|   Dept. of Natural Resources...my ass...passion x-post | fireboy
Oct 9, 2003 4:34 PM | | I feel the need to vent.
A few months back, the land manager at one of our local parks retired. We had a good working relationship with this gentleman. He would walk erroded sections of trail with us and we would jointly come up with solutions to the problems. After several months of reroutes, structures, and new trail installations, the land manager rewarded our labor with allowing us to designate these trails as hike and bike only. (The "original" trail was rogue built, without the effects of equestrians taken into account.) The trails totalled 7 miles of the 50 (yes...I said FIFTY) miles of trail in this park.
This land manager liked to avoid "red tape" balking at official written agreements...thinking they just got in the way of actually getting things done. With which I don't TOTALLY disagree. But, he then retired. The Dept. of Natural Resources then installed a temp. land manager, who had NO DECISION MAKING POWER. They also told us that trail work days and maintenance must come to a screeeeching halt.
Now, the DNR wants to close trail (but won't discuss which ones) and segregate the entire park into sections. They say "none of the user groups will be happy". The DNR requested that we submit a written proposal, which we completed. They have sat on it for 6 months with no clue of movement (not to mention sharing said proposal with the equestrian community).
The equestrians want to be our friends...yeah...right. If the DNR closes trail...they want to be able to access all that is left, it has nothing to do with friendship. We have tried to explain to the equestrians that MTBers are looking for a different trail experience than they. But they just slide into the obligatory coma, and plead ignorance.
The DNR is more interested in what is the easiest, least labor intensive for them, not what is in the best interest of their customers. Gubment...go figger.
We're fighting the good fight, but I feel like we are in limbo. The politicians, management, and other use groups act like we no longer have the ability to communicate with the english language...all they hear is blah blah blah...I suspect.
OK...vent over...tomorrow...I grab the bike and head to a park that appreciates the work we do...
terry |
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