State Parks and Forests Are Now Closed

[logs22]

Thank god I still have my kayak. They can’t close down the big D!

[henro]

Originally Posted by Livebaiter46

I’m assuming Lees on Lake Hopatcong will be closed for boat launch

I thought Lee’s is a private ramp so it wouldn’t be closed? That’s what my buddy told me today?

[deaone123]

Im happy they did this im a emt and been on the front lines and squeeze in fishing on my off days but thats business as usual. now every damn spot is packed with cars and people. I feel like people are doing it because they still can. I mean hey ive been in these spots January, February, march doing my fishing and not seen a soul . I generally avoided people pre lock down but come on people of you weren't hiking before what makes it seem like a good idea to do it during a pandemic.

Guess ill just do way off the beating path where i know most wont follow deep
Mud usually deters them hikers

[RWole]

Lees is part of Morris County Park System

[Blackfishhead]

Originally Posted by RWole

Lees is part of Morris County Park System

And it’s not an essential business .If they are caught open to the public they could be fined big$.

[Billfish715]

McCabe said state parks will remain open despite Bergen County's move last week to shut down all its county parks because people were still congregating en masse and risking transmission of the virus. Social distancing requires that people keep 6 feet from each other to reduce the virus' spread.

McCabe said anglers should stay at least 6 feet away from each other, which is "conveniently the typical length of a fishing pole."

Wig Wag......Flip Flop The DEP Commissioner says one thing one week at a governor's press conference and then she is silent when the governor shuts things down only two weeks later. So, who is running the show? Murphy? Does he run everything? If so, then he should fire everyone and do it all himself. He doesn't need a DEP for any guidance.

I haven't heard a statement from McCabe's office since she appeared with Murphy at the original press conference. It was alright for her to make the above statements as if they were coming from her office. Now, it appears that was all bogus because it is coming from Murphy. If she is in charge of the DEP, she should make the call and not Murphy. She said that the state parks would remain open and for fishermen to stay a rod's length apart from each other. How did things change so drastically in such a short time?

Things didn't change. That's the point. When do people elbow each other out of a fishing spot and not be a rod's length apart? When are so many people crowding a shoreline or standing in the water that they need to wear a mask? Go stand in a line at a grocery store, Home Depot, Walmart, Target, CVS and tell me that in those confined places, there is less likelihood of transferring or contracting the Corona virus than by fishing on a stream or lake!

Let me decide where I can go fishing. If you are afraid that you will contract the virus from me, then stay away. If you think I'm stupid enough to go out while I'm infected, then you have no faith in humans. If you are worried, then wear a mask and steer wide like you would in a store. Doesn't anyone have common sense? In the outdoors, we CHOOSE to come in contact with others. In other circumstances like working or using public transportation or gathering in confined places, coming in contact with others is unavoidable.

Closing the parks is a ridiculous overkill. I've seen lots of fishermen during the last two weeks and we all maintained our distance. Yet, we still managed to talk to each other and share some anecdotes. No one was wearing a mask either. We all enjoyed our time outdoors and then went home to our families where we also did not wear masks while we shared our living quarters, meals and conversations.

I guess the governor and the people who pull his strings and tell him what to say don't trust you or me to know what we're doing. It would be nice to see the governor or DEP chairman, Ms McCabe, outside walking or (heaven forbid) fishing in the fresh air. Then, maybe, they would have a sense of what we are suggesting and why we are so frustrated.

[henro]

Originally Posted by Blackfishhead

And it’s not an essential business .If they are caught open to the public they could be fined big$.

They haven’t had anyone working the booth at Lee’s in over a week. You’d just fill out the envelope and drop your launch fee in the bin.

[Rich_S]

Anyone know if the Manasquan Reservoir is closed? What about Big Pine Lake /Little Pine Lake / Mirror Lake in Browns Mills? Echo lake in Howell?

It seems like everywhere I fish has some sort of "park" attached to it.

[NJSquatch]

Originally Posted by henro

They haven’t had anyone working the booth at Lee’s in over a week. You’d just fill out the envelope and drop your launch fee in the bin.

All Morris County Facilities are closed.

https://www.morrisparks.net/

[Drossi]

Originally Posted by Billfish715

McCabe said state parks will remain open despite Bergen County's move last week to shut down all its county parks because people were still congregating en masse and risking transmission of the virus. Social distancing requires that people keep 6 feet from each other to reduce the virus' spread.

McCabe said anglers should stay at least 6 feet away from each other, which is "conveniently the typical length of a fishing pole."

Wig Wag......Flip Flop The DEP Commissioner says one thing one week at a governor's press conference and then she is silent when the governor shuts things down only two weeks later. So, who is running the show? Murphy? Does he run everything? If so, then he should fire everyone and do it all himself. He doesn't need a DEP for any guidance.

I haven't heard a statement from McCabe's office since she appeared with Murphy at the original press conference. It was alright for her to make the above statements as if they were coming from her office. Now, it appears that was all bogus because it is coming from Murphy. If she is in charge of the DEP, she should make the call and not Murphy. She said that the state parks would remain open and for fishermen to stay a rod's length apart from each other. How did things change so drastically in such a short time?

Things didn't change. That's the point. When do people elbow each other out of a fishing spot and not be a rod's length apart? When are so many people crowding a shoreline or standing in the water that they need to wear a mask? Go stand in a line at a grocery store, Home Depot, Walmart, Target, CVS and tell me that in those confined places, there is less likelihood of transferring or contracting the Corona virus than by fishing on a stream or lake!

Let me decide where I can go fishing. If you are afraid that you will contract the virus from me, then stay away. If you think I'm stupid enough to go out while I'm infected, then you have no faith in humans. If you are worried, then wear a mask and steer wide like you would in a store. Doesn't anyone have common sense? In the outdoors, we CHOOSE to come in contact with others. In other circumstances like working or using public transportation or gathering in confined places, coming in contact with others is unavoidable.

Closing the parks is a ridiculous overkill. I've seen lots of fishermen during the last two weeks and we all maintained our distance. Yet, we still managed to talk to each other and share some anecdotes. No one was wearing a mask either. We all enjoyed our time outdoors and then went home to our families where we also did not wear masks while we shared our living quarters, meals and conversations.

I guess the governor and the people who pull his strings and tell him what to say don't trust you or me to know what we're doing. It would be nice to see the governor or DEP chairman, Ms McCabe, outside walking or (heaven forbid) fishing in the fresh air. Then, maybe, they would have a sense of what we are suggesting and why we are so frustrated.

This likely had very little if anything to do with lack of social distancing while fishing. It was ll the people that congregated in groups to hike, bike, walk dogs, party, and socialize in the parks that got them shut down. Blanket shutdown cause they can't police them enough to have exceptions and because they can't shut the parks in the densely populated parts of the state and not expect people to drive out to other parks to resume the same activities.