DEP Officials Restrict Public Access to Famed Apple Pie Hill Fire Tower

Apple Pie Hill’s famed wildfire observatory tower, which has a flight of stairs that is usually open twenty-four hours of the day to the public, was surrounded by eighteen steel fence posts holding up yellow police tape during the weekend. Photo Courtesy: Joe Morrison

By: Douglas D. Melegari

Tabernacle Township, New Jersey-



One of the most popular tourist attractions in the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey was blocked off to the public just before the start of the Labor Day weekend and the unannounced access restriction has left several local residents and tourists profoundly disappointed and upset.



Apple Pie Hill’s famed wildfire observatory tower, which has a flight of stairs that is usually open twenty-four hours of the day to the public, was surrounded by eighteen steel fence posts holding up yellow police tape during the weekend. The tower is located in a secluded section of Tabernacle Township in Burlington County.



Since there is not much of a view from the hill itself, the makeshift barrier prevented sightseers from accessing one of New Jersey’s most unique panoramas from atop the 60-foot observatory tower which sits on the 209-foot-tall hill.



“It is one of the few places you can get up above the trees,” said Lawrence Hajna, a public information officer for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.



The observatory tower lies along the Batona Trail in the Wharton State Forest. On a daily basis, hikers trek more than eight miles to the tallest point in the Pine Barrens just to be able to have the privilege of climbing the famed observatory tower. The tower is approximately 80 years old and was moved to Apple Pie Hill in 1950.



On a clear weather day, the Atlantic City and Philadelphia skyline, which is approximately 35 miles away from Tabernacle, is visible from atop the tower. On an exceptionally clear day, sightseers have reported observing the New York City skyline with binoculars from the tower’s top flight of stairs. If the weather conditions are poor, sightseers can still enjoy an unimpeded view of the forest and wetlands that make up the Pine Barrens from atop the tower.



Department of Environmental Protection officials told the Pine Barrens Tribune on Tuesday that escalating vandalism, theft, and other unsavory activity prompted the sudden action to restrict access. Officials also confirmed that the yellow police tape was installed at the base of the tower just prior to the start of the Labor Day weekend and that the permanent fencing is expected to be completed by the end of the week.



“There has been an uptick in the frequency and extent of vandalism to, and at, the tower in recent years, including the theft of fire protection equipment, destruction of property, various unsavory, activities and more,” said Caryn Shinske who is also a public information officer for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. “As a result of these activities, a permanent fence is being installed to limit access to the tower when staff is not present.”



When New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection officials were pressed for answers as to why the access restriction occurred suddenly and without notice to the general public, Shinske said that the escalating acts of vandalism warranted state officials to act quickly to protect public safety and their assets.



“We understand that visiting the tower and climbing it in order to get a unique view of the Pinelands is a tradition for many, but the escalating vandalism warranted us putting public safety and protection of our assets first,” Shinske said.



Hajna added that advanced notice to the general public is not required and that the function of the fire tower is to serve as an observatory.



“I am not sure how you provide advance notice,” Hajna said. “It is not something you put out a news release on. It is an operational change. It wasn’t intentional to inconvenience the public. It is not something we like to do.”



Both public information officers declined to comment on specific operational matters as it relates to patrol efforts and initiatives at or around Apple Pie Hill, including whether officials have considered the use of cameras. Officials also declined to comment on any specific incidents that may have been entered into the New Jersey State Park Police database. Officials insisted that no one particular incident was the deciding factor in restricting access, but rather the overall escalation and increased frequency of incidents.



However, Shinske pointed out the existence of online video clips that are posted to the YouTube website, which were taken from atop the fire tower at Apple Pie Hill and marked as such. The video clips show the end result of television sets and refrigerators that appear to have been thrown from the tower. Pieces of the appliances litter the nearby ground and are smashed into several pieces. Extensive graffiti, written on the fire tower, is also visible.



While the YouTube videos found in the Pine Barrens Tribune’s internet search appear to be somewhat dated, Pine Barrens resident Rosemarie Mason partook in a cleanup at the tower site last week and says that the site was recently littered with trash.



“I did several clean ups there, including last week,” Mason said. “Vandals keep trashing the place by leaving broken glass and pieces of televisions that they throw from the tower. Guard rails have been repainted twice this summer and beer cans are all over the place. It is a shame that people have no respect.”



Those who have frequented the highly sought landmark have taken to local social media groups to express their displeasure with the entire situation and have been vocal about their concern that they will no longer be able to take in the view from atop the tower.



One social media post in particular generated seventy-four comments as of Tuesday Night. Some individuals have even posted pictures that were taken over the years from the top flight of the tower’s stairs during sunrise and sunset. The photos were posted in remembrance of the time when the tower was accessible to the public without supervision.



“(It is a) real shame that our kids won't get to be able to see the view from up top anymore,” said Joe Morrison, a frequenter of Apple Pie Hill, who feared that tower access would be forbidden to the general public.



Morrison also posted a photograph of the fence posts and yellow police tape surrounding the fire tower that has since gone viral on social media.



New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection officials said on Tuesday that there will still be opportunities for the public to access the tower, although it appeared that they were still trying to get a better handle on how to balance the logistics of such access.



“When the tower is occupied, the public can access the tower based on availability and weather,” Shinske said. “We encourage the public to plan their visits ahead of time by calling the New Jersey Forest Fire Service Division B Headquarters at (609) 726-9010 and scheduling a tour that will include access to the tower.”



However, Hajna pointed out that it is not the responsibility of the New Jersey Forest Fire Service to conduct tours at the fire tower and stressed that the availability of personnel to conduct tours would be extremely limited as the tower is only staffed during times of elevated fire danger; a time when the observers need to keep a watchful eye on the forest.



“Access would have to be granted when a fire observer is on duty,” Hajna said. “It depends on the weather if they can accommodate you.”



Hajna acknowledged that tours or public access would definitely not occur before or after state business hours, eliminating the possibility that sightseers could grab vistas of sunrise or sunset over the Pine Barrens from the tower. The time of sunrise and sunset is typically when the largest gatherings of people would occur at the tower site.



“This is not a set tourist destination,” Hajna said. “This is a de facto tourist destination. It’s not like Barnegat Lighthouse.”



The cost of installing the fence at the Apple Pie Hill tower site is expected to cost approximately $200.00. The estimation includes cement and materials. The fence is being provided through a federal program and the installation is being done by in-house staff.



State officials have confirmed that most of the fire towers in this region are protected by fencing.



“This is something we should have done a while ago,” Hajna said.





