ATVs And Dirtbikes Still A Menace In The Meadowlands
Empire Tract, Laurel Hill Park, Exit 16W Area Hardest Hit By Motorized Vandals By Hugh M. Carola In spite of all the
Meadowlands victories we’ve witnessed in recent years, there is one victory
that still eludes us. It eludes us in clouds of dust, ever-increasing
environmental damage and noise pollution that shatters the quiet that people
come to the Meadowlands to enjoy. Four-wheel all-terrain vehicles, dirtbikes
and other off-road vehicles (ORVs) are still running unchecked where they do
not belong. “These things are the latest
blight on the Meadowlands and the vandals who ride them are the latest in a
series of selfish people who act as though they are above the law,” said
Captain Bill Sheehan, executive director, Hackensack Riverkeeper. “First it was
industrial polluters, then Mafia-controlled garbage dumps, then fill-and-build
developers. Now it’s ORVs.” Operating these vehicles on
any public land is illegal in our state. The ban includes all 326,000 acres of
state parks and forests, county parklands and other public property including
transportation rights-of-way. ORVs are only allowed on land that riders own or
land that they have the owner’s express permission to be on. There are three
sanctioned ORV recreation “parks” in New Jersey but none of them are near the
Meadowlands. NJ law requires all ORVs to
be registered. In 2001, the NJ Division of Motor Vehicles listed 3,017 as
legally registered but estimated that approximately 100,000 ORVs owned by New
Jerseyans were unregistered. Three of the hardest hit
areas in the Meadowlands are:
Why is this illegal activity
allowed to continue? Police officers tell us that it’s difficult to chase and
catch people who can travel where their cruisers can’t go. That may be true,
but in most cases, the trespassers drive pickup trucks to central locations,
offload their bikes or quads and head out. How hard can it be to find a bunch
of trucks parked where they don’t belong especially when they always congregate
at the same place? “Some people have suggested
to us that police officers in the affected communities either choose to not
enforce state ORV laws or that some cops and/or their friends are themselves
the lawbreakers,” said Captain Bill. “I don’t really believe that; I think the
problem lies further up the chain of command.” The New Jersey Turnpike
Authority for years has allowed a group of miscreants to construct an extensive
ORV course next to and under the 16W exit ramp. Although we’ve spoken with
Turnpike personnel about the problem on numerous occasions, nothing has ever
been done to stop the activity or to restore the churned-up earth. A letter
sent by Captain Bill to Turnpike Authority chairman Joseph Simunovich on May
11, 2005, elicited no reply whatsoever, not even a form letter. The activity on Turnpike
(i.e. State) property is particularly disconcerting the closer you get to it.
The naturalized landscape between the ramp and the riverbank has been destroyed
and large amounts of sediment wash into the river with every rain. Whole
sections of earth have been worn away by tires and the subsequent erosion has
undercut the roadway, weakening its support. Plus, in this time of heightened
security, why does the Turnpike Authority allow unfettered access underneath
the most heavily traveled road in New Jersey? Captain Bill, as chair of
the Meadowlands Conservation Trust, and its executive director Tina Schvejda
met with Bergen County Prosecutor John L. Molinelli on May 17 to discuss the
situation on the Empire Tract where yet another track has been built. As a
result of the meeting, Prosecutor Molinelli directed the Bergen County Police
to work with the Trust to put a stop to this activity once and for all. Also,
the Police Chiefs of Little Ferry, Moonachie, South Hackensack and Carlstadt
were informed that the Trust will prosecute trespassers and that their
cooperation is expected. “Now that the Meadowlands
Conservation Trust has taken title and ownership of the Empire Tract it is our
duty and responsibility to be good stewards of the property and make sure that
off road vehicles stop riding around on the tract and churning up dirt, soil
and plants and displacing the wildlife that live on the property,” said
Schvejda. “The public needs to know that we're here to protect the land and if
need be prosecute violators that trespass on the Empire Tract. In other words,
we are an active owner not an absentee landowner and we will deal with
offenders!” The Trust is replacing
fences that were vandalized, installing concrete “Jersey barriers” at several
locations and posting new NO TRESPASSING signs. They’ve also been forced to
take out a $5 million insurance policy to cover any possible lawsuits that
might arise should some trespasser get injured while trespassing! Money that
could and should be used to acquire more sensitive land within the region but
unfortunately has to be used to "protect" ourselves from violators. What You Can Do Now Report any ORV activity on
any public lands to the local police. Don’t approach offenders; just report the
location, descriptions and license numbers. If you do, we’d like to know how
you made out. Also, give a call to Meadowlands Conservation Trust at
201-460-2802 so they can keep a log of offenders. At this time, we fully
expect real, meaningful action to be taken regarding the Empire Tract.
Depending on the result of our recent meetings, we’ll have a good idea how to
proceed to help the Hudson County authorities deal with the ORV problems at
Laurel Hill. Regarding the situation at
16W, however, your help is urgently needed to remind the Turnpike Authority of
its responsibility to the people and the environment of New Jersey. Please
write to Turnpike Authority Chairman Joseph Simunovich and send copies to Gov.
Codey and TA Commissioner Lettiere (see below). Demand that the Turnpike
Authority put a stop to the illegal activity it condones by its inaction.
Remind them that they have a responsibility to the people of New Jersey and all
the people who travel on the Turnpike to provide a safe driving experience.
Tell them that they also have a responsibility to support the ongoing recovery
of the Hackensack River and that they must end the sediment discharges and
restore the ORV-blasted landscape. Tell them to obey and enforce the law! It
might take us some time but just like all the others, this is a battle we will
win. Joseph Simunovich NJ Turnpike Authority PO Box 1121 New Brunswick, NJ 08903 Gov. Richard Codey NJ State House PO Box 001 Trenton, NJ 08625-0001 Commissioner Jack Lettiere NJ Dept. of Transportation P.O. Box 600 Trenton, NJ 08625-0600 |