Do Me a Favor, Protect my property value, make my stream "ecologically significant"

Of the seven streams that Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell has protected from developers by identifying them as "ecologically significant," at least four abut land owned by people with ties to the Democratic Party or to Campbell himself. In one case, Campbell's department banned developers from a stream running through the valley where former U.S. Sen. Robert G. Torricelli owns a circa-1730 Hunterdon County farm. In another case, environmental protections went up along a stream below the home and farm pond owned by Carla Katz, president of Communications Workers of America Local 1034, which represents about 9,000 state workers, including 2,379 of the DEP's 3,450 employees. The DEP also granted Katz an exemption from Highlands Act restrictions to expand and upgrade the 205-year-old farmhouse.

Katz, who earns about $90,000 a year, has been in the news lately after it was disclosed that her former sweetheart, U.S. Sen. Jon S. Corzine, D-N.J., forgave a $470,000 loan to pay off a mortgage on her property. Corzine is running for governor against Republican Doug Forrester and eight third-party or independent candidates, and, should the senator win, would have to negotiate salaries and benefits with his former lover, among others. A top aide to Katz is married to a DEP deputy. They live by a stream in Frenchtown that is also off-limits to developers. In a fourth case, an environmental activist who is a friend of Campbell's wife resides in Stockton. A stream at the north end of town won state protections, helping preserve the town's bucolic image.

A scientific basis. In an interview Tuesday, Campbell stressed that neither politics nor friendships figured in the decisions by his department to protect these streams. He said it was all based on science. "We don't decide whether to include or exclude based on who lives nearby," Campbell stressed. He later added, "This has been a program based very clearly on environmental criteria and science, and not any other consideration." The commissioner, appointed in 2002 by former Gov. James E. McGreevey, said it would make sense that people connected with state government would get to enjoy environmental protections on their Hunterdon County land. Campbell reasoned that the hill country north of Trenton is a DEP priority and is also favored as a place to reside by managers in state government. "Our priority has been to protect the upper reaches of the Delaware. We have protected just about every tributary. . . . And yes, because it is close to Trenton, you can always find state employees who are in that area," said Campbell, who lives in Lambertville.

Willow Pond Farm, with its long driveway and restored stone structures, sits on a forested hillside upcountry from Stockton and Lambertville, sloping down toward the Lockatong Creek, a few hundred yards from where the waterway empties into the Delaware. With the stream's DEP classification as "Category One," it means that Torricelli, who left the Senate amid ethical questions, can look out from his pastoral home there with the assurance his natural vista will be unchanged by any noisy bloom of suburbia. Torricelli did not respond to a request for an interview. Campbell said he never had a single discussion with Torricelli about the Lockatong or its status.

One of the ways a stream can win so-called C1 protections — which under state storm water rules means no new development is allowed within 300 feet of its banks — is to be a healthy habitat for trout. The state says the Lockatong is just that and stocks it with hatchery-raised fish. Mark Dettmar, who operates Delaware River Outfitters, a fly-fishing store and fishing-guide guide service in Pennington, disagrees. "At one time it was a wild trout stream. It had wild trout. It no longer does. It does get stocked. The problem with the Lockatong is it doesn't hold water any more. It dries up," said Dettmar.

Creeks rise to C1 status: Miles to the north, the meandering Harihokake Creek wanders down a leafy valley from a headwaters 100 yards or so beneath Katz's farm pond. Downstream, it flows through the center of Milford, where people feed the flock of ducks. Then, the stream enters the Delaware. "I am completely unaware of this stream. This is news," Katz said Wednesday. South of Milford in Frenchtown is Nishisakawick Creek. Jeff Scott and his wife, Jeanne Herb, have a home and barn on a sort of peninsula where the creek enters the Delaware. Scott is the political director of Katz's union. Herb is Campbell's assistant commissioner for policy, planning and science. A CWA receptionist said Wednesday that Scott is on vacation and unavailable for comment. Until McGreevey quit a year ago, Scott had been in line to become his deputy chief of staff. The Stockton stream is Wickecheoke Creek. Alison Mitchell, policy director for the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, advocated for its C1 status. Campbell said that decision had nothing to do with Mitchell's friendship with Campbell's wife. They married last year. A spokesman for the Conservation Foundation refused Wednesday to pass along requests to Mitchell seeking her comment, saying he first had to know the nature of the story in which she was to be mentioned. Said Campbell of Mitchell, "People aren't disqualified on an issue on the basis of where they live." Environmentalists such as Jeff Tittel of the Sierra Club and David Pringle of the New Jersey Environmental Federation said they are glad to see streams protected.

