Open Space committee backs letters to DEP seeking relief on hay-harvest timing and deer-permit hours

The Franklin Township Open Space Advisory Committee voted May 19 to send two letters to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection asking for changes to state lease and permit rules that local farmers say are harming agricultural operations.

Staff member said the Ag Advisory Committee has reviewed a lease clause that prevents hay harvest before July 15 and drafted a letter asking DEP to remove that restriction when leases are renewed. "This restriction creates an incredible economic hardship for the farmer," Staff member said, adding that hay left unharvested after July 15 loses value and becomes mulch.

Committee members debated the risk to nesting birds and options for minimizing harm. One Committee member urged a field survey by an experienced observer before any change: "It requires somebody going and looking," the Committee member said, noting that some grassland-nesting species may be concentrated in small areas and could be affected by early mowing. Staff member and other members pointed to alternative grassland sites and cited past arrangements in neighboring Somerset County where lease language had been removed.

The committee moved and approved sending two letters — one from the Ag Advisory Committee and a second from the Open Space Advisory Committee — to the DEP requesting removal of the July 15 harvest restriction. The motion carried on a voice vote with at least one abstention; staff will finalize the draft and collect the required signatures.

On a related request, the committee also agreed to ask the DEP to reinstate the 24/7 allowance for farmer deer-depredation permits. Staff member described changes last year that removed night-time allowances and said local farmers report the restriction has curtailed on-field deer control: "The state's change curtailed our program because the deer aren't being shot on the fields," a resident who farms in town said, explaining that much of depredation work is done at night with scopes and lights to protect crop yields.

Committee members who support the requests said farmers need the flexibility to protect crops while others urged careful consideration of forest regeneration and wildlife. The committee did not set a deadline for the DEP request but instructed staff to finish drafting the letters and circulate them for signatures.

Next steps: staff will finalize both letters and secure committee signatures before transmitting them to the DEP.