JORBA - Jersey Off Road Bicycle Association

3rd Annual Fair Hill Jamboree

mergs — Sun Oct 05, 2008 8:35 am

Author: mergs

Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 8:35 am

The 3rd Annual Fair Hill Jamboree MTB Ride is scheduled for Sunday, November 2. The Jamboree Ride is a gathering to celebrate mountain biking in the Mid-Atlantic region. We are inviting mountain bikers from all over Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and adjacent areas to join us for a group ride and cookout at Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area near Newark, Delaware. So mark your calendars now.

Registration will open at 8:30-9 AM with rides to begin at 10 AM and finish up around 1-2 PM in the afternoon. Leaving plenty of time for a picnic and festivities. The Trail Spinners will serve as hosts and guides for our visitors. We will mark a series of trails at Fair Hill similar to the Poker Ride every spring. But unlike the Poker Ride where riders are on their own to follow the marked trails, at the Jamboree Trail Spinners volunteer to lead small groups of riders of similar pace and ability. This has always been one of the most popular parts of the Jamboree and it's a great opportunity to make friends and build better relations with other riders and MTB clubs in the region.

Please forward this message to other bikers, clubs and websites who may be interested in participating in the Jamboree. Let me know if you know of other groups who may be interested. I would appreciate it if you would send me a note indicating that you and friends or members of your club are planning to attend.

Get more details and updates by checking the Delaware Trail Spinners official website at www.trailspinners.org.

See you at Fair Hill in November. Don't forget that November 2 is the day to "fall back" to regular time!

IMBA Trail Care Crew visits Washington Valley Park Oct 11/12

KirtM — Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:49 pm

Author: KirtM

Posted: Fri Oct 03, 2008 8:49 pm

1 week to go. Still time to get in on the fun.

Paydirt extended to include field work at IMBA/Subaru TCCs

mergs — Wed Oct 01, 2008 6:19 pm

Author: mergs

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 6:19 pm

Note:

Paydirt will be held open until October 19th, and the field work portion of the upcoming IMBA/Subaru TCCs will count towards this years Paydirt.

What is Paydirt? Besides giving love back to your favorite park, you can win bikes and get race points, see here: http://www.jorba.org/index.php?page=11

What/where are the IMBA Subaru TCCs ?

http://www.jorba.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=971
http://www.jorba.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=955

IMBA Trail Care Crew is coming to Ringwood/Sterling Forest

Art White — Wed Oct 01, 2008 7:08 am

Author: Art White

Posted: Wed Oct 01, 2008 7:08 am

Just a reminder that Paydirt will be held open until October 19th, and the field work portion of the event will count towards this years Paydirt.

What is Paydirt? Besides giving love back to your favorite park, you can win bikes and get race points, see here: http://www.jorba.org/index.php?page=11

Deer Hunt to continue in 2009

mergs — Tue Sep 30, 2008 1:07 pm

Author: mergs

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 1:07 pm

Star-Ledger: Reservation to repeat deer culling program

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/essex/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1222748804129450.xml&coll=1

baristanet: Go Deerhunt On The Mountain:

http://www.baristanet.com/2008/09/divincenzo_deerhunter.php

Trail Work Day - Sun - Oct 5th, 9am-12pm

mergs — Tue Sep 30, 2008 1:02 pm

Author: mergs

Posted: Tue Sep 30, 2008 1:02 pm

Posted on behalf of the South Mountain Conservancy:

Thanks to everyone who participated in September�s Trail Work Day at South Mountain, we�ve continued the work on a new re-route along the Turtleback (Orange) trail � just above the trail we created during last Summer�s TCC visit. We will continue this work at our next Trail Work Day this Sunday, October 5th , from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Details are as follows:

* Where: Meet at Girl Scout Camp Parking Area. Access to the Girl Scout Camp is on the westbound side of South Orange Avenue, just west of Glenside Drive (the traffic signal at top of �S� curves). Park at the far end of the field. We�ll hike about � mile to the work area.
* When: We will meet in the Girl Scout Camp parking area at 8:45AM, walk to the trail and begin working at 9:00AM
* What to Bring: Work gloves and a friend. We supply tools, snacks and water.

