UPDATE LAKE ACCESS: GREENWOOD LAKE PUBLIC LAUNCH, MARCH 19 2023

[muskynut]

Hey Everyone,

Hope you are all well and healthy....and are all starting to hook up with the beginning of the new season This references S987/A1047 which requires DEP to provide public access for boats to certain State-Owned Lakes; appropriating $1 million (will probably be MORE).

At the present, S987 was reported from the Senate Committee (2nd Reading) and voted on 11/3/22. The bill was then referred to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee 11/7/22.

We are still waiting for the same to happen for the companion bill, A1047 on the Assembly side. Chairman of the Environment and Solid Waste Committee, Assemblyman James Kennedy is the only individual who can call this bill up for a vote to move it along. We do not understand what the hang up is. It is critical that YOU reach out to Assemblyman Kennedy (Chair), and Assemblyman Sterley Stanley, (Vice-Chair) and please request to push/move A1047 for a vote so it can come out of committee and move on in the legislative process.

Other members of the Environment and Solid Waste Committee that can also be contacted and asked the same:

Don Guardian asmguardian@njleg.org
Shama Haider aswhaider@njleg.org
John Mckeon asmmckeon@njleg.org
Bethanne Patrick aswpatrick@njleg.org
Gerry Scharfenberger asmscharfenberger@njleg.org

The following sample letters were provided by the NJ Outdoor Alliance (NJOA) please use them THE WORK IS ALREADY DONE FOR YOU AND MAKE A FEW PHONE CALLS ......ONLY TAKES A COUPLE OF MINUTES!

Good Day Sportsmen of New Jersey >> YOU need your help to move LAKE ACCESS bill A1047 / S987, in both the NJ Senate and Assembly and get this bill passed.
What you need to do> Call, Email, or write a letter, or do all of them asking them to move the Bill to continue the legislative process.
A1047 / S987 > Requires DEP to provide public access for boats to certain State-owned lakes; appropriates $1 million.
Below are the contacts needed to make this happen
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Assemblyman James J. Kennedy, 1445 Main St., Rahway, NJ 07065
(732) 943-2660 Fax: (732) 827-5916 AsmKennedy@njleg.org

Good Day Assemblyman Kennedy, I respectfully am asking you to to urge your committee to move A-1047 to a vote and to allow it to continue in the legislative process. I hope for a future whereby I may be able to access these public waterbodys as well as others, Weekdays or Weekends without having to jump through hoops, make arrangements, pay exhorbitant fees, or cross private properties to do so. "
Respectfully, Your Name
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Senator Paul A. Sarlo , 496 Columbia Blvd., 1st Floor, Wood-Ridge, NJ 07075
SenSarlo@njleg.org (201) 804-8118

Good Day Senator Sarlo, I respectfully am asking you to to urge your committee to move S987 to a vote and to allow it to continue in the legislative process. I hope for a future whereby I may be able to access these public waterbodys as well as others, Weekdays or Weekends without having to jump through hoops, make arrangements, pay exhorbitant fees, or cross private properties to do so. "
Respectfully, Your Name
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IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THESE BILLS ON THIS YEAR'S BUDGET!!!! WHICH IS COMING UP/TO BE DETERMINED IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS!! IF THIS ACCESS PROJECT IS NOT BUDGETED, IT WILL BE ANOTHER 2 YEARS BEFORE IT WILL BE ELIGIBLE AGAIN!!!

If you want to EVER BE ABLE TO FISH GREENWOOD AGAIN without paying exorbitant fees to just put your boat in the water.....time is of the essence. Some of you may not care...you don't fish Greenwood.....we are telling you MANY lakes face the same dilemma....and YOURS IS NEXT......REMEMBER....THESE ARE PUBLIC WATERBODIES and you all paid license fees which allows for their stocking of fish....thus you all have the right of ACCESS.

To have all this work crash and burn is UNACCEPTABLE.....WE ARE ALL STAKEHOLDERS whether you fish Greenwood or not. WE NEED ALL YOUR HELP.....CAREFULLY READ ABOVE AND: email, CALL, ETC. voice your concern and push to have A1047 and S987 continue to move.

If you don't....you can kiss fishing on this multi-state boundary water goodbye.

There is only so much UFANJ can do.....we need your help/we need your numbers.....PLEASE let us get this done so we can see the culmination of our efforts to ensure 24 hours access on Greenwood Lake through the construction of a Public Launch Ramp.

Thanks to al of you who have helped and continue to help.

We ARE getting closer....but is really is up to ALL OF YOU OUT THERE!!!

Will keep you all posted on current developments.

Until then....all of you enjoy the rest of the weekend. GREENWOOD TODAY....YOUR LAKE TOMORROW.....AND BELIEVE US....IT IS COMING TO YOUR LAKE AS WELL!......

United Freshwater Anglers of NJ

[acabtp]

👍👍 thanks capt dave for keeping us posted and letting us know what we can do to help

[Gerry Zagorski]

Nice work here and way to stick with it.

Like you said we all need to be involved, even if you don't fish Greenwood since your lake might be next!

[AndrewT]

Thank you for all of your hard work. Our fishing access is diminishing by the year here in NJ