But Tittel said other stretches of water are at least as worthy of safeguards. "They take care of their friends," said Tittel of DEP. "I'm more concerned with waterways where developers are going to be allowed in," said Pringle. Tittel cited stretches of the Ramapo and Musconetcong rivers. "We asked for about 300 to be protected," he said. Since taking charge at DEP, Campbell has protected stretches of 17 other streams for reasons other than ecological significance. These are because the streams are an "exceptional water supply," such as the Shark River; or because they are labeled just "water supply," such as the Manasquan and Metedeconk rivers. [org pub Asbury Park Press, by Tom Baldwiw]

Rhode Island, 8/15/05

BAY

Schools of skipjack bluefish and immature weakfish have moved into Greenwich Bay, reports Ken Ferrara of Ray's Bait & Tackle. To catch large blues, visit the waters around Halfway Rock and Gould Island in the lower Bay. From "Little" Gould Island to Nannaquaket Pond, there was a huge school of bluefish Wednesday. "It was the biggest school of blues that I've seen since I was a kid," said Joe Latinville of Riverside Marine. There are pods of blues off Barrington, too, but they're too far away for shore fishermen.

In the upper Bay, fluke are biting in the waters off Warwick Light and Conimicut Light where Pam and Frank Tameo are catching large fish on most mornings. John Littlefield of Archie's Bait & Tackle said the bite off Dutch Island is also good, but it's important to use live mummichogs as bait. Large fluke are also biting in the waters near Elbow Ledge and off Sakonnet Point as long as the tide and the breeze are flowing in the same direction. There have been a few reports of good fluke fishing in the mooring field off East Ferry in Jamestown, too.

Small stripers, with an occasional keeper, have been taking clamworms in the morning near the carousel in Riverside and the White Church Bridge in Barrington, said Littlefield. In the lower Bay, bass are taking tube-and-worm rigs off Rose and Goat islands, and on the reefs off Newport.

Scup fishing is good one day and poor the next throughout the Bay. Boaters have the edge over shore fishermen. Among the better spots are General Rock and Plum Point Light off North Kingstown, and Halfway Rock in the East Passage, Ferrara said.

BEACHES AND SALT PONDS

The big blitz of small bluefin tuna peaked on Tuesday and died Wednesday. "With the coming of the full moon, it's hard to predict what those fish will do," said Ferrara. "Some times the moon will turn them on, and other times, it will shut them off." Dean Hoxie and Steve Jordan found the fish off Scarborough Beach Tuesday, according to Don Cameron of Captain Don's Bait & Tackle.

Little tunny have arrived, according to Joe Latinville.

Surf-fishing was slow early this week, but it has been improving with the waxing moon. After fishing the Narragansett surf with Steve McKenna Wednesday night, Bill Nolan sent this report: "Steve and I had seven bass tonight and one bluefish. All the bass were 12 to 15 pounds and all were taken on eels. Things are on the upswing! There are just loads of very small peanut bunker everywhere along with silversides." Cameron said hot surf plugs are yellow Super Strike Darters and Mega Baits.

The bass are still biting for boaters fishing live bait on the reefs from Point Judith in Rhode Island to Fishers Island, N.Y. The reefs are clearly marked on nautical charts; on the water, lobster pots mark many of them.

Fluke fishing is good in the waters off the carousel in Watch Hill to the pink house in Misquamicut, said Don Michaud of King Cove Outfitters. "Fishing 30 to 60 feet of water is the ticket," he said. The bite is also good inside Quonochontaug Pond, said Cameron.

Scup fishing is solid on the reefs off South County and Stonington.

The charter boat Castafly is catching bonito on Zara Spooks off South County.

OFFSHORE

Dave Fewster took a 250-pound mako shark at the south side of the Mud Hole this week, said Al Conti of Snug Harbor Marina. There have been more sharks near the wreck of the Suffolk.

Anglers have been catching albacore and yellowfin tuna at the Fish Tails, Conti said, but there have been more yellowfin over the east side of Atlantis Canyon.

BLOCK ISLAND

The bass bite on Southwest Ledge continues to be steady, Conti said, and the action is improving in the North Rip at night. The charter boat Hula Girl is routinely catching fish between 30 and 40 pounds from Southeast Light to Southwest Light.

When the small bluefin tuna are around, they have been taking Mushmouths and Rays Angels, both big flashy flies, says Chris Willi of Block Island Fishworks.

The fishing vessel Rooster is catching fluke and sea bass on the wrecks around the island, Willi said. Yesterday morning, Susan Estabrook was catching sea bass just off Southwest Light before a dogfish broke her line.

FRESHWATER

The water is so low on the Wood River that stealthy wading is essential, said Ed Lombardo. "The good news is that the water temperature is a healthy 66 degrees," he said. He has been catching trout on imitation wasps, hoppers and beetles. Midges and Blue-Wing Olive mayflies are beginning to appear

BEST BITES

South County Reefs:

Bass, bluefish, possibly bonito and tuna

Block Island:

Bass, fluke, sea bass, possibly tuna

Lower West Passage:

Bass, bluefish, scup

THE TIDES

The moon causes tides and affects the activity of saltwater and freshwater fish as well as animals on land. Anglers generally find the best fishing two hours before and after a high tide, but fish and other animals also become active around the time of low tide. This table shows the height of tides in feet at Castle Hill near the mouth of Narragansett Bay. Recreational shellfishermen prefer to dig for clams when the tides are lowest, shown on the chart as "minus tides."

