Rethinking Camping

[Donna D.]

Rethinking camping

[Byron Kinnaman]

Very interesting, but one must realize that the Mt Hood National Forest is considered a Portland City Park by many. As such it has been managed that way for a number of years.

[Anne H]

uh oh!! That's scary!!

[Gina D.]

I would be very disappointed if they did all that

[andy s]

Interesting article,
It seems that this is already happing in other parts of the national forest system. Here in Cloudcroft N.M. they have really commercialized the camp grounds, They have not provided elec. or water at the sites but they have paved and packed sites very close together. Makes you feel like you could just as well spend the night at a wal-mart and it would be free!

[John Perry]

It is time for the general camping people to wake up. I was chastised by a few forum members awhile back for my comment about the arrogance of the Forest Service and their attitude that we are interlopers.
I live on the southern end of the Sequioa National Forest and have been to FS meetings and talked to the Sequoia Forest Manager. My town is encircled by National Forerst land.
It is my opinion that she is the typical enviromentalist that does not beleive that the human is part of the eco system and views us all as predators.
They have already stopped grading roads into some dispersed camping areas on the Sequoia. They are talking about raising the camping rates to almost commercial rates in the camping areas that they do not close.
If you like camping in the Forests with other campers 10 feet from you, then ignore the signs of the impending closure of more remote areas and expect to pay our government KOA rates in crowded areas.

John

[Joseph Domingos]

Wow, that was quite an article. As a lover of the hidden way out there campgrounds/sites myself, I would be really bummed to see them closed. Already many of the cheap to free National Forest campgrounds in my area are pretty lightly maintained due to the budget constraints. Add to that the awful vandalism that happens sometimes, and I think sometimes they have to close them as there's just no budget to fix em up. I'm all for 'adopting' (kinda like the Adopt-A-Highway deal I'd imagine) a campground or two. I'm actually in a camping club and have suggested it, but so far no big movement.
The other alternative, concessionairing places out, hmmm, I don't know about that. I would imagine a lot of little hidey hole campsites wouldn't work for that, or be big enough for them to bother with, stuff like that. It just kind of sounds like some of our favorite hidden gems might be doomed, and I so hope that's not the case...

[DanPatWork]

Privatization of NF campgrounds has been occuring for at least a couple of years in the U.P. of MI. Many of the out of the way small sites that we used to use are now closed and unusable for even dispersal type camping. In their wisdom the NF has a private contractor called U.P. Campgrounds inc. that is supposed to take care of the maint. and upkeep of the ones that are still left. (Not sure if this includes all of them in the U.P.) The sad thing is that while I was in one of these sites over the Labor Day weekend the site was visited by a manager from the next campground 20 miles down the road only once for the 3 day weekend, while the forest service still had a ranger travel through at least once a day.

If the money isn't in the budget for the FS to handle upkeep and maint. then why is the ranger still traveling through?

I'm not for privatization or comercialization on NF campgrounds. If their going to close them, then pull the bathrooms and well pumps and let the campgrounds go back to dispersal. Then the only patrolling necessary would be for routine law enforcment visits which still occur anyways. Just my .02

[Donna D.]

I had a talk with Gina about this a little while ago. Here in Oregon, it's the vandalism that will finally take away the rights of citizens who are good and decent. Recently, we've seen fishing docks for the disabled chopped up, two bath houses burned to the ground (Bagby Hot Springs).... and just generally using the forest as a dumping ground for old appliances, garbage, dead animals, derelict cars, etc. Closing the campgrounds won't stop the vandalism, but at least tax dollars won't be spent to make repairs to pit toilets, picnic tables, etc. Most of the people who use the unimproved campsites will continue to do so... that's what makes having a trailer so nice. We can be comfortable just about anywhere.

[debbyj]

The trend towards "parking lot" campgrounds and the barbarians trashing the woods make me angry and sick to my stomach. John Muir is probably turning over in his grave.

[dkclimer]

It is time for the general camping people to wake up. I was chastised by a few forum members awhile back for my comment about the arrogance of the Forest Service and their attitude that we are interlopers.
I live on the southern end of the Sequioa National Forest and have been to FS meetings and talked to the Sequoia Forest Manager. My town is encircled by National Forerst land.
It is my opinion that she is the typical enviromentalist that does not beleive that the human is part of the eco system and views us all as predators.
They have already stopped grading roads into some dispersed camping areas on the Sequoia. They are talking about raising the camping rates to almost commercial rates in the camping areas that they do not close.
If you like camping in the Forests with other campers 10 feet from you, then ignore the signs of the impending closure of more remote areas and expect to pay our government KOA rates in crowded areas.

John

Hi John,
The forest service is not the same as it was when I was growing up in Kernville. The last time I was camping by a meadow located off a old logging road a couple of miles off the Western Divide, I was approached by F/S demanding I give them my personal information. When I refused they explained they needed it for a fire permit. I told them no fires, then they said I still needed one for cooking. I told them the stove was built in in the Scamp, then they said they were doing a survey. Again I said no and they departed. And of course we moved. I too have been to a couple of meetings concerning the river since I enjoy kayaking and the meetings were strange indeed. Things are the same here around Ojai with the required purchase of the "Adventure Pass" and increasing closures of large areas. As time goes on I find myself camping and kayaking in more and more remote areas. I join groups that fight the F/S and protect personel rights to use the forest but it is a losing battle so far. I take it Sikes is no longer with the F/S or has transferred out of the area?