NJ Public Access Locations To Tidal Waterways

The Department continues to explore further means to enhance public access, such as dedicated funding for a Blue Trails program to make shoreline improvements, and additional approaches that have proven successful in other states with coastal communities. The environmental health and public accessibility of the ocean, shore and tidal waterways are inextricably tied to New Jersey's economic health. Tourism, mostly tied to shore communities, is a $38 billion per year industry in New Jersey. Our proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and other tidal waterways is an enormous contributor to the quality of our life in our State. It is in everyone's best interest to preserve, protect, and make them available. The rules the Department plans to propose, which are part of a larger effort to promote and enhance access, would do just that. The New Jersey shore and riverfront communities are diverse, active places, where people come to enjoy being in close proximity to the water. This is clearly evidenced by the millions of tourists who come to the shore each year to walk the boardwalks, enjoy our piers, and eat and drink along our waterways. It is also evident among those who fish in our watersalong bridges and pocket parks as well as from shoresand among boaters of all types who navigate our waters for recreation and who depend on access to the water. The Department is committed to upholding our historical role in protecting and promoting the public's right of access to New Jersey's tidal waters. We seek to accomplish this significant public policy goal in a broad-based, effective, and comprehensive manner, and we recognize not only the vital role of regulations but also the gains that can be made by working cooperatively with our municipal leaders. We believe that providing practical information to the public is vital to enhancing opportunities to take advantage of New Jersey's extensive public access, and that additional means to provide access to the shore and to tidal waterways in New Jersey's urban areas must be part of a continuing process of improvement. For all of these reasons, the Department has proposed the following regulatory changes as part of a comprehensive effort to maintain and enhance public access to our tidal waters.