Boondocking really exists?
I cant believe that there are places that you can pull off the road and just stay there. Not only for free but without fear of being arrested. That's just crazy talk to a guy from Mass. Technically...
Forum Discussion
Len's idea to use county sheriffs makes perfect sense and some jurisdictions are telling the USFS to butt out. Locally several miners (60 to 70 years of age-I'd rather not say 'elderly' as I'm in that bracket) were accosted and illegally threatened with tazing if they didn't show ID. Probable cause is required. I find it odd because the USFS officers were driving 2 to a truck and in my 9 years living next to the forest and visiting around 300 days a year I have seen 5 rangers in the forest, total. The above incident is on its way to court.
The USFS is spending more money on road closures than maintenance from what I can see. I went in this week to buy a firewood permit. I was told because I had a permit I could use a gas chainsaw in a campground but otherwise it had to be electric. Huh? I can run a generator and plug an electric chainsaw into it but I can't use a gas one? Insane.
Last January while quail hunting I ran across a camp that was literally a dump site. It was in a closed road section but 1/2 mile from the district office. I took the time to contact USFS law enforcement and explain exactly where it was and what was there (batteries, propane tanks and stoves and a small mountain of garbage). After telling me they would clean it up it is still there today. I'm really not surprised as they never do respond.
The Rim Fire was devastating. It was made worse by an overgrown forest. Resulting from failed policies. What's happening now after the fire is a massive die off of trees weakened by the drought and being brought down in alarming numbers by beetles. Again- exacerbated by an overgrown forest. Are they organizing timber sales? Very few, but they are closing roads and have a mountain of gate and fence posts in their yard, no doubt to close more areas and roads.
So you see- in my view they are broken. Maybe a total breakdown is what it would take but I prefer to let it be handled at the local level- sheriffs and HR1555 would be a great start.
I say elitist because if even one person is denied use of his property due to lack of funds you are creating a class system. In my view this is wrong. It is also wrong to deny disabled Americans the use of their forests with the current travel management plans.
Perhaps it IS our responsibility to confront, or at the very least photo document, the abusers of our public lands. But, as you can probably tell if you've gotten this far, I find the greater risk lies with those who we've left to care for our lands.
The USFS is spending more money on road closures than maintenance from what I can see. I went in this week to buy a firewood permit. I was told because I had a permit I could use a gas chainsaw in a campground but otherwise it had to be electric. Huh? I can run a generator and plug an electric chainsaw into it but I can't use a gas one? Insane.
Last January while quail hunting I ran across a camp that was literally a dump site. It was in a closed road section but 1/2 mile from the district office. I took the time to contact USFS law enforcement and explain exactly where it was and what was there (batteries, propane tanks and stoves and a small mountain of garbage). After telling me they would clean it up it is still there today. I'm really not surprised as they never do respond.
The Rim Fire was devastating. It was made worse by an overgrown forest. Resulting from failed policies. What's happening now after the fire is a massive die off of trees weakened by the drought and being brought down in alarming numbers by beetles. Again- exacerbated by an overgrown forest. Are they organizing timber sales? Very few, but they are closing roads and have a mountain of gate and fence posts in their yard, no doubt to close more areas and roads.
So you see- in my view they are broken. Maybe a total breakdown is what it would take but I prefer to let it be handled at the local level- sheriffs and HR1555 would be a great start.
I say elitist because if even one person is denied use of his property due to lack of funds you are creating a class system. In my view this is wrong. It is also wrong to deny disabled Americans the use of their forests with the current travel management plans.
Perhaps it IS our responsibility to confront, or at the very least photo document, the abusers of our public lands. But, as you can probably tell if you've gotten this far, I find the greater risk lies with those who we've left to care for our lands.
