Island beach and NJ State Park updates

[storminsteve]

Thought it might be useful to post any updates here.

[clamchucker]

Island Beach will not reopen this year. One positive step is getting folks back in to the Island overall. John Bushell posted this on his site yesterday:

OK, just got word from Choef of Police Larkin that Seaside Heights, Seaside Park, and South Seaside Park, residents and business owners, with their contractors and adjusters, willbe allowed into the town, every day, from 8 AM - 3 PM. This is the first step towards coming back.

[Monty]

New Jersey Beach Buggy Association
Some pics of Island Beach are here:
http://www.njbba.org/beach-news.html#sandy

[finchaser]

For you guys that Like to fish IBSP..


Update!
Wednesday, November, 21, 2012 at 6:45AM
IBSP took a pretty bad hit from Sandy and members of the NJBBA took a ride with supervisor Ray Bukoeski on the 16th to assess damage. The park will remain closed until the families in Midway Beach ans Seaside get their lives back in order. The NJBBA has volunteered to help when needed as usual. You can see the pictures they took at:
www.njbba.org
Grumpys is best described as being on hold until utilities are restored and there is public access to the barrier island! Only residents and owners with re-entry permits are allowed at this yime. We were able to empty the bait freezers before it became a toxic waste site and are ready to reopen whenever things normalize. We are very fortunate and have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!
The Borough of Seaside Park has done a remarkable job of dealing with the countless problems in the Sandy aftermath. West of Central Ave. had the worst flooding damage and to the east, the damage lessened the closer you get to the ocean. It is heartbreaking to see all the piles of flood damaged posessions being piled up at the curb. Did I mention the we are very fortunate and have a lot to be thankful for. Say a prayer for those less fortunate.
Grumpy hisself

[DarkSkies]

Sent in by Fin, and courtesy of the Brick Patch and Jeff Childers of Childers Realty

http://brick.patch.com/articles/mant...photo-12293627
MANTOLOKING: The Long Road Back After Sandy

The exclusive community was hit especially hard by the superstorm, and much of the town remains in disrepair

• By Tom Davis
• November 23, 2012

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Hurricane Sandy Debris
House in the Mantoloking area.Credit Jeff Childers

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http://rumson.patch.com/articles/man...ted=1354063135








The houses always seemed so detached from everywhere else, set back against the Mantoloking beach and away from Route 35, close but distant in spirit.
The thousands of tourists who pass by them each day, during the summer, could barely see anything beyond the giant bushes that stand between them and the front door.
Over the past month, however, and since Hurricane Sandy hit, those same houses have become a bit too visible, while Route 35 has virtually disappeared.
Few towns were hit as hard, or harder, than Mantoloking, and its adjacent towns. Few have been able to get as close as Jeff Childers did, photographing a community where fires burned long after the winds of the storm died down.
Now, the people will try to pick up the broken pieces of a community that always seemed too distant from tragedies like this.
Over the past month, some of those exclusive houses have been in the water. Or they were smashed, boarded-up and tilted on their sides. Some debris of a demolished house even ended up on the Mantoloking Bridge.
A new inlet even formed where the Atlantic Ocean breached into the Barnegat Bay, leaving a sliver of a sandbar in between the two.
Route 35, meanwhile, has looked like it did in the 19th century, with sand covering it from side to side.
Here are some of the photos that Jeff Childers, a local land agent, took of the devastation.

About this column: News and essential information about Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey.

[fishinmission78]

Maybe some good news - saw this posted on another site.


"IBSP will reopen to beach buggy's with limited acess from Gillikins to OBA1. This will happen once acess to south Seaside park opens to the public. The date that is floating around is some where around January 7 th if all goes well with the natural gas restoration. Also IBSP is extending 2012 buggy permits to March 31 2013."

