jen. wrote:
It is my understanding that the Guadalupe District of the Lincoln National
Forest in NM is no longer issuing recreational caving permits due to their lack
of funding for a cave specialist. I have heard rumors they might be
considering allowing commercial guides. In 1998 the NSS agreed to provide
volunteer services to Forest Service cave programs in lieu of Fee Demonstration
Projects being applied to caves. Over 1/2 million dollars of Volunteer Value
has been provided on this district of the forest by cavers since then.
The Forest Service needs to provide funding for a cave specialist for this
district, continue to manage their caves, and issue recreational cave permits
to the public per their cave management plan.
No, what they need to do is rescind their idiotic rule that you have to
have a permit to go in ungated caves. Then, caving could proceed as it
does on BLM land, where permits are needed only for gated caves. The
failure of an agency to have a certain kind of employee should not cause
the public to be barred from a legitimate activity.
They don't have a hunting specialist, birding specialist, camping or
hiking specialist and if they pursued the same line of reasoning you
would not be able to do any of those in the absence of a 'specialist' to
hold your hand and tell you how to behave.
Of course as soon as the CBD gets finished, caving will be a thing of
the past.
--
Stephen Fleming
______________
Poor New Mexico! So far from Heaven; so close to Texas.
Manuel Armijo
Governor of the Department of New Mexico
1827-29, 1837-44, 1845-46
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