Proposed Beach Access Rules Are Heating Up! Get INvolved!!!

[Tacklebox Joe]

To be honest guys, I don't believe this issue hasn't been pushed HARD here on njswf unless I missed something and if I did I apologize.... This is SERIOUS...get involved NOW!


Proposed Rules will Roll Back Years of Progress on Public Access to the Shore
In April, the Christie Administration announced new rules that would dramatically reduce New Jerseyan's rights to view, use and enjoy the state's rivers, bays and coast for fishing, swimming, surfing, kayaking, or simply enjoying a walk in the surf or along an urban waterfront. If implemented, these rules will roll back years of hard-won progress by the American Littoral Society and other coastal advocates by placing much of the control and authority over public access squarely in the hands of local towns-a practice that has proved disastrous for decades, as our more than forty years of litigation in local beach access issues demonstrates. Add to this the fact that what little protection these rules provide is totally unenforceable and negotiable, renders what the NJDEP has termed a "common sense" solution a "non-sense" solution.


The American Littoral Society strongly opposes the proposed rules and urges anyone who wants to protect their right to enjoy New Jersey's coastal waterways (including Delaware Bay, the Atlantic Ocean, Barnegat Bay, and the Hudson/Raritan estuary) to make your voice heard at one of the public hearings listed below. We also urge you to contact NJDEP Commissioner Robert Martin and demand that a 4th hearing be held outside of working hours (either on a weeknight or Saturday) so that the working people who will be most severely impacted by the proposed rules will actually be able to be part of the public discussion.

Go to www.littoralsociety.org for updates.

Contact Commissioner Martin and Demand a Hearing Outside of Working Hours

Write: P.O. Box 402, Trenton, NJ 08625-0402

Phone: (609) 292-2885
Fax: (609) 292-7695

What You Can Do:

Attend a Public Hearing and Voice Your Opposition to these Rules

Thursday, May 12, 2011 at 11:00 A.M.
Liberty State Park Central Railroad Terminal Building
Blue Comet Auditorium, 1 Audrey Zapp Drive, Jersey City, NJ 07305

Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at 11:00 A.M.
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
Townsend Residential Life Center Multi-Purpose Room
Jimmie Leeds Road, Pomona, NJ 08240

Monday, May 23, 2011 at 1:00 P.M.
Seaside Heights Municipal Court
2nd Floor Court Room
116 Sherman Road, Seaside Heights NJ 08751

The EXISTING PUBLIC ACCESS RULES protect your RIGHTS to access ALL of these waterways under the PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE.

The Proposed Rules will give every municipality the authority and police powers to restrict your RIGHTS to access these waterways.

The focus of the fight against the Proposed Rules up to this point has been Ocean Coastal Access and Urban Bayshore Access.

THERE IS ALOT MORE TO LOSE IF THE PROPOSED RULES ARE ADOPTED
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www.stripercoastsurfcasters.us

[ped579]

The problem as I see it is with a lot of the private marinas that will not be allowed to keep people off their docks or in close proximity of private boats. I am not in favor of that.  I know if I have a private boat that the public can walk near or even have access to it is not a good thing.

This topic has been talked about before when it first came up and most here have put their opinions out there.

[Tacklebox Joe]

Guess we disagree on this one Paul but i still luv ya!

New Jersey's ocean, bays, rivers, beaches, shores, and waterfronts belong to us all under the PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE.

NJDEP can't take them away, but a complacent public can give them up.Fight for what is rightfully ours.

[Reckless]

 I private marina that has to give access I am not in favor of.

[Tacklebox Joe]

I understand what you mean but its an opinion of oneself instead as a whole fishing community. There's the problem 

I wouldn't want someone around my boat either but this is more than that. How about not being able to take a walk on the beach you love with your family because some town says you cant!?

I don't believe the whole picture is understood here...sorry but being honest

[Tacklebox Joe]

The problem as I see it is with a lot of the private marinas that will not be allowed to keep people off their docks or in close proximity of private boats. I am not in favor of that.  I know if I have a private boat that the public can walk near or even have access to it is not a good thing.

This topic has been talked about before when it first came up and most here have put their opinions out there.

I can agree to that extent like my above post but that's not the whole part of it. The majority here are boat guys which I was too and I love the boats   and have nothing but respect for everyone But give up your god given right to walk a beach? Really?

[ped579]

The problem I see here is that no one wants to think about what is right and what is wrong.  It is wrong to impose rights onto someone that owns property and to it is also wrong to impose close outs of beaches to the public.  Leave the marina property owner alone as high water marks do not come into effect here like it does on the beaches.

Till common sense is shown on this one I am and will always be on the side of the marina.  I don't need a society to tell me what is right or wrong, sorry Joe.