[barrys]

The Division of Parks and Forestry is extending the 2012 Mobile Sportfishing Permits (MSFV) until March 31, 2013 and will provide limited access (Gillikin2s Road to OBA 1; moving south when feasible) once Berkeley Twp. permits visitors back onto the Island.
The 2013 Mobile Sportfishing Permits will be available for sale beginning January 2, 2013 only from the Trenton Central Office of the State Park Service as Island Beach does not have the infrastructure to process revenue. Only mailed in applications will be accepted and permits will be issued based on the postmark on the envelope. The address is on the application. Please visit this Web site for information on the new permit process and application form.

http://www.njparksandforests.org/parks/island.html

Still can't get on the island yet, I got this information from Grumpy's site he's ready to open as soon as they let nonresidents come on.
__________________
Barry

[clamchucker]

Good news, thank you barry.

[DarkSkies]

A step backward?.....

Sent in by Fin, thanks....


from www.brickpatch.com...
12-27-12
Tidal Flooding Hits Some Neighborhoods, Breaches Reported on Barrier Island

No rescues, however, and few reports of water intrusion into homes

• By Daniel Nee
• Email the author
• 2:19 pm

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Shore Acres

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http://brick.patch.com/articles/tida...ted=1356637764



The midday high tide Thursday caused water to overflow bulkheads in some Brick Township neighborhoods, but no one had to be rescued and there were few reports of water intruding into residential homes.

Some streets, but not all, in the Shore Acres neighborhood were under water, and bay water was overflowing the lagoon along Paul Jones Drive in that area. Most streets, however, remained passable.

It was a similar story in the Cherry Quay section, where many streets were under water, but generally passable.
In Seawood Harbor and off St. Lawrence Boulevard, there was no obvious flooding, though it was clear the neighborhood had seen some very minor tidal flooding earlier judging by a small amount of debris in the road.

Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis said the township prepared for potential rescues and manned fire houses with personnel ready to help, but rescue crews were not needed.

On the barrier island, personnel were evacuated around 1 a.m., Acropolis said.
There were several small breaches on the island, though most could be described as water overflowing dunes rather than a true breach. By 1:30 p.m. Thursday, all of the breaches had been repaired, Acropolis said.

The mayor credited the township's construction of a sand berm along the entirety of the Brick oceanfront with helping to prevent more serious setbacks, including the possibility of a true breach.

There were more serious breaches in Mantoloking, however, Acropolis said.
By 2 p.m. Thursday, 56 customers out of about 35,000 total in Brick were out of power, according to Jersey Central Power & Light.
The traffic light at the intersection of Route 70 and Brick Boulevard was not functioning, however police were directing traffic and there were no delays in the area.

[fishinmission78]

For anyone who wants to help out and get rid of your old christmas trees

Drop your trees off at Cattus Island Park. The tree will be used as storm fencing to catch sand and help replenish the dunes. http://www.tomsrivernjonline.com/201...nishment/9992/

[fishinmission78]

Volunteers needed January 19

Rebuilding IBSP's Damaged Dunes Starts on January 19th

After meeting with Island Beach State Park manager Ray Bukowski, NJBBA have scheduled three dates(January 19, February 2 & February 16) for instituting their pilot project of installing discarded Christmas trees at IBSP dunes damaged and destroyed by super storm Sandy.NJBBA members having open rear bed 4x4 pickup trucks are needed to transport the trees from the bathing pavilion parking lot onto the beach and to remove debris when leaving the beach. We also need members with 4x4 vehicles capable of transporting volunteers to the the clean up and dune replenishment areas. NJBBA members will meet at IBSP Bathing Pavilion #1 at 8:00AM. Coffee and donuts will be served in the morning.

[fishinmission78]

No beach permits needed for that cleanup. Just show up. They really could use some help, thanks.
http://www.njbba.org/ for more info

[DarkSkies]

Thank you for all the updates, folks.


Sent in by Fin, thanks!



Bottom of Barnegat Bay Littered.......


