How/Why Did The Old Wanaque WMA Merge Into the Close By Ironworks State Park??

[Fred Flintstone]

            Just curious why NJ Some years back would change the name of the old Wanaque WMA in Passaic County to Ironworks State Park which is close by and merge that 2,200 Acres into that Park.    For someone like me to see that happen some years back, I immediately thought-- well NJ is not going to invest any more money into this Particular area, so we might as well merge this ( Wildlife Management Area ) into Ironworks State Park and call it as such.      There used to be some Wild Turkeys there and alot more Squirrels. I hike there and never see any Deer.  Just Black Bears. Plenty of Black Bears.   I am sure the Fishing is good at the Green Turtle Pond- but the Hunting - not so much. The Hunting in this area was MUCH better when it was a WMA. Just my observation. Any thoughts to share?

[Bucksnbows]

I don't know the particulars on that parcel, but it is very common these days when the state preserves land using Green Acres funds to have State Parks and Forestry and the Division of Fish & Wildlife fight it out to see who has to take on new lands that neither agency can afford to upkeep.  Sometimes that means a given parcel or parcels being preserved start in one agency and are later moved to the other.  That's likely what happened here where the historical aspect of the old iron forge was more important than the empty land that could be hunted and State Parks would be the better agency to oversee that.  

All of the above is an educated guess based on decades of past experiences with land preservation.     

[Fred Flintstone]

3 hours ago, Bucksnbows said:

I don't know the particulars on that parcel, but it is very common these days when the state preserves land using Green Acres funds to have State Parks and Forestry and the Division of Fish & Wildlife fight it out to see who has to take on new lands that neither agency can afford to upkeep.  Sometimes that means a given parcel or parcels being preserved start in one agency and are later moved to the other.  That's likely what happened here where the historical aspect of the old iron forge was more important than the empty land that could be hunted and State Parks would be the better agency to oversee that.  

All of the above is an educated guess based on decades of past experiences with land preservation.     

Thanks.    Unfortunately the Woods Roads past the Green Turtle Pond have bevome- ATV German Expressway.  I am seriously thinking of bringing  Wasp Stopper with a 20 Foot Spray next time, I Hike back there as again that area is Thick with Black Bears!