Letter to the Editor: Former Colts Neck Mayor Taking Hunting Ordinance Issue to Governor

Photo Credit: Live deer with arrow stuck in it, taken by Colts Neck resident Pat Caputi.

August 28, 2014

Dear Governor Christie:

I respectfully request your attention to a problem that has been festering statewide since 2010, when a bill was passed in the New Jersey State Legislature, which lowered the safety zone for bow hunting from 450ft. to 150 ft. from an occupied dwelling. Our
District 12 legislators Senator Jennifer Beck, Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon (at the time) and Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande voted no on the 150ft. bow parameter.

They voted no because it was their opinion that the change was “too tight for densely populated areas”, and “a safety hazard in densely populated areas”. The bill was subsequently passed with, I believe only the three no votes, and signed into law by you.

Unfortunately, hunters, sometimes masquerading as conservation groups, are using this legislation to expand hunting opportunities statewide and in densely populated areas.

As you know, many communities in our state are experiencing problems with the proliferation of the white tailed deer population, and most citizens agree that it is causing unsafe conditions on our roads and the destruction of private property. Many times, desperate public officials, under pressure from their constituents to address the deer problem, turn to the state Division of Fish Game and Wildlife for assistance. Ours did so last year, and FGW made a presentation at a special public meeting.

However, many residents have become quite concerned with FGW involvement, and their obvious support by the hunters’ lobby. What is very disturbing to me is that hunting is being promoted by FGW as the most effective deer management strategy. But was
this legislation really meant to be a panacea for managing deer herds throughout our state? That seems to be FGW’s position. In fact, bolstered by the presentation by the state representative, one of our own committeeman (a hunter), actually stated, “local municipalities are not permitted to limit areas for hunting on private property”. Likewise, hunters touted the reduction from 450 ft to the minimum of 150 ft. for bows from an occupied dwelling as a “right” because it is in the state statute. At one meeting the
governing body was told that our community would be sued if we did not change our ordinance and adhere strictly to the guidelines as promulgated by FGW. My question: Who would sue us, the state? Of course not, it is the hunters that are threatening to sue.

If you research what is happening around Monmouth County alone, you will see how the hunters are picking off town, after town. Last year, our community successfully defeated the proposal to eliminate all acreage requirements and change the bow parameter in our ordinance from 450ft to 150ft. from an occupied dwelling. This year Colts Neck officials passed a similar ordinance limiting hunting to five acres or more and reducing the bow parameter from 450ft to 150ft.; in the middle of summer, with limited public notification. The Division of Fish Game and Wildlife representative attended this meeting as well and asserted that the ordinance was not in accordance with state statute and that there should be no acreage limitations, and that the bow parameter is safe! Therefore, in a town where many one acre parcels abut five acre parcels, and where it is difficult to ascertain where heavily wooded public greenways end and where private properties begin, a lethal weapon can be discharged on as little as five acres and a mere 150ft. from where our children sleep! I believe that it was not the legislatures’ intent for this legislation to be applied in such a cookie-cutter way, and I deeply resent the state representative implying that the municipality must bring it’s ordinance into compliance with the state no acreage restriction (apparently the five acre limit was a compromise) and unequivocally stating that this 150ft parameter is safe. I am disappointed in my local elected officials for yielding to such pressure.

I am specifically requesting that you take several steps to intervene before a kid wondering through a wooded area on a Saturday morning is killed:

1. Have FGW approach the deer problem in our state on a more regional basis, and assist towns and county governments to work in a concerted, widely publicized, well orchestrated plan to effectively achieve a reduction in the deer population.

2. Place a moratorium on the 150ft ruling until the legislation is changed to make allowances for densely populated areas. You might begin in Monmouth County and surrounding areas where towns such as Colts Neck, Marlboro, Rumson and others have been pressured by the hunters’ lobby to change or eliminate completely, their acreage restrictions and relax their 450 ft. restriction on bow hunting.

3. Have FGW counsel true farmers on what their rights are in controlling “pests” that are destroying their crops. Certainly we want farmers to be able to protect their investment.

I am sending a copy of this letter to Senator Beck, Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande, and Assemblyman Declan O’Scanlon, because they were the only three elected representatives in 2010 that had the guts and common sense to stand up to the hunter’s lobby and to vote no on this legislation. I thank them. We need their help once again.

Sincerely,
Rose Ann Scotti
Former Mayor, Colts Neck Township

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To read previous articles on Patch regarding this issue, click the following links:

http://patch.com/new-jersey/marlboro-coltsneck/letter-editor-new-colts-neck-hunting-ordinance-change-danger-residents#.VBCwA_mwKfg

http://patch.com/new-jersey/marlboro-coltsneck/letter-editor-former-mayor-colts-neck-petitions-against#.VBCwNfmwKfg