Boston Waters, 8/19/05

After all that infernal heat, the nights have cooled down, and many old salts attribute the improved fishing in the Northeast to the cooler water. But in some areas, the bait has also improved and, generally speaking, the best fishing in midsummer is still at night, and still using live eels. There's plenty of evidence that striped bass forage for eels at night, sometimes close to docks, rivermouths, and in shallows over flats. Bluefish also continue to hit and miss, often early morning near shore, heralded by wheeling terns and gulls.

Area A: Much of the previously hot striper water in Maine and New Hampshire has slowed precipitously in the last week or so. But some stripers still come up at night around Saco Bay and the rivermouth, and the offshore ledges are still producing cod and haddock. Bluefin tuna is still the fascination offshore at Stellwagen. Piscataqua River and Great Bay are slow, and live eels at night account for most of the action. Out over the Canyons, big-time sport boats are doing well with southern migrants such as yellowfin tuna and white marlin.

Area B: Salem and the Parker and Danvers rivers have some small fish, and one angler off Singing Beach (a quarter-mile offshore) took a 38-inch striper this week. Some fluke at Point of Pines with bluefish showing lately off the B-buoy. Also, better action at Faun Bar and Great Brewster. A couple of big striper catches around the outer harbor at Boston Light, down at Bumpkin. A few smelts starting to show up in Boston and Hull, and they will be pursued. Across at Stellwagen, the bluefin (football) tuna action is still on, with a few small bluefish.

Area C: Relatively slow on the previously red-hot ledgewater along the South Shore, but nighttime anglers with live eels are doing well around Minots and Grampus, the Glades, and the Scituate beaches to the North River mouth. Action in Duxbury Bay to Plymouth and Kingston has picked up, with good, steady action on fish in the mid-20s. One guy hooked a 4-foot tiger shark off the Powder Point Bridge.

Area D: The Canal has improved for medium striped bass and some small blues providing topwater action. At the Buzzards end, the scup are holding strong with fluke at Mashnee, and a mix of small blues. The Elizabeths have some of the best striper fishing -- live eels again. One sailing friend reports seeing a sea turtle the size of his 9-foot inflatable dinghy -- a reminder that many visitors from the tropics abound in our waters, including false albacore and bonito.

Area E: The south Cape beaches are not too hot, but the water just offshore in Nantucket Sound -- especially the banks -- has a mix of small to medium game fish. Decent action at Wasque and the waters to Tuckernuck Shoals. Also check out Nomans on the other side.

Area F: Some decent bluefishing off the National Seashore, from Nauset to Newcomb Hollow and Cahoon Hollow. Some small blues inside off First Encounter and Kingsbury beaches, Pamet Harbor at Truro, Long Point Light, and Wood End.

Staten Island Striper Hotspots

Here's the hotspots from the article:

1) Old Orchard Lighthouse: Open bottom area around Old Orchard Lighthouse (GPS coordinates 40.51170/74.100000) east of Great Kills Harbor. This historic lighthouse is about three miles off the beach and is visible from the shoreline of Gateway National Park, which is adjacent to Great Kills. The 50- foot conical, white steel structure was built in 1893 and still has an active beacon, according to the National Lighthouse Museum. This hotspot can only be fished by boat. The best way to get there is to launch at Great Kills Park, head out of the inlet and travel southeast. The lighthouse will be visible on the horizon.
2) Lemon Creek & Great Kills: offshore of the beach houses, areas around Lemon Creek and entrance to Great Kills harbor at Great Kills Park.
3) Prince's Bay, the small cove that Lemon Creek empties into.
4) Round Shoal: look for small dropoffs over open bottoms. Round Shoal is across Reach Channel from Prince's Bay. From Lemon Creek, bear left into Prince's Bay heading south, cross the Reach Channel (buoy marker 33) and you're on Round Shoal.
5) Prince's Bay: The area is known as the Mount Loretto Unique Area (located off Hyland Blvd. close to Verrazona Bridge).
6) Great Kills Harbor area: including the back and the mouth. Bunker gather at the moth and can be snagged for bait. The sandbar along the mouth, the narrow channel leading into the harbor. From the beach, cast plugs and cut bunker, also try, jelly worms tipped with live sandworms.
7) Ocean Breeze Fishing Pier at Midland Beach is at Father Capodanno Boulevard and Seaview Avenue. Follow Hylan Boulevard to Midland Avenue. Turn right on Midland and then turn left at Father Capodanno Boulevard, then make a quick right, which leads to a well-marked sign for the pier and parking, according to DeBenedetto. Free.
8) Pier One on the east side of the Ferry Terminal. The deep shipping channels nearby attract big stripers. Take the Staten Island Expressway to Bay Street and follow it to the Staten Island Ferry. Park at the public parking lot for the ferry, where a nominal fee is charged.

The two public boat launches:
- The free Lemon Creek ramp can be reached by taking Hylan Boulevard to Sharrots Road.
- Great Kills Park launching is free, but you have to pay for parking.