In the event of rain, call 973-768-5606 after 7:00 AM on Sunday and listen to message. Trail work is ON unless message specifically states it is cancelled.

Happy Trails�.

Don Schatz
South Mountain Conservancy

Webinar: NJDOT's Safe Routes to School 21 Oct 2pm

mergs — Mon Sep 29, 2008 7:29 am

Author: mergs

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 7:29 am

Taking it to the Streets: NJDOT's Urban SRTS Demonstration Program

Presenters:
Elise Bremer-Nei, AICP/PP, New Jersey DOT
Tiffany Robinson, The RBA Group

Sign up for this free webinar here:

http://www.americawalks.org/Content/10119/Webinar__October_21_2008_2pm_ET.html

America Walks is the voice of advocacy for local, state, and national
issues. We are at the heart of a growing movement to create walkable
communities across North America.

The Safe Routes Coaching Action Network is a way for you to learn from
people who know how to make things happen. Valuable presentations are
offered monthly on a wide variety of hot-button topics. Webinars are
FREE and are designed to educate individuals and organizations about
safe routes to school. We have selected topics that lead to successful
grassroots action, including how to attract and collaborate with
important partners in your effort. Each Webinar lasts 60 minutes and
includes a Feature Presentation and a National Update. The calls include
an opportunity to pose questions of the presenters and see real-time
polls of the meeting attendees.

A web seminar, or "Webinar" is a conference call accompanied by a
real-time presentation using a computer connected to the Internet. After
registering for the Webinar, you'll receive a toll-free telephone number
and access code via email. Webinars enable engaging and high-quality
experience for conference call presentations. They offer features such
as polling, question & answer, and recording for playback. (If you don't
have access to an Internet-enabled computer at the time of the call,
please request an advance copy of the materials so you can follow along
with telephone only.)

Financial woes leave state's wildlife refuges in crisis

mergs — Mon Sep 29, 2008 7:06 am

Author: mergs

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 7:06 am

Star Ledger
Financial woes leave state's wildlife refuges in crisis
Written By Paula Saha

The Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge in Vernon has had severe staffing cutbacks. The manager, Ed Henry, at left, will be out of a job at the end of this month, leaving more work for volunteers like Marie Springer, at right.

Resources at New Jersey's five wildlife refuges are frighteningly strained after significant cutbacks two years ago, staff officials said. Thousands of publicly owned acres of wildlife in the Northeast are operating with about 14 percent fewer staff members (about 60 fewer positions) than in 2006.

The result: an uptick in vandalism, torn-up trails from illegal ATV riders and dumping on woodlands and natural habitats they are charged with overseeing.

In Cape May County, Supawna Meadows refuge has been completely de-staffed, and has had to scale back its hunting programs. The staff at the Cape May National Wildlife Refuge, 59 miles away, covers both facilities now.

The staff at Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Morris County is stretched to cover Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge 52 miles north, and Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge in Ulster County, N.Y.

Also at Wallkill, the staff has dwindled to two positions -- a biologist and a manager -- and the manager's position is slated to be eliminated at the end of the month.

Tony Leger, regional chief of the National Wildlife Refuge system, said that cut is on hold as his division reviews the financial situation and waits to see what kind of appropriation the wildlife refuges will see for the next fiscal year.

"There are a lot of conflicting priorities in this country, and whether or not refuges are going to get any new or more money is anybody's guess," Leger said.

For fiscal year 2008 -- which ends Tuesday -- the National Wildlife Refuge system was allocated $434 million, an increase of $36 million over the previous year. Before that, however, there were no increases for three consecutive years, while costs went up 3 to 5 percent.

The Northeast region's part of the 2008 increase came to $3 million, Leger said. Before that allocation, he said, his office predicted it would be "in the hole" by 2012, which is why they embarked on a plan to downsize staff. Most staffing cuts were accomplished by not filling vacancies and offering buyouts, he said.

