Closed to Mortorized Vehicles

[ecampbell]

A large section of the pines was being posted this morning at 9AM. The usual paper and wooden signs. It is still going on as I write this. We passed many vehicles, not all were state, involved in this at the Batsto Bridge at Hampton Furnace on our way home from our walk. It shuts down 1/4 mile and considerably more. The area is bounded by The Batsto River at HF, heading east along the HF HC Road to High Crossing, south along Tuckerton Rd, west alog Push Line to Lower forge. I don't know if you can still drive to Devious or Manis Duck Pond off of Push Line. Earlier this week there was a new wooden sigh installed at the intersection of Push Line and LF at the access road to the camp.

High Crossing

 

[manumuskin]

So it begins.The flogging of the many because of the behavior of a few.

 

[46er]

A large section of the pines was being posted this morning at 9AM. The usual paper and wooden signs. It is still going on as I write this. We passed many vehicles, not all were state, involved in this at the Batsto Bridge at Hampton Furnace on our way home from our walk. It shuts down 1/4 mile and considerably more. The area is bounded by The Batsto River at HF, heading east along the HF HC Road to High Crossing, south along Tuckerton Rd, west alog Push Line to Lower forge. I don't know if you can still drive to Devious or Manis Duck Pond off of Push Line. Earlier this week there was a new wooden sigh installed at the intersection of Push Line and LF at the access road to the camp.

Did you happen to ask what the reason was and if the closures were temporary or permanent? From the picture it could just be very high water levels.

 

[MarkBNJ]

Interesting. Hope it's temporary and not a harbinger of things to come. We were up in that area yesterday, but went north up Glossy Spung and then around on Caranza and back down to High Crossing. Haven't been down in the 1/4 Mile area since last spring. We can get usually get through it, but that's not what we're there for and it's just too torn up to be worth it. The water levels were pretty damn high, and there were significant flooded holes on E. Stokes, Hampton, Glossy Spung, Tuckerton, and that road whose name I don't know that runs out east from High Crossing to Caranza (not the one along the tracks, the next one south). We saw quite a few muddied up vehicles, including one convoy of five or six Jeeps from a club.

 

[ecampbell]

Did you happen to ask what the reason was and if the closures were temporary or permanent? From the picture it could just be very high water levels.

The whole area is now foot traffic only and that came from a member of the NJTLC who was helping.

 

[bobpbx]

I want to lash out at somebody for this....but of course....we all know where the fault lies. This is a sad day for those of us who take leisurely drives out there.

 

[Boyd]

that came from a member of the NJTLC

Is that something like "New Jersey Trail Lovers Coalition"? I remember the announcement of a meeting of this group last fall. Are these closures the result of their meeting(s) with the state?

 

[Teegate]

It is a direct result of Quarter Mile. You still can walk but you can't drive. It was going to be posted last weekend but the heavy rains postponed it for the safety of the individuals doing the posting.

Guy

 

[Teegate]

Is that something like "New Jersey Trail Lovers Coalition"? I remember the announcement of a meeting of this group last fall. Are these closures the result of their meeting(s) with the state?

Ultimately yes.

Guy

 

[oji]

All roads closed are access roads to 1/4 mile. NJTLC will be maintaining the signage and keep an eye on the area. You can get more info at njtlc.org.

 

[fierodoug]

well this stinks

 

[kayak karl]

1/4 mile from where. i confused. ya i know ive probably been there
can someone post a map. please TY

 

[dogg57]

Well I dont care for this action. What about people who cant walk it dued to a injury or wheel chair bound ??

 

[Teegate]

1/4 mile from where. i confused. ya i know ive probably been there
can someone post a map. please TY

It is all the area here where the vehicles have been doing damage.

http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.75842434693862&lng=-74.66546773910522&z=16&type=h&gpx=


Guy

 

[kayak karl]

1/4 mile from where. i confused. ya i know ive probably been there
can someone post a map. please TY

we talking high crossing

 

[kayak karl]

now that i know where we are, why this area?? out of all the areas i've hiked the only difference i see in this area is HORSES.???

 

[MarkBNJ]

Won't this just move the activity to another area? If there aren't going to be enough rangers for active enforcement, then the off-road guys will just go elsewhere. This is actually really bad news, imo, because it is an acknowledgement that the rules can't be actively enforced, and ultimately the only thing that will protect the forest is to ban vehicles entirely.

 

[woodjin]

Won't this just move the activity to another area? If there aren't going to be enough rangers for active enforcement, then the off-road guys will just go elsewhere. This is actually really bad news, imo, because it is an acknowledgement that the rules can't be actively enforced, and ultimately the only thing that will protect the forest is to ban vehicles entirely.

I agree. we lost a lot of our freedom. We are being punished for the criminal behavior of others. I know I feared it would come to this when we learned of what was going on back there. It got a lot of public attention and the groups that got involved put the state under a lot of pressure to remediate the situation. i think the state was forced on this one, having no practical alternative. Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease and sometimes it is removed from the car all together.

I was hoping to bring my son to a few places back in there, but he is not old enough to make that kind of a hike. Maybe in five years. This sucks.



Jeff

 

[ecampbell]

We frequent the area between the RR tracks and Lower Forge often, and were headed there yesterday. It is too far for us to walk with the road closures so I guess we've seen the last of that beautiful area.
Thanks, alot!

You can read about the special interest anti-access groups here:
http://njtlc.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=158

Taking credit where credit is due????
« Thread Started on Mar 6, 2011, 1:29pm »

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Taking credit where credit is due????

From their facebook page.....

Posted Feb 28th

Pinelands Preservation Alliance
PPA is pleased to have played a role in forming this new organization, the NJ Trail Lovers Coalition: http://www.njtlc.org/ This is a group organized to help guard and protect the natural open spaces of New Jersey, with diversity of members, including 4WD enthusiasts, Geocachers, Enduro riders, Hikers, Artists, Kayakers, Equestrians, Hunters, Cross Country Skiers, Mountain Bikers and Campers...


And can thank some of the posters in these forums.
http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/politics-pines/8086-new-jersey-trail-lovers-coalition.html


This closed far more than the 1/4 mile area.

 

[oji]

I think the best way to get any answers or to make comments would be to post on the NJTLC forum. Then you can get your answers directly from the source.