The Division of Parks and Forestry
has a proud history of conserving and
enhancing New Jersey's park and forest
resources while providing recreational
and cultural opportunities to residents
as well as visitors from across the
region and the Nation. Through the extraordinary
work of our committed park professionals,
our parks accommodate more than 15 million
visitors a year.
Since the start of Governor McGreevey's
administration, we have begun to address
longstanding challenges in our parks
system and to accelerate needed improvement
of our parks. We eliminated the controversial
Liberty State Park Development Corporation.
We have proceeded with more than $10
million in needed capital improvement
projects in the Administration's first
year. And we have begun to combat the
scourge of unlawful off-road vehicle
use that has threatened public safety
and natural resources in our parks,
forests, and natural areas. Following
Governor McGreevey's State of the State
address, we began the challenge of developing
two new state parks, and creating or
upgrading 200 local parks across the
state.
Our state Forest Service, one of the
Nation's first, has met the emergent
challenge of Asian Longhorned Beetle
infestation, has started the work of
planting 100,000 trees across the state,
and is undertaking new initiatives to
improve forest health throughout the
state. Staff from our forest fire service
have just played a critical role in
helping western states combat wildfires
that threatened homes and population
centers.
These successes have been achieved
despite severe budget constraints attributable
to the current fiscal crisis, the loss
of a significant cadre of senior park
leaders due to early retirement, and
new burdens for parks operations due
to concerns about domestic security.
Again, credit is due to the dedication
and creativity of our parks professionals
in meeting new challenges with limited
means.
As we consider these challenges and
seek to implement Governor McGreevey's
vision for a premier park system in
New Jersey, I believe that a comprehensive
review of the structure, management,
staffing, and responsibilities of the
Division of Parks and Forestry, as well
as a review of, and planning for, parks
needs for the coming year is appropriate
and indeed overdue.
Accordingly, I have asked Deputy Commissioner
Joanna Dunn Samson to lead a task force
to conduct such a review, which will
include various DEP program professionals,
along with representatives of the Commissioner's
office and DEP's Office of Management
and Budget. The Task Force will generate
suggestions and recommendations concerning
specific management and programmatic
issues, which will be presented to me
for decision after consultation with
Assistant Commissioner Matsil and Acting
Director Payne.
The Task Force members will include:
Chief of Parks Law Enforcement Theresa
Genardi; Chief Ranger Joanne Cristos,
Regional Chief Ranger Greg Langon,
Regional
Park Superintendent Steve Ellis, Park
Superintendent Lynn Fleming; Park
Superintendent
Florence McNelly; Historic Preservation
Specialist Beverly Weaver; and Forest
Service Chief Ed Lempecki. In addition,
the Task Force will include Assistant
Commissioner Irene Kropp from Management
and Budget, Policy Director Jeanne
Herb,
and Amy Cradic of our Press Office.
Counselor Dante DiPirro and Mary Sue
Topper, respectively, will assist with
the Task Force's needs for legal advice
and facilitation. The Task Force and
Deputy Commissioner Samson, as chair,
will consult as appropriate with interested
park constituents, environmental and
community organizations, parks experts,
and elected officials. On matters
affecting
terms and conditions of employment,
appropriate union representatives
will
be consulted. [See Addendum 9/15/2003]
The Task Force shall consider, and
make recommendations concerning, the
following issues within sixty (60) days:
- Organization and Management Structure.
The Task Force should review and evaluate
the organization and management structure
and full-time equivalent (FTE) staffing
levels. The Task Force should identify
opportunities for reform and for better
functional alignment within the Division
and with other organizational units
of the Department.
- Role of Law Enforcement.
Governor McGreevey recently signed
legislation giving me the authority
to expand the law enforcement powers
of our rangers, and we are currently
working to narrow the pay disparities
that have contributed to significant
attrition among our ranger ranks.
Still, certain recommendations of
a 1997 review of parks law enforcement
were never addressed. Significant
concerns about roles, responsibilities,
chain of command, and training persist.
The Task Force should review these
issues and consider specifically whether
a merger of the ranger corps and other
law enforcement functions of the Department
may be appropriate.
- Human Resources. The Task
Force should develop specific proposals
to improve training of Parks personnel
and to attract a more diverse pool
of professionals to careers in the
state park system.
- New State Parks. The Task
Force should identify an initial list
of site candidates to meet Governor
McGreevey's pledge to establish two
new State Parks over the next three
years, so that the Department may
begin a process of public review of
these candidate sites.
- Capital Projects and Maintenance
Backlog. We currently plan to
fund and complete restoration of the
High Point Monument and the Batsto
visitor center this year. Still, while
we continue to make progress in addressing
the backlog in parks capital and maintenance
projects, the absence of new funds
in the Fiscal Year 2004 budget requires
new attention to innovative funding
approaches for our parks. The Task
Force should consider this issue and
identify priority projects.
- Expanding and Enhancing Visitor
Experiences. The Task Force should
survey best practices at other public
park systems and consider approaches
to expand park capacity and broaden
the park experiences available to
park visitors. In particular, the
Task Force should consider how to
expand the number of parks that offer
bathing in the height of the parks
season, when Island Beach State Park
and other swimming areas frequently
close due to overcrowding.
- Fees. This past summer, the
Department implemented the first fee
increase in a decade. But fee revenues
still fall far short of operating
expenses. The Task Force should review
the new fee structure to ensure that
our parks have adequate resources
and that fees are comparable to those
in other states. The Task Force should
also consider innovative pricing approaches
adopted in other states to reduce
overcrowding and to encourage visitorship
at less popular parks.
- Other relevant issues. As
Chair of the Task Force, Deputy Commissioner
Samson may have the Task Force consider
other topics, or include other members
as she deems appropriate.
