"For years, environmentalists and conservationists have eyed each other warily over the tops of wetlands. To many conservationists, the environmental green movement is filled with left-leaning, humorless, tie-dyed radicals and the precious idle rich. To many environmentalists, conservationists are gun-obsessed rednecks who are only interested in preserving the environment if it meets their ends-- namely, hunting, bass fishing and outdoor recreation (read: racing the engines of their all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles as they rip through pristine wilderness)."
- Mark Pawlosky
I am definitely in the conservationist group. I think some wilderness should be kept pristine but think a lot of it should be available for people to use wisely and enjoy, i.e. hunting, camping, hiking, etc. I think there should be designated areas in every national and state park for off-road vehicles so people have a place to ride and enjoy the outdoors. Setting aside a few thousand acres out of millions per park for off-road usage would be prudent and resolve many issues about different groups using wilderness areas.
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Jesus Christ--The reason for the season!
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a veteran.
If you're certain you know everything, there's little opportunity to learn anything.
I'm not a big fan of letting folks on 4-wheelers, 4-wheel drives, etc. tear the hell out of things. But beyond that, it is idiotic for folks to view habitat conservation as only self-serving for hunters. Ducks Unlimited, for example, is actively preserving duck habitat that supports a multitude of other animals, plants, etc. that aren't harvested. And all that happens in exchange is that a relatively low number of particular species of ducks get shot every year.
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"Shoot him again....his soul is still dancing"
..........but think a lot of it should be available for people to use wisely and enjoy, i.e. hunting, camping, hiking, etc.
LOL The million dollar question is: Who gets to decide what "using wisely and enjoying" means. To some, wise use and enjoymentis tapping natural resources (oil drilling), to others wise use and enjoyment is not disturbing anything and to others wise use and enjoying is hunting, camping, hiking......
I do understand where you are coming from and would probably line up with you on the wise use and enjoyment but the problem is I doubt we would be in the same line as gail norton or dirk kempthorne .
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Nature does nothing uselessly.
- Aristotle -
reminds me of a project i worked on in a prior professional incarnation. we (the governmental body in question) held about 1500 acres of land that housed some leased farming land, some great 2nd generation forest that had a huge whitetail population, and one of the finest spring-fed trout creeks (with a healthy population of native brookies) in the northeast. this entire area had no public access for about one hundred years.
the plan was to transfer a) a 1000 acres to a respected university with a perpetual ag easement, to engage in farming research, and b) 500 acres to a municipality with a perpetual conservation/public access easement to be used as a passive park. the entire 1500 acres would also be opened up to hunting.
some yahoo hired a consultant environmentalist group (not me, i never hired a consultant who wouldn't agree up front to let me ghost-write the report) who recommended the whole dang thing be reforested (remember, most of this had been farmed dating back to the early 19th centur) and public access denied to presrve the "delicate ecosystem".
A good example of the effectiveness of both is the elephant populations in Africa. Nations like Kenya that do not allow hunting have suffering populations and rampant poaching. Nations that allow hunting have much healthier herds and poaching has been drastically reduced. Come to think of it, how did elk get back into Kentucky and Arkansas? Did greenpeace do that?
reminds me of a project i worked on in a prior professional incarnation. we (the governmental body in question) held about 1500 acres of land that housed some leased farming land, some great 2nd generation forest that had a huge whitetail population, and one of the finest spring-fed trout creeks (with a healthy population of native brookies) in the northeast. this entire area had no public access for about one hundred years.
the plan was to transfer a) a 1000 acres to a respected university with a perpetual ag easement, to engage in farming research, and b) 500 acres to a municipality with a perpetual conservation/public access easement to be used as a passive park. the entire 1500 acres would also be opened up to hunting.
some yahoo hired a consultant environmentalist group (not me, i never hired a consultant who wouldn't agree up front to let me ghost-write the report) who recommended the whole dang thing be reforested (remember, most of this had been farmed dating back to the early 19th centur) and public access denied to presrve the "delicate ecosystem".
the project was dead last i checked.
radical environmentalists make me cranky.
Don't take offense but I love to laugh at the terms second generation forrest and old growth forrest. It's like if I mowed it all down it would never return back to pristine woods again.
Where I live now, right by a big man made lake, use to be farm land. I'd bet a $1000 most folks in the area believe it was always woodland cleared for the lake rather than farm land converted.
I have no problem with woods designated for motorized vehicles. The second you stop using it, the growth begins again. In a few years it's hard to tell where the trail went. I do have problems with big set asides for only hiking because that reserves too much public land for too few people. Access roads should be cut in for more people to enjoy.
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John Adams “The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”
Ronald Reagan: 'Everybody that is for abortion has already been born'
"I never said I was worth it. I only said I wouldn't do it for less " William F. Buckley Jr.
One of the trails I use was closed to ATV's two years ago, I went out a few days ago and if you didn't know where the trail was, you'd walk right past it.
Environmentalists vs. conservationists
