Waterfront Accesss Issue - Urban NJ

[bunkerjoe4]

Folks, this came from the American Littoral Society. Many may not be aware of the access issues in urban areas simply because publicity is focused on some of the nicer and pristine shore and beach areas.

However, we have access rights to these bay areas as well. There are many people and families who don't have the time or the money to travel to the beach, and primarily fish these bayshore urban areas. I should also mention that in some of these areas the fishing is fantastic at certain times.

Nonetheless, the key issue here is access to fishermen and outdoorsmen. Without our vigilance, this could be taken away. Please take a moment to review this, and if you can, write a letter, or at least make a phone call to register your protest.

Feel free to cite this or this thread in any other access issues your group may be facing. Here is the press release:


URGE YOUR STATE SENATOR TO OPPOSE SENATE BILL 1921
This Bill Undermines Public Access to New Jersey's Urban Waterfront

NJ residents have long been denied access to the waterfront in urban communities. This bill will make sure this practice continues by prohibiting the Department of Environmental Protection from requiring public access to tidal waterfront areas at existing transportation, port military, industrial, and energy facilities. It will also quash the requirement for such facilities to provide off-site access when overriding safety concerns make their own site inappropriate for public access.

Significant portions of New Jersey's northern and urban coastline are occupied by tank farms and other industrial facilities. S1921 would extinguish any chance of giving our urban residents a way to the water or bolstering meager parkland assets through walkways, access ramps and fishing piers. The bill will severely restrict the ability of citizens to monitor pollution along our urban waterways. Fishing access throughout the state, often provided through requirements placed on transportation projects, would become a thing of the past.

The bill argues that restricting access to the waterfront is necessary for national security purposes even though the US Coast Guard already has established security zones around nuclear power plants, all commercial waterfront facilities, liquefied hazardous gas facilities and coast guard vessels and stations. Further, the bill prohibits NJ DEP from implementing existing regulations which require a "replacement" public access facility where site considerations related to safety do make public access inappropriate.

The bill goes far beyond what is necessary to protect facilities where national security is an issue:

1) The bill does not limit the prohibition on NJ DEP's requirements to situations where homeland and national security statutes preclude public access but applies to all existing military, industrial, energy or port facilities even if public access to urban waterways could be safely provided and there is no security issue.

2) The bill is really intended to get business and industry out of contributing to providing public access to historically inaccessible waters - this is clear because the bill also prohibits DEP from requiring offsite access as an alternative.

3) The bill is unneeded because the DEP has proposed regulations that would specifically address homeland security concerns; however, these regulations do not let business off the hook to contribute to providing public access as a consequence of coastal development.


Getting the public to the water in urban parts of the state is a pressing need. In many places, this access can be safely accommodated on industrial waterfronts. The Legislature should not abandon this need by prohibiting the use of a reasonable, workable tool like the DEP public access regulations.


Call Your Senator Today

Find your NJ State Senator at http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/legsearch.asp --thanks folks - bunkerjoe

[stormchaser]

You NJ fishermen should get on this, keep the pressure, even if you don't fish there. You wouldn't believe the access problems we are having at Shoreham Beach in LI.

[strikezone31]

My uncle is a longshoreman. They catch small bass jigging off the docks near Port Newark and Port Elizabeth sometimes. It would be a shame to see them stopped from fishing because of some stupid security issue.