Local Boy Scout Camp Purchased by State

The Joseph A. Citta Boy Scout Reservation Camp was purchased for $1 million from the Jersey Shore Boy Scouts Council through the Department of Environmental Protection's Green Acres program. Officials want to keep the park in a natural state to reduce the effects of stormwater pollution into the bay. The Boys Scouts will continue to be able to use the land in an agreement with the state.

Nestled in the pristine New Jersey Pine Barrens and just minutes from The Jersey Shore, the Joseph A. Citta Scout Reservation is the perfect place for outdoor adventures. From simple tent camping to rifle shooting to kayaking on the Barnegat Bay, CSR offers a wide variety of programs to fit every need. CSR also offers premier summer camping programs including: Boy Scout Resident Troop Camp, Boy Scout Resident Individual Camping, Venturing Resident Camp, Webelos Adventure Camp, Cub Scout Day Camp and Cub Scout Family Camp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barnegat Lighthouse State Park Could be Privatized

Though the Barnegat Lighthouse has stood as a beacon to sailors and beachgoers along the Jersey Shore for almost 150 years, the state's fiscal constraints might force a local agency to take control of the park.

During the last two weeks, a variety of groups, including the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce and the Borough of Barnegat Light, have expressed an interest in operating the Barnegat Lighthouse State Park. The state Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Parks and Forestry runs the park now.

During a recent Borough Council meeting, the council adopted a resolution asking the department, the agency that now runs the park, to consider turning over its management to a local group. Officials said the group would include municipalities on Long Beach Island and a variety of different civic groups that include the Friends of Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, a volunteer group that helps raise funds for the continued operation of the park.

State officials are willing to listen to any idea of outsourcing the operation of the park, but they are not just going to off-load the park, said Larry Hajna, a spokesman for the department.

Barnegat Light's interest in operating the park comes on the heels of representatives for the Southern Ocean County Chamber of Commerce talking to state officials about the idea of running the park.

According to the chambers' plan, a fee would be charged for parking and entrance into the lighthouse. Reynolds said the fee would only be "a couple of dollars." Currently, there is a $1 fee to enter the lighthouse during the summer.

Officials said it would cost approximately $250,000 a year to run the park.

The idea of privatization of state parks is nothing new. In July 2010, a report issued by the New Jersey Privatization Task Force stated state officials should look into "long-term concession agreements for the operations and management of all state parks" as a way to save money.

Jeff Tittle, the executive director of the Sierra Club's New Jersey chapter, said the talk of privatizations shows state officials are interested in getting out of the parks business. The club is a non-profit group that seeks to protect public access.

Fifteen years ago, staffing was approximately 850 at state parks; now we are down 407 staff members. We are seeing a dismantling of the state park system.

Joseph Mancini, mayor of Long Beach Township, said the park should stay under the control of the either the borough or the Friends group. Information from: Asbury Park Press,http://www.app.com

Gardening and Barnegat Bay

Using hardy, native plants will save YOU money, time AND help the environment.  What's not to like?

Writing about gardening in January seems a bit odd, except here in New Jersey where Governor Chris Christie has recently signed landmark legislation to set into motion the strictest regulations on using fertilizers.  The fertilizer industry actually thinks that this legislation, initially targeting Barnegat Bay, with statewide implications, will be the example that other states will follow.  

Conservation groups and county and state government agencies trying to protect Barnegat Bay are asking people to cut back on their use of fertilizers, garden chemicals and lawn sprinkling; so the time seems perfect for a new landscaping style that saves homeowners money and frustration, and could help save the bay from an escalating flood of nutrient pollution.

The "Bayscape for Barnegat Bay" project aims to get homeowners acquainted with the concept of using hardy, native plants in landscaping without need for heavy watering, fertilizing and chemical treatments that can pollute the bay.   The project is sponsored by the American Littoral Society with funding from the Barnegat Bay Partnership, which coordinates research and conservation efforts on the bay and its 660-square mile watershed.  

Over the last nine months, the society organized workshops and presentations to local community groups and a native plants sale during the Barnegat Bay Festival at Island Heights in June.

Bayscape for Barnegat promotes gardening that that is designed for low maintenance and features many grasses and species that thrive in the sandiest of soils for a natural, seaside look.

The hope is that folks will be inspired to help reduce polluted runoff going into Barnegat Bay by planting these types of gardens in their yards. If you don't live in the Barnegat Bay watershed, these plants will thrive in most areas of Ocean County and will help improve a waterway near you.  For a list of native plant suppliers visit www.littoralsociety.org/shore_stewards.aspx.  For more information contact The American Littoral Society.

Karl Hess, Your Jersey Shore Real Estate Expert