To: Custodian of Records
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)
401 East State Street
Trenton, NJ 08625

Please accept this electronic request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form or use a particular software platform to submit my request per NJSA 47:1A-5(f), which states that an email from a requestor including all of the information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place of a completed form as a valid government record request.

I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws of New Jersey, any other state, or the United States.

I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.

I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.

Records requested:
Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.), I request access to and copies of all records, in whatever form maintained, relating to the identification, treatment, removal, remediation, and management of Japanese Knotweed infestations within Monmouth County, New Jersey.

To ensure a complete and unmitigated search, this request specifically includes, but is not limited to, the following categories of records across all time periods and all property classifications (protected lands, public lands, parks, preserves, conservation easements, rights-of-way, waterways, and any other tracts, whether publicly or privately owned):

Project Files & Remediation Plans:
All site assessments, treatment plans, eradication protocols, biological or mechanical removal plans, and monitoring reports for Japanese Knotweed remediation projects.

Financial Records:
All cost estimates, invoices, expenditure reports, grant awards, budget line items, reimbursement records, and final accounting of public and private funds expended for remediation activities.

Herbicide Application & Licensure:
All pesticide/herbicide treatment records, applicator licenses, certified pesticide applicator credentials, chemical usage logs, NJDEP pesticide bureau correspondence, and any related Notices of Violation or compliance orders.

Enforcement & Compelled Remediation:
All enforcement actions, administrative orders, consent decrees, settlement agreements, notices of violation, and directives compelling private property owners, municipalities, contractors, or other responsible parties to undertake or fund remediation. This includes any public-private partnership agreements in which a party was required—by order, settlement, or contractual obligation—to pay for or perform knotweed removal using private or public funds.

Correspondence & Communications:
All letters, emails, memoranda, and internal communications between NJDEP and any municipal, county, state, federal, or private entity concerning Japanese Knotweed in Monmouth County.

Search & Scope Instructions:
Please conduct a custodian-level search across all relevant NJDEP divisions and bureaus, including but not limited to: Land Use Regulation, Site Remediation, Parks and Forestry, Fish and Wildlife, Water Quality Management, and the Pesticide Control Program. I request that the search include records referencing the species under any of its common or scientific names (Reynoutria japonica, Fallopia japonica, Polygonum cuspidatum, Japanese Knotweed, Mexican Bamboo).

Format & Fees:
I prefer responsive records in electronic format (PDF, Excel, or native digital format) via email or secure download link. Please advise in advance if estimated reproduction costs exceed $50.00.
Response Timeline:

Please acknowledge receipt of this request and provide a determination within the time prescribed by N.J.S.A. 47:1A-5(i).

If any portion of this request is denied, please provide a written statement of the specific legal basis for each denial, including the OPRA exemption cited. If any responsive records are deemed exempt in part, please produce all reasonably segregable portions.
If you require clarification to process this request fully, please contact me promptly so that the scope may be refined without delaying the response.

My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by E-mail as attachments. Please confirm you have received this request. If you are not the custodian of records, please forward my request to that person and provide their email address to me for future reference.

Yours faithfully,

Matt Fio