Eco-Terrorism in the Pines

[Ben Ruset]

Oh, I don't doubt that the damage isn't real and isn't extensive. I've been down plenty of ROWs that look like the battle of the Somme. Just hearing "millions of dollars of damage" makes me skeptical, that's all.

 

[Boyd]

Well they need some excuse to keep raising your utility bill…

 

[Kevinhooa]

Totally illegal/unethical for any citizen or government entity to place items like that.......however, I am surprised that the power companies are not taking a more aggressive stance in banning/stopping off road vehicles from Power Line Right of Ways...apparently it is very costly to the utilities (and the ratepayers) having to continue to restore damaged ROW....from a recent Courier post article "
At the commission meeting, PSE&G spokesman Tom Taylor told the commission that illegal off-road vehicles have caused millions of dollars in damage to its rights-of-way along 153 miles of electrical transmission in the Pinelands — a cost passed on to ratepayers.

"We've spent $2.5 million in repairs to damage by monster trucks using our corridors for four-wheeling," Taylor said.

To clarify, the blockage I took down with my helmet on my head was not installed by the power company. Someone was apparently using the ROW to steal stuff from other peoples homes in the area and they put up some heavy test to keep them away or possibly hurt them. It was just below my headlight beam and I saw them glisten at the last minute. I put my head down and could hear them all tighten and then pop off of the top of the helmet visor bolts. Had it been my neck it could have been an ugly situation though.

The damage on the ROW's is understandable though. Sometimes some big trucks would use them and tear hell down there, and slam through the puddles throwing the dirt away making the holes even bigger. I have seen so many attempts to stop traffic over the years. Cables, guard rails, gates, huge logs, ditches, ect, ect... Eventually in some cases, someone comes along and puts an end to it. It certainly seems to be worse now then ever before.

 

[Jason Bladzinski]

I really hate to throw around the "terrorism" word but I'm not really sure what else to call this. This is from the NJ Motor Vehicle Access Facebook group, and Open Trails NJ is taking the lead into having this be investigated,

Over the last few days people have been reporting that they've found these home made devices designed to puncture the tires on motor vehicles that pass over them. The problem is that, from what I understand, they've been placed on roads that are not closed to motor vehicles.

From Dave Dempsey (OTNJ) on the NJ Motor Vehicle Access Facebook page:



I can understand people not wanting to have vehicles drive in the Pines. But this brings it to a whole other level because now you're damaging property and potentially risking lives. These devices can't differentiate between a ORV and a rescue or forest fire vehicle.

If anybody runs across one of these things, please take a picture of it, get GPS coordinates, and call 1-877-WARN-DEP. Leave it in place until a ranger comes out to investigate it. Also shoot me a note here and give me the info.

This is a serious escalation, folks. I'm going to make it my life's mission to see that the person doing this is caught and spends some time in jail.

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That's pretty shitty. It could cause an accident dangering the lives of the people in the vehicles as well as having the effect of causing harm to the environment any "eco terrorists " might be trying to protect. The irony is palpable.