Defying Christie's State Park Shutdown: Trespassers On The Beach

There’s nothing that says “independence” like having your government kick you out of a public park during the July 4th holiday.

It’s been more than a month since the now-infamous New Jersey government shutdown of 2017, when a budget standoff with legislators inspired Governor Chris Christie to close every state-run beach and park just before the Independence Day weekend.

If you use social media, you've probably seen your share of angry comments about the debacle. But if you look with the right kind of eyes - sandwiched between political arguments and insults about Christie’s weight - you can catch a glimpse of civil disobedience in the Garden State... a beach blanket rebellion.

It took place at venues like Island Beach State Park, where small clusters of people gathered on the afternoon of July 3 while the area was still off-limits due to the shutdown.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, “Samantha,” a New Jersey resident who chose to defy the government shutdown and head out to the park, told a Patch reporter that she was among dozens of people who were able to just walk onto the beach because police weren’t watching… or didn’t care.

Others were able to get onto the beach with boats or kayaks. It wasn't difficult, she said.

“I wasn't far into the park, just walked down the beach, but it was better than not being able to go in at all,” Samantha told Patch.

Island Beach State Park wasn’t the only place to allegedly get visits from trespassers during the shutdown. Other people reported setting foot in Ramapo State Forest, Barnegat Lighthouse State Park and Wharton State Forest, all while it was technically illegal.

But how infuriating does a situation have to be to get dozens of New Jersey residents out of their homes and onto government-owned property in risk of a $1,000 fine?

Pretty @$#%&*$ infuriating, as it turns out.

• See related article: Gov. Christie's Beachgate Fiasco: How It All Went Down

SHUTTING DOWN THE GOVERNMENT

Rumors of a government shutdown in New Jersey began swirling about a week before the July 4th holiday, when Christie and Democrat lawmakers got into a chest-bumping match about next year’s fiscal budget.

Things just got worse from there.

• See related article: 7 Painful Things That Could Happen If N.J. Government Shuts Down
• See related article: NJ's Biggest Beach Closes July 4 Weekend If Government Shuts Down

On the evening of Friday, June 30 - unable to reach an agreement with lawmakers about the budget - Christie issued a ham-fisted executive order declaring a government shutdown in New Jersey.

• See related article: N.J. Government Shutdown Continues As Christie Faces Backlash

As a result of the shutdown, some of the most popular outdoor destinations in New Jersey were closed just before the Independence Day rush. The decision inspired an immediate backlash from thousands of hikers, nature lovers and angry families who had just finished packing their snorkels and suntan lotion for a weekend at the shore.

Some were kicked out of the parks, like a Tinton Falls Cub Scout pack on a campout that was ordered to pack up and leave Cheesequake State Park.

• See related article: Tinton Falls Cub Scouts Kicked Out Of State Park Due to NJ Govt. Shutdown

Others were kicked out of their homes. On June 30, six families were allegedly threatened with arrest if they didn’t leave their properties on Island Beach State Park for the duration of the shutdown.

The masses' frustration was palpable. But many people were quick to point out that the shutdown and park closures weren't police and rangers’ fault.

"Don't blame the forest department," a Facebook commenter wrote. "Blame the people who are making them shut down. Get angry at the people who make the decision, not the messengers."

If the following Facebook post on July 1 from a staff member at Wharton State Forest is any indication, not all of those tasked with keeping people out of the parks were happy about their assignments, either.

“I’m about to start a very early day that may be among the most difficult on my career. Please keep in mind park staff in all our parks have chosen a career in public service and genuinely enjoy serving the public and working in the parks environment. I’ve witnessed lifeguards save lives. State park police perform tasks from saving lives and rescuing lost hikers to tending to dehydrated pets lost on the trails. The Wharton maintenance staff has been performing amazingly while being severely understaffed for a long time. Many have had to abandon their own weekend plans to come to work today to perform unpleasant duties and difficult work. Many of our coworkers are not working and will lose income. The loss of revenue this weekend will impact future operations. Our own families and friends have their own weekend affected by the closure. Please keep in mind if you interact with us today we are doing our best to minimize the inconvenience to our visitors as best we can and we are genuinely saddened that families will be inconvenienced on this holiday weekend.”

