Which by the way has been my opinion for some time now. I could have written another 1,000 words but proper gramer and writing are not my strong points. Plus the arthritis in my hands really hurts.
~
I to replied to the survey and noticed the 15 mile travel question. It was and the survey is geared towards locals.
With the few questions that leaned towards groups.
I'd have to say my group, NYS Muzzle-Loaders Association has used the Moose River Plains camp site for over 20 years now. We have a good relationship with the Park Ranger and others we come in contact with. We are a fixed part of the Town of Inlets fall festivities. A few years ago we came close to losing our campsite due to the restructuring proposal.
However with that said & on a personal note.
I was part of a camp that had meet for decades along the Independence river. Being a new member invited to come camp it was only a few years until they were locked out due to the road less regulations that have swept New York & the nation as a whole. The avg. age of that group was over 50 years old.
Yes we, the people of the 21st century are a motorized group as were many who visited the area over the past century. I warned the DEC that to close off lakes, ponds and roads would be in direct violation of the American Disabilities Act. The sportsmen of this nation are an aging population. With age comes physical limitations. Physical limitations means motorized access is not only needed but required. Building a dock on a stream for a wheel chair disable individual made for a nice photo op but did nothing to help gain access to a back woods pond.
You cannot manage land by locking a gate and stating; "Here now we've done our part to return this land to the wild. For future generations to come visit and see what great stewards of the land we were."
Yea well, nice line, but who is going to visit an inaccessible area? No one will. They will drive by on the pave portions and say, oh look at all the trees. Local business will/ have suffer just as when the big game firearms season was changed to a Saturday. Locals diners & Mom/Pop shops went from full seats to empty.
As an example the Town of Ohio recreation part hosted the NYSMLA shooting events for over 30 years. About 5 years ago they upped our camp fee from $100.00 a weekend to $500.00. We could not afford that kind of increase. We were forced to find another location that would host our events. This move cost us many members who could not afford to travel. We purchased local firewood, food & fuel. We fished, hiked and came to relax and visit. This no longer happens at the Town of Ohio. That was a direct economic impact to the area.
The road less & wild forever regulations in New York and across this Nation have disseminated small towns and rural business at a time when even a few dollars injected locally can mean the difference between make or break. I don’t spent that money any longer in those areas. I no longer have a 27 foot camper. The 4 wheeler was gone 2 years after it was purchased when we found out there was no place to ride it. The canoe that sat for 3 years was sold in 2010.
The forest have been hit by disease , wind and a limited logging practice. The monoculture of pines planted in some areas do not support a diverse habitat. The state~ IMO should not be in the land business.
Look around the nation and you’ll see thousands of camp sites abandon and up for sale if they are not foreclosed on. Many people who have fallen on hard times simply walked away from that second home in the mountains or resort areas.
On a final note:
For years I’ve told sportsmen the only way you can control the land is if you own it. Special interest not-for-profits are allowed millions of dollars in grants to hold and manage land then the state purchases this land at a later date. Mean while sportsmen’s groups only seat at the table is our opinion. This needs to change. I should state it needed to change 50 years ago.
The state pushed by special interest groups has turned the land & rural economy into a failed society. Food to fuel, taxes to fund NYSERDA and smoke and mirrors energy refunds. Fifth century technology to generate electricity on a mass scale.
It’s not hard to figure out.
When you make the land inaccessible who will come visit? It’s like locking the doors on a business & complaining we have no customers.
Yes were a motorized people & we were locked out of the land & business we supported for a century.
Wm. J. Brookover
Ontario, New York
& Rayle , Georgia
You can follow the links in this article , leave an opinion and take the survey. Regards BPB
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