On May 14, 2014, at 3:48 PM, Stephen Fleming wrote: >> >> Maybe so, but this is where the role of the volunteer could step in to >> assist in cave management, and in fact this is already being done by various >> volunteer caving groups around the country. Join your local group (NSS, >> CRF, cave conservation group, whatever) that has a good working relationship >> with the pertinent government agency and ask, "what can I do to help?" and >> you just may get that chance to go caving. >> >> Diana > > This is the mindset that has killed caving. It's no longer believed > appropriate by many to just go caving for fun. Now, there must be an approved > reason and a promise of a product produced before you are allowed to use a > publicly-owned resource. > > That is wrong. > > Folks are welcome to engage in such activities, but NOT to the exclusion of > those who wish merely to have a recreational experience on public land. > Enacting access restrictions based on non-science and whim is not > "management." > > Stephen >
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but (and I say this as someone who grew up in Washington State, where ~3/4 of the property is owned by the state or federal government or is in a Native American reservation) there has to be SOME kind of management of these lands for the benefit not only of all U.S. citizens, but also for the resource. If you want the resource (in this case, caves and bats) to benefit not just the short-term interest of people that are currently alive and active but also for the future generations, well then there needs to be some sort of management. Heck, I would think that people on this list serve might be just as riled about the impacts of oil and gas drilling on BLM lands, but maybe that's a hornet's nest that's best left undisturbed... Frankly, I've found that the people that seem to stay involved in caving for the longest number of years are the ones that go beyond just "caving for fun" or recreational caving, and get involved in project caving (restoration, survey, science, etc.). There are caves on private lands available for the recreational cavers. Diana * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Diana R. Tomchick Professor University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Department of Biophysics 5323 Harry Hines Blvd. Rm. ND10.214A Dallas, TX 75390-8816, U.S.A. Email: diana.tomch...@utsouthwestern.edu 214-645-6383 (phone) 214-645-6353 (fax) ________________________________ UT Southwestern Medical Center The future of medicine, today. _______________________________________________ SWR mailing list s...@caver.net http://lists.caver.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/swr _______________________________________________ This list is provided free as a courtesy of CAVERNET