Bottom Of Barnegat Bay Littered With Homes, Boats, Docks Due To Sandy

Crews From Tow Boat U.S. In Process Of Arduous Task Of Locating Debris

January 10, 2013 6:13 PM




A tow boat company is helping to locate more than 1,400 boats and nearly 60 homes that are at the bottom of Barnegat Bay in New Jersey. (Photo: CBS 2)



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BARNEGAT BAY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) — Months after Hurricane Sandy, there are still hundreds of boats and homes in New Jersey’s Barnegat Bay that were thrown in by the storm.

Crews have set a target of Memorial Day weekend to get them all out, but, as with so much of life after Sandy, it’s not an easy task.
Since Sandy, crews and divers from Tow Boat U.S. have been in the waters of New Jersey searching for boats, cars and homes the massive storm tossed into the bay. On an exclusive tour Thursday, CBS 2’s Christine Sloan saw the amount of wreckage in the water.
“Just a lot of debris, exceptionally a lot of debris. Parts of houses floating around,” Capt. Bob Poskay said, describing what he’s seen.
Sloan saw a house still in the water, with the second floor sticking up. It floated all the way up from Mantoloking.

Diver Mike Sonta has been in the bay, locating homes and boats. State officials said there are about 1,400 vessels, 58 homes and eight cars still in Barnegat Bay. All have to pulled out by this summer because they pose a threat to anyone in the water.
“Everything you can imagine on land is in the water,” Sonta said.
Sloan saw the monitor divers use to look for anything dangerous that may be in the water. She saw a murky, underwater shot of what’s on the first floor of house. One object appeared to look like a heater or radiator.
“There’s a boat under the deck … porch … it could be a catamaran or kayak, I can’t actually tell,” Sonta said.
Tow Boat U.S. owner Tom Hurst has been working with the New Jersey State Police and the Coast Guard, and has already pulled 400 boats out of these waters, including an 18-foot Boston Whaler.

“It was still attached to the trailer and the trailer punched a hole right through the bottom of the boat,” Hurst said.
Much of the company’s work has been on a volunteer basis finding boats on marshes. Crews can only tow boats, or pull out part of homes, if the job has been cleared with owners and their insurance companies. Usually, a crane is required for the job.
As for one home, crews said it will more than likely have to be broken into pieces and then taken out.


http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/01/...-due-to-sandy/

[fishinmission78]

Announced on NJ101.5 today and also on toms river online

http://tomsriver.patch.com/articles/...hs-after-sandy


Island Beach State Park Partially Reopened To Public, Three Months After Sandy

State Park System officials hoping to reopen entire park by summer

• By Patricia A. Miller
• 12:05 pm

Nearly three months after Superstorm Sandy swamped Island Beach State Park, sections of the park are now open to the public, free of charge.


“This partial reopening of Island Beach State Park is an important benchmark in the state’s recovery from Sandy,” Gov. Chris Christie said. “While there is still much work to be done, we know that having even partial access to the park is important to residents and visitors and we are thrilled to welcome them back.”
Ocean Bathing Area 1 - four miles south of the park entrance - is now open for walking, four-wheel drive access and sport fishing.

