pinelands in NJ?????

[horsemom429]

anyone know of a LEGAL way to use land in a wetlands buffer zone??? i desperately need to move my horses home and pinelands is driving me nuts!! Mind you in the 5 years i've lived here there has never been a drop of standing water...... regardless i can't put up a fence and graze my horses ???? anyone have any insight or info??

[FatPalomino]

Stop by their office... I forget what they called it. There is one on the road BCC is on, just east of the town of Pemberton. They were super helpful when we looked into purchasing land for horses in that area ;)

[horsemom429]

yeah...problem is we already bought the house. only have 2.5 acres and have always boarded.... but now things are changing and we could really use a break with the board bill.... but apparently we can't fence in the area to bring the horses. just thought maybe someone knew of a way to crack these people. I keep getting the same monotone response: "AFTER PINELAND HAS ISSUED PERMITS FOR A PRIMARY DWELLING ANY IMPROVEMENTS AFTER THE FACT ARE CONSIDERED AN ACCESORY TO THAT DWELLING AND DO NOT REQUIRE AN APPLICATION AND ARE WITHIN THE REGULATIONS OF THE MUNICIPALITIES CONSERVATION PLAN. HOWEVER PINELANDS DISCOURAGES THE BUILDING ON AND CLEARING OF ANY LAND WITHIN 300 FEET OF A PROTECTED WETLAND". My township wants me to get pinelands permission before they will let me put up a fence (which i dont consider BUILDING). I even had one woman at pinelands tell me you're not even allowed to have animals in the buffer zone but again she wouldn't put it in writing and couldnt find it in writing anywhere. I honestly just dont see how a few wooden posts and 2 horses are going to hurt a wetland that isnt even wet anymore! and if i had the money to get a lawyer involved i wouldn't need to bring the horses home....i'd keep on paying board!!!! i'm about to move them onto my husbands 100 X 75 patch of sod.... but then i might need a divorce attorney!!!!!

[Rivendell Horses]

maybe round pen panels? or some type of moveable fencing?

Jen
www.rivendellhorsefarm.com/tackpage.html

[the_other_mother]

Do you know for a fact that they will shoot you down? Maybe you just have to jump thru alot of hoops....... We were interested in a property in Tabernacle but kept getting conflicting answers from the township about zoning requirements, etc. We went over the townships head but in the end we decided to buy elsewhere anyway. Wetlands.......iffy subject!

[horsemom429]

:confused: i am not SURE OF ANYTHING. the township will give me permits based on my interpretation of where the buffer is. what i am worried about is spending the little savings i have on fencing and stalls then having the pinelands come and make me undo it all. if my neighbors complain (which i'm sure some one will) pinelands could make me have a whole new wetlands survey done which costs thousands. as of right now we are all estimating where this line starts. then i guess if we are over the line i have to move everything and "revegetate". besides all that....i'd really really like to use as much of my 2.5 acres as possible. all in all i know the best idea is to find good homes for the horses. but they are like family, if there is any way i could keep them i want to try.

[Arcadien]

Hmm, have horses in the NJ Pinelands area myself. (And grew up around this area). I know they are tough, but possibly more favorable if 1)they understand you are putting land to non-development use, the kind that won't put up more houses &/or other environmental pressures, and 2) know that certain builders get an easier pass than others (you stroke, I'll stroke, etc, kind of thing).... so might want to shop around - even if you plan to do the work yourself, might help to have a friend on board, so to speak.

Also, if you can approach them with a "green" "will take care of the land" type plan, i.e., manure management/removal plan in place, changes in water flow carefully thought out, birdhouses put up for local species, plans to keep native foliage & trees as healthy & numerous a possible, etc, etc...

Good luck,

Arcadien, feeling guilty as she appreciates Pinelands restrictions limiting development in her area.... but also feeling your grief, as one close friend owned 70 acres and couldn't get permits to build a second house (he ended up moving to Missouri, go figure)

[silver2]

Have you talked to your local land trust? They are usually a font of land-related information and if you put an easement on your property it might pay for the fencing. Who knows.

[vacation1]

It must be frustrating to be in this position, but I can see how horses could impact a small property that's intended to protect a wetland from damage. It sounds as if you know the only legal way to bring your horses home - the slow, costly route of going through Pinelands and getting a waiver to allow you to put something on a wetland buffer. I'm sympathetic, but it's the reality of living there - you're in a federally protected biosphere that's one of the few things in New Jersey that isn't for sale 24/7, and on the days it is for sale, it's usually to a developer and not a small landowner.

[DiablosHalo]

Call your county conservation district and US Dept of Ag NRCS office (housed in same building). NRCS conservationists do wetland determinations and may be able to help put together a conservation plan to show that it won't (or maybe will) detriment the wetland area.

Main website: http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/

Service Center Locator: http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app

Not sure which county you are in - so here is NJ. Click on your county and it will bring up office location and phone. Ask to speak to NRCS soil conservationist or district conservationist (boss). They will help! http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app?service=page/CountyMap&state=NJ&stateName=New%20Jersey&stateCode=34

Good luck!

[horsemom429]

You guys gave me some ideas i never thought of!!! i'm going to get started on all those things..and who knowws...maybe i'll get a break. Wish me luck!:winkgrin:

[Chall]

Electric fencing and a prefab portable lean to or barn. Some other thread the portables were mentioned, not considered a 'building', at least for taxes or some municipal codes.
Good luck.