State imposes restrictions on public access in South Jersey wildlife areas amid bad behavior

MILLVILLE -- City officials are upset over a unilateral state decision to close Menantico Ponds Wildlife Area from Sept. 6 until the end. This is a time when the popular outdoor recreation area would still be open for regular use. Joseph Sooy, Vice Mayor of New Jersey, called the closure "utterly absurd" in terms of how to manage public land. New Jersey has a lot of open space in the city. This can sometimes cause friction with local officials. The state Division of Fish and Wildlife has issued the May 25 closure order. One of the five wildlife management areas is now closed is Menantico Ponds, located off Route 49. Fourteen of these areas are located in South Jersey counties. The closure order cites a need “to protect public safety and natural resources” from “large crowds and unauthorized activities – including swimming and off-road vehicle use.” The division took the same action last year, for the same reasons, although that closure lasted until Sept. 15, 2021. “So, we can use our DEP Fish and Game officers to keep law-abiding citizens out,” Sooy said at the meeting. “They want to fish and kayak. But they can’t go arrest the people that are breaking the law.” On Friday, a DEP spokeswoman responded there are only nine conservation police officers to cover South Jersey. The region has more than 220,000 acres of wildlife management areas, and the nine enforce regulations on all public land as well as private land, she said.