On November 26th I attended a meeting of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance (NJOA) on behalf of the JCAA, and a brief summary of that meeting follows:
Artificial Reefs Issue
- NJOA has been working on it for about 6 years to remove the traps off the reefs, but efforts for removal have been stymied by politics.
- DEP was going to issue recommendations on resolving it, but Hurricane Sandy has put the reefs issue on a temporary hold.
- Once a formal proposal is issued on the reefs by the DEP, the NJOA will first review it with its members and then take a vote on it. The NJOA cannot do anything until it hears from DEP on what they propose.
- Frank Vergilio (NJ Federation of Sportsmen clubs) said reefs have to have strict enforcement. He mentioned he is working on possible enforcement regulations with Rob Winkel and does not have a final report yet. Enforcement would include suspensions and fines.
NJOA Priorities – What issues should the NJOA focus on for the near future?
After some discussion it was generally agreed that the NJOA should have these priorities.
- More funding for the Marine Fisheries – Bureau cannot respond to all the management plans that it has to address, etc.
- Resolve the Artificial Reef issue – Dragging for 6 years and so much effort has already gone into it
- Improved Beach Access – especially with the aftermath of Sandy
- Implement a campaign to promote better awareness of NJOA to the public. This campaign will be spearheaded by Roger Staib.
Considerable discussion centered on Hurricane Sandy and the issues it raised.
- Funding ($30 million?) needs to be approved by Congress. Funding will be needed to repair marinas, docks and infrastructure. Beach replenishment is also an issue along with constructing dunes.
- This is also the time to focus on improved beach access for anglers since much of the shoreline has been altered and damaged. The NJOA wants to partner with Tim Dillingham (American Littoral Society) to secure better access for anglers. The Littoral Society has lawyers on staff to research the new DEP Beach Access plan to make a good case on improving access for anglers through beach communities that have continually made access very difficult.
- Funding from Sandy should also be allocated to provide research on the effects of Sandy on blackfish, flounder and on other species. This funding through Sandy will give the Bureau of Marine Fisheries an opportunity to do the research on fisheries that it has not been able to do because of the lack of funding.
- There is a lot of trash in our waterways because of Sandy and the Army Corps of Engineers is responsible for removing all of it.
The NJOA plans to invite Tim Dillingham and Senator Menendez at its next meeting to discuss beach access and funding issues raised by Sandy. The next NJOA meeting will be held in January 2013. The NJOA December 24th meeting has been canceled.
