BMSquared

Congrats to the two older guys of Team Bam Bam for breaking the 300 mark at Spruce Ridge today.

My wife is from Cape Cod. She pumped her own gas her whole life. Now when we go back to visit her family, she will sit and honk the horn hoping someone will get their butt out there and fill the tank. She's converted to that much at least. EDIT: Can I still place an order for a few Geocoins? That design looks awesome. Great design job.

Hey... before you go offending people, put on your appropriate smiley string. Just so there's no hard fealings, it should have looked like this. OK? God I love those expressive frog pics.

I occasionally do consulting for major government clients. Some of it is classified, but in the name of safety I have smuggled this out. <scramble classified information> Bears are attracted to garbage and food sources. </scramble classified information>

It is some public campaign. I only received this because work requires that I get updates from NJDEP periodically.

I guess TRL shouldn't bait their caches to raise the difficulty anymore.

JMBella, My post wasn't meant to be offensive. Any offense is the result of a misinterpretation of a joking post. If you realized that and the string of smilies is meant to acknowledge the joke, then I might have "misunderestimated" your reply. (Just keeping with the great George W. Material. ) As a followup, my magellan can show me at the 25 mile range without walking more than 100 feet. (God I love that 3 meter accuracy)

OK, I haven't really gotten on board with this whole hunt yet, I just want clarification on the rules. If the flag is located in a TCXXX cache, the owner must be shot? If the flag is located in Jersey than only cachers with a Garmin can move the flag 10 miles on Monday Wednesday and Friday and 25 miles if the rivers are not flooding and tresspassing is only implied before 5:30 PM so Avroair can keep up with the details from the train? Good natured ribbing is aloud but baffonery is out of the question on Staten Island? BrianSnat is NOT Hartclimbs? Team Bam Bam is no longer on the forums? Or doesn't have an opinion? JMBella is a switch hitter?

I was going to go after it this weekend, but I ended up with a business appointment on Saturday afternoon.

I demand a recount! I think he's been logging his own event caches. Well, congratulations for whenever you REALLY hit it.

I don't really know. I am not all that familiar with the area down that way. I am up in FAR northern bergen county. I am only vaguly aware of where this area is.

DEP PRESERVES 170-ACRE DELAWARE RIVER BLUFFS PROPERTY Property will Expand Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park TRENTON (05/29)-Emphasizing the importance of preserving the Delaware River Bluffs, Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell today announced that the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) purchased a 170-acre parcel of land in Kingwood Township, Hunterdon County. The DEP Green Acres Program purchased the property from Trap Rock, Inc. for $1,100,000. "The Delaware River Bluffs area has so much to offer New Jersey residents," said Acting Governor Richard J. Codey. "Preserving this area means that children will have places to run, scientists will have places to study and wildlife will have places to roam." DEP will manage the property as part of the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park. The acquisition of this property expands the Delaware River Bluffs greenway and provides scenic vistas and opportunities for geologic study. "The acquisition of this property is critical to the assemblage of the Delaware River Bluffs greenway," said Commissioner Campbell. "Their protection through the Green Acres program will help safeguard geologic resources, biodiversity, recreation space and the scenic vistas of the Delaware Valley." The tract encompasses a portion of a Natural Heritage Priority Site, which delineates important areas for the state's biodiversity. The site consists of wooded bluffs, dry woods, steep rocky slopes and a small stream within a deep ravine. The tract supports threatened animals including the Cooper's hawk and barred owl. The newly preserved tract is underlain by a trap rock called diabase, which is limited in distribution in New Jersey and supports diverse plant species. Rare plant species documented at this site include the State endangered tree wafer ash and the spring wildflower wild comfrey. The DEP Green Acres Program purchases land to protect environmentally sensitive open space, water resources and other significant natural and historical open space. Land acquired becomes part of the statewide system of parks and forests, wildlife management areas and natural areas. In 2005, the Green Acres Program has preserved 1,344 acres of open space. To date, Green Acres has protected 558,632 acres of open space and provided funding to develop hundreds of parks statewide. The statewide system of preserved open space and farmland totals almost 1.3 million acres. http://www.nj.gov/dep/greenacres]NJDEP Green Acres Program[/url]

Welcome to the North Country.

