Letter to the Editor: Help Save Rambaut Pond

To the Editor:

Without the help of Wyckoff Township and the community, we will lose Rambaut Pond, one of Wyckoff's three remaining lakes. This beautiful lake will suffer the same destiny as Maple Lake and the Ravine. Because financing to repair the dam cannot be obtained, NJDEP will, in the near future, order that the dam be breached and the lake emptied. When the lake is lowered, all of the aquatic animal life in it will die and we will be left with a fetid, mosquito-infested mud hole.

Rambaut Pond, a 7.5-acre lake, has been in existence since at least the late 1800s. The lake serves as a drainage basis for over 300 homes and as a critical flood control. Its natural ecology is home to extensive animal life, and even though it is in the middle of a bustling suburban community, it offers a quiet and peaceful place for the enjoyment of nature.

The association of lakefront homeowners has offered to deed the lake and access to it—through a lot owned by the association—to the town at no cost, for use by all Wyckoff residents. Twenty to 30 families have been paying for property taxes, maintenance and upkeep of the lake and dam for almost 30 years through the voluntary collection of "dues," which are approximately $750 per year, per family. The town has informed us that it is not interested in our offer.

The town has scheduled a meeting, open to everyone, to discuss the future of Rambaut Pond at 6 p.m. May 5 at the Wyckoff Town Hall. We hope that the many residents who are interested in protecting the town's open spaces will attend this meeting and offer their ideas as to how this wonderful natural resource can be saved.

Robert Scripps

Wyckoff