Murphy DEP Commissioner LaTourette Twisted Arms At The Pinelands Commission To Gain Approval Of Deeply Flawed Logging Plan

LaTourette Explicitly Threatened A Lawsuit

Overtly Appealed To The Loyalty Of Murphy’s New Political Appointees

Pinelands Commission Had Refused To Approve DEP Logging Plan For 15 Years

Back in February, at a time when Murphy DEP Commissioner LaTourette was testifying to the NJ Senate Environment Committee and grossly exaggerating wildfire risks (see: Murphy DEP Caught Blowing Smoke On Wildfires), he also was conducting a series of press events (stunts) in the Pinelands, again stoking public fear of wildfires (don’tcha just love than manly man monogrammed new shirt!)

At the same time he engaged this PR campaign blitz, behind the scenes, Commissioner LaTourette was twisting arms at the Pinelands Commission to pressure them to approve DEP’s logging plan, under the pretext of wildfire prevention.

Commissioner LaTourette wrote the Commission a letter on February 4, 2022, expressing his frustration with the Commission’s failure to approve DEP’s logging plan for the last 15 years, most recently last December.

In that February 4 letter (copy provided upon request), LaTourette began with an overt and transparently political appeal to Gov. Murphy’s new appointments. He urged them to break with the past and be loyal to the Murphy DEP team. He wrote:

Our senior leadership team at the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) looks forward to getting acquainted with those new to the Commission, and to meeting with your membership soon to discuss our shared priority of protecting the public’s natural resources and our opportunities to better collaborate in fulfilling this important mission

Get it? Those “new to the Commission” are Gov. Murphy’s political appointees (Matos, incredibly a newbie installed as Chair, and McCurry). This isn’t even a dog whistle – it’s right up there with Nixon like loyalty demands.

This is a totally inappropriate political tactic – which is exactly what the environmental groups and NJ media lambasted Gov. Christie for.

Commissioner LaTourette then explicitly threatened to sue the Pinelands Commission if they failed to approve DEP’s logging plan. He wrote:

This is a totally inappropriate legal threat. This kind of lawsuit threat might work well in the corporate sector LaTourette is familiar with, but that’s not how government to government cooperation is supposed to work (and the Pinelands is a statutorily independent Commission under NJ law that also implements federal law).

It is a strong armed intimidation mobster tactic – which is exactly what the environmental groups and NJ media lambasted Gov. Christie for. 

Christie’s politicization and strong armed tactics were denounced: (Star Ledger editorial)

And then there was his manipulation of the venerable Pinelands Commission, which he politicized in order to jam a 22-mile pipeline through the most pristine piece of real estate in New Jersey, and help with the conversion of a Cape May County power plant from coal to natural gas.

Yet we get crickets on Murphy’s manipulations.

I guess that’s just how former corporate lawyers roll and how they strong arm and secure government approvals for really bad projects like the Gibbstown LNG export project LaTourette served as lead legal Counsel for just days before joining DEP.

LaTourette then insidiously went on to literally threaten the Pinelands Commission with blame, in the event that they failed to approve the DEP plan and a wildfire later resulted in fatalities – it’s be all your fault! He wrote:

Latourette then goes on to demand immediate approval

Immediately! Can you fucking believe that?

That “immediate” demand would not even allow for the legally required public notice comment and public hearing process! Who the hell does he think he is?

This is incredible overt political coercion and destruction of public participation.

LaTourette thenadmits that DEP has failed to secure approval of this plan for 15 years:

How could he demand “immediate” approval is none were forthcoming for 15 years?

Equally disturbing, in a shameless attempt at emotional manipulation, LaTourette invoked legitimate sympathy for the deaths of several NJ forest fire fighters. He wrote:

How low can you go when you exploit a man’s death for political gain?

Finally, LaTourette falsely claims that significant people and property would be put at risk if the Commission failed to approved the DEP plan:

The management of this forest, through the creation of firebreaks and density reduction, is designed to establish a safer area for firefighting operations and an increased opportunity to prevent large wildfires from impacting neighboring towns, private businesses, residences, and the Garden State Parkway. A wildfire affecting any of these assets could significantly and adversely impact public safety, including potential impacts to evacuation activities.

This is a claim that was specifically refuted by Pinelands Commissioner Wallner – a retired *National Park Service wildfire expert – who stated on the public record that he reviewed the maps and saw little to no people and property anywhere near the forest break and logging.

So, it’s no wonder that when I discovered the existence of this letter, and immediately filed an OPRA public records request for it, DEP denied that request and redacted the letter, see:

• Smoking Gun DEP Emails Show That DEP Commissioner LaTourette Personally Intervened To Pressure Pinelands Commission To Approve DEP Logging Plan

Note: “This includes the letter the Commissioner sent as well”

I challenged that OPRA denial and recently received a copy of the letter.

After reading it, I can see why they wanted to keep this piece of garbage well swept under the rug.

I’ve written from day one that LaTourette was a dangerous and disgraceful hack.

This letter confirms and validates that, for sure.

So, now that the letter is out there, maybe someone will ask DEP and the Pinelands Commission a few tough questions, like:

• Why did the Pinelands Commission refuse to approved the DEP plan for 15 years?

• Why did they do so now?

• Was LaTourette’s threat of a lawsuit a factor?

• Were Gov. Murphy’s new political appointments, who both voted YES to approve the DEP plan, the deciding factor?

• Did The US Air Force have any role in the decision? See:

• Is Military Money And Protection Of Warren Grove US Air Force Range Driving Insane DEP Pinelands Logging Plan?

*corrected 12/13/22