Congratulations are in order for Team Bam Bam. They have finally reached #2. That's right. This morning they broke through the #2 barrier. It's A Boy! Congratulations to all FOUR of you. For the record, MRS. Team Bam Bam was caching through Tuesday afternoon and on Wednesday night, she had to cave in and go to the hospital. She was very upset that she had to miss American Idol to have a baby, but he talked her into it. They trekked through the snow and even found the hospital without getting lost. (Good Boy!) At 6:03 Thursday morning they had the baby Tucker Edward Eaton Seise and everyone is doing great. Photos are up Here EDITED LAST NAME INTO POST. Poor kid's gonna have to remember a lot of names. Hope he gets his mothers intelligence instead of the alternative! EDITED Link to photos

This was like a pebble in my shoe so I checked into it. I should know better than to take an Englisher's word on US geography. Liberty Island is a federal property but is located within the territorial jurisdiction of the State of New York. Source. Avro might be confusing Liberty Island with Ellis Island. There was a big legal dispute that was finally resolved by the Supreme Court a couple of years ago. As a result, Ellis Island, which is also a federal property, is within the shared territorial jurisdiction of the States of New York and New Jersey. Source. As I recall the Supreme Court's decision, the original island belonged to New York but when New York expanded the island by landfill, that portion belonged to New Jersey. Thus, the landfill portion belongs to Jersey. Seems fitting. Tommy, I know what the page says, but the USGS actually says BOTH Liberty and Ellis Islands belong to New Jersey. From Topozone Because there is such a debate, we should leave it off limits. I guess the question is what does "territorial jurisdiction of the State of New York" mean? If New York harbor is the territory, then look at the map for the divide. If the Port Authority has jurisdiction and they are headquartered in NYC, then that might make some sense.

We are very sorry to hear about the loss. Our condolences to the entire family.

I used to work at a boy scout camp way up in the adirondacks. We had bears all over the place. A common mistake was people locking food in the cars to protect it. I have seen bears smash windshields. I have also personaly witnessed a bear peel the weather stripping from around the winshields and remove the windshield almost intact. Although I never saw them rip apart a trunk, I don't doubt for a second that they ccould if they wanted to. I also had a campsite raided by bears one night. The bear bit through a large metal soup can can and sucked out the contents through it's fang punctures. I have had face to face encounters and recommend following the advise from NJDEP that Team Rampant Lion posted. Don't try and run. Stand your ground and try to look big and sound scary. On a day hike, you should be fine. Just keep an eye out for cubs. If you see any, get away quick. Where there are cubs, there are protective mothers.

DEP PRESERVES HISTORIC MAPLE GRANGE PROPERTY Site Includes Native American Dwelling (05/18) TRENTON-Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell today announced the preservation of a 134-acre parcel known as Maple Grange in Vernon Township, Sussex County. The Highlands property contains the historic Black Creek archaeological site, which once was inhabited by the Lenni Lenape Native Americans. "Preserving Maple Grange will protect the site from development and enable the State to interpret the history of New Jersey's indigenous Lenni Lenape population," said Commissioner Campbell. "This acquisition also highlights the importance of non-governmental efforts to preserve open space. While the state ultimately purchased the site, the Nanticoke Lenni Lenape, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation New Jersey and the Vernon Civic Association were instrumental in saving this archaeological gem from development." The DEP Green Acres Program purchased Maple Grange from Vernon Township at a cost of $804,000. DEP will manage the property as part of Wawayanda State Park. The property's creek and wetlands complex provide habitat for the State-endangered American bittern and the State-threatened wood turtle. The land, which is adjacent to the Appalachian Trail Corridor, provides scenic views of the Hamburg, Pochuck and Wawayanda Mountains. The purchase of Maple Grange protects archaeological resources. The 40-acre Black Creek site, which is listed on the state and National Registers of Historic Places, is one of the last northern New Jersey areas occupied by the Lenni Lenape. Thousands of artifacts, including chert, stone and pottery, have been recovered from the property and reflect 10,000 years of intermittent human habitation. On December 7, 2004, Acting Governor Richard J. Codey signed legislation that strengthened the state's ability to protect archaeological sites and artifacts from unauthorized excavation and removal. The DEP Green Acres Program purchases land to protect environmentally sensitive open space, water resources and other significant natural and historical open space. Land acquired becomes part of the statewide system of parks and forest, wildlife management areas and natural areas. In 2005, the Green Acres Program has preserved 1,344 acres of open space. To date, Green Acres has protected 558,632 acres of open space and provided funding to develop hundreds of parks statewide. The statewide system of preserved open space and farmland totals almost 1.3 million acres.

Don't leave home with out it! Glad to be of service. Good luck with the hunt!

If you are planning on caching, don't forget to subscribe to the Geocaching website and set up a pocket query for your home turf. Then, use a program like GPXSonar to bring your GPX files with you while caching. That way, you always have the cache sheets with you. At least electronically. By the way, I had to upgrade the case on my Dell Axim X5 from the aluminum case to the TITANIUM case because I landed on it a few times while sliding down wet rocks. Protect your investment!

Congratulations Squealy!

