Shutdown park woes

agesilaus wrote:
There is no good solution. I'm not in favor of shutting the parks down like was done several years ago. But people need to behave better. Any reports from parks away from big cities? Perhaps they are faring better.

Rocky Mtn NP in Colorado is experiencing the same thing.

shelbyfv wrote:
It's unfortunate that the parks weren't closed from the beginning. It will be a mess to deal with.

It is more unfortunate that people can't control themselves. Problem is. those that trashed the parks. walk around like normal people, but are nothing but trash. Next problem is. they breed

There is no good solution. I'm not in favor of shutting the parks down like was done several years ago. But people need to behave better. Any reports from parks away from big cities? Perhaps they are faring better.

It's unfortunate that the parks weren't closed from the beginning. It will be a mess to deal with.

DutchmenSport wrote:

goducks10 wrote:

GeoBoy wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
It's too simple for folks to simply stay away because they are officially "closed." People are pigs! Absolute horrible pigs. Rather than respecting the rules and laws (even during a closure), they somehow justify a closure as a free-for-all and now they can do anything they want. So, they act like heathens, and what's worse, they act like "entitled" heathens. What's next? cannibalism?

X2. You see this kind of behavior more and more every day. Society is really starting to break down.

It stats at the top.

No, it starts at the bottom. It starts with you and me. If (you and me) did the "right" thing, then there would be no need for any kind of intervention from "the top."

If nothing else, those of us who cherish our National Parks, who cherish the great outdoors, and who want to continue to preserve this way of life for ourselves and our children, then all we can do is take our own personal responsibility ... leave your campsite cleaner than when you first arrived. Simple. If everyone did that, at lease one part of this world would be a much better place.

The one who throws a simple cigarette butt on the ground for someone else to pick up is just as guilty as these people who are destroying our parks right now by leaving trash and human waste.

Agree. I was taught to leave a campsite cleaner than it was when we got there. IF you have a way to get the filth in, then you have a way to get it out.

The reason all the examples are in California is because that is where the article focused on. There are problems in other places too.

But why are things so bad in the parks in California?

I think it's simple. Just between the cities of Los Angeles, San Diego, SF/San Jose there are approx. 7.2 MILLION people within an easy days drive of multiple major National Parks. This does not include San Bernardino and Riverside Counties or the Central valley.

This is not the case in any other part of the country.

Thus the bad actors can access these parks easily. And the bad ones are attracted by the lack of enforcement and supervision.

But even at normal times things can get a bit testy in Parks where there are SO MANY people vying for a very limited amount of space.

To extrapolate this to the decline and fall of America is hyperbole.

Oh we have serious problems for sure and the lawless types whether they are Neo Nazis or overgrown children with 4 wheelers shi**ing in the open are a concern for sure...but they are not the end of civilization as we know it.

But good people need to stand up and challenge their behaviour.

It certainly is associated with some societal upbringing. Just look at the DC National Mall. After some mass meetings the Mall is left without a speck of trash and after other groups meet, the Mall is covered with trash.

It is disheartening to see this behavior transported to the parks. I think we as a group, like to think of ourselves as more responsible than the mass of people. But on the other hand we see graffiti showing up in the parks. I can hope those sort aren't rvers.

Delete

agesilaus wrote:
Trouble

The examples all seem to be in California for some reason....

90% of the folks there are not from California

Should we lockup the NPs during this shutdown? I’m beginning to think so.