Black Creek under assault from ATVs

VERNON-Scofflaws on all-terrain vehicles are riding rampant over the Black Creek archeological site, eroding the landscape, leaving deep ruts and possibly wrecking irreplaceable American Indian artifacts, say local preservation advocates Jessica Paladini and Rick Patterson. The site is protected as an archeological treasure under state law. From the end of the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago until the early nineteenth century, the Lenni Lenape American Indians made their home there, and the land is rich in pottery shards, tools and other artifacts that illuminate their daily lives. New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection bought the 134-acre land tract from Vernon Township in March and added it to Wawayanda State Park. The site flanks Vernon's new Maple Grange Park. At the April 28 Historic Preservation Commission meeting, Patterson and Paladini reported that they've been complaining in vain to the township for the past three years about people riding ATVs illegally on public land, particularly the Black Creek site. Paladini added that she had communicated with a DEP official who had toured the site and afterwards had expressed deep concern about the land deterioration she had seen there. Patterson charged the township with malicious neglect of the Black Creek site for not bringing the weight of the law down upon the trespassers. Paladini said that she recently had spoken with both Township Manager Don Teolis and with Mayor Ira Weiner about the ATV crisis. The two men assured her that the topic had arisen in discussions among township officials, and the township planned to take charge of the situation. "The township must come up with solid solutions to protect this site. Stop talking about imposing heavy fines on trespassing ATV. Stop talking about impounding the vehicles. Act," Paladini declared. Vernon Police Lieutenant Daniel Zill told The Advertiser-News that the police department never has refused to arrest trespassing ATV riders. "We're in police cars and they are riding across terrain where it would be difficult even to walk," he said. "We aren't allowed to chase the riders, and when they see a police car they quickly dash off into the woods. ATVs definitely harm the environment. I can't even fathom how many there are in Vernon - way too many." Under state law, ATVs may be ridden legally only on private property with the owner's permission or in a designated ATV park. There have been discussions about opening such a park under state sponsorship in Sussex County, but there is no such facility now in North Jersey; the state's only ATV park is in the Pine Barrens in South Jersey. Lacking places to ride legally, many ATV owners operate them illegally, and both homeowners and enthusiasts have battled over the vehicles at council meetings during the past year. Last week in a telephone conversation, DEP spokesperson Dana Loschiavo remarked that park rangers are actively trying to stop ATV riding on the Black Creek site. "We've recently posted our boundary and no-trespassing signs, and our rangers are out there regularly patrolling on foot," she said. "Anyone caught riding an ATV on park land is liable for a $1,000 fine, and if the vehicles have no registration or insurance, we can impound them." The Historic Preservation Commission emphasized that all the members care about the Black Creek site. At Patterson's and Paladini's urging, the commission agreed to write a letter of concern to the township, warning officials of the commission's intent to draft a formal resolution calling upon the township to enforce the law rigorously. Donna Wilson, commission chairwoman, said that the time had arrived to break the trespassing cycle. Affirming their agreement, the commission members stressed that the township should promptly block the access path with a gate or other barrier. The main entrance to the site is already barred by a chained gate. The popularity of ATVs has expanded wildly during the past decade, and no one is sure how many are zooming around the back roads of Sussex County. The vehicles can cause soil erosion, destroying vulnerable woodlands and threatening wildlife. Last year, an association of ATV devotees asked Teolis about finding a suitable site in Vernon to establish an ATV park. The township owns no land expansive enough to accommodate an ATV park, so Teolis referred the association to several private landowners.