Date: Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:30:22
Subject: Press Release - OROHO, McHOSE, AND CHIUSANO: "THE PUBLIC IS BEING HEARD!" DEP Commissioner agrees to review state park closures

News from
Senator Steve Oroho
Assemblywoman Alison McHose
Assemblyman Gary Chiusano
Visit: www.senatenj.com/
www.njassemblyrepublicans.com
For Immediate Release Jeff Spatola or Louis Crescitelli
April 18, 2008 973-300-0200

OROHO, McHOSE, AND CHIUSANO: "THE PUBLIC IS BEING HEARD!"
- DEP Commissioner agrees to review state park closures -
Testifying at an Assembly Budget Committee hearing on Thursday, Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Lisa Jackson agreed to "study" ways to keep state parks open.
Jackson made her comments after an intensive effort aimed at mobilizing grassroots support for the parks, led by Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose, Senator Steve Oroho, Assemblyman Gary Chiusano, and other legislators.
Assemblyman Gary Chiusano had called Corzine's threat to shut the parks "a strong arm tactic" that he said was "reprehensible, childish and a betrayal of the public's trust."

Chiusano said he was grateful for the public pressure that helped push the administration back from taking this step.
At the hearing, Secretary Jackson was questioned by legislators who advocate for state parks – including McHose – who strongly criticized the Corzine administration's plans to close the parks.
McHose ended her questioning of Jackson stating that she, along with Oroho and Chiusano, are proposing to restructure the department, giving some of its functions over to the Agriculture Department (renaming it the Agriculture & Conservation Department) and merging its other functions with Commerce (to be called the Economic Growth & Environmental Protection Department).
Jackson sought to placate legislators at the hearing, telling them, "We may not have to take as drastic a set of actions."
She said the DEP was talking to park supporters and local governments to find solutions. "We'll look at a range of options," Jackson said.
"I'm happy to hear that we're moving in the right direction," said McHose, who called the park closures "an unfair move that punishes all residents of New Jersey."
"I've carefully gone through this budget. Let me assure you that there are millions in cuts we can make to eliminate waste and inefficiency," said Senator Steve Oroho. "Let's start there before we talk about closing fishing holes and stopping people from swimming in our lakes and using our campgrounds. If we shut our parks down, the damage we would do to tourism in this state would be irreparable."
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This Press Release was posted on 4/18/08