DEP Hypocrisy- Parks Closed but Logging & Hunting Okay

According to the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife, Wildlife Management Areas remain open for passive recreation.  This means that the NJDFW’s logging plan at Sparta Mountain Wildlife Management Area of approximately 9.1 acres will resume.

“Governor Murphy declared a health emergency and has shut down state, local, and county parks and forests to avoid spreading coronavirus. However, Murphy is still allowing for logging on Sparta Mountain Wildlife Management Area and other places to go forward. People can’t hike or walk in state and local parks but we can still log prime forest in the Highlands. This makes no sense and is hypocrisy. Allowing for Wildlife Management Areas to remain open shows that his administration has sided with the logging and hunting industry,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “If Governor Murphy wants to ensure that the public is safe and practicing social distancing, he needs to close any type of activity in New Jersey’s Wildlife Management Areas, and that includes unnecessary logging that will impact Highlands drinking water for 6 million people.”

Governor Murphy’s EO 118 closed all park entrances and gates and prohibits trail use. New Jersey State Park Police will patrol park areas to ensure that the public is obeying the directives to stay at home and limit the spread of COVID-19.

“While parks and forests are closed for walking or hiking, Wildlife Management Areas remain open for hunting and fishing. We supported Governor Murphy’s decision to close our parks and forests because of the cutbacks. DEP should be dealing with the coronavirus and because of the cutbacks, they do not have enough staff to maintain social distancing or deal with hikers getting lost. By keep WMA open, NJDFW Conservation Officers and DEP staff have to then deal with maintaining proper protocols for people who are hunting and fishing,” said Tittel. “We have always felt that passive walking and hiking should be allowed. However, keeping WMA open for logging and fishing is a double standard. Pennsylvania and New York  have allowed passive walking and hiking in limited areas, New Jersey could do that.”

The location of cutting activities by the New Jersey Division of Fish & Wildlife is south of the powerline and east of Edison Bog in Sparta Township. The size of the cut will be approximately 9.1 acres. Heavy equipment will be used. Skidder and/or shearing equipment, similar to typical construction equipment such as a small-medium excavator, will be hauled on Rock Lodge Road to the access road on a trailer at the beginning of the project, left on site during the project, and hauled out on a trailer at the end of the project. Tri-axle log truck, similar to a garbage or propane truck, will transport approximately 194 cords, or 19-20 truckloads of logs over the course of two to twelve months, out of the access road onto Rock Lodge Rd.

 “Opening these forests up for logging will cause more runoff, more pollution, and release more carbon. This plan does not have any rules or enforcement in place for commercial loggers. That means there is no penalty if they clear cut important forest canopy, clear cut, run skidders through streams and do a lot of damage because there is no mechanism for enforcement,” said Tittel. “Logging equipment will compact the soil, leading to more runoff and more pollution of waterways. The canopy of this forest protects the drinking water for millions of people, and allowing logging practices in these areas will result in a decrease of water quality.”

Under Executive Order 118, all park lots, grounds, facilities, trails, and playgrounds remain closed until further notice.

“NJDFW should not be moving forward with their logging plan, especially when we are going through a pandemic. If Governor Murphy closed down state parks, forests, and recreation areas, why did he keep Wildlife Management Areas open? It is inconsistent with EO 118. The intention is to make sure people are able practice social distancing and protect themselves and their loved ones. Keeping these wildlife areas to the public for recreational purposes, and even logging can increase the risk of spreading the virus even further,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.