Treasurer wrote:The Eco people want all land closed to motorized vehicles. That is what we need to stop. When I finally move out west there will be not much for me to see in my 4x4 that is legal. They even got a rock covered gorge closed in Death Valley. That is just wrong. I cannot hike in there to see the beauty of Death Valley from the top of the gorge.
Have a great new year.
Now let's not reduce ourselves to vague generalities. Steve, I understand your position. But it's not as simple as all that. There are millions of acres of public land with more miles of unimproved roads and trails than you'll ever be able to travel still available. Illegal use, thoughtless and deliberate abuse, and an unwillingness to follow simple, common sense rules are what closes us out of these areas.
I love nothing more than exploring the vast backcountry, searching for a remote section of river to fish, or a desert butte to hunt chukar. I use my Jeep to get me, my dog, and my gear further into the backcountry. But there's a limit. There's a point where the vehicle needs to be left behind. Some other less intrusive mode is necessary.
I admit, not every parcel of public land may be accessible to all people. I don't know what to tell you. Not all of that land is there simply for our pleasure. Often it's needed for habitat -- to support the fauna and flora we so love to visit, to watch, or to just know is still there somewhere. When you immerse yourself in the wild and you realize how huge these spaces are, you have to accept that you'll never get to see it all. It's impossible. It's too vast. Take the parts you can get to. Expand further by whatever means are allowed, and enjoy them as responsibly as you can.
I can still drive through great sections of Death Valley. Beyond that, there's millions of acres of high desert in the Mojave and Great Basin deserts, the salt flats, and more red rock than you can take pictures of.
Extreme environmental activists do pose a challenge, and I agree, they would like to remove all motorized travel from public land (and mechanized travel for that matter). However, as long as we act responsibly, work to improve our surroundings, and minimize the negative effects of our presence in the backcountry, most of the state and federal agencies have supported our continued, managed use of the land.
We are our own enemy. The ignorant and the thougtless are the direct causes for the loss of access, and we are responsible for not addressing the situation ourselves. We should look inside before turning to others to shoulder our blame.
Steve, I hope you get a chance to see much of what remains open and accessible in the country. Just one weekend will be enough to reassure you that the land is there, nature is resilient, and if we focus our efforts, we can maintain access to some of the most beautiful land North America has to offer.