New Jersey-2012-A1792-Introduced

An Act concerning the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area and supplementing Title 23 of the Revised Statutes.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. The quail management area in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area, in Ocean County, is now a treasured recreational area in New Jersey, known for magnificent pine trees and gorgeous fields;

b. The quail management area of the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area was once a heavily littered and ignored area until Dr. A Hunter Wilcox independently cleaned it up, after investing countless amounts of time, energy, and resources, to turn it into one of the premier field trial areas in the region and the country;

c. Dr. Wilcox, a prominent veterinarian in New Jersey, is nationally known for his involvement in field trials, an event where dogs identify and flush out birds without hunting;

d. Field trial preparations require an area to be stocked with between 200 and 300 quail to be released, and since the quail management area of the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area has been restored, the area has become a popular spot for hiking, recreation, and enjoyment of the outdoors, which was made possible due to the selfless efforts of Dr. Wilcox; and

e. It is appropriate, therefore, to recognize and honor Dr. Wilcox for his unwavering support and leadership in rehabilitating and preserving for future recreational use the quail management area of the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area, in the pinelands preservation area, by renaming it the "Dr. A. Hunter Wilcox Field Trial Grounds" in his honor.

2. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection shall officially name the quail management area of the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area, in the pinelands preservation area in Ocean County, located on Ocean County Route 539 between N.J. Route 72 and N.J. Route 70, the "Dr. A. Hunter Wilcox Field Trial Grounds."

3. a. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection is authorized to erect appropriate signs designating the "Dr. A. Hunter Wilcox Field Trial Grounds" in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area.

b. Upon approval by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection, a local government unit, nonprofit charitable organization, or civic organization, as appropriate, may purchase and erect a marker or sign designating the "Dr. A. Hunter Wilcox Field Trial Grounds" in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area.

4. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill would rename the quail management area in the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area, within the pinelands preservation area, as the "Dr. A. Hunter Wilcox Field Trial Grounds."

Under the bill, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection would officially name the quail management area of the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area, in the pinelands preservation area in Ocean County, located on Ocean County Route 539 between N.J. Route 72 and N.J. Route 70, the "Dr. A. Hunter Wilcox Field Trial Grounds." The Commissioner of Environmental Protection would be authorized to erect appropriate signs designating the "Dr. A. Hunter Wilcox Field Trial Grounds," and, upon approval by the commissioner, a local government unit, nonprofit charitable organization, or civic organization, as appropriate, may purchase and erect a marker or sign designating the "Dr. A. Hunter Wilcox Field Trial Grounds."

The quail management area of the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area was once a heavily littered and ignored area until Dr. A Hunter Wilcox independently cleaned it up, after investing countless amounts of time, energy, and resources, to turn it into one of the premier field trial areas in the region and the country. Dr. Wilcox is nationally known for his involvement in field trials, an event where dogs identify and flush out birds without hunting. Since the quail management area of the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area has been restored, the area has become a popular spot for hiking, recreation, and enjoyment of the outdoors, which was made possible due to the selfless efforts of Dr. Wilcox. It is appropriate to recognize and honor Dr. Wilcox for his unwavering support and leadership in rehabilitating and preserving for future recreational use the quail management area of the Greenwood Forest Wildlife Management Area by renaming it in his honor.