Portions of Bass River State Forest’s white pine plantation along East Greenbush Road in Bass River Township have been clear cut to allow for greater visibility for the 86-foot fire tower.

In April of last year, after much deliberation and protests from Bass River residents and those attached to the beauty of the white pines, the Pinelands Commission gave approval to the New Jersey Department of Environmental’s Forest Fire Service to clear 16.4 acres of white pines that had been planted during…