Feb 9, 2008 NJF&W Trout Stocking Meeting

[rford]

The NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife Public Meeting concerning the Trout Stocking Program in New Jersey was today at the main hall at the Pequest Hatchery.

The meeting started off with remarks concerning hatchery operations, well improvements, building repairs etc by Jeff Mathews the Hatchery Superintendent.
It is amazing how many fish they are able to raise considering the hiring freeze in the State of New Jersey, hats off to Jeff and his crew. He later in the program reviewed the 2008 hatchery production projections that are on a similar track as 2007 including the increased numbers and continuation of larger fish raised for the fall stockings.

Dave Chanda, the director of the division made some follow up opening remarks commending the sporting communities for there involvement in the division as volunteers and as voices in Trenton. He also noted some personal changes in enforcement re: CO’s. The good news is that over the coming years there will be more funds released for some long over due capital improvements to the division. The bad news is that there is still a hiring freeze.

Next Wendell Ozefovich spoke about TU’s, Trout in The Class room program in NJ and went through the presentation he gives to the school aged children involved in the program. The presentation included some of his underwater filing and it is really quite amazing.

Pat Hamilton then reviewed the 2008 Specific Allocation charts and pointed out where there changes regarding discontinuation or addition of stocking areas in Ponds, Lakes, Rivers and Streams. Like the addition of 400 + trout that will be stocked in West Branch of the Rahway River in Essex county , the first time in a very long time any moving water has been stocked in this county!
She then gave a quick update on her involvement with the eastern brook trout joint venture and the State of the Union on wild brook trout in the State of New Jersey.

Lisa Barno wrapped up the meeting with 2008 regulation changes.
Some of the highlights of these changes were:
-The minimum size limit within a legal creel has moved from 7 to 9 inches
-Round Valley Reservoir limits are now 4 fish. Three in the 15-20 slot and One over 24 inch’s.
-Shore anglers are now limited to a 3 ROD per angler limit.
-Schwartzwood lake will no longer be managed as a Holdover Lake
- The Wanaque below the Dam in Wanaque will No longer be stocked and will be managed under Wild Trout Stream regulations.

This year’s Fish and Digest (the free booklet you get at the shops) will not be available till early March. There were some last minute changes to the game code that needed amending and that was a hold up on publicizing the new 2008-2009 regulations.

The meeting was as it always is then followed by public comment.
The general theme on commentary was very “Tame” compared to the past meetings I have attended. But some reoccurring themes were…

People wanted to know how they could get more involved as volunteer’s, and the answer is join the Wildlife Conservation Corps (see F&W website).

There seemed to be a general concern with more and more litter at public access sites.

There was concern over dump stocking.

There was suggestions concerning a more diverse array of Trout in the Toms River stocking, that would not require any code changes and it seemed like from what Pat Hamilton said that they have already re-allocated species to provide anglers with more diversity in this years coming stockings.

There were no objections or flare ups over any of the code/regulation changes.

All and all it was a very informative meeting.

What I can comment on from my knowledge of how the “system” works is that there are several meetings a year concerning warm water and coldwater fisheries management. There are meetings of the fish and game council and they are all open to the public.
Fish and Wildlife is very receptive to all comments on how to improve the fishing experience in New Jersey.

However one must really understand it is a long and process to effect change as most major regulations or stocking changes can only occur as a result of ratified approval of the fish and game council and than the state legislature, in other words Game Code is “Law” and laws don’t change over night.

In addition Game code is now going to be in effect for two years instead of one. However I think this is a good thing as it gives the public more time to impress there input upon the Division and the Game council for consideration allowing for the proper Data and research to be collected and done before and changes are made.

I think we all can be involved. The contacts are all on the website. If you know of a stream with wild reproducing fish, let F&W know. They may be stocking on top of it and want to consider stopping that after evaluating stream. Whatever strikes your nerve as a needed change; if they don’t know about it they cant do anything about it. So I really suggest attending meetings or getting directly in touch with the division with and ideas you may have to make fishing better in New Jersey.

- Ralph -

 

[Stonefly]

One item that came out of the meeting is once again Centinary College is after land at the Hayford Hatchery in Hackettstown. Stay tune for another battle on this one, we own the last time this came up but it seems the College President thinks he has more politic chips then sportsmen...but the again so did Panter till he got PANTHED.

 

[rford]

One item that came out of the meeting is once again Centinary College is after land at the Hayford Hatchery in Hackettstown. Stay tune for another battle on this one, we own the last time this came up but it seems the College President thinks he has more politic chips then sportsmen...but the again so did Panter till he got PANTHED.