As the shutdown dragged on, the internet exploded with the sort of fury normally reserved for Super Bowl losses and bad season finales on television.

On social media, the outrage cast a wide but unfocused net, like the spread from a shotgun blast. People complained of non-refundable hotel rooms, disillusioned children cheated of holiday memories and a general malfeasance among their elected officials... red, blue and all colors in between.

The Kafkaesque absurdity of the situation didn’t escape them.

“Only in America can state parks be closed on the weekend of our nation's birth,” an internet pundit quipped.

Some suggested striking back with legal shenanigans, such as the “Charge NJ Governor Chris Christie and his family with Trespassing Now!” petition on Change.org.

Others advocated for more direct action.

“We should find out where each of these politicians are spending the holiday weekend and sit outside with air horns to help them enjoy the festivities,” an angry Independence Day reveler suggested (an idea which inspired more than 500 Facebook likes).

But there was one suggestion that quickly became a rallying cry repeated by dozens of malcontent hikers and beachgoers across the state: “Just go to the parks anyway!”

TRESPASSERS ON THE BEACH

The official government line? There were no trespassers on state-run beaches and in the parks during the shutdown.

“There were no arrests by the New Jersey State Park Police during the government closure,” a spokesperson with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection told Patch.

Speaking after the shutdown ended, the spokesman told Patch that state park police officers issued 26 summonses at New Jersey’s 41 state-run parks over three days, but none related to trespassing.

“About half of [the 26 summonses] were due to illegal parking and blocking traffic at Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park,” he said.

But if you believe what you see on the web, just because police were sans arrests doesn’t mean that the parks were empty.

For each person who posted photo evidence of their alleged park visit, there were a dozen more who flexed internet muscles about their trespassing plans.

“I think an ‘Occupy State Park situation’ is a necessary solution,” a commenter wrote. “I don't think the Occupy Wall Street things were that successful, but in this situation it would work.”

Other comments included:

• “I've been riding my quad through Wharton all weekend, doesn't look closed to me.”
• “Very sad that they did this… Everybody should just go on the beach… It's our beach.”
• “I had a lot of fun at Ramapo Mountain today. I was hoping this bull**** would keep the crowds away, and it seemed to have worked.”
• “People just go to the parks and do your thing. Won't be enough enforcement to kick everyone out.”
• “Go about your business people. Enjoy the parks you pay for (responsibility). Let them try and stop you.”
• “Those park police are spread so thin, they can't cover every park, trust me I know. As far as keeping people out that's another joke, you can't for instance stop anyone from walking into Barnegat Lighthouse State Park, you can only prevent the cars.”
• “I'm still riding the trails.”
• “We don’t need the people in charge to enjoy OUR parks. They are not closed and if I want to go sit on public land that is managed by my tax dollars I will be going.”
• “Go wherever you want, people. Really, who do these people think they are, telling you not to go to the forest, or to a park?”
• “Sounds like free camping to me. I don't understand these people that think that you can't use a park or a beach unless the government says it's ok. Just be safe, carry out all your trash, and extinguish your fires. You know, like Americans used to before the guvment started doing everything for them!”
• “To hell with the New Jersey state bureaucracy. Use your parks New Jersey!”
• “If I can get away with hiking in a park or forest, I will do it.”
• “Take the park over. Don't let them shut you out.”
• “It's time to remove OUR parks from government control and return them to the people, which are the true owners. It is state land and the state belongs to the people, the tax payers.”
• “Fourth of July freedom sparks, bring out your cordless grinders and cut the chains to our parks!”
• “Ya know... Cause ya totally need the government in order to go camping or for a stroll in the woods.”
• “This land is our land and the govt shutdown should not mean you ticket we the people that PAY for the land AND your pay itself. Any ranger or police that kicks a taxpayer out of public land or tickets them is a disgrace to the flag and should be ashamed.”
• “If it wasn't a holiday weekend that people want to spend with their family instead of protesting, I would suggest everyone, particularly those thrown out of the state parks with their family while camping, storm this beach like the invasion of Normandy and ruin [Christie's] holiday vacation.”

Send feedback and news tips to eric.kiefer@patch.com

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Main Image 2: Wikimedia Commons