DEP, NJWSA AND LOCAL PARTNERS PRESERVE THREE HIGHLANDS PROPERTIES Acquisitions Will Protect Hunterdon County’s Spruce Run Watershed TRENTON (05/17)—Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell today announced the preservation of three properties located in the Spruce Run Reservoir watershed in the Highlands region. The DEP Green Acres Program purchased these properties, which comprise 132 acres, in partnership with the New Jersey Water Supply Authority (NJWSA), Bethlehem Township, Clinton Township and Lebanon Township. “This preservation initiative enables the State of New Jersey to protect vulnerable open space in the Highlands region using funds from a variety of sources, including from those who live downstream and use its water,” said Acting Governor Richard J. Codey. Spruce Run Reservoir, which is designated a Category One waterbody, augments the resources of the Raritan River. The Raritan River provides drinking water to residents of 48 municipalities in Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset and Union Counties. Fifty-five percent of the Raritan River’s source water area is located in the Highlands region. “This acquisition proves again that critics of the Highlands Protection Act are wrong,” said Commissioner Campbell. “DEP is committed to providing landowners equity and safeguarding water resources under the Act. I call on critics to open a new chapter of cooperation with DEP and the Highlands Council.” The three properties, which are located in Bethlehem Township, Clinton Township and Lebanon Township, contain fields and woodlands that serve as habitat to migratory songbirds and threatened grassland birds. In addition, the preservation of these properties will protect streams that support trout and wetlands that support endangered species including the bog turtle and the spotted salamander. DEP will manage the properties for passive recreation. Commissioner Campbell announced the preservation of the following properties: ? The 54.26-acre Van Leight property, which is located on Mine Road in Bethlehem Township and contains two tributaries of the Mulhockaway Creek. This property was purchased by Bethlehem Township, which contributed $91,206, the DEP Green Acres Program, which provided $305,919 through a Planning Incentive Grant to Bethlehem Township, and NJWSA, which contributed $91,206. The property is part of an extensive greenway within the forested Musconetcong Mountain region, which provides filtration of ground water resources and habitat for migrant songbirds as well as the endangered bobcat. ? The 58-acre Nicholson property was purchased with a $145,000 payment from NJWSA, $133,900 from Lebanon Township and a $301,100 Green Acres Planning Incentive Grant to Lebanon Township. The Nicholson property, which is located in Lebanon Township, contains tributaries of the Spruce Run. ? The 19.5-acre Ciano property, located in Clinton Township, was purchased by NJWSA, which provided $175,000; Clinton Township, which contributed a $175,000 DEP Green Acres Planning Incentive Grant; and DEP, which contributed $350,000. The Ciano property is directly adjacent to the Spruce Run Reservoir and existing preserved state lands. The preservation of this property will protect interior forest species. “Lebanon Township is proud to be working as part of a region to make sound preservation decisions that benefit local residents and downstream New Jersey residents,” said Lebanon Township Open Space and Farmland Preservation Coordinator Eileen Swan. “We can achieve so much more when we work together. We are also grateful to DEP for its continued support in the form of grant monies and staff time.” The purchase of the Ciano, Nicholson and Van Leight properties is part of NJWSA’s Spruce Run Initiative, which dedicates a portion of its Raritan Basin System ratepayer funds to assisting local, county and state governments in the preservation of critical watershed properties in the Spruce Run Reservoir watershed. The Initiative’s objective is to maximize the efficiency of existing watershed preservation programs through a coordinated effort of government, non-profit, and private resources. “Preservation of these critical watershed parcels illustrates the value of partnership among governmental entities in the pursuit of a common goal,” said NJWSA Executive Director Henry Patterson III. “Such projects demonstrate our customers’ continued commitment to preserving the high quality of Raritan Basin water for New Jersey’s residents.” The New Jersey Highlands is a 1,000 square mile area in the Northwest part of the State, stretching from Phillipsburg in the Southwest to Ringwood in the Northeast. It lies within portions of seven counties and 87 municipalities. Sixty-four percent of New Jersey residents, about 5.4 million people, receive their water from the Highlands. Those residents live in 292 municipalities, in 16 counties. “I congratulate the DEP and its Green Acres Program for preserving these critical water supply areas,” said Highlands Council Chairman John Weingart. “The Highlands Council looks forward to continuing to work with the Department as we develop our overall plan for the protection of the region's drinking water supply.” The DEP Green Acres Program purchases land to protect environmentally sensitive open space, water resources and other significant natural and historical open space. Land acquired becomes part of the statewide system of parks and forest, wildlife management areas and natural areas. In 2005, the Green Acres Program has preserved 1,344 acres of open space. To date, Green Acres has protected 558,632 acres of open space and provided funding to develop hundreds of parks statewide. The statewide system of preserved open space and farmland totals almost 1.3 million acres.

OK, I'll start. How about Zebra

Oops. What do you mean oops? Does anyone know a word that begins with the letter Z ? Looking for future crossword solutions.

Yeah, but would the NTSB or noncombat database record the crash of a military aircraft? I am (strangely) a little more inclined to believe the Weird NJ story on this one. At least there are a few dates and a name. Not to knock Tiff's Slaves, but it really seems more plausible than speculating on events and motives the pilot was thinking at crash time. I have not been up there yet personally, but I plan on doing it soon. It sounds really interesting. EDITED FOR TYPOS