Mining In Jackson

I grew up inthe 60's and 70's near two sand and gravel operations, one of which is still active today. I have also performed permitting work in the Pinelands jurisdictional area for a now-idle sand operation in Atlantic County.
Until we can figure out how to live without concrete, asphalt, optical fibers for communications, glass, abrasives and a staggering multitude of other products, silica is an absolute necessity for our way of life.
Like it or not.

Resource extraction is acknowledged as a native component of the Pinelands cultural systems and they actually address it very sensibly in the Comprehensive Management Plan. The permitting activity that I was involved in was actually much simpler than dealing with a normal residential or commercial development application.

The article you presented certainly throws shadows on the zoning changes that were needed to make this particular operation a go. I don't have an opinion on the how that came to be without knowing a lot more about the case.

I will say this....You can't raise a glass to the Pine Barrens without the glass !
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sarra
All well said Scott (and true), but to this day I cannot see the sense of providing our local mine in Bamber with a Class B recycling permit on top of the sand taking. Give them an inch and they take a mile...and then try to take a mile more.
 
There's a small sand pit a mile or two down the road from me. Hasn't really been a problem. When I moved here in 2006 I assumed it was no longer in use because there was no activity. About two years ago they must have gotten some kind of new contract because the trucks started rolling in and out of there all day only separated by a few hundred feet. That only lasted a few weeks, then nothing.

Every so often, the same thing will happen again. I guess they get small contracts of limited duration. Right now it's quiet again. Lucky for me, the trucks all turn the other way and use the state highway when coming and going and don't pass my house. I imagine the people on their route aren't so happy when the pit is active. It's just a small, narrow road and the big trucks have taken their toll on it. The town does a pretty good job of patching up the potholes though. :)

BTW, I was driving down Savoy Blvd/Pasadena Rd from Chatsworth to Whiting last Saturday morning and was surprised to see a whole convoy of trucks headed to the big pits at Woodmansie. I thought they were usually closed on the weekends, but admittedly I have not been past there for quite awhile.
 
PPA explicitly states site is not approved for new mining under the comprehensive mgmt. plan .PPA and NJ Audubon both state habitat for @ least 4 endangered species ?? The municipality in question has 40,000 + people + Great Adventure . Guess that's not enough :argh: Then again what do I know :confused:
Joe
 
joc said:
PPA explicitly states site is not approved for new mining under the comprehensive mgmt. plan .PPA and NJ Audubon both state habitat for @ least 4 endangered species ?? The municipality in question has 40,000 + people + Great Adventure . Guess that's not enough :argh: Then again what do I know :confused:
Joe
Click to expand...
That's kind of how I feel. I want to be all up in arms about it, but, really I don't know enough about it. And I think Rednek made me think of it in a different light.
 
PPA explicitly states.. bla bla bla bla bla.....

PPA and NJ Audubon both state habitat for at least 4 endangered species...............
In the sand pit??? chiggers and gnats and what else???
 
Many of our rarest species require disturbed areas. Most of us are more familiar with those found in wetlands, but the principle applies to some upland species as well. Pickering's morning glory is a good example of an endangered species that finds ideal habitat in old sandpits or other disturbed dry sandy areas.
 
  • Like
Reactions: joc
Also, it may not be what is in the sand pit but what was there before the sand pit came into existence. Pine snakes and Southern Twayblade are two very beautiful and special species. I would rather look at either of them instead of a sand pit, but industry has always been part of the region.
 
  • Like
Reactions: joc
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back