An Assessment of the Condition
of Parks, Forests and Wildlife Areas in New Jersey
John Myers, New York - New Jersey Trail Conference, for Pride in Our Parks
April 1998
"The public has pointedly told us over the years the infrastructures of the recreation areas are slowly but steadily deteriorating to an unacceptable level. The recreational experience offered most visitors is far from ideal from a lack of a nature center in many state parks such as High Point to the closure of an historic site such as Hancock House. This is much less than the residents of New Jersey deserve. Having consistently supported open space acquisition and facility development, the public deserves both to have these lands and resources cared for properly and to expect and receive recreational and rich educational experiences."
-- Governor's Council on New Jersey Outdoors
One of the major contributors to the quality of life in New Jersey is is our statewide park system, offering everything from seashore beaches to mountain trails. The desirability of New Jersey as a home for businesses and their employees is highly dependent upon the natural and scenic character of the state. Tourism itself is a $22 billion industry critical to the health of New Jersey's economy.
A crisis has been quietly building in the New Jersey Park System. Once one of the finest in the nation, New Jersey's parks have suffered a steady decline in services and maintenance, as limited funding has forced repair projects to be deferred, staff to be reduced, and park hours to be cut.
Pride in Our Parks : A partnership to protect and restore New Jersey's parks, forests and wildlife areas, is a coalition of 55 organizations throughout New Jersey with a combined group membership representing nearly a million citizens concerned about the health of our state parks, forests and wildlife areas. These public lands are treasures which belong to all citizens of New Jersey, and we feel there must be sufficient funding to maintain them properly to offer a high quality experience to visitors.
Over the past 10 years, visitation to parks has dramatically increased. Hiking, camping, biking, boating, hunting, and fishing have become more popular, straining existing facilities. The size of the park system has also continued to expand. For many years, the funds required have fallen short of needs, forcing most of the state parks to operate at a minimal level. This has translated into less diversity in programs, overcrowding, buildings and facilities in disrepair, increased vandalism, poorer security, inability to enforce good land and wildlife management, cutbacks in scientific research, and insufficient interpretive programming.
We are asking Governor Whitman and the New Jersey Legislature to provide the funding necessary to correct these problems and to allow the New Jersey park and wildlife system to again become one of the finest systems in the nation. This would require an additional $10 million per year for operating staff and maintenance above the current State Park Service budget of $25 million, a total of $35 million. For capital improvements, an additional $20 million annually is needed, in addition to the $6.67 million available annually from Green Acres
The Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife does not receive State appropriations for operations and maintenance, relying entirely on the sale of hunting and fishing licenses. An additional $8-10 million is needed annually over the current $3.5 million to properly operate and enforce the extensive Wildlife Management Area system and for capital improvements
New Jersey's citizens have consistently shown support and love for their parks and open spaces by passing each Green Acres Bond Act to acquire and preserve unique lands. Living in the most densely populated state in the nation, New Jerseyans especially appreciate and enthusiastically enjoy their parks and natural areas, which offer facilities for a wide variety of recreational activities. Since the will of the people has been to acquire this beautiful parkland, there now needs to be the legislative will to maintain and manage these valuable resources properly.
The report of the Governor's Council on New Jersey Outdoors states that New Jersey must continue to protect additional acreage of open space to ensure a green and prosperous future for the residents of our state.
New Jersey's Common Ground report (1994-1999 New Jersey Open Space and Outdoor Recreation Plan Summary) recognizes the need to protect our parks and wildlife areas and to offer a variety of recreation opportunities, experiences and facilities in order to maintain and enhance the quality of life in New Jersey.
This same quality of life that attracts business is undermined when park buildings are in poor repair with leaking roofs and plumbing problems, when roadways are not patched, when there are no visitor signs to indicate hiking and biking trails, when there are a lack of handicapped facilities or when there are not enough enforcement staff to prevent vandalism, illegal dumping and abuse of our natural resources.
Currently the Division of Parks and Forestry (DPF) now manages over 326,000 acres consisting of 38 parks, 42 natural areas, 57 historic sites, 11 forests, 4 recreation areas, 4 marinas and 4 reservoirs, while the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife (DFGW) manages and maintains 248,000 acres of wildlife habitat.
