Survey WMA's

[bobpbx]

Good news. Lets not squander it.........

Sent: Monday, January 14, 2008 1:07 PM
Subject: Input Sought on Wildlife Management Area Improvements


> Dear Friends,
>
> Recently voters approved a Constitutional Amendment which allows the
dedication of a portion of the Corporate Business Tax to fund maintenance
and capital improvements at state parks and Wildlife Management Areas.
Wildlife Management Areas are public lands that offers citizens the
opportunity to hike, bike, kayak, boat, birdwatch and hunt and fish.
>
> With this stable source of funding, the Division of Fish and Wildlife now
has the opportunity to expand how these areas can be used for public
enjoyment. As we develop our plan for these 122 areas, we are interested in
hearing from you, the users of these public lands. To help us in this
decision making, we are asking you to please take a few moments to complete
an on-line survey at http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/wmasurvey08.htm .
Please fill out a separate survey for each WMA that you use. Thank you in
advance for assisting the Division in this important capital improvement
activity.

 

[RednekF350]

I too received this email today from Fish and Wildlife.
I completed it for three of the WMA's that I use on a regular basis.
If they actually utilize the input I will be happy.

 

[GermanG]

I started to fill out the form on the area I use most frequently (Stafford Forge WMA) but I found that I desired hardly any of the improvments listed. I guess these are dedicated funds only available for these purposes, but for the most part, I want to see more natural areas preserved, not the existing ones further developed. WMAs have always been managed differently than state parks and forests. The emphasis has been less on providing facilities than it has been on providing land in its natural state for sportsmen and nature enthusiasts to recreate on. The trend I fear is the same set of changes that turned NJ Outdoors magazine from a sportsmen's publication dabbling now and then in other outdoor pursuits to the yuppie tourist magazine it is now.

Maybe I'm reading too much into this. I can think of a few areas that could use a boat ramp or parking other than road-side. But the recent attempt to turn the Fish & Game Council and it's management priorities inside-out has me a bit cautious.

 

[Teegate]

I filled out the Greenwood Forest survey and told them to leave it alone. Any alterations could further damage some historical stones there. Between the bulldozers mysteriously widening the roads, and the surveyors who build roads to survey when small pruning of trees would be sufficient, there is concern on my part that this usually quiet area could be primed for some sort of alteration.

Guy

 

[woodjin]

I filled out the Greenwood survey. I also asked for it to be left in a natural state.

Jeff

 

[bobpbx]

I have not filled it out yet. Greenwood has a problem on its Eastern edge with dumpers from the bay area towns-contractors and homeowners. I was thinking of asking them to pick it up more frequently. Would that lead to more overbearing enforcement?

How about better grading of the road from Lacey to 539?

Or, digging up carusoville asphalt and turning it natural.

Wilderness camps? We always complain there are none.

 

[Ben Ruset]

Filled one out for Greenwood and Colliers Mills.

 

[piker56]

Between the bulldozers mysteriously widening the roads, and the surveyors who build roads to survey when small pruning of trees would be sufficient, there is concern on my part that this usually quiet area could be primed for some sort of alteration.

Guy

I filled out the survey for Winslow. They have also widened the roads there and they leave the area pretty tore up.

 

[Teegate]

Where exactly is the Forked River Mt. WMA?

Guy

 

[Hewey]

far east in the FRM area, the east boundary is the GSP, it is a pie shape, the south boundary is the rightaway with the single powerline on the side of the road and the north boundary almost follows the n. branch of the forked river.

 

[Hewey]

I have not filled it out yet. Greenwood has a problem on its Eastern edge with dumpers from the bay area towns-contractors and homeowners. I was thinking of asking them to pick it up more frequently. Would that lead to more overbearing enforcement?

How about better grading of the road from Lacey to 539?

Or, digging up carusoville asphalt and turning it natural.

Wilderness camps? We always complain there are none.

all good points. that road gets real bad, rattle you truck apart just about. carusoville looks like an eyesore, when I fish there I take the dirt road just to avoid the asphalt. wilderness camps would be nice.

 

[GermanG]

I wasn't even aware that Carousoville was part of the WMA. That is one mess that could certainly benefit from being cleaned up.

 

[Boyd]

Where exactly is the Forked River Mt. WMA?

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/wmamaps/forked_river_mountain.pdf

Map is dated 2005, so it must be pretty new... I wasn't aware of it either!

 

[Boyd]

Personally I don't see much reason to "improve" any of the WMA's either. Leave 'em natural and use any additional funds to buy more land.

 

[Teegate]

Thanks for the map Boyd!

Guy

 

[Hewey]

the states map shows more land then the map in the nj atlas and gazetteer. I have found other mistakes in the gazetteer. I am going to check it out for the 2008 deer season.

 

[Boyd]

You're welcome. For anybody who doesn't already know, you'll find specs and maps of all the Wildlife Management Areas here: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/wmaland.htm

I was just looking at that list again and noticed a footnote next to the Forked River Mountain WMA which says:

"** Managed jointly with the NJ Conservation Foundation - 2,787 acres owned by NJCF"