From: allen%asylum.cs.utah.edu@cs.utah.edu (Allen Sanderson)
Subject: Re: pack animals
Date: 13 Aug 92 15:45:25 MDT
Keywords: alpine lakes - where?
Organization: University of Utah CS Dept
Distribution: usa

In article <1992Aug13.195208.22980@colorado.edu> stjohn@newton.Colorado.EDU (MATTHEW STJOHN) writes:

>After spending several days many years ago repairing trails damaged
>by horses, I have to agree with Wayne and David. The erosion caused
>by pack animals on trail is rediculous [sic]. I talked to a ranger one 
>time about this and he said that many eastern senators think that 
>pack animals are natural so they should be allowed in the back 
>country. Pack animals were introduced to this part of the world by
>European explorers, and the wilderness here is just not designed
>to handle the destuction caused by them. Tells you how much our
>federal government know [sic] :).

Unfortunately, most people associate pack aminals as being horses,
mules, and burros.  However there are other less destructive pack
animals such llamas (note 'll' is spanish and is pronounced like a 'y'
as in yama not lama, sorry pet peeve of mine) and goats.  Yes, goats.
I can not wait untill I can find afford some land to raise 3-4 goats
for packing stuff.  Llamas are less destructive than horses and goats
are even less destructive.  Goats can carry loads around 20 lbs over
some very empressive terrian.

The problem with horses is partially horses, like the extra wear on
the trails.  But most of it comes from the horse owners themselves.
Until you can educate the horse owners not to hobble their animals next
to water sources, and not to tie them to the same tree, and to move them
every couple of hours so they do trample down or over graze the
meadows or to teach them how to go through muddy trails, etc, etc.
then you can not bitch about banning horses.  When an active education
program has been initated and the trails / meadows are still being
trashed then ban the people and their horses.  Until then sorry no
support from me (and I hate seeing horses on the trails as much as I
seeing cairns).  I find the attitude of banning everything bad in the
woods like the voice of people who want to ban abortion without
supporting sex education.  Finding a cure without searching for the
cause it plain damm stupid.

On a side note, I personally would like to see a national trail pass
system initiated.  If ever person who used a trail who used a trail in
National Park or Forest or BLM land paid $10.00 a year for trail
maintainance can you immagine how much better of trail system would be ?
Naturally there would be a $25.00 fee for horses, $10.00-15.00 for
other pack animals and of course one time fees for large groups.
Yea, this is a user fee and why not.  Our taxes should go supporting a
liitle bit of everything, but the people who use the land should also
help pay ofor its up keep.  We are already doing this with National
Park Entrance fees which until recently all of the money went back
into the general fund (so we could use the money to send troops to
Kuiwatt) rather than have part of the money going to support the park
itself which it is does now. 

I recently read that there is over a $200 million back log in trail
projects and congress is allocating only 10% of that.  Gee with lets
say 2.5 million hikers pay 10.00 thats and extra $25 million for
trails.  And if we could not fall behind in 10-12 years all the trails
might be back into reasonable shape.  After that congress would
probably cut off funding but then may be our taxes would go down and
the hikers could push for other user to support their fun liking
picnic table use and abuse.

Okay, off of my soap box, into my Borate Bomber (this so I can knock
all them flames out in fell swoop).

Allen R. Sanderson

Salt Lake City, Oootah


"If you don't vote then don't bitch"
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