Pine Barrens Caretakers Meeting Date???

[freerider]

Any interest to meet and plan a formal campaign to take care of a section of the pines?

Pine Barrens Caretakers

Each person will take a section that they favor. We will document the area in photos that require cleaning, road maintenance, perhaps seasonal road closures, (i.e. vernal ponds on roadways, etc.) and do what we can to care for our area with our limited abilities. Then make an organized effort to contact the state with areas of concern. I.E. letters and emails to state signed by many of the Caretakers.

I DO NOT want to create a non profit organization and do all the associated formal fund raising and BS'ing, etc. I think organizations supposedly have already been created to do such in preserving the pines. If they wanted to join in some group effort that can be discussed.

Any interest?

If so lets set a date or two to meet and discuss this idea in the next two weeks.

Ideas and criticism is welcome.

 

[mudboy dave]

I'm more than willing to do this. I'm available, thursday night, all day friday, 11:00am sat- 9:00pm sat. pretty much anytime sunday. I suggest we meet at the pic and discuss over some good chicken and cold refreshments. However must be careful with road clkosures do to the fact that forest fire division can get ya for blocking trails. permission would be needed.

 

[freerider]

Road closures can occur with the states help. There is a vernal pool group from NJ Wildlife. DEP can close some roads too if we show it is needed.

Some roads need drainage too. I know DEP- WMA does what they need to help hunters access roads.

I was thinking about doing this perhaps on the day of the cleanup at the shotgun training range,

I am not sure of my schedule yet.

 

[PancoastDrifter]

I already do this. I carry a box of garbage bags in my car and fill one up every other trip out. It is heartbreaking to see a spot I have cleaned up littered a week later with a 12 pack of beer.

My interest would only be to team up and clean areas together. I have no faith in government to help, aid, or recognize anything except themselves. So I have no interest in writing letters or being recognized.

I will be at the shotgun area cleanup if you want to meet then (if you can make it).

 

[freerider]

It would be good to all work together.

I do all I can as many others with no support from government. I thought state should at least cart away what we pick up. I will work on that and see what I come up with. So far today I may at least have a commitment to have a truck so up to pick up what we gather.

It is heartbreaking to go back and the junk is there again. I hate trying to take a photo of an area and have to dodge the trash or pick it up first.

I know the main area of stafford by the parkway has lots dumped there.

Mostly beer bottles and fast food. Empty beer bottles are many times left in the 6-8 pack they came in.

I am sure there are areas west of 539- stafford WMA we can clean together and may be a priority.

 

[imkms]

I also cleanup on a regular basis, nearly every weekend. Although I don't confine myself to any particular area, mostly I pick up hundreds of bottles and cans that are scattered along every road out there.
Keep us up to date on your progress, I just might get interested

 

[PancoastDrifter]

Unfortunately beer is a major problem. No one wants to get stopped with empties in their car, especially under age, so that just encourages people out of fear to toss them away. When, if given the choice, they would probably take them home and put in their own garbage. Unfortunately most of this is done by locals which makes it that much more frustrating.

I have a few places in mind in our area that are literally dumps of cinder blocks, construction waste, tires, lawn chairs, motorcycle parts, a liner pool (I think I know who dumped this!)... so that would involve getting some kind of truck. But other places are just thousands of beer bottles and plastic bags/trash that just need to be put in cans/bags. If 3-4 people get together we can do allot in just an hour+ of effort.

 

[mudboy dave]

set a date and I'll be there. if it involves getting trash out of the woods I'm all about it.

 

[Teegate]

I am against any sort of road closings for any reason. Once the powers that be thinks it has worked, it will never end.

Guy

 

[mudboy dave]

I am against any sort of road closings for any reason. Once the powers that be thinks it has worked, it will never end.

Guy

i like your philosophy. very true.

 

[Kevinhooa]

Cleanup

I'm down for cleaning up. I have a truck and a flat trailer and if we all pitch in, I can take some big stuff to the EHT disposal center to get rid of it. It's not much. I usually pick up what I can wherever I go to an extent. Last time I camped at Bodine I went around and picked up cans, and also at Harrisville, but not everything. My big thing with picking up trash is, it's really good to do it, and it makes things look so much better, but when some people see others picking up trash, it makes them feel like it's ok to litter because they know someone will just come along and pick it up for them. There's not much that can be done about that, but it seems like it makes it a loose-loose situation sometimes. But if no one does anything, I guess it's even worse. We could try and scrap the cans at least to make some lunch money. Just give a date, and if it's on the weekend or sometime after 6:00 on weekdays I'm down.

Kevin

 

[freerider]

Some vernal pools exist on various roads.

Many of these pools are breeding pools and contain various eggs - tadpoles etc. Some should possibly not be driven through between march and September.

The state will close most of the Pines one day to our travels. It is the way things go. We have to be protected from ourselves ......Ha Ha !

I hope to have an answer for some help from the state to remove the many bags we collect.

At least I would like to have a way to get rid of what I collect by placing it in one location near where I pick it up and have it carted away.

 

[Aaron]

Great idea, you can count me in also.

 

[imkms]

Clean up

Freerider,
Looks like you are the point man on this, so keep us posted. If the timing is right, I will definitely be there to help in any way. Weekends are good for me (Sunday being best), it would also be nice to meet some of the members here and put a face to the names.

 

[freerider]

Yes the point man.

If possible if everyone could email me---- pinebarrens at gmail dot com

Place Pine Barrens Caretaker in subject.

Then I can send a email when i finalize some dates. Certainly anyone can always get together with others to do what ever cleaning they want.

I am hoping to have some official answers as to where to drop this stuff.

Maybe there are ways to do this and eliminate plastic bags. I also purchased a metal grab handle at Home depot that eliminates some bending and reaching for my aging back.

Seems townships are quite concerned where the trash- recycling comes from and what town maintains ownership of it. Some see money in the recycling and others see it as an expense.

May also be some opportunity to volunteer with the State Crowberry project off of range road. I am waiting for a confirmation of that from the fellow running the project.

Thanks to all !