[Bucktail]

I'm with you Joe.  Personally I don't believe anyone should be able to own property right on the water, but that ship has sailed a long, long time ago.

Towns have their ways of keeping us Riff Raff out.  No parking on the street, or without a resident sticker, "private" roads, etc.  It's all designed to keep us away.

Just last night, while fishing on a public street end last night, an officer pulled behind my car and got out to question me.  I was all alone, with no lights, no radio - not disturbing anyone, and yet I was made to feel like I shouldn't be there.

I left, right after I got a warning not to fish on some guys private dock, with a sick feeling in my stomach.  I have fished this one area on and off for 10+ years and now I felt very unwelcome.  I'll probably go back, but I got the message.

[Tacklebox Joe]

I'm with you Joe.  Personally I don't believe anyone should be able to own property right on the water, but that ship has sailed a long, long time ago.

Towns have their ways of keeping us Riff Raff out.  No parking on the street, or without a resident sticker, "private" roads, etc.  It's all designed to keep us away.

Just last night, while fishing on a public street end last night, an officer pulled behind my car and got out to question me.  I was all alone, with no lights, no radio - not disturbing anyone, and yet I was made to feel like I shouldn't be there.

I left, right after I got a warning not to fish on some guys private dock, with a sick feeling in my stomach.  I have fished this one area on and off for 10+ years and now I felt very unwelcome.  I'll probably go back, but I got the message.

Exactly Bob and thank you. 

Monday, May 23, 2011 at 1:00 P.M.
Seaside Heights Municipal Court
2nd Floor Court Room
116 Sherman Road, Seaside Heights NJ 08751

 

[Tacklebox Joe]

here's a list of some of the organizations that are opposing Gov Christie's proposal to roll back beach access rights


American Littoral Society

Asbury Park Fishing Club

Bayshore Regional Watershed Council

Bergen SWAN

Berkeley Striper Club

Citizens’ Right to Access Beaches, CRAB

Delaware Riverkeeper Network

Eastern Surfing Association/Southern NJ District

Edison Wetlands Association

Elizabeth River/Arthur Kill Watershed Association

Environment New Jersey

Friends of Liberty State Park

Future City, Inc.

Hackensack Riverkeeper

Hudson River Fishermen's Association

Hudson River Waterfront Conservancy of NJ

Ironbound Community Corporation

Jersey Coast Anglers Association

New Jersey Audubon Society

New Jersey Chapter, Sierra Club

New Jersey Citizen Action

New Jersey Council of Diving Clubs

New Jersey Outdoor Alliance

New York/New Jersey Baykeeper

NJ Environmental Justice Alliance

NJ Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility

NJ State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs

Raritan Riverkeeper

Riverkeeper

Shark River Surf Anglers

Stripercoast Surfcasters

Stripers Online

Surfers’ Environmental Alliance

Surfrider Foundation, Jersey Shore Chapter

Surfrider Foundation, South Jersey Chapter

[Tacklebox Joe]

Public Access Advocates - The first hearing yesterday on the proposed public access rules was rather well-attended and 100% of the people who spoke opposed the rule.  Furthermore the crowd was spirited and applauded after almost every speaker despite being told by the DEP not to applaud.  Your passion on this issue is unstoppable! 

There was good press coverage as well.  Links below

Most importantly you all deserve congratulations because your calls and letters about adding a nighttime public hearing worked, and the DEP announced an evening hearing on Thursday, June 2nd, on LBI in the Long Beach Township Municipal building which is in Brant Beach. Details below.

We continue to grow with the addition of the NJ Beach Buggy Association, local angling clubs, and major players like the JCAA and the NJ Outdoor Alliance!

Many of the groups who signed our statement spoke, but just to give the DEP the scope of the opposition I read into the record the names of all 36 organizations signed on thus far.

We also learned that you and your organization can speak at more than one or all the hearings if you like. 

Press Links

Jersey Journal - http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1305268813289271.xml&coll=3

Hoboken Patch - http://hoboken.patch.com/articles/locals-concerned-about-states-proposed-changes-to-waterfront-access-policy

Remaining Public Hearings

Tuesday, May 17, 2011 at 11:00 A.M.
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
Townsend Residential Life Center Multi-Purpose Room
Jimmie Leeds Road
Pomona, NJ 08240
 
Monday, May 23, 2011 at 1:00 P.M.
Seaside Heights Municipal Court
2nd  Floor Court Room
116 Sherman Road
Seaside Heights NJ 0875

Thursday, June 2nd 2011, 7PM

Long Beach Township Court Room (same as Council Chambers)

6805 Long Beach Boulevard, Brant Beach, NJ 08008



Official DEP Announcement of Rule, and link to rule text:
 
http://www.nj.gov/dep/rules/notices/040411a.html