Forum Discussion

Yosemite_Sam1's avatar
Yosemite_Sam1
Explorer
Aug 13, 2019

Know RV or campers association...

...with strong environmental and public land protection voice?

Camper numbers are now 42 million or 12% of the population.

There are threats to public lands and wildlife that are integral part of our enjoyment of the outdoors.

A. Latest is an amendment to include cost considerations or revenue loss to protect endangered species.

B. Opening up national forest, parks and monuments to private interests.

C. Cut in national parks budget by 12% when they are behind in overdue repairs by $12 billion.

I intend to be a member to add my voice. Am already a member of a national conservation organization and two national park-national forest specific association.
Boondocking
Dry Camping
Public Lands
  • DFord's avatar
    DFord
    Explorer
    Aug 13, 2019
    My hat's off to you! I'm doing all I can to bring about change also. Expect a negative flack from many on this forum though.
  • GordonThree's avatar
    GordonThree
    Explorer
    Aug 13, 2019
    42 million active campers in the USA? Last year, last decade, or just raw unit sales numbers for some time period? Please cite source.
  • Yosemite_Sam1's avatar
    Yosemite_Sam1
    Explorer
    Aug 14, 2019
    GordonThree wrote:
    42 million active campers in the USA? Last year, last decade, or just raw unit sales numbers for some time period? Please cite source.


    https://www.statista.com/statistics/190202/number-of-participants-in-outdoor-activities-in-the-us-2009/

    BTW, do you agree on my premise and the need for our strong voices on recent developments as regards our recreation?
  • Yosemite_Sam1's avatar
    Yosemite_Sam1
    Explorer
    Aug 14, 2019
    DFord wrote:
    My hat's off to you! I'm doing all I can to bring about change also. Expect a negative flack from many on this forum though.


    Thanks, I know!

    Had the same brickbats on my topic on the sad state of our national parks/forests based on my recent camping trips from California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada.
  • agesilaus's avatar
    agesilaus
    Explorer III
    Aug 14, 2019
    Had the same brickbats on my topic on the sad state of our national parks/forests based on my recent camping trips from California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada.

    -----------------------------------------------

    Yes and we pointed out why that is the case and how to fix it:
    1) Stop buying new land until you can maintain what you have
    2) Remove regulations that make maintenance and repair outrageously costly
    3) Put managers in that can do the above.

    Let me point out you already have the Sierra Club, probably lots of campers there.
  • beemerphile1's avatar
    beemerphile1
    Explorer
    Aug 14, 2019
    Don't know of any RV organization that covers those bases.

    Be careful of environmental organizations. A group like the Sierra Club would prefer to ban RVs from public land and only allow hikers/backpackers.
  • Yosemite_Sam1's avatar
    Yosemite_Sam1
    Explorer
    Aug 14, 2019
    agesilaus wrote:
    Had the same brickbats on my topic on the sad state of our national parks/forests based on my recent camping trips from California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada.

    -----------------------------------------------

    Yes and we pointed out why that is the case and how to fix it:
    1) Stop buying new land until you can maintain what you have
    2) Remove regulations that make maintenance and repair outrageously costly
    3) Put managers in that can do the above.

    Let me point out you already have the Sierra Club, probably lots of campers there.


    So you agree with the recent moves by the government about NPS, public lands and the new endangered species regs?

    By the way, the new high level director they are putting in the NPS is a lawyer whose life's work was to open up public lands into private hands.
  • agesilaus's avatar
    agesilaus
    Explorer III
    Aug 14, 2019
    The 40+ million number cannot be RVers. The industry makes about 500,000 units a year (from RVIA) even if you assume that the average RV lasts 15 years that's only 7.5 million units in the US. I could not find an estimate of the total number of RV's in the US.

    Some of those units, a lot of them probably, are permanently parked in RV/mobile home parks too and I don't call that camping.

    My guess is something like 4 to 5 million RVers actively traveling in their units. I've seen estimates of 500,000 full timers.
  • agesilaus's avatar
    agesilaus
    Explorer III
    Aug 14, 2019
    Yosemite Sam1 wrote:
    agesilaus wrote:
    Had the same brickbats on my topic on the sad state of our national parks/forests based on my recent camping trips from California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada.

    -----------------------------------------------

    Yes and we pointed out why that is the case and how to fix it:
    1) Stop buying new land until you can maintain what you have
    2) Remove regulations that make maintenance and repair outrageously costly
    3) Put managers in that can do the above.

    Let me point out you already have the Sierra Club, probably lots of campers there.


    So you agree with the recent moves by the government about NPS, public lands and the new endangered species regs?

    By the way, the new high level director they are putting in the NPS is a lawyer whose life's work was to open up public lands into private hands.


    Yes I agree 100% with the endangered species act which has been transformed in an anti land owner and industry act. Not to say that I'm anti conservation, I'm not. But it has to be done on a rational and not doctrinaire basis

    The 12% figure seems to have no documented basis but even if it is true then all government agencies need to be cut back. I think that some public lands need to handed over to private ownership. Have to think about that in a case by case basis.

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