Date:         Sat, 21 Jul 2007 10:07:40 -0700
Reply-To:     Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Camping..slight rant without V-C
Comments: To: Don Hanson <dhanson@gorge.net>
In-Reply-To:  <000c01c7cb94$fd5bd200$50b2d8d1@dhanson>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

RE: Changes in FS Policy (Federal)
As a participant in a laege function on FS land each year (and one time
member of the planning organization) I saw the beginning of these changes
back in the mid '90's.  Pushed by organizations like the Sierra Club, the
administration at that time urged Congress to start making changes and
Congress went along.  In 1996 there was even a very real possibility of
completely closing many areas that had been open to the public for a century
since the motor vehicle came into common use, they wanted to close all
vehicle access in many areas around the country.  The dramatic expansion of
the areas designated "Wilderness" (and thus cut off from any new access or
improvements) is one example.  At the State level the creation of things
like Forest Passes and Snow Park Permits, implemented under the guise of
"Saving" some aspect of the outdoors, are strictly a revenue generating
device.  Here in the NW the severe curtailment of the logging industry
resulted in a big loss in revenue, in part for the State Schools. (In
Washington State, one section (square mile) of each township (36 square
miles) was originally owned by the State to be administered for the benefit
of the schools).  40 years ago a good friend of mine, a strong environmental
activist at the time, was afraid of what has happened.  He predicted that if
the actions being sought to protect the natural areas for posterity were not
done right everyone would be either completely shut out (preserve it but no
one allowed to ever see it) or you would have to have a special license or
permit, issued by some low level bureaucrat , to take a walk in the woods.
The bottom line:  Only Congress or your State Legislature can make a new
law, change an old one, or  pass a law to collect 'fees' for common
activities.  Talk to and write to those people.