Over the past 20 years, New Jersey's population has increased by over half a million people. Utilization of these parks, forests, recreation areas and wildlife preserves has also dramatically increased. Attendance in state parks has nearly tripled in this period. In the past 10 years alone, attendance has grown by 53% from 8.5 million to 13 million. Usage in Wildlife Management Areas has also grown significantly as more people are using them for hunting, fishing, boating, bird watching, hiking and other activities.
The trend of recreation and vacationing "close to home" also places greater emphasis on the use of our state parks. Many of these parks are a short drive from the many local residents who use them.
The total amount of state-managed public land in New Jersey has grown dramatically. The land managed by the Division and Parks and Forestry (DPF) now includes over 326,000 acres consisting of: 38 parks, 42 natural areas, 57 historic sites, 11 forests, 4 recreation areas, 4 marinas and 4 reservoirs. Lands managed and maintained by the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife (DFGW) includes 248,000 acres.
Trails are also being more heavily used, with a significant increase in hikers on the Paulinskill Valley Trail, Appalachian Trail and the towpath of the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park. New trails such as the Highlands Trail and the Farny Highlands trail system are bringing new visitors in to discover these beautiful wildlife and natural areas.
All of this translates into a greater strain on our public lands and higher maintenance and operational costs.
THE HEART OF THE MATTER: GREATER BUDGET NEEDS TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN OUR PARKS AND WILDLIFE AREASThe policy of the State of New Jersey is stated to be:
"...to provide financial resources for the operation and maintenance of state recreation facilities and to research permanent funding sources for the development and rehabilitation of existing and new state and local parks."
However, as the Governor's Council on New Jersey Outdoors underscores, lack of funding for park operation and maintenance has been a very serious ongoing problem consistently confronting public recreation providers.
In the National Association of State Park Directors 1996 Annual Information Exchange, which compares State parks in 11 northeastern states, New Jersey ranked first in total acreage and fourth in total attendance, and yet it ranked eighth in total operating budget ($1.90) per visitor!
While outdoor recreation has increased significantly, and the park system has expanded, the number of park personnel has decreased. This places a great strain on existing staff to do more with less and less.
For example, the State Park System currently has 421 permanent positions, 127 less than in 1990 - a decrease of 23%. During this same period attendance increased by 26% from 10.5 million to 13.3 million. (see Table 1 and Charts 1, 2 and 3)
Table 1:
Division of Parks and Forestry Statistics
| Year | Attendance (millions) | Personnel (Authorized) |
Personnel (Filled) |
Attendance/Employee |
| 1990 | 10.5 | 548 | 426 | 24,648 |
| 1991 | 10.9 | na | na | na |
| 1992 | 10.3 | na | na | na |
| 1993 | 11.1 | 443 | 403 | 27,543 |
| 1994 | 12.6 | 434 | 400 | 31,500 |
| 1995 | 13.0 | 421 | 386 | 33,679 |
| 1996 | 13.3 | 421 | 394 | 33,756 |
| 1997 | na | 421 | 387 | na |
(NJDEP, Division of Parks and Forestry)
Chart 1:
Chart 2:
Chart 3:
The operating budget for the State Park System in 1996 was $25,192,000. It came from only one source, the line item appropriation within the Department of Environmental Protection budget. The Division of Parks and Forestry estimates that our parks require an additional $10-12 million annually for operating needs, bringing the total to at least $35 million.
The trend in investment to maintain our parks and recreation infrastructure has been alarmingly downward. From 1975 to 1988, the State Park System averaged $14 million annually in capital improvements. From 1989 to present, it has averaged just $10 million. Millions of dollars of urgent capital needs continue to go unfunded annually, resulting in an enormous backlog of deferred projects.
There is currently projected to be a six-year total capital funding need of $160 million, or $26.67 million per year. With Green Acres funds covering only 25% ($6.67 million) of this, another $20 million per year will be needed for routine capital maintenance of existing facilities.