Four-wheel drive vehicles with park-issued permits can enter the beach at Ocean Bathing Area 1 or at Gillikin’s Road, which is 1.2 miles north of Ocean Bathing Area 1. Horseback riding is not permitted at this time.
All points south of Ocean Bathing Area 1 – including Ocean Bathing Area 2, the Forked River Interpretive Center, the nature center, and access points to Sedge Island – will reopen as cleanup and restoration work progresses.
“I am proud of the hard work undertaken by our staff, volunteers and contractors who have been getting the job done despite very challenging conditions that included lack of utilities, extensive damage to park infrastructure and road closures,” said Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bob Martin.
Restrooms at both bathing beaches have been winterized and are closed. But portable toilets are available at the Ocean Bathing Area 1's parking lot.
Four-wheel drive vehicle owners can inflate their tires after driving on the beach at the air stations in the parking lot of the park administration office, according to the DEP.
Island Beach State Park was badly damaged when Sandy hit New Jersey on Oct. 29. Electric and gas service were lost, dunes were breached in a number of beach access paths and sand was as high as seven feet along portions of the Shore Road.
Sandy slammed into boardwalks and lifeguard towers at the park’s two main bathing areas, leaving them either severely damaged or destroyed. Fisherman’s Walkway boardwalk at the A-7 access point was destroyed. The storm also caused wind or water damage to several buildings, as well as the loss of signs and fencing.
The gatehouse and maintenance buildings at the northern section of the park were flooded and structurally damaged. The Barnegat Inlet jetty at the southern tip of the park was also compromised, according to the DE.
Island Beach State Park Manager Ray Bukowski said recently that he and his staff were working seven days a week to repair the damage. Thanks to volunteer groups and other partnerships, some beach areas were restored.
“Just as our active and reliable partnerships are important to us during good times, they are even more important in times of need,” Bukowski said.
“A great deal of credit has to go to our partners who care so much for this special place, including Friends of Island Beach State Park, the New Jersey Beach Buggy Association, Clean Ocean Action, the Surfrider Foundation and Waste Management of New Jersey," he said.

[finchaser]

http://brick.patch.com/articles/vide...video-13124558

[DarkSkies]

Sent in by Fin, thanks!


Liberty State Park
STATE PARKS MAKE GREAT STRIDES TOWARDS POST-SANDY RECOVERY; LIBERTY STATE PARK NOW ALMOST FULLY OPEN
Christie Administration Hires Unemployed Workers to Aid the Parks Cleanup Effort


(3/18/13) JERSEY CITY - The Christie Administration announced today that up to 78 unemployed state residents can be hired by the Department of Environmental Protection to help clean up and restore Sandy storm-damaged state parks through a National Emergency Grant obtained by the state Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL).

The DEP already has brought on 33 previously unemployed residents through this program who are working at seven state parks, supplementing full-time state work crews on various projects aimed at getting all state parks ready for the upcoming summer tourism season. The DEP is working with DOL on additional hirings.

"Getting all of our state parks fully cleaned up and restored for the spring and summer outdoor seasons is a priority for the Christie Administration,'' DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said. "The employees we are hiring through the Department of Labor grants are helping in this important effort at parks that were battered by Superstorm Sandy. They are helping clear debris, repair walkways, restore dunes, and remove trees that are blocking trails and many other important tasks.''

The hirings were announced today during a news conference at Liberty State Park. All of New Jersey's state parks have reopened post-Sandy, including Liberty. Most of Liberty Walk (the Hudson River Walkway), which offers unparalleled views of the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline, has reopened. The Caven Point section of the park recently re-opened, and some 300 of the park's 343 public use acres now are accessible.

But there is still plenty of cleanup, repair and reconstruction work to be done around the Park System, including restoration of dunes at Island Beach State Park and the clearing of trails at many of the state's northern parks.

The $15.6 million National Emergency Grant or NEG program already has been used to put more than 700 people to work on cleanup efforts on city streets and public properties across 16 hurricane-ravaged Garden State counties since the federal funds were first obtained by the Department of Labor just days after Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey. The NEG program enabled the Christie Administration to directly aid local, county and state government agencies with labor needs for their ongoing cleanup and restoration projects.

"This National Emergency Grant already has gone far toward helping many counties and towns get a handle on repairing their communities. It only makes sense to put some of the funds toward repairing our state parks. While we restore some of New Jersey's natural jewels we also are giving our unemployed neighbors a chance to work and perhaps find opportunities for more permanent employment," Labor Commissioner Harold J. Wirths said at today's press conference.

The DEP currently is employing people through this grant at its two busiest parks, Liberty State Park and Island Beach State Park, and also at Cheesequake State Park, Allaire State Park, Hacklebarney State Park, Washington Crossing State Park and the Round Valley and Spruce Run recreation areas. The DEP also is considering using these workers to help clear Sandy debris that continues to wash up on beaches along the state's coastline.

