Folks, the time has come to correlate some of these stories and data relating to restricted access.

The case of Brookhaven, Long Island got me to thinking. I see that some progress has being made, but the bottom line is this:

Despite petitions, respectful meetings where reasonable people had intelligent dialogues, and one encouraging statement after another.... nothing is concrete at this point.

The fishermen who were fishing that beach for years, and some for decades, still have not received access they deserve. I believe this is a violation of their Constitutional Rights. I further believe many towns are aware of this when they close access and create legitimate "concerns" to mask the true intention of keeping fishermen off the property in question.

Well, I'm mad as hell, and not about to take it anymore! Remember the movie "Network"?

It is my contention that although progress has been made, the ultimate goal is to get people back to fishing in these areas they had previous access to, and to make that happen in a timely manner.

If you look at the major Constitutional legal issues that have been resolved in this country -- many were ultimately resolved in the courts of justice.

I have some experience seeing how this has worked through the eyes and stories of others who have had some success. It is my contention that in many cases, unless the town is faced with potential legal action, they will stonewall and try to make the issue go away.

It may not be necessary to go to court, as many cases are settled beforehand. Others have said the same thing here. I am just re-phrasing it.

I am setting up a series of threads, each dedicated to a specific town or area with Public Trust Access Issues. I would encourage all who are interested to gather and deposit any information in these threads you wish. If you feel it may be relevant, please post it.

Moreover, if anyone wants to cite our sources to help another case I am not aware of, feel free. I feel all web sites and fishing organizations should work together on these issues.

Furthermore, I will offer $100 from my pocket toward a retainer for ANY legal action that is begun in any of these areas. I might ask if others would consider contributing towards an attorney retainer, but that would be entirely up to you folks.

It doesn't matter to me whether I live there or it will affect me, and I would like you folks to please consider it as well, even if you think you can live your lives without getting involved.

Please remember this caveat:
Access, once lost, is rarely if ever re-gained.

I firmly believe this, but also believe if enough people get involved, we fishermen will prevail. These are our constitutionally protected rights, folks! Please don't let others carelessly trample on them.

This thread will focus on access issues in Long Branch, NJ. The other threads will be titled for the areas they will concentrate on.

If there is any area I have omitted or merits a thread, please let me know and I will start it.

I believe in my heart that the towns in question will not respect us as fishermen unless they feel they have a chance to lose in court and lose face. I am willing to give whatever support I can, and that of the site's publicity, to act as a resource to make this happen.

Thanks in advance for whatever help you can provide, folks. You are not obligated to do so. You have every right to do nothing. All I ask is for you to consider if access in an area near to you was restricted or closed, how would you feel?

Thanks again, folks! You have all been great so far. There are some good soldiers here, but we must constantly enlist others to win this battle.