As more private land is developed, the amount of private open space shrinks and more hunting and fishing becomes more concentrated onto public land. This has created an ongoing need to protect and preserve wildlife habitat through the expansion of the Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). Since 1980, the amount of land administered by the Bureau of Land Management within DFGW has increased from 153,000 to 248,000 acres, currently 44% of New Jersey's state-owned open space. However, during the same time period, operation and maintenance staff has decreased. DFGW currently has a hiring freeze in place, limiting the Bureau of Land Management to only 44 full-time positions (197 for the entire Division), the lowest number in 25 years, resulting in significant voids in critical programs. (see Table 2)
Table 2:
Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife Statistics
Bureau of Land Management
| Year | Total Acreage | Personnel |
| 1970 | 127,000 | n/a |
| 1975 | 138,854 | n/a |
| 1980 | 153,458 | n/a |
| 1985 | 171,006 | 44 |
| 1990 | 203,663 | 46 |
| 1995 | 226,415 | 44 |
| 1997 | 248,000 | 44 |
(NJDEP, Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife)
For the past three years, the Bureau of Land Management within DFGW has maintained a level operating budget of $2.54 million for operating the WMAs. In addition, approximately $1-1.5 million of DFGW's law enforcement budget was spent in the WMAs. Normal inflation and cost of living increases have reduced each year's operating budget considerably.
WMA's are financed by revenues from hunting and freshwater fishing licenses. Last year, approximately $2.5 million was received from sportsmen, with no funding provided from the Division of Parks and Forestry appropriation. Yet access to WMAs is not limited to hunting and fishing user groups. Rather, they are open to the general public, with millions of visitors enjoying hiking, birding and boating in these sites. Since the WMAs have grown into multiple use areas, the costs need to be more broadly supported by state stewardship and a general funding mechanism in the state budget.
In order to fill critical staff positions, bring WMA programs back to previous budget levels, and expand wildlife recreational programs to meet the growing demand, DFGW estimates the need to raise an additional $4-5 million/year for operating and law enforcement expenses.
To take care of deferred maintenance in the WMA system, the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife states that an additional $5 million/year is needed for capital improvements. The source for this $9-10 million could possibly be raising hunting and fishing license fees by $3 million and appropriating the remaining $6-7 million from the state budget.
THE IMPACT OF NO ACTION TO INCREASE THE BUDGETThe Governor's Council on New Jersey Outdoors Interim Report of May 1, 1997 states that the public told the council that New Jersey is
"...at risk of allowing publicly-owned resources to deteriorate from inadequate stewardship."
They report that, over many years, funds for the operational and capital needs in recreation areas have fallen short of the needs, forcing most of the state's parks to operate at a minimal level. Needed repairs have been deferred or given "quick-fix band-aid solutions," causing unsightly and sometimes dangerous conditions, and leaving potentially more costly repairs to be made in the future. Deferral of capital spending for renovation and rehabilitation has resulted in larger expenses down the road: leaky roofs leading to major structural deficiencies, plumbing problems leading to inoperable bathhouses, un-patched roadways becoming costly re-paving projects. Many facilities are not in compliance with disability guidelines.
Some examples of these impacts in the WMAs are described below:
Lack of resources has hampered the management of non-game species and enforcement of laws protecting endangered species.
The hours of operation at Pequest Environmental Center have been cut back due to lack of personnel and budget and they have been unable to meet the demands of students. There is no comparable center in south Jersey.
The department is unable to carry out its mandates to educate the public (including environmental commissions, planning boards, farmers, etc.) regarding wildlife control and management.
Required dam and road maintenance and building upkeep is behind schedule.
Other major repairs have been put off indefinitely.
There have been delays in developing badly needed facilities and parking access. In some cases they have not been developed at all. There is little ability to plan and develop access for various user groups including providing handicapped facilities.
Deferral of major repairs has made some situations worse: water control structures have washed out, changing a simple repair into major reconstruction; lack of maintenance has rendered some boat ramps unusable.
Critical habitat improvements have not been undertaken or have been deferred in recent decades due to insufficient staff.
The Bureau of Law Enforcement currently has 16% of its field force positions unfilled due to lack of funding, resulting in delays in response time, reduced inspections, and fewer apprehensions of wildlife violators and users of illegal motorized vehicles.