State Park Service Director Mark Texel and Liberty State Park Superintendent Rob Rodriguez hope to enroll about a dozen workers through the Department of Labor grant to help continue efforts to fully restore the park, which is the gateway to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. For the past four months, Liberty staff and teams of state parks employees from across New Jersey, supplemented by inmate labor provided by the Department of Corrections, have worked to make repairs and clear away vast amounts of debris caused by the tidal surge that hit the park during Sandy.

Assessments are still being done to determine how to repair and restore the iconic Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal Building, which sustained serious water damage as a result of Sandy's nearly six-foot storm surge, and the bulkhead along the Hudson River at the damaged ferry slip.

"There is still plenty of work to do at Liberty and other state parks, and we intend to take advantage of this program through the Department of Labor to bring on temporary employees to help get the job done,'' said DEP Assistant Commissioner for Natural and Historic Resources Richard Boornazian.

Job-seekers interested in signing on for this NEG employment should report to local One-Stop Career Centers or send e-mails to sandyhelp@dol.state.nj.us. They may also log onto www.Jobs4Jersey.com or call 1-877-682-6238 or 1-800-233-5005 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Please be patient if lines are busy.

[clamchucker]

Update

Starting today, expanded areas of Island Beach State Park will reopen, including access trails and parking lots at A-2, A-3, A-4, A-5 and A-6. Since January 25, only the popular Ocean Bathing Area 1 and Gillikin?s Road had been open for walking, sport fishing and four-wheel driving.

Visitors with 2012 and 2013 mobile sport fishing permits will now be authorized to utilize Gillikin?s Road south to the A-7 access point.

The Reed?s Road parking area at the northern end of the park is also reopened, allowing fishermen on foot to access the beach through the maintenance trail. As of today, the Nature Center is also open for group use by appointment only. Those reservations can be made through the park office at (732) 793-0506.

Restrooms at Ocean Bathing Area 1 are now open, as is the restroom facility at A-6. The air station for four-wheel drive vehicles at A-6 is also now operable, allowing owners of these vehicles to inflate and deflate their tires as needed.

Access to the park remains free of charge until May.

[clamchucker]

A reminder from Grumpys that Island Beach is open



You can get your 2013 Beach Buggy Permit at the park office (between the bathing pavillions, NOT the gate house) starting today! They will be available 7 days a week from 8AM to 4PM.
Expanded areas of Island Beach State Park have reopened, including access trails and parking lots at A-2, A-3, A-4, A-5 and A-6. You can use from Gillikins Road south to the A-7 access point. The Reeds Road parking area at the northern end of the park is also reopened, allowing fishermen on foot to access the beach through the maintenance trail. Restrooms at Ocean Bathing Area 1 are now open, as is the restroom facility at A-6. The air station for four-wheel drive vehicles at A-6 is also now operable. They are planning to reopen more of the park soon but no date has been set!

[Monty]

A reminder from Grumpys that Island Beach is open
You can get your 2013 Beach Buggy Permit at the park office (between the bathing pavillions, NOT the gate house) starting today! They will be available 7 days a week from 8AM to 4PM.
Expanded areas of Island Beach State Park have reopened, including access trails and parking lots at A-2, A-3, A-4, A-5 and A-6. You can use from Gillikins Road south to the A-7 access point. The Reeds Road parking area at the northern end of the park is also reopened, allowing fishermen on foot to access the beach through the maintenance trail. Restrooms at Ocean Bathing Area 1 are now open, as is the restroom facility at A-6. The air station for four-wheel drive vehicles at A-6 is also now operable. They are planning to reopen more of the park soon but no date has been set!

That is all great news, thank you for the update Clamchucker

[fishinmission78]

I fished Island Beach this morning. Sedge island access on the back side is open for anyone who wants to fish or launch a kayak from there. The park is open to area 23. IBSP has expanded the fishing hours to 6:30am until 10pm, 7 days a week. The hours for getting a beach buggy permit are still 8am to 4pm at the park offices (not the gatehouse) 7 day a week