When national monuments are created, it's with a long term vision for preservation. Ranchers, recreational vehicle enthusiasts and the like usually only have short term interests in mind, though I respect their interests and think they have a right to be heard. Oil companies and corporations have only profits in mind and don't care what gets destroyed in their quest to get them. They can go f%@& themselves and should be completely left out of the process, though in reality they buy their way into Congress with lobbyists, contributions, candidates in their pocket, etc. With that in mind, thank goodness for the Antiquities Act. Just my unheated opinion.
I think I get what you are saying... Ranchers and the like having short term interest... The short term intersts being for ranchers being grazing land for their herds with the longevity being focused on their life time and a few years into thier childrens but not much further than that, leaving the the rest of the battle for their kids to fight. And the same can apply to recreational vehicle enthusiasts for their hobby/sport. Envormental Activists usually want to shut the land access to everyone from everything while ranchers and the like want all access all the time for what they want/need the land for. As to those sects that fall into the top 10% or so of the economy, they seem to want to rape the land for all its worth. In all areas there are some excptions that run to the extreme ends of the spectrum. What needs to happen and what seems to happen for the most part is striking a balance between public access and land protection.
Really?
Ranchers, short term, ahhh, yeah, okay... Took three, four generations to get here, definitely looking to piss it all way before the kids can reap any benefit. Makes sense to me.
And I know that I, as a recreational vehicle enthusiast, certainly wouldn't want to see my kids, let alone my grandkids, enjoy any of the same opportunity I have. No sir! Just give me the short term. That's all I'm concerned with. Me and everyone else that enjoys the same kind of things or has the same kind of family heritage I do. Short term. Those are the only interests we are intelligent enough to consider.
Let me paint with your broad brush for just a moment. Environmental activists always seem to be saying that anyone who does not agree with them simply isn't smart enough to take part in the conversation.
I get sooooooo sick of that attitude. Sick to death of it.
In recent times, when National Monuments are created, it's with political interests in mind. Nothing noble about it. Nothing far sighted. Just the machine being the machine. If it would have served their political interests, the recent presidents who did not create any, would have. But it better served their political interests not to. So they didn't. Nothing noble or far sighted about that, either. Just politicos being politicos.
- DAA
DAA, I may not know you but through your posts here, and maybe one day I will get to hike or camp with you, but I must say that to me you did come off to me as being a bit abrasive in your post. Maybe you meant it to be that way, maybe you didn't... either way, when I read it, that is how it came off to me.
We are all individuals with differing opinions and that is fine... that's what makes the world go round and why something like the Antiquities Act was created, for when people's opinions dont come together as a majority, someone can step in and take charge, political intersts or not. While I would agree that the Federal system is long over due for a major overhall, I am not the one calling the shots there.
For anyone who may think that my opinion may sway to one side or another, let me tell you this, I am probally the most centered person I know. While I do enjoy hiking, camping, etc, I, myself, am a recreational vehicle enthusiast as well... I had a Jeep, and I plan on getting another 4x4 again soon. I grew up with trikes, quads, dirtbikes, etc. I see the argument on all sides... as said earlier in this post, a balance can only be had if all sides are willing to compromise with each other for what's best for everyone. Yes there will still be those on each side that don't get everything they want that will make waves for the other sides, but you will have that no matter what. Give in to the Enviromentalists, and everyone else will complain that they should have access to the land, open the land to just hikers and campers, and enviormentalists will try to get the land closed becuse of some reason while offroad enthusists will argue that they should be allowed to use the land since hikers and campers are able to use it.
If you want to take that one step further, the Recreational Vehicle sect can be broken down farther yet and they all bicker and fight amoungst each other over who should be allowed access and who destroys the land more than the other. It is never ending.
So what do you do? Open the land to a free for all? Shut it down completely? Try to strike a compromise? There is no clear cut answer, and so it must be handled on an idividual basis depending on the terrain and enviorment. For example, near me is an area called the Albany Pine Bush, it is open to the public, but only for non motorized access. This area would be awesome to explore on a motorized vehicle, but that is a fight that will not be won. The pine bush is a specialized enviormental area and heavily protected by laws, rules, regulations, and hefty penalties if broken as well as over seen by a trustee board. As an offroad vehicle enthusiast, I would like access to this land, I am allowed to ride my pedal bike there, I should be allowed to drive my 4x4 there too, right? Well in this case that would be wrong and I understand why. This area is unique and should be protected, but not to the expense that the public not be allowed to come and view its beauty. And this is where the balance comes into play, it is open to those activities that cause the least amount of impact on this particular envorment as possible. They do not have all trails open all the time and some will be closed for one reason or another, but you are allowed to ride your bike, hike, etc on the trails only. Everything else that happens off trail or in closed areas must be permited.
I guess I have said my part on this delicate topic, feel free to point out where you think I am wrong in my opinion... I know someone will.
