Pine Barrens abuse by off-road vehicles: How better maps and signs can help

On the surface, it seems like an intractable conflict: Some off-road enthusiasts are damaging sensitive areas of the Pine Barrens with their trucks. Conservationists are pleading with New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection to do something about it.

To Fair Haven resident Jon Peters, an analytics professor who enjoys driving his motorcycle and Jeep through Wharton State Forest and Brendan Byrne State Forest, there’s a simple solution.

Better maps and signage.

“I try to be careful not to go anyplace out of bounds, but it’s hard,” Peters said. “The navigation is not particularly easy. I teach data analytics and map-making, and I look at these maps and say, ‘We can do better.’”

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As Peters points out, published maps for hiking and bird-watching in the Pinelands are far more detailed than maps for drivers. Last month, the Asbury Park Press accompanied conservationists on a drive through truck-damaged areas of Colliers Mills Wildlife Management Area, and there were no signs to point out which roads were OK to use and which should be avoided.

“The signage is very weak and the maps are terrible,” Peters said. “There are federal dollars coming into New Jersey for this and the DEP hasn’t been spending it. That’s what gets me crazy.”

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The money comes from the Recreational Trails Program (RTP), which is funded by a federal fuel tax. According to the Federal Highway Administration’s website, the RTP “provides funds to the states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities for both nonmotorized and motorized recreational trail uses.”

This past June, Peters emailed the Federal Highway Administration looking “to explore how the Recreational Trails Program funds can be used to provide better OHV (off-highway vehicle) maps in NJ.​ "

The response, in essence: That’s New Jersey’s call. Contact your state’s DEP.

“I’ve been talking to the DEP for four or five years about this,” Peters said. “What are we trying to do? Are we trying to limit access, or are we trying to give better guidance? If you want people to do the right thing, give them guidance.”

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Jason Howell of the nonprofit Pinelands Preservation Alliance, who is a leading conservationist voice on the matter, agrees with Peters.

“He’s right, and this is not exactly a new concept,” Howell said. “The national parks have been doing this for 40 years. It’s the most sensible thing to start with: Telling people where they can and can’t go, and at the same time have a plan to maintain those routes.”

Last month, a spokesperson for Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette said the DEP is in conversations about "developing a new map showing where vehicles can and cannot legally drive, launching a permitting system for off-road drivers and stepping up enforcement of regulations."

This is something stakeholders have heard before. Yet, still no maps.

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No one is blaming LaTourette, who was appointed to run the DEP this past June. The issue is more systemic. As Howell points out, these leadership posts are constantly changing with the political winds, with priorities shifting accordingly.

The 58-year-old Peters, who teaches finance and data analytics at The College of Staten Island, is heartened that the New Jersey DEP has been allocating more RTP money for the Pine Barrens over the past two years (a big chunk of it on deferred maintenance). Putting out better maps and signs for drivers, he said, doesn’t seem like a big ask.

When it comes to protecting sensitive areas, “make it easy to comply,” he said. “Lots of states do this. There’s a way to find a middle ground.”

Jerry Carino is community columnist for the Asbury Park Press, focusing on the Jersey Shore’s interesting people, inspiring stories and pressing issues. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Pine Barrens NJ abused by off-road vehicles, but better maps can help