A Letter to NJDEP Commissioner

[kennyp2339]

I wrote this letter last night after reading the newspaper about NJ State DEP allowing commercial logging on state lands, more specifically Sparta Mountain WMA, I figured what can hurt by asking, this could be a real good honey hole in the future.

 

[TreePointer]

It would be nice for NJ to have such a firewood permit program. Unfortunately, NJ would issue the permits but classify all cutting equipment with a bar over 12 inches and removable plastic engine covers as assault chainsaws and therefore illegal to use on state land.

 

[kennyp2339]

It would be nice for NJ to have such a firewood permit program. Unfortunately, NJ would issue the permits but classify all cutting equipment with a bar over 12 inches and removable plastic engine covers as assault chainsaws and therefore illegal to use on state land.

Isn't that the truth, I know the state has a firewood program, but it's very limited to certain state parks, I figured plant the seed now in the DEP's heads since they plan on doing more of these forest thinning jobs in the future.

 

[moresnow]

Update us on the reply.

 

[kennyp2339]

So I wonder how fast that letter got deleted, or printed out and hung up so everyone at the DEP office could laugh at it while at the water cooler

 

[kennyp2339]

Update us on the reply.

Its Jersey, we do things really backwards or we add so many rules to go forwards that the original easy idea is no longer worth it to the general citizens, in other words I'm not holding my breath here, but if I do hear anything I will post, I just feel good for asking.

 

[Alpine1]

Where I live we have a similar program for firewood, it works like that: the county owns the wood, they cut and sell and use the money for the community. Once the professional logging is finished, us residents are assigned (on request) a portion of the logged forest, in order to collect our firewood (and incidentally clean the forest) which is usually tree tops, branches, folded trees and everything undesirable for the wood industry but perfect for the stove. For 13€ (more or less 15 usd) I have around 12 metric tons of wood. This sistem dates back centuries and works here, so why not in NJ?

 

[kennyp2339]

Where I live we have a similar program for firewood, it works like that: the county owns the wood, they cut and sell and use the money for the community. Once the professional logging is finished, us residents are assigned (on request) a portion of the logged forest, in order to collect our firewood (and incidentally clean the forest) which is usually tree tops, branches, folded trees and everything undesirable for the wood industry but perfect for the stove. For 13€ (more or less 15 usd) I have around 12 metric tons of wood. This sistem dates back centuries and works here, so why not in NJ?

The simple answer is greed, the long answer is lack of foresight, education, and jealousy.

 

[Alpine1]

I should add that 12 metric tons of wood equal 7 cords of Norway spruce (picea abies).

 

[Alpine1]

The simple answer is greed, the long answer is lack of foresight, education, and jealousy.

Greed? For leftover wood that will only rot? Public land is owned by the community of people that lives in a determinate area, if you're part of that community you are a landlord in a certain sense... at least, we see it that way here.