Jay Webber Wants NJ To Reopen Parks After Coronavirus Closure

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A state assemblyman who represents North Caldwell, West Caldwell and Verona is pushing for New Jersey to reopen its parks and forests, which were closed due to the coronavirus outbreak earlier this month.

On Tuesday, Assemblyman Jay Webber of District 26 announced that an online petition he posted on April 7 titled “Reopen New Jersey’s State Parks” has gained more than 10,000 signatures.

Webber – a Republican who represents parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties – is among a growing chorus of GOP legislators who are calling for Gov. Phil Murphy to rescind his controversial decision to close county and state parks in New Jersey during the COVID-19 pandemic.

• See related article: Republican Lawmakers Say Murphy Should Re-Open State, County Parks

Murphy has defended the decision, saying that many people were gathering in parks across the state and weren't observing social distancing guidelines.

"The evidence from state park police and other observations up and down the state was unequivocally an enormous amount of gathering, in close proximity, of individuals at state parks and county parks," Murphy said.

Murphy added that forcing police or local authorities to go in and break up gatherings puts officers in harm's way.

• See related article: Closing NJ Parks Amid Coronavirus Wasn't A Whim, Gov. Murphy Says

During an Assembly telephonic session Monday, Webber suggested at that state parks could reopen with reasonable limits that include abiding by social distancing protocols, keeping facilities like bathrooms and picnic shelters closed, banning non-New Jerseyans until the crisis is over or asking people to wear masks.

“We’re not asking for the parks and the forests in the state to be open without restrictions,” Webber said. “What we’re asking for is to help craft a common-sense policy on our parks and forests.”

“We have nine million residents in the most densely populated state in the [nation], and it simply can’t be that the safest number of residents who can use those parks, over a half million acres, is zero,” Webber insisted. “There has to be a number between zero and nine million that makes sense for the people of New Jersey.”

At the Assembly session, Webber moved to force a vote on his resolution (AR151), which he’s sponsored with 14 members of the Assembly, asking the governor to reopen all state parks and forests and county parks, but it was tabled by a 52-27 vote.

Webber represents the following towns in Essex, Morris and Passaic counties: Butler, Fairfield, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Lincoln Park, Montville, Morris Plains, North Caldwell, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Rockaway Township, Verona, West Caldwell, West Milford.

• See related article: Gov. Phil Murphy Closes Parks In New Jersey

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