You are viewing an archived copy from the New Jersey State Library NEW JERSEY'S BARRIER ISLANDS: AN EVER-CHANGING PUBLIC RESOURCE Il \\\\\\ \ I .-- . IHE S'''''TEuNMI?SJTYOF N[WJfR'S£¥ RUTGERS Center for Coastal and Environmental Studies You are viewing an archived copy from the New Jersey State Library Credits and Acknow~edgements This report has been prepared by the Center for Coastal and Environmental Studies at Rutgers - the State University of New Jersey. The text was edited by Penny M. Brown and Hilary Lambert Renwick. The cartography lab at the Center for Coastal and Environmental Studies was helpful in reproducing photographs and drawings. Patricia Eager, as always, graciously typed and retyped the text until it reached her standards of perfection. The document was prepared under contract with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Coastal Resources. The report was prepared with financial assistance of the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Coastal Zone Management, under the provisions of the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act, P.L. 92-582, as amended. Additional support was provided by the Center for Coastal and Environmental Studies, Rutgers - the State University of New Jersey. We are pleased to have been given this opportunity to share the results of the 1980 public conference on New Jersey's barrier islands with New Jersey residents and friends who were and were not able to attend. We feel that our islands can be enjoyed more by understanding them better; this book is written in the hope that it will enhance the coastal experience of all who read it. The editors are particularly grateful to Leland G. Merrill, Jr. who was the real creative force behind both the conference and this publication. We are also indebted to Richard Waldron, Associate Director of the New Jersey Historical Commission, who offered welcome advice on sources of information and approaches to subject matter during each step of this project. Many thanks to him and to John Weingart, Acting Director of the Division of Coastal Resources at DEP, and to members of his staff for their thorough review of the preliminary manuscript. Langdon Warner has been of great help, with editorial assistance and a clear sense of the passage of time. The speakers at the 1980 conference have been patiently waiting for publication of the proceedings, and have generously given time to review revisions of their original work. Thanks are in order to F. Ross Holland, Jr., R. Craig Koedel, Norbert P. Psuty, and Bayard Webster. The Cover and Other Photographs and Illustrations The photographs found throughout and on the front cover are the work of Rick Mitchell, Assistant Professor of Photography at Rutgers University. His sensitivity to the subject matter and his generosity in sharing his special talent have added greatly to our enjoyment in putting together this booklet. Unless otherwise indicated, illustrations arp from 19th century volumes of Harper's New Monthly Magazine. The 1980 Conference on New Jersey's Barrier Islands The idea for this booklet originated at a conference on New Jersey's barrier islands held on October 4, 1980, in North Wildwood, New Jersey. The conference, entitled "New Jersey's Barrier Islands: An Ever-changing Public Resource," was funded by the New Jersey Committee for the Humanities and jointly sponsored by the New Jersey Historical Commission and the Center for Coastal and Environmental Studies, Rutgers - the State University. Other co-sponsors of the conference include: American Littoral Soc.iety Monmouth County Historical Association Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions Monmouth Museum and Cultural Center Atlantic Community College New Jersey Builders Association Atlantic County Office of Cultural Affairs New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium Atlantic County Historical Society New Jersey Office of Historic Preservation, N.J. D.E.P. Cape May County Historical and Genealogical Society New Jersey Society for Environmental, Economic Development Cape May County Library Ocean County Cultural and Heritage Commission Division of Coastal Resources, N.J. D.E.P. Ocean County Historical Society Monmouth County Heritage Committee Stockton State College Dr. Norbert P. Psuty, Director Center for Coastal and Environmental Studies 80 5681 SNJ-DEP Barrier Islands Publication (Brown) Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903 You are viewing an archived copy from the New Jersey State Library New Jersey's barrier islands, those thin strands of sand which separate the mainland from the open sea, mean many things to different people: --the gently sloping beaches of the Wildwoods, dotted with the bright colors of sun umbrellas and beach towels; --the glitter of casinos in Atlantic City and community unrest there, as the old makes way for the new; --the excellent fishing and clamming in the bays that the islands create; --incomparable bird watching during spring and fall