Here's the DEP link to last night's meeting
http://www.nj.gov/dep/workgroups/past.html
http://www.nj.gov/dep/workgroups/past.html
ORV Management In Sensitive Areas Of Wharton
- Thread starter Teegate
- Start date
The area's that will be closed with have signs saying so.
There are no new officers. They now have dedicated more to Wharton and they now will stay in Wharton where before they may have been miles away when a call came in. Now they will be able to respond quicker.
I guess there is some part of this that I'm missing. Are the officers just goofing off somewhere now, or are they actually needed in these other areas? When they are moved to Wharton, who will enforce the law in those other areas? And why can't the abusers just move to those other areas, knowing that everyone is assigned to Wharton now?
It was explained fully that the governor has not authorized the hiring of anyone so they are stuck with the quantity they have. I would assume then that Wharton has been the problem so obviously they would put more effort there to stop it. Not really much more to it I guess.
Have not noticed them yet. I saw one PP last weekend near Oswego Lake in a normal vehicle.
The DEP have brought on two more conservation officers for Burlington county, bringing the total to four. Now there will be a two officers on duty instead of one at any given time. Good news, for those who are in the know, is that now more enforcement will occur in the southern half of the county. The ability for a C.O. to maintain a more permanent presence in Wharton and Bass is a very good thing.
I saw one of those last Saturday, on Rt 72 I think.
Sorry, but I just don't understand. I was under the impression there weren't enough officers now. If it is so "obvious" that they are needed in Wharton instead of these other places, why aren't they already there? Or is Wharton all that anyone cares about now?
I just remember this post by @dragoncjo from last fall. Has something changed? Moving your money from one pocket to another doesn't make you any richer…
https://forums.njpinebarrens.com/th...ve-areas-of-wharton.10649/page-12#post-127913
Park Police and Conservation Officers are separate entities. In fact there is very little communications between the two LEO groups.
Apparently the PPA is still pushing for a map.
http://m.burlingtoncountytimes.com/...cae-f128-11e5-91fe-0b1bf781dc13.html?mode=jqm
http://m.burlingtoncountytimes.com/...cae-f128-11e5-91fe-0b1bf781dc13.html?mode=jqm
And their responsibilities are different; CO's are fish and wildlife law oriented, PP more the traditional police work, such as the State Police, in the Parks, Forests and Recreation Area's.
From what I've read, the state has tried very hard to consider the needs of all the users of the forest except those who like doing donuts and playing in mud with motorized vehicles. Good!
"Freshwater wetlands, home to a number of endangered species, are especially attractive to mud-loving riders and have been particularly hard hit, officials in both states said.
In one wetlands section of Wharton, a barren, muddy expanse is all that is left of what just a few years ago was grassland.Violators in New Jersey face fines ranging from $100 to $1,000...Little enforcement But catching culprits has proved difficult. Four rangers monitor Wharton's 110,000 acres of forest at any given time."
"They pay the fine, and they're still going to go back out," Bailey said. "When you pay that kind of money for a recreational vehicle, you're going to use it."
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2001-04-29/news/0104290220_1_state-forest-new-jersey-south-jersey
Article from 2001. The maximum fine wasn't even adjusted for inflation by the DEP and we have fewer officers on patrol at any given time than in 2001.
In one wetlands section of Wharton, a barren, muddy expanse is all that is left of what just a few years ago was grassland.Violators in New Jersey face fines ranging from $100 to $1,000...Little enforcement But catching culprits has proved difficult. Four rangers monitor Wharton's 110,000 acres of forest at any given time."
"They pay the fine, and they're still going to go back out," Bailey said. "When you pay that kind of money for a recreational vehicle, you're going to use it."
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2001-04-29/news/0104290220_1_state-forest-new-jersey-south-jersey
Article from 2001. The maximum fine wasn't even adjusted for inflation by the DEP and we have fewer officers on patrol at any given time than in 2001.
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