In “The Woods From Hog Wallow,” McPhee introduces the Pine Barrens as the six hundred and fifty thousand acre, virgin forest reserve that dominates the southern half of New Jersey. The Pine Barrens region is sparsely populated at about 15 people/square mile, in contrast to New Jersey’s average population density elsewhere of 1,000 people/square mile (the greatest in the US). Local residents, who inhabit mostly small forest towns amid vast stretches of wilderness, refer to the area as “pine belt,” “the pinelands,” or “the pines.”
In speaking to these locals – or “Pineys,” a term which has contested connotations – McPhee claims that his interest in the untouched region stems from its proximity to major urban centers (i.e. Philadelphia and New York.) Burlington and Ocean County developed plans to construct a supersonic jet port, but these plans have never been executed – and most people (including “Pineys”) believe that they never will be.
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