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Sierra Club would rather gut other environmental programs than do what is right, robbing Peter to pay Paul.  The lack of detail on Club's part is disingenuous.  Don't be fooled by a bad proposition.  Open space is important but so are the details ABOUT HOW TO PAY FOR IT.  It's great that the TC and the KIG coaIiton are now setting precedent to start canabalizing environmental programs for the benefit of other environmental programs.  Jeff Tittle & company will be the first to complain when water quality is impacted, the underground storage tank program decimated or parks can no longer support themselves when the money has been diverted to this poor choice.  Who knows, maybe Sierra Club is playing chicken with the State thinking the State would not be so bold as to gut these other programs due to public back lash over funding cuts.  Think again, it will happen.   There will be un-intended consequences if this question is passed.  At least we will know where to publically assign the blame when it happens.  VOTE NO FOR PUBLIC QUESTION #2 on NOv.4, 2014.

Also the New Jersey Sierra Club is urging everyone to vote YES : "On November 4th you will have the opportunity to save open space in New Jersey by supporting Public Question #2! This ballot question would dedicate part of the Corporation Business Tax revenues to fund open space preservation.  Passing this ballot measure is critical for New Jersey’s future.  Without this funding there will be no money left to buy open space, save farmland, buyouts of flood prone properties, or to build parks and playgrounds in our neighborhoods.  Open Space is the most successful program in state history and without funding the bulldozers will win.  Once you lose open space to development you can never get it back. That is why it is critical to vote YES to save open space in the Garden State! Investing in open space is investing in our future. Urban parks are a catalyst for redevelopment. Open space helps our tourist economy with outdoor recreation providing more than $4 billion a year in economic activity. Preserving farmland keeps our agriculture industry viable. By buying open space we also protect our water supply. We would be hurting ourselves both environmentally and economically by not investing in parks and open space. New Jersey needs this funding for open space now more than ever! We need to help buyout families that have been impacted by flooding. We need to keep the garden in the Garden State. We need to make sure we have parks and recreation areas for our families to enjoy. Most importantly buying open space helps protect our environment, our water supply, creates habitat for threatened and endangered species, and protects our forest and farmlands. We urge you to VOTE YES on Public Question #2 to save New Jersey’s Open Space!"

In regard to the open space funding question on November 4, 2014, in New Jersey.  While this question and the people behind it are well intentioned, this is a classic case of the Law of Un-Intended Consequences.  I urge voters to vote "No" on this question.               I have previously supported open space funding but find it harder and harder to do so for various reasons.  This recent public question has not provided the public with enough information about where the money to pay for this program will come from.  In reading about this question, it appears that for all intent and purposes the money will be taken from the NJDEP Parks budget and the budgets for other NJDEP programs related to clean water planning and enforcement, hazardous waste site clean-up and even air pollution programs.  This was recently described in a review of the CBT (Corporate Business Tax) and NJDEP budget that was analyzed by the environmental group known as PEER- NJ Chapter, that can be reviewed at http://www.wolfenotes.com/page/2/ on the October 21, 2014 entry, " Flying Blind on Open Space – And Lying About It".   The state parks have enough trouble already to obtain funding to operate and are resorting more and more to charging fees to run their operations.  While some may say the users should pay to use these locations, the parks were always supposed to be for everyone, regardless of income, to enjoy the outdoors for little or no money as a public service for all.  Don't complain about reduced access to parks or activities because you voted to reduce the meager funding the parks currently receive.     Additionally, the other environmental programs that would be affected will result in fewer personnel to carry programs the public may not see directly but absolutely affect everyone's health and quality of life.  Don't complain about dirty water or odors/air pollution or clean beaches or other environmental issues if you vote for this public question and it results in layoffs of the people who perform these jobs.  And if more open space is purchased, who will be there to oversee it?  To prevent problems like the rampant dumping of solid waste on public property (parks) or prevent other damages to these resources that are currently occurring?   This public question, if passed, will end up having unforeseen negative consequences.  While true open space is important (not ball fields or lighting; a manipulation of what this fund was intended for, but for undeveloped natural space), this is not the way to fund its purchase.  I will not vote for the passage of this public question.  I urge voters to carefully consider the negative impacts of this question and vote "No" on this question.      

As you can imagine, our crew was very disappointed when hurricane Irene destroyed bridge 3, which we had worked so hard over several months to build. There are a number of problems on School Mountain Road including several damanged or unsafe bridges and severe erosion. The park has begun a planning process to determine what should be done with the trail. Rehabilitating it to again support bicycle, horse, and foot traffic would be very costly and difficult. We have suggested different alternatives, but we can't do major work on the trail until the park decides how to proceed. We will try to build some steps leading down the bank to our temporary bridge soon. The destruction of many bridges in parks throughout the New York/New Jersey area by recent hurricanes has led us to review our bridge policy and to look more carefully at the sites where bridges are built.