New signs detail state park rules at the High Bar Harbor dike

The High Bar Harbor dike is a beautiful place for people to relax and enjoy the area’s natural habitat. However, many individuals are unaware that the setting is a part of Barnegat Lighthouse State Park and that there are rules and regulations to abide by when visiting, said Cynthia Coritz, park superintendent.

According to Coritz, residents in the area have reported complaints about violations of state park rules, including swimming and the launching and landing of watercraft as well as the improper cleanup of dog droppings. A major part of the problem, Coritz said, is a lack of information.

Photo by Ryan Morrill
Terrapin Nesting Project volunteers Kathy Lacey
and Sarah Wadsworth check out the new park signs.

“People may not know, especially if they’re seasonal folk on Long Beach Island, that (the dike) is state property and that all the rules and regulations of other state properties apply to that area,” she said. “Unless people walk through the gated area, there are no signs to tell them what’s allowed and what’s not allowed. We need to make them aware of what the rules and regulations are. We’re trying to educate them and let them know what the policies are so that the activities (that aren’t allowed) won’t occur.”

To help rectify the situation, nearly 60 high school students attending the Harvey Cedars Bible Conference teamed up with members of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and State Park Service Tuesday and Wednesday mornings to set up nearly 20 state park boundary signs and also clean up litter in the area. The signs highlight the many different rules of the state property.

“What we also want to emphasize is that dogs have to be on a leash, at a maximum of 6 feet in length,” said Coritz.

Park officials are also trying to help protect the native wildlife there. A northern diamondback terrapin hatchery setup near the entrance of the property, which currently has more that 1,700 eggs, is of particular concern.

Kathy Lacey, who began the Terrapin Nesting Project primarily based out of High Bar Harbor in 2011, spoke with volunteers about the importance of adequately caring for this species of special concern. Making sure the terrapins have a safe place to lay their eggs during nesting season, which takes place between May and July, is critical to their survival.

“There is no natural place for the terrapins to nest anymore, and if we’re going to have any left, we need to provide a place for them to naturally incubate because they can’t incubate in the clay and stone substrate that are all over the house in the yards now,” said Lacey. “They don’t have any beach left. All of their bay beaches have been taken over.”

The dike is also full of raccoons, which dig up the terrapin nests and eat them, she said.

Dogs running loose could also potentially disturb the nesting process, added Cortiz.

The dike is a “nice place to walk your dog, or go for a walk, bird-watching, or take pictures of the lighthouse. We’re trying to balance that use with protecting the natural resources up there,” she said.

— Kelley Anne Essinger

This article was published in The SandPaper.