[*Warning* Meaningless, inconclusive rant on a dangerous off-topic
follows. If you're a logger or a rancher, stop reading now.]
In these days of reduced budgets (and no cheap WPA labor), the
NPS is resorting to user fees. Yes, I know and have experienced real
overcrowding in many parks during the peak season. It's a problem, but
how to solve it ?
If you reduce capacities, you take away from the citizenry the right
to enjoy something they've already paid for. Resort to bigger user fees
and you're restricting NPS usage to loggers (GrrrrrrRRRRRRR!) and
the wealthier segments of the citizenry. Take away the cars, replace them
with buses, and the experience becomes a far more passive one, with
restrictions on what you can carry, drop-off & pick-up points/times, etc.
I'm not sure lands can or should be "managed". Mother Nature's been
doing the job for zillions of years. Maybe the parks should be allowed
to go "native", and restricted to hikers, but then the experience would be
restricted only to the fit, and with the distances involved, one would
have to accomodate more camping and ensuing impact.
I guess what I'm saying is that it's a mess, and AFAIK, there's
no simple solution to the problem, except loggers and ranchers should
be kicked out. Most of the wood from these old-growth trees goes to make
shipping PALLETS, which are often trashed after 1-time use. What a
disgrace to waste a taxpayer asset like this to enrich a few corps.
Thank God someone had the foresight to realize that in America almost
all space would be privatized, commodified and fenced off-limits to
citizens (been out West ?) to an unimaginable degree, and they acquired
NP's and NForests. If it wasn't for them, we'd all be paying ranchers big
bucks in order to subscribe or join a club in order to get a glimpse of
nature.
I'd better get off the soapbox now before a real rant starts...
there's probably some ranchers & loggers on here, and I don't
wanna insult anyone unintentionally...who's next ?
Harrrumph!
*= Doris Fang =*
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