Inability to increase law enforcement patrols to prevent illegal dumping, a rapidly growing problem (removal of dumping and litter now consumes 10% of the Bureau of Land Management operation and maintenance budget!)
Vehicle and equipment replacements have been delayed or eliminated, resulting in increased vehicle maintenance costs.
Key informational literature such as The Guide to Wildlife Management Areas and Places to Fish remains out-of-print.
Unfilled administrative and supervisory positions result in unnecessary delays.
Failure to fill authorized staff positions make it impossible to maintain the levels of service and quality that New Jersey parks were once noted for. For example, park rangers are required to perform a multitude of tasks including crime prevention, enforcement of laws, responding to needs for non-enforcement services, active patrols, security, public education/interpretation and public relations. Because of staffing cutbacks and extra duties, the limited number of existing rangers are unable to adequately protect our parks and WMAs from vandalism, dumping and misuse.
Another stated goal in the New Jersey Open Space and Outdoor Recreation Plan Summary is to
"...encourage environmental education in order to develop in the citizens of the state the knowledge, skills and values needed for the stewardship of New Jersey's environment."
Yet because of the unavailability of funds, educational and interpretive programs have been cut back or eliminated, thus depriving our children and adults of the opportunity to experience first hand the outdoor world of nature and to learn how to become good stewards.
In summary, this lack of adequate staff and lack of proper maintenance perpetuates a vicious downward cycle that invites further decay and accidents and presents a very poor public image for the State of New Jersey. We feel that now is the time to turn this around and make our parks a priority for the citizens of New Jersey. To support this goal, we have formed Pride in Our Parks: A partnership to protect and restore New Jersey's parks and wildlife areas.
PRIDE IN OUR PARKS: A PARTNERSHIP TO PROTECT AND RESTORE NEW JERSEY'S PARKS AND WILDLIFE AREASPride in Our Parks is a partnership of 55 organizations throughout New Jersey who are concerned about the health and well-being of our state parks and wildlife areas. The goal of our partnership is to see that sufficient funding be provided for DPF and DFGW to be able to carry out the operations and maintenance of the park system to insure a high quality experience for visitors. We want to see the land well managed with the enforcement necessary to protect it.
In State of the Division FY96, the Director of the Division of Parks and Forestry says that,
"our role as a professional organization, the largest state land management group in the most densely populated state in the country, requires a level of leadership that shall be observed, studied and emulated around the country."
We feel it is time for New Jersey to be a leader and set an example for other state park systems to follow. Some of our County park systems have already set a quality example. Somerset County has a fine park system and park commission, and voters there recently approved additional increases in a tax levy for acquisition and maintenance of County parkland. Many counties including Morris, Bergen, Passaic, Hunterdon and Monmouth have well-managed park systems. In fact, 12 out of 21 counties - plus over 40 municipalities - have voter approved tax levies for acquisition and maintenance of parkland. We believe it is imperative for the Division of Parks and Forestry and the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife to be provided with funding sufficient to enable them to manage the state lands, at least as well as these county parks.
We are asking Governor Whitman and the New Jersey Legislature to provide the budgetary funding necessary: to increase the operation and maintenance staff in the parks and wildlife areas, to take care of the deferred maintenance, to restore the interpretive and educational programs, and to provide sufficient law enforcement to protect the natural resources and make our parks safe for visitors.
SOURCES OF INFORMATIONAnnual Report 1995-96 State of New Jersey, Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife
Governor's Council on New Jersey Outdoors - Interim Report - May 1, 1997
Governor's Council on New Jersey Outdoors - Executive Summary - May 1, 1997
New Jersey's Common Ground - 1994-1999 New Jersey Open Space and Outdoor Recreation Plan Summary
New Jersey State Park Service - Day Use and Overnight Use Attendance Comparisons Fiscal Year 1996
Select Portions of the National Association of State Park Directors 1996 Annual Information Exchange
Statistics - New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry
State of the Division - New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry (FY 91, FY 94, FY 96)
Testimony before the Governor's Council on New Jersey Outdoors - New Jersey Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs