state.
Campground access roads will not be rebuilt and the bath house and other campground features will be removed. Public access will be restored for passive recreation only.
A tree health assessment found that the northern campground is susceptible to silt buildup from repeated floods that weakened roots of trees in this area.
"Based on this examination and more frequent flooding, we determined that the prudent course is to permanently close the upper river campground area and restore it to a natural state," DEP Assistant Commissioner Amy Cradic said.
Cradic said Parks and Forestry will ultimately reopen the northern area for passive recreation only. She said the southern campground will be closed this season to allow for further tree risk assessment.
Meanwhile, Parks and Forestry is evaluating the acquisition of land away from the river for a new campground to replace the sites lost by the permanent closure of the northern campground.
The DEP conducted a tree health assessment after a Somerset County man died when a sycamore tree fell on his tent in the northern portion of the campground in June. A DEP contractor found that repeated flooding caused an accumulation of soil around the bases of the trees, which may have stressed the trees' root systems.
http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/st...pgrounds-closed-for-year-half-never-to-reopen
Day use activities in the southern section of the recreation area, including the boat ramp and picnic area, will remain open.
Citing the danger of trees falling on campers due to flood-soaked roots and debris, the DEP’s Division of Parks and Forestry has decided to permanently close the campground at the northern end and the campground at the southern end will remain closed until at least the spring of 2013. Plans call for the removal of weakened trees and the restoration of the northern section to a natural state.
Campground access roads will not be rebuilt and the bath house and other campground features will be removed. Public access will be restored for passive recreation only.
A tree health assessment found that the northern campground is susceptible to silt buildup from repeated floods that weakened roots of trees in this area.
"Based on this examination and more frequent flooding, we determined that the prudent course is to permanently close the upper river campground area and restore it to a natural state," DEP Assistant Commissioner Amy Cradic said.
Cradic said Parks and Forestry will ultimately reopen the northern area for passive recreation only. She said the southern campground will be closed this season to allow for further tree risk assessment.
Meanwhile, Parks and Forestry is evaluating the acquisition of land away from the river for a new campground to replace the sites lost by the permanent closure of the northern campground.
The DEP conducted a tree health assessment after a Somerset County man died when a sycamore tree fell on his tent in the northern portion of the campground in June. A DEP contractor found that repeated flooding caused an accumulation of soil around the bases of the trees, which may have stressed the trees' root systems.
http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/st...pgrounds-closed-for-year-half-never-to-reopen