Prioritize NJ Residents For Island Beach State Park Passes, County Says

OCEAN COUNTY, NJ — New Jerseyans pay taxes that fund the upkeep of state parks, so they should have priority when it comes to purchasing vehicle and fishing permits at Island Beach State Park, Ocean County officials said.

The Board of County Commissioners is calling on the state to enact a brief priority registration period exclusively for New Jersey residents before the general sale of vehicle access permits, arguing that passes sell out in minutes “while a significant number are purchased by out-of-state individuals.”

“Ocean County is proud to host several of New Jersey’s most beautiful state parks, and we welcome the tourism that supports our local economy - but our Ocean County and New Jersey residents must come first. They fund these parks, and they deserve priority access, especially at Island Beach State Park,” said Ocean County Commissioner Jennifier Bacchione, who serves as liaison to the Ocean County Division of Business Development and Tourism. “New Jerseyans should not have to compete with out-of-state applicants for access to their own state parks.”

The board sent a resolution to the State of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection and the Division of Parks and Forestry requesting the priority period so as to make things more equitable.

Bacchione emphasized that this would not reduce access to out-of-state visitors, but rather, would make a more fair process.

“We are not proposing to limit access,” Bacchione said. “We’re asking the state to sequence access in a way that gives New Jersey residents a reasonable window to obtain permits first. Once that window closes, the remaining permits can be made available to everyone. It’s a balanced, common-sense approach.”