The devastation from the forest fires was unlike any in New Jersey since record-keeping began in 1906.
Miles of woodland were blackened - 183,000 acres in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Ocean, Atlantic, Hunterdon, Somerset, and Middlesex Counties.
Nearly 400 homes and buildings were reduced to ashes and seven people were killed in wind-driven fires over three days in April 1963.
The blaze was never forgotten by New Jersey officials, who have been reminded of it again by deadly wildfires in Colorado and are working to improve management of nearly two million acres of state-owned or -supervised forests to avoid a similar disaster.
Last week, the state Senate passed a controversial bill that would inventory woodlands and permit cutting trees on public land and selling the wood to pay for the program.
The state Department of Environmental Protection would choose a contractor to oversee the effort, plan the logging, and get the best price for the timber.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/n..._present__N_J__debates_forest_management.html
Miles of woodland were blackened - 183,000 acres in Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Ocean, Atlantic, Hunterdon, Somerset, and Middlesex Counties.
Nearly 400 homes and buildings were reduced to ashes and seven people were killed in wind-driven fires over three days in April 1963.
The blaze was never forgotten by New Jersey officials, who have been reminded of it again by deadly wildfires in Colorado and are working to improve management of nearly two million acres of state-owned or -supervised forests to avoid a similar disaster.
Last week, the state Senate passed a controversial bill that would inventory woodlands and permit cutting trees on public land and selling the wood to pay for the program.
The state Department of Environmental Protection would choose a contractor to oversee the effort, plan the logging, and get the best price for the timber.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/n..._present__N_J__debates_forest_management.html