Groups give their views on Sparta Mountain

NEWTON — Susan Williams, Chair of the Skylands Group, N.J. Sierra Club, residents, and other organization representatives presented for more than an hour, at the Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders meeting on March 9 their ideas on Sparta Mountain Wildlife Management Area Stewardship Plan.

Reasons against the plan included effects on soil, water, wildlife, ecology, logging publicly owned lands, conflicts of interest, home values lowering, human health, and dam safety.

In response, N. J. Department of Environmental Protection, Fish and Wild Life state representative, Senior Zoologist, Sharon Petzinger, apologized to the Board, townships, and public on behalf of the DEP for missteps in public notification. To make amends, the DEP extended public comment to March 31.

Petzinger said N.J. forests require human intervention to restore balance to the forest and wildlife. She said the forest would not heal itself.

Former Vernon Mayor Vic Marotta suggested the board follow the money trail and conflicts of interest.

The Chairwoman of Vernon Environmental Commission Beverly Budz read a resolution adopted by the commission opposing the plan. The commission opposed state bills passed last January, which established a state forest stewardship plan for Sparta Mountain.

Jesse Paladini of Vernon said the bills refer to “public lands,” so the township has a stake in the plan.

The New Jersey Audubon representative Donald Donnelly said he is a primary author of the plan; the public comment purpose is to make the plan better; and funding comes from federal grants.

N.J. State Federation Sportsmen Clubs representative, John Rigalo, advocated forestry management for healthy forests. He said the Wild Life Management Area desperately needed such actions.

Richard VonVoros said proposed access to zone 33 through Lake Tamarack would travel over water mains which cannot support trucks. He also asked if the Wildlife Division had spoken with the Dam Safety Division. After preliminary consultation, their engineer said the proposed changes would affect the inundation map, possibly impacting their dam safety, and costing taxpayers more money.

George Stafford, a representative of the N.J. Highlands Coalition, also encouraged the freeholders to stand against the plan.

Freeholder Deputy Director Carl F. Lazzaro said all players: the N.J. DEP, Sierra Club, N.J. Audubon, and home owners needed to come together and arrive at a viable, reasonable solution.

Petzinger said she took his comments to heart; and they would work with the affected parties for a solution.

Petzinger then addressed issues brought up during public comment. She said it is not about the money, but about the health of the forest and wildlife management; the plan affects 110 to 210 acres, not 900 acres. She said there will not be massive clear cuts, but enough to allow regeneration; the DEP is not exempt from the Highlands Act, but must abide by all rules.

Any state approved forest stewardship plan is exempt from the Highlands Act.

Also, the DEP is open to suggestions, including volunteers hand cutting, which was proposed in the plan for area 33.