Petitioner # 21,054

DEP Needs To Stop Spinning and Start Listening

[Update below]

Bull’s Island Petitioner # 21,054 added a special note to his petition – in CAPS, presumably for emphasis so DEP could hear his shout all the way from Florida:

13:08, Sep 19, frank wegel, FL
AS A PAST RESIDENT OF kINGWOOD TWP. I STROGLY OPPOSE CLEAR CUTTING OF THIS MOST BEAUTIFUL NATURAL SITE. PLEASE SAVE IT FOR MY GRANDCHILDREN WHO STILL LIVE IN KINGWOOD

I came across this poignant statement while reviewing the Bull’s Island petition signatures.

I began that review because I just received an email from an intrepid reporter questioning the validity of the petition.

These could have been independent, honest, good faith questions – but I doubt it.

My immediate reaction was: why would someone seek to validate social media petition signatures?

I can only imagine that the reporter called the DEP press office for comment and – reacting to prior critical press coverage that made them look like the fools they are – the DEP press Office must have planted those malignant seeds in this reporter’s intrepid mind.

Apparently, someone found my name twice among the first 1,000 signers.

Wow! Wolfe signed twice! Gotcha! Liar, Cheater and Fraud I say! It’s Fraud!! We’ve finally nailed that Wolfe for Fraud!

While boring in on the validity issues, the intrepid reporter also questioned the relevance of the petition:

I’ve gone through the first 1,000 or so entries and I’ve noticed that this petition is worldwide. What kind of effect do you think this might have in the DEP taking it seriously?

Take it seriously? Worldwide-shmaldwide –

Petitioner # 21,054 doesn’t even live and vote in NJ, so I guess DEP should just dismiss his universal and fundamental human concerns about the future health of the place his grandchildren will inherit, right?

People in other countries? Fuck them, they don’t work, invest, and vote here, right? They must be part of the freeloading 47%.

Here’s my reply to the reporter (and indirectly to the assholes in the DEP press office).

I guess I can forget about ever getting this guy or his editors to publish any of my work, but I hope you find it useful and of interest:

Hi XXXX  – apologies for delay in response, I was off line yesterday in Philly. This response is on the record. Call me to clarify.

As you know, what happens in NJ is of concern to people everywhere – for example, did you follow the recent controversy where DEP proposed to demolish a world famous piece of landscape art in the courtyard behind the DEP building?

Check out how that story took off, as reported by NJ Spotlight:

Plan to Demolish Public Sculpture Meets With Pushback –  The DEP’s decision to tear down the ‘Green Acres’ sculpture at its headquarters has raised a group of vocal critics — and a number of questions about public art

“A July blog post in the Huffington Post arguing for New Jersey to keep Tacha’s sculpture earned 100,000 re-tweets, said Charles Birnbaum, author of the post and president of the Cultural Landscape Foundation (CLF) in Washington, D.C.”

And this was the conclusion and happy ending of that story, again as told by NJ Spotlight:

Outdoor Sculpture in Trenton Saved From Demolition –  DEP is the place to be for ‘Green Acres’ as NJ reverses plan to replace public art

That stupid DEP move to destroy important landscape art prompted a world wide reaction opposing the DEP plan – the opposition went viral and DEP ultimately agreed to stand down and not destroy it!

Bull’s Island is repeating that case – except instead of art, DEP is proposing to destroy a real landscape

In terms of the Bull’s Island petition, as you know, social media is not geographically bounded. 

When something goes viral like the petition did, it is an indicator that something has struck an important cord of public concern.

As to the mechanics and validity of the petition, personally, I circulated the petition on my Twitter account and I sent it via email to the organizations  (i.e. NJCF, Sierra, Delaware Riverkeeper) and other people I am working with on Bull’s Island (this includes a good size NJ group working on both Bull’s Island and the Hot Dog Man controversy).

Where the petition went from there is beyond both my control and knowledge –

I have no idea how my name was entered twice, although I think that the petition site (Care2) is set up to prevent that. You’d have to call them to get the details on that.

Who knows, you could get a big scoop on “petition fraud”. You’d probably find more of that than “voter fraud”. Who knows, your investigative work could lead to new laws to restrict petitioning! (that’s snark, if it isn’t obvious!)

As to whether DEP should take it “seriously” in gauging public opinion and making decisions, I offer the following comments:

1) How DEP evaluates information is their business, not mine. I make no comment on that, other than to note that there are multiple consistent lines of public opinion evidence opposing DEP’s plan (that all reinforce the petition’s findings).

2) I have gotten Municipal Resolutions passed that opposed the DEP plan.

In response, instead of communicating with those towns to understand their concerns, DEP attacked me, and threatened and lied to local officials.

DEP’s Cathy Randazzo – a patronage appointment who has ZERO environmental training and no college degree – told one local official that sycamore’s were an “invasive species“. That astonishing info was stated in a public hearing by a  local official. That is NEWS, no?  (but you’d rather spend time validating petition signatures)

3) Experts and the memberships of three major well respected conservation groups have opposed the DEP plan – news, no? Sierra, NJCF, and Riverkeeper have more than 20,000 members combined –

4) I have spoke to hundreds of people at Bull’s Island and along the D&R Canal. 

I have gone to merchants in Lumberville and Stockton.

Of all those people I spoke with, only 3 have not condemned the tree cutting – and 1 did so because he had been told that I was the guy who blocked the NJWSA from dredging the Canal and that there would be worse flooding because of my obstructionist extremism!

If you think my anecdotal results are not representative, I invite you to go into the field and take your own public opinion survey – or post a question on your webiste – or hire a real polling firm. Ask the public:

Should DEP cut down mature 200 year old massive trees in a Public State park forest to reduce the risks of a tree falling on campers? Yes or No?

I GUARANTEE and overwhelming majority will say no.

5) The Philadelphia Inquirer recently reported that the D&R Canal Commission received 80 emails opposing DEP tree cutting.

Maybe the identities should be investigated and those emails validated too?

6) Federal, regional, state, and local environmental agencies have intervened – DEP might want to consider that too (i.e. USACE, USFWS, National Parks Service, DRBC, DRCC, Hunterdon County, local Resolutions).

DEP should start listening to the public and stop spinning them! 

[Update: 4:40 pm – The Hunterdon County Democrat is seeking your view on DEP’s tree cutting plan – hit this link and submit a comment: Your comments: State management plan to decide fate of centuries-old trees at Bull’s Island State Park , where falling tree killed camper