Community Corner

F-Cove to Reopen to Boaters Memorial Day Weekend

Popular Brick anchorage was shut down in 2012 by U.S. Fish & Wildlife; Wild partying will no longer be allowed

One of the most popular hangouts on Barnegat Bay will reopen to boaters this weekend.

F-Cove, located just north of the Mantoloking Bridge in Brick, will reopen to boaters after being shut down for more than a year. The cove is a wildly popular gathering place where boaters often anchor up to spend time on the water.

The area, made up of two undeveloped man-made lagoons off Barnegat Bay in the shape of the letter 'F,' became the subject of a dispute between local, state and federal authorities that resulted in the federal Fish and Wildlife service prohibiting boaters from accessing the site. Virginia Rettig, manager of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, said last year the cove belonged to Forsythe and recreational boating was not a permitted use in a wildlife refuge.

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Sources have told Brick Patch that after the federal government's decision was rendered, state officials were able to make a case that the waters within the coves remained state property and should not be subject to federal access restrictions. That argument eventually led to refuge officials agreeing to allow access on a trial basis.

T-Cove, another popular achorage south of the Mantoloking Bridge, will also be reopened to boaters.

Find out what's happening in Brickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

No More Raucus Parties Allowed

Though local residents and elected officials rallied support for reopening F-Cove, others voiced concerns over raucus on-water parties that included loud music, excessive drinking, littering and, at one point, even a barge with a club DJ blaring dance music.

F-Cove's reputation as a place to party was further solidified after an episode of MTV's "Jersey Shore" was shot there, with cast members spending a day dancing to loud music and drinking.

"While we are providing for outdoor recreation, it is of paramount importance to protect natural resources and visitors," said Rettig, in a prepared statement. "By reopening the coves, the service and NJDEP are giving boaters the opportunity to enjoy the coves if the public is willing to comply with new necessary regulations."

In both coves, loud music and littering will not be allowed, and boaters will be required to keep the channel clear for boat passage. At F-Cove, the land surrounding the cove will remain closed to all public entry. At T-Cove, the public may access the land only at certain locations marked by signs. No anchoring on land or tying up to trees or signs will be permitted, officials said.

There will be increased patrols by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement, the New Jersey State Police and Brick Township Police, Rettig said in the statement.

"We want people to have fun, but we also insist that they follow important rules that protect themselves and the environmental integrity of the area," said Bob Martin, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Refuge officials as well as Brick Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis both termed the access restoration a "pilot program" that could end if boaters do not obey the rules.

Officials will have meetings every few weeks after Memorial Day, Acropolis said, to check on the progress of the pilot.

"A lot of the stuff that went on on land can't go on anymore," he said. "If you don't have a bathroom on your boat, go around to Traders Cove [Marina]. We want people to enjoy the water, but we want them to do it responsibly."

Workers from the township-owned marina adjacent to the cove will check it every Monday morning to see if trash has been left there, Acropolis said.

Community Effort to Restore Access

Acropolis credited township council member Joseph Sangiovanni for keeping tabs on the progress of the site's potential reopening. He had been a "big proponent" of restoring access, the mayor said.

But local residents also had an enormous impact.

Brick resident Dan Friendly said he and others had prepared potential litigation over the site's closure, but found support from the state to work with Rettig and others at Fish and Wildlife to come up with a solution.

"Stuff like this doesn't get reversed in this day and age," said Friendly. "You lose more and more. So seeing something like this is incredible."

Craig Thorner, a Brick resident who partnered with Friendly, thanked Acropolis and township councilman John Ducey for their support of the cove's reopening, as well as Melissa Danko of the Marine Trades Association of New Jersey.

But Thorner, too, warned that the future of the coves are dependant on boaters practicing good behavior there.

"The reopening of the coves is to be considered as a trial period which must be respected or we risk losing access again, perhaps permanently," he said.

"If people there don't respect the land and the water, then it's going to be an issue," said Acropolis. "Ninety-nine percent of the boaters respect the environment. We've got to get that other 1 percent to come on board with us."

Supporters of F-Cove have started a website that will feature updates on the area. Information on the Forsythe refuge can be found on the federal Fish and Wildlife website.


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