migrations; --the numerous small communities, like Avalon, Beach Haven and others, which have become home for so many; --the early morning of Island Beach with the peculiar quiet of roaring wind and crashing breakers. New Jersey's barrier islands are a refuge from the problems and rush of daily life. Yet we may be killing these islands with love. Barrier islands are inherently unstable: they move and change shape in response to storms, tides, winds, and human efforts to create stability. Furthermore, barrier islands are interconnected by littoral (alongshore) water cu rrents, wind and other featu res to form a unified chain. This connection is easi Iy disrupted: human activity on one island can adversely affect other islands up and down the coast. Throughout the history of civilization, people have been tempted to force nature to accommodate the needs of society. With patient repetition, natu ral events--both gradual and catastrophic--have demonstrated Sir Francis Bacon's dictum that " nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed". Some of the best examples of the futility of trying to bend the natural system to our desires can be seen in the history of coastal areas. The problems of New Jersey's coastal zone, described in the following chapters, have developed partly because of a lack of understanding of the physical processes at work on the shore, and partly because of an overly optimistic reliance on technological capabilities for problem solving. i You are viewing an archived copy from the New Jersey State Library There is a mass of conflicting demands on our islands. Over the past decade Americans have rushed to the shore in unprecedented numbers. Each person, on an average, spends ten days a year in some form of coastal recreation, and in New Jersey that means heavy use of barrier islands. The barrier islands are being rapidly developed for single fami Iy housing, apartments, and condominiums and for commercial ventures that respond to the growing need for tourist facilities. Add to that the activities which must be located at the shore, such as fishing and shipping, and it is apparent that New Jerseyans face some difficult decisions about coastal land use. To make these decisions it is essential for the public to understand the boundaries of the problems, to examine many possible solutions, and to work to ensure that the use of the ba rrier islands complements the natural system and enhances the quality of Iife on the shore for all New Jerseyans. If we are to use our islands for recreation, and if we are to build our homes on them, we must accept the inevitability of their changing nature and plan our activities with understanding and flexibi lity. On October 4,1980 a conference, "New Jersey's Barrier Islands: An Ever Changing Publ ic Resource," was held in North Wi Idwood, New Jersey. The conference was funded by the New Jersey Committee for the Humanities, and primary co-sponsors were the Center for Coastal and Envi ronmental Studies (CCES) at Rutgers University, and the New Jersey Historical Commission. An audience of over 250 people listened to four speakers and participated in workshops that addressed the specific issues facing the barrier islands of Atlantic, Cape May, Monmouth and Ocean counties. Subsequently, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection's Division of Coastal Resources has provided funding to enable the CCES staff to put together the speakers' papers and workshop discussions in this proceedings volume. Chapter I provides a description of the natural forces that shape the islands, presenting evidence that New Jersey's islands are extremely dynamic. Author Norbert P. Psuty is a well-known national and international expert in coastal geomorphology, and is Director of CCES. Chapter II gives an overview of the uses to which the barrier islands of the New World have been put, according to F. Ross Holland, Jr., Assistant Director for Cultural Resources for the National Parks Service, and well-known author on maritime ii You are viewing an archived copy from the New Jersey State Library history and American lighthouses. Chapter III is a survey of the major trends in the historical use and development of New Jersey's islands, as compiled by R. Craig Koedel, professor of history and religion at Atlantic Community College and author of several books and articles on New Jersey history, including South Jersey Heritage: A Social, Economic and Cultural History. Chapter IV takes a look at the main issues facing the barrier islands today, a complex tangle of state and federal law, individual rights, and natural processes. This view of today and tomorrow is written by Bayard Webster, a science writer for the New York Times whose major interests have included humanity's interaction with the environment and resulting problems with pollution, wi Idlife, and resources conservation. Finally, Chapter V has been put together from the county workshop discussions by editors Penny Brown and Hilary Lambert Renwick.