Stonefly,

Could you eleborate a bit on this topic as to the history of this battle and what the reprucussions of loosing it could mean and the bad signal it would send.

Thanks,

Ralph

 

[JeffK]

Centenary College is squeezed into Hackettstown with no room to grow. The Hatchery property is right next door and contains a few acres of fields. As long as Centenary College is feeling growing pains and the only adjacent undeveloped land is on the hatchery property there will be conflict.

A few years back the college tried to get ahold of the property quietly by working with the local legislator. Once the public meetings came up a fire storm of opposition was raised. The major concern was the slippery slope of letting state land (particularly land held by NJ Div.Fish,Game and Wildlife) be transferred to private hands.

Questions are: If Centenary - a private college - can get ahold of valuable public property then what is stopping any other developer from taking public land for their own gain?
They are not making more open land in NJ. Why should we allow any publically owned open land to be developed?
What are the environmental impacts? The land is in the recharge area for the hatchery wells. Does developing it make any sense?

My gut feel is if this had been all in the open then a case could have been made that it is in the middle of a town already and isn't wild land so why not let the college use it? However, that would be a bad precedent since other people could make nice sounding demands on public open land in NJ. The less scenic public lands are every bit as valuable as the crown jewels in their own way.

 

[Corndog]

Just an observation about Centenary College and our educational system.

As many of you who have had children in the last 25 years would know, our public educational system k-12 does not produce many young adults ready to join the workforce, unless you are content with them working for MacDonalds or Walmart.

This being said, most of our children must attend and graduate from an institution of higher learning such as Centenary College. I'm certain most of our local politicians, business owners, and college educated adults would support the growth of Centenary College over the need for a fish hatchery at that location.

So what to do. I have an idea that will work.

You need to find a good location to move the hatchery to. I know of a number of locations along posted no trespassing trout streams, where a hatchery could be placed. Just pick one and get the state to use eminent domain to take the land and stream from the farmer for the good of the state, it's people, and it's fisheries. Not only do you have a better location for the hatchery, you now have access to the stream as well.

We've become a society that wants my cake and your cake and to eat it all.

Totally against eminent domain, but know it's inevitable.
Cdog

 

[Rusty Spinner]

Just an observation about Centenary College and our educational system.

As many of you who have had children in the last 25 years would know, our public educational system k-12 does not produce many young adults ready to join the workforce, unless you are content with them working for MacDonalds or Walmart.

This being said, most of our children must attend and graduate from an institution of higher learning such as Centenary College. I'm certain most of our local politicians, business owners, and college educated adults would support the growth of Centenary College over the need for a fish hatchery at that location.

So what to do. I have an idea that will work.

You need to find a good location to move the hatchery to. I know of a number of locations along posted no trespassing trout streams, where a hatchery could be placed. Just pick one and get the state to use eminent domain to take the land and stream from the farmer for the good of the state, it's people, and it's fisheries. Not only do you have a better location for the hatchery, you now have access to the stream as well.

We've become a society that wants my cake and your cake and to eat it all.

Totally against eminent domain, but know it's inevitable.
Cdog

First of all, I am hoping you are joking with this post or just trying to "get a bite". Okay, I'll bite. This hatchery is perfectly suited for its intended purposes right where it is. Just because Centenary decided to greatly expand does not give a private entity the right to take over public land that is solely funded by hunter and angler funds (not from the general tax funds). You mention something along the lines of "just take over someone else's private stream" through eminent domain. WHAT??? Are you willing to foot the millions and millions it would take to build a new hatchery? The state F&W sure isn't! What would stop any new hatchery from being surrounded by another private entity and be the target of another land-grab? Leave Hayford right where it has been since 1909 and let F&W continue to raise warmwater species from the on-site well that provides the clean water necessary for fish reproduction.

If Centenary wishes to continue to grow, how about all of the empty factories in Hackettstown? Several are within walking distance of the current campus. Why continually go after the state's land?

 

[AKSkim]

This hatchery is perfectly suited for its intended purposes right where it is.

That hatchery isn't it a serious polluter to that stream to begin with?

Maybe moving it and constructing a new modern, environmentally friendly hatchery be more in line with your goals?

The sale of the property from the college would go a long way to the funding of its construction.

If you have any data from construction of a modern hatchery, I would be very interested in reviewing it.

As always, looking out for the best interest of all NJ streams.

AK Skim