Submitted by County Freeholder: The Pinelands are under assault by crowds of illegal ATV and quad riders who are tearing up the pristine woods, leaving behind mounds of trash and endangering first responders who sometimes have to travel to remote areas to treat injuries.
Unfortunately, social media has attracted many more riders into areas of the Pinelands that had once only been known to small groups of locals.
Now, with word spreading on Facebook and high-resolution satellite images available on every phone, riders from around the state and the Northeast are coming here and in many cases completely disregarding our laws regarding all-terrain vehicles.
Additionally, police have found that many of these vehicles are unregistered and uninsured.
Local police and the media have reported that large groups of riders arrive with trailers full of dirt bikes, quads and other ATVs.
These riders are at risk of serious injury and can be difficult to find and treat in the vast expanse of pine forests.
The motorized vehicles on Pinelands trails can also pose a forest fire danger to the surrounding woodlands.
Police departments from Lacey, Barnegat and Waretown have already begun a campaign targeting off-road riders on both private property and conservation tracts.
Working together with municipalities, the State Police and the Department of Environmental Protection, we can control this growing problem.
One suggestion might be the immediate confiscation of motorized off-road vehicles found on private property and restricted public land.
Confiscation would send a strong message that people can’t simply travel to Ocean County and have a good time without obeying the law.
Last summer also saw a problem with large parties in some sections of the Pinelands, with party goers leaving behind huge piles of trash.
In one location we estimated that more than 300 young people had gathered one weekend.
Having fun is one thing, but large uncontrolled crowds like this threaten the environment and make it difficult for police and other first responders to respond to an emergency at such an event.
We are very fortunate that 60 percent of all the land in Ocean County is preserved open space, unavailable for building.
By following the rules and working together, we can ensure that this valuable open space is protected and available for both us, and future generations to safely enjoy.
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Instead of chasing the quad riders off every piece of land they use, why not designate a piece of land for them to ride on and have a good time like other states do. If you just keep chasing them they’ll find another piece of land and it will be a cat and mouse game