NJ's Biggest Beach Closes July 4 Weekend If Government Shuts Down

Ten miles of the Jersey Shore — as well as many other New Jersey recreational areas — could be blocked off by a gate if the state government closes at midnight on July 1.

That means the state budget impasse between lawmakers and the Christie administration could lead to closures of Island Beach State Park, Liberty State Park and a host of other places that could be July 4 weekend vacation spots.

Gov. Chris Christie submitted a letter to his Cabinet members late Thursday warning about this contingency, saying "it is expected that some departments will have few or no essential employees during a short-term shutdown of state functions."

Christie, a Republican, also shifted blame toward Democratic Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, saying "if Speaker Prieto wants to close the government, this is going to be his decision."

"I don’t want to see Speaker Prieto keeping people out of Liberty State Park this weekend for Fourth of July weekend," he said during a Thursday press conference. "I don’t want to see Speaker Prieto stopping people from going to Island Beach State Park this weekend, during Fourth of July weekend, but this is purely up to him now."

Read more: 7 Painful Things That Could Happen If N.J. Government Shuts Down

Island Beach State Park, which is located south of Seaside Heights, Seaside Park and South Seaside Park, comprises 3,000 of natural area that is about 3 miles longer than Gateway National Recreation Area at Sandy Hook.

Besides swimming, kayaking and fishing, the park is also known for bird watching with osprey nests and bird blinds visible to visitors. Some four-wheel drive vehicles are permitted onto the beach with a permit. Tens of thousands of visitors come each year.

The Christie administration is locked in a stalemate over school funding and the governor's desire to use state lottery revenue for the pension system as well as extract $300 million from the reserve fund from the state's largest health insurance company, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, to pay for drug addiction treatment.

Prieto has refused to put the Horizon component of the Christie administration's plan up for a vote. Then, at about 4 p.m. on Thursday, Prieto put the whole budget bill up for a vote. The budget failed, needing 41 votes for passage. The final tally was 24-21 in favor, with 35 members of the Assembly not voting.

Prieto and others continue to insist that the Horizon component of the budget won't come up for a vote. “The Horizon bill is an unfair Christie tax on the insurer’s 3.8 million policyholders," Prieto said in a statement. "I will not negotiate on that bill as part of the budget process.”

Patch file photo