We need your help - NJ Surf Fisherman are on the verge of losing our beach access
 

Everyone we desperately need your help
Please copy and send this letter to every one of the the parties listed below:
Please do it ASAP (trust me, speed is important - take 10 minutes and do it now)

There are two letters here. The first is for NJ residents, the second is for out of state fishermen
-------------------------------------------------
(NJ)

I am contacting you to voice my strong opposition to the new proposed New Jersey Beach Access Rules.

Please do not allow the new proposed beach access regulations to be adopted.
Please do not allow the state of New Jersey to remove the references to the Public Trust Doctrine from state rules.
Please do not allow public tax dollars to be spent to replenish beaches unless full 24/7 access AND PARKING are provided for those beaches.

We have fought and won many battles, both legal and political, to have what access we have now. Our state government is now attempting to erase many years of work with a single stroke of the pen.

There are 250+ municipalities that have waterfront access to tidal waters.
Each and everyone of them will be given the opportunity to write their own individual Municipal Access Plan. They will be given the authority and police powers to enforce where and when the public will have access to tidal waters within their municipality. Many of these town have in the past showed their unwillingness to allow public access.
The State of New Jersey will no longer be the advocate for the public access rights that belong to us all.
The NJDEP is relinquishing its responsibility as the trustee of the Public Trust Doctrine to protect these rights.

This is a formula for abuse, the fox guarding the hen house.

As a registered voter in the State of New Jersey I pledge to be at the polls for the next few years worth of election cycles to vote against any politician who backs these new rules.

Name
Address
Phone #
------------------------------
Out of state

I am contacting you to voice my strong opposition to the new proposed New Jersey Beach Access Rules.

Please do not allow the new proposed beach access regulations to be adopted.
Please do not allow the state of New Jersey to remove the references to the Public Trust Doctrine from state rules.
Please do not allow public tax dollars to be spent to replenish beaches unless full 24/7 access AND PARKING are provided for those beaches.

There are 250+ municipalities that have waterfront access to tidal waters.
Each and everyone of them will be given the opportunity to write their own individual Municipal Access Plan. They will be given the authority and police powers to enforce where and when the public will have access to tidal waters within their municipality. Many of these town have in the past showed their unwillingness to allow public access.
The State of New Jersey will no longer be the advocate for the public access rights that belong to us all, even those of us who reside in other states.
The NJDEP is relinquishing its responsibility as the trustee of the Public Trust Doctrine to protect these rights.

This is a formula for abuse, the fox guarding the hen house.

As an active participant in the surf fishing community I spend a large amount of money annually in New Jersey on food, lodging, tackle and incidentals. If 24/7 beach access at any of the places I frequent is restricted in any way I will no longer be bringing my business to your state.

Name
Address
Phone number

----------------------------
Send to:

New Jersey State Dept. of Environmental Protection
Bob Martin Commissioner
PO Box 402
Mail Code 401-07
401 East State Street 7th floor
Trenton, NJ 08625-0402
609-292-2885
E-mail - Commissioner@DEP.State.NJ.US

NJ Department of Environmental Protection
Gary Brower, Esq.
ATTN: DEP Docket No. 05-11-03
Office of Legal Affairs
401 East State Street, 4th Floor
PO Box 402
Trenton, New Jersey 08625
EMAIL - Gary.Brower@DEP.State.NJ.US

Find your local legislator here
Out of state guys pick the town you fish most often.
NJ residents - It does NOT matter if your hometown has waterfront or not - your legislator will have a voice in it, send the letter
New Jersey Legislature - Find Your Legislator

Our Governor doesn't make it that easy
The only way to sen him a message is through his website
Office of the Governor | Contact Us
Topic 1 - click on ENVIRONMENT
Topic 2 - Click on OPEN SPACE
Fill in your information then paste the letter into the space for message

Send the message to Frank Lautenberg here:
Senator Frank R. Lautenberg

To Congressman Pallone here:
Janice.Fuller@Mail.House.gov
Janice is in charge of briefing the congressman on current issues

Sudsy - for those of us out of the loop - can you give us more info?

Thanks....

That was me :wall:

The short and sweet of it is that our State government is selling out to the special interests and rewording state law as to how beach access is dealt with.

They're going to let each individual town write and enforce their own rules. This includes many towns that have historically tried to limit beach access.

All reference to the Public Trust Doctrine is being removed from State law (if you're not familiar with the Public Trust Doctrine, you should be, it affects everyone that wants to access tidal waters and dates back 1,500 years)

There's even wording that will give towns the ability to make fishing off the rocks and jetties illegal - saying it's too dangerous

They are taking responsibility for enforcement of public access rules away from the DEP. The DEP has always been the hammer we've counted on to reopen access when it has been illegally taken away.
Many of you might remember the battle with the Coast Guard when they fenced off the Rip at Sandy Hook. That was a huge fight. If not for the DEP the single most famous surf fishing location in all of NJ would be lost to us. If this passes, the Coast Guard could rebuild that fence and now there is nothing that we could do about it.

Want to hear some real BS - look what the state is trying to pull now
I'm pretty sure it's not even legal
Just got it from John Weber with Surfrider

Just to let you know how serious the state is about pushing this through

We have learned that the state is lobbying local governments about the "benefits" of this rule and encouraging them to speak in favor at the public hearings. My own mayor confirmed receiving such a letter from Trenton. This state lobbying for it's own rules being done with taxpayer money. A waste not mention unfair.

Proof that the state is all in on this issue
If we don't stand together and be heard, every one of us, we are going to lose this fight

So, We're supposed to pay for everything the government wants to do and they keep taking away the things we live for. I'm ashamed to live among people who vote these pinheads into office. I'll write the letter out longhand and mail it tomorrow, Sudsy.