In February 2024, seven sportsmen’s groups, including NJOA, met with the assistant commissioners of DEP’s Parks and Forestry and Fish and Wildlife to discuss our concerns with the proposed road closures at Wharton State Forest. Although sportsmen are not the problem, road closures to prevent illegal off roading in sensitive areas, affect our activities. At that time, we discussed accommodations for sportsmen such as seasonal restrictions (i.e. summer closings); and/or allowing licensed sportsmen and women to use roads during the appropriate hunting/fishing/trapping seasons.
Although we support the protection of wetlands and endangered wildlife, we also know that a lack of access for hunting and trapping makes management of species such as deer and beaver more difficult, negating the environmental protection DEP seeks to obtain. To that end, a map of roads within Wharton important to our constituents was presented to DEP. Finally, we were promised continued participation as the map developed.
And then, radio silence- crickets- until November 2024 when the final map was revealed.
The hunting season has come and gone, Wharton hunters and trappers have had to deal with the road closures. And in a scene that could have been taken from the movie “Groundhog Day”, this February 2025, seven sportsmen’s groups including NJOA met with the assistant commissioners of DEP’s Parks and Forestry and Fish and Wildlife to discuss our concerns with the Wharton road closures!
At this latest meeting, DEP admitted that the timing of the map release just prior to firearm deer seasons was bad and the Parks assistant commissioner apologized for the timing. We were informed that the current map is a “living” map, in that it may change over time. Roads could open up based upon further information, and roads may be closed in the future, temporarily or permanently, due to safety or environmental conditions that develop. We requested that DEP overlay our preferred road access map over a map depicting environmental concerns and safety issues so that we can discuss, with specificity, why each road needed for access was closed. Once this map is prepared, the Fish and Game Council chair will host a series of meetings with clubs in order to identify closed roads that we would like to continue to press for opening. DEP has promised to meet with us in September 2025 but we need to make our position known much sooner.
So stay tuned and watch for a future announcement on when meetings will be held and let your Fish and Game Council representative know your experience this year regarding the effects of Wharton Road closures on your hunting/fishing and trapping activities.