by Matt Konkle
Managing Editor
With over one million acres of farms, forests and wetlands, the New Jersey Pinelands spans seven counties, 56 municipalities and serves home to over 500,000 people.
It was named the United States’ first National Reserve back in 1978 and is a prime recreational destination for visitors from nearby Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, Washington D.C. and the New Jersey Shore.
And recently, one part of the Pinelands served as a road and trail cleanup project funded through Quadratec’s 50-for-50 Trail Improvement Grant.
In all, 30 volunteers from Open Trails New Jersey, the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Wharton Chapter and Pine Barren VENOM Jeep Club, fanned out near Shamong, New Jersey into the Pinelands area to remove as much trash as possible throughout the day.
“OTNJ was thrilled about the participation in our recent 50 for 50 project,” said Open Trails New Jersey President John Druding. “It is clear that the community really wants to make a difference in our state forests. We are confident that community volunteer and protection projects can avoid the need for road closures and permits. I’m really hopeful that the DEP will come around to supporting community involvement and will embrace volunteer support and labor.”
Volunteers ended up removing 890 pounds of trash from Pinelands roadways and trails, while also learning more about responsible recreation, teamwork and lawful useage of the forest.
“Cleaning up the Pinelands is a major focus of the National Wild Turkey Foundation Wharton Chapter, to conserve the habitat for the birds we hunt as much as the enjoyment of the other types of visitors to Wharton State Forest and the surrounding public lands,” said National Wild Turkey Foundation Wharton Chapter President Andrew Demarco. “Motorized access is important to sportsmen to be able to spread out to hunt in areas where interactions with other recreationists are minimal.”
This Pinelands Cleanup project was the 37th of 50 trail and public land restoration events Quadratec will help sponsor in each state by April 2024.
So far through its supported projects, the 50-for-50 Stewardship Grant has accumulated 6,336.50 volunteer hours with a total value of $190,289, pulled away 117,055 pounds of trash and improved 792 miles of trail.
Quadratec’s ’50-for-50’ stewardship grant fund helps project managers pay for equipment, fees, volunteer support, food, fuel, signage and other miscellaneous costs.
Quadratec has been a supporting partner of Tread Lightly! for more than 20 years, and a longtime fundraiser for Tread Lightly!’s stewardship programs. The company has also promoted Tread Lightly! and other trail restoration efforts through its Quadratec Cares ‘Energize the Environment’ program.
Clubs and individuals are required to be active, supporting members of Tread Lightly! to be eligible to apply for ’50-for-50’ grant funding. To learn more about the Quadratec ’50-for-50 program, visit Quadratec's 50 for 50 Trails Stewardship Grant Initiative.
Recommended Reading:
Quadratec, Tread Lightly! ’50-For-50’ Public Land Cleanup — Maggie Valley, North Carolina
