I sent my comment.
FYI, I use to volunteer for the USGS National Map Corps ( AKA Earth Science Corp) back in 2004 which is how the USGS now gets their information for quads. They would not allow me to give them data on roads. All I was told to do was stop at cell towers, places of worship, TV towers, power stations, police stations as well as other places and pass the GPS coordinates and the name to them. They wanted to have that information in the event of a disaster. I was mailed a topo quad of my choice, given a badge, a hat and documentation to fill out and I had 6 months to complete the topo and get the information back to them.
FYI, I use to volunteer for the USGS National Map Corps ( AKA Earth Science Corp) back in 2004 which is how the USGS now gets their information for quads. They would not allow me to give them data on roads. All I was told to do was stop at cell towers, places of worship, TV towers, power stations, police stations as well as other places and pass the GPS coordinates and the name to them. They wanted to have that information in the event of a disaster. I was mailed a topo quad of my choice, given a badge, a hat and documentation to fill out and I had 6 months to complete the topo and get the information back to them.
Does the commission have the authority to order the DEP what to do? I couldn't find anything in their by-laws.
I worked for the same Guy maybe 14 years ago I updated the Dividing Creek Quad for them.I got a badge but no hat:-(.They had me X out old roads that weren't being used anymore and add new ones.Must have changed their data or perhaps because it was a different area? I did weeks of work crossing out houses that were gone in laurel lake and adding new ones.All this work and they wrote back."We are going to turn laurel lake pink and make it an urban area" Thats so they didn't have to make all the corrections I listed.Laurel lake is in no way shape or form urban.Thats would be like making Collings Lakes or Keswick Grove urban. I always told my wife jokingly if we sit here long enough the city will come to us.Apparently I was being prophetic and I made my own predictions come to pass.All we need is public transportation and we will be South Jerseys newest Hood in the Woods.
Again it's just very sneaky.
Rather than partner with all of the other users of the forest to come up with a workable plan the PPA tries to do an end run around the DEP and jam their own plan down the commission's throat. This is the same commission that they frequently fight against for other issues. Who is at the wheel over there? Surely they have to realize how badly they're making themselves look.
Rather than partner with all of the other users of the forest to come up with a workable plan the PPA tries to do an end run around the DEP and jam their own plan down the commission's throat. This is the same commission that they frequently fight against for other issues. Who is at the wheel over there? Surely they have to realize how badly they're making themselves look.
I think they don't care. And my reason for saying that is they seem to be quite good at acquiring money from grants and in other ways so relying on public donations is not something they worry about anymore. If you think about it even if they have 10,000 members and on an average they give $25 dollars each that is not enough to even pay a few saleries let alone pay lawyer fees for lawsuits to fight the pipeline.
Check their financial statement, I posted it here a while back in a MAP thread. They take in a LOT of moola, and they pay very well.
Thats my stompin grounds! I see what you mean.They think they can erase roads on paper and they will disappear in reality,or perhaps they think they can make them disappear.MY SUV fits down most of those roads quite well.A little scratchy in places but that just adds character.
Thank you for providing the link to comment & the baseline wording.
-Sent a comment this morning!
-Sent a comment this morning!
This is the relevant part of the CMP:
The Commission shall from time to time designate areas which are inappropriate for use of motor vehicles. Such designation shall be based upon the following considerations and upon consultation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and other interested persons:
i. A need to protect a scientific study area;
ii. A need to protect the location of threatened or endangered plant or animal
species;
iii. A need to provide a wilderness recreational area;
iv. A need to prevent conflicts with adjoining intensively used recreational
areas;
v. A need to protect historic or archaeological sites;
vi. A need to protect critical wildlife habitats;
vii. A need to address a situation of public health and safety;
viii. A need to protect extensively disturbed areas from further impact; and ix. The extent to which such road closure would substantially impair
recreation access to and uses of surrounding resources.
i. A need to protect a scientific study area;
ii. A need to protect the location of threatened or endangered plant or animal
species;
iii. A need to provide a wilderness recreational area;
iv. A need to prevent conflicts with adjoining intensively used recreational
areas;
v. A need to protect historic or archaeological sites;
vi. A need to protect critical wildlife habitats;
vii. A need to address a situation of public health and safety;
viii. A need to protect extensively disturbed areas from further impact; and ix. The extent to which such road closure would substantially impair
recreation access to and uses of surrounding resources.
Note this part:
Such designation shall be based upon the following considerations and upon consultation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and other interested persons
We are the "interested persons" and that is why it is extremely important they hear from us.
Also note the DEP mention. That means they can't act unilaterally.
But that is 'their' management plan which changes at times and must be approved. It does not describe the powers granted to the commission when it was organized by the state. I found what 'they' are empowered to do in section 13:18A-6 of the Pinelands Protection Act.
OK, who can explain this snippet from the CMP?
"No motor vehicle other than fire, police or emergency vehicles or those vehicles used for the administration or maintenance of any public land shall be operated upon publicly owned land within the Pinelands. Other motor vehicles may operate on public lands for recreational purposes on public highways and areas on land designated prior to August 8, 1980 for such use by state and local governmental entities until designated as inappropriate for such use under (a)3 below. (note: (a)3 is above)"
"No motor vehicle other than fire, police or emergency vehicles or those vehicles used for the administration or maintenance of any public land shall be operated upon publicly owned land within the Pinelands. Other motor vehicles may operate on public lands for recreational purposes on public highways and areas on land designated prior to August 8, 1980 for such use by state and local governmental entities until designated as inappropriate for such use under (a)3 below. (note: (a)3 is above)"