The increase helped stabilize the financial situation, he said, but "it's only going to take a year or two of no increases and we're going to be in trouble again."

New Jersey mirrors what has been happening across the country's 548 refuges, which total nearly 100 million acres. In May, the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement released a report that found one in three refuges in the United States is operating without a single staff member, and has only one full-time law enforcement officer for every 555,000 acres.

"Refuges nationwide are underfunded by 43 percent right now," said Desiree Sorenson-Groves, vice president of government affairs for the National Wildlife Refuge Association. She noted that the entire refuge system is funded at $434 million, and Hurricane Ike alone did $216 million worth of damage to the wildlife refuges in that area. "So they're barely able to do what they're supposed to do anyway, and then you have things like this on top of it? They are struggling all across the country."

DEDICATED HELP

Refuge managers in New Jersey say they have survived in large part due to the dedication of their employees and volunteers. Wallkill, for example, has been able to run numerous public programs thanks to the Friends of Wallkill organization, headed by Marie Springer, who advocates, along with area legislators, to keep the refuge staff.

"It's an exceptional habitat," she said recently in the midst of a 12-hour day putting together a massive mural and maze exhibit for the refuge's annual heritage day next Saturday. The Wallkill has two endangered species -- the Indiana Bat, just discovered this summer, and the bog turtle. "The thing is, we might be able to find more if we actually had the research dollars to look for more endangered species."

She said Wallkill also has a huge demand for environmental education programs because the area has so many families who home-school their children and would like to do more interpretive and environmental education.

Others agreed. Though the manager position at Wallkill has been spared for now, that is still not enough.

"A refuge needs a manager, it needs law enforcement, it needs habitat management staff, it needs education staff," said Eric Stiles of the New Jersey Audubon Society. "People get there, you have to immediately engage them. You need the trail infrastructures, you need facilitated trips. You need the habitat to be managed for the endangered species ... safe canoe ramps and launches."

The blame, he said, lies with Congress and the President, who have not allocated the money needed. Though New Jersey's congressional delegation has advocated for more funding, it has been a battle.

"These areas that we purchased need to be managed," Stiles said. "We should buy the land and steward it. Without one, the other one suffers grievously, and as a result the public and the wildlife suffer."

Monmouth County Park System to offer bike trips, hikes

mergs — Fri Sep 26, 2008 5:55 am

Author: mergs

Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 5:55 am

Monmouth County Park System to offer bike trips, hikes

The Monmouth County Park System will offer a 16-mile Rails to Trails biking trip Oct. 4 along the Sussex Branch Rail Trail in northwest New Jersey. The bus departs at 8 a.m. and returns at 6 p.m. (approximate).

Cyclists will follow easy, flat, dirt gravel and some single track trails and, will also bicycle through Kittatinny Valley State Park. A hybrid/mountain bicycle and safety certified helmet are required. Cost is $35 per person.

A Three Mountain Ponds hike will be Oct. 11 in Blairstown. The mini-bus will depart at 8 a.m. and return at 6 p.m. (approximate). The 5-mile hike is easy to moderate and is open to adults and children age 12 and older with an adult. Cost is $25, and $10 per child. A starter hike, Assiniwikam Mountain - Norvin Green State Forest, will be Oct. 21. The bus departs at 8 a.m. and returns at 6 p.m. (approximate). Cost for this 3.3-mile hike is $25,t and $10 per child age 12 and older with an adult.

The above depart Thompson Park, Newman Springs Road, Lincroft section of Middletown. Preregistration is required and may be done by calling 732-842-4000, ext 1 or at www.monmouthcountyparks.com The TTY number is 711.

Source: http://atlanticville.gmnews.com/news/2008/0925/bulletin_board/020.html

2008 Monmouth Cty TM schedule

trailgorilla — Thu Sep 25, 2008 4:49 pm

Author: trailgorilla

Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 4:49 pm

October 4th, 9am - 12 noon @ the Holland activity center, Tatum park, Middletown (ages 16 and up) This is the MCPS training required of all volunteers prior to doing work on the trails.