Our Friends the Forest Service
Our Friends the Forest Service
I have it on good authority that those pin headed jerks at the Forest Service have decided in their infinite wisdom that it's illegal to camp within 1/4 mile of water, and so have covered all the camp sites at Charlebois with boulders and prickly pear cactus. <br> <br>I think that blows. What do you think??
I was at Charlebois a few days ago and I can verify that the area has changed. There are signs up saying it is illegal to camp within 1/4 mile of a spring/water source, but the signs are from the Arizona Department of Fish and Game. This 1/4 mile restriction is an old law and has merit, especially in a sever drought. The real rub is that the area along the lowest part of Charlebois Canyon is now planet with cactus enclosed in a rock "circles". One now has rock-cactus gardens planted in a wilderness area. An interesting event considering the Forest Service's destruction of similar historical sites (such as the plantings that (according to Gassler and others) used to grow at Charlebois. In any event, the area no longer even looks wild -- it looks "cultivated". <br> <br>Earl
The United States Department of Agriculture is the parent organization of the National Forest Service. The Arizona Fish and Game have no jurisdiction in the Superstition wilderness area. The SMWA is Federal land not State. The question you should all be asking yourselves is, ------- what is the State Fish and Game doing in the wilderness in the first place? The AzSF&G can enter into an agreement with the FS. But to what end ? What is the overall long range plan ? Why can't the FS plant their own cactus and put up their own signs ? <br>What is the next step in the plan and who else may be involved ( Sierra Club, -- Friends of Wildlife) ? No one is accountable and no one at the FS or AzF&G can or will give you a straight answer. I asked for a copy of their plan report and an account statement of the money they collect for parking fees and fines. I was told it is not available to individuals. This is an outright lie. All State , Federal and Local governments are bound by law to supply this information to anyone who requests it. We are the taxpayers, we own the land. we are not potted plants with no interest or right to know how our money is being spent and for what. <br>This is our land. Not their land that they grant us the right to use if we dance the right dance. We let them bring in the fee boxes and contract with a New Jersey organization to write tickets, collect money and report offenders to the Federal, State and local authorities. There needs to be some accountability. If we idly stand by and let them take step by step by step, until one day we find whole sections of the Wilderness closed to us, we will have no one to blame but ourselves.
BRAVO! Well said! I can't believe it takes all those $4.00 fees to maintain those outhouses. You're absolutely right, we have as much right to do as we please as G&F does. We can move boulders and cactus as well as they can. <br>I find it significant they waited until the onset of the hot season to do this - it wasn't that way a month or so ago. <br> <br>Let's take our wilderness back.
I completely agree with LDM. Their reason for having the Fish and Game presence in the wilderness is because they have declared this area a riparian area ,and they transported a breed of Arizona pup fish that is supposedly endangered and placed at the springs. Now the Fish and Game has jurisdiction in a Federal wilderness, because they have protected wildlife there. I know this to be absolute fact. They will, if they are allowed to continue to do this at every spring in there. I had to pack some people there last week and it was very hot, I ask you how they can close these springs for livestock use? I have been told not to enter to use the water. Now do you think my horses went without a drink after 4 hours of travel in 95 degree heat? I think not. The parking fees are a real burn to me also. Most of the public are becoming sheep and actually accept anything after time. I don't know what the answer is , so for now I'll just stick to try and solving something simple like the Dutchman Mine.