[pct-l] Bear Cannisters

[Brick Robbins]

On Fri, Jun 27, 2008 at 11:35 AM, Darren <talhog at yahoo.com> wrote:

I'd like to point out that hikers really are a small part of the Bear
problem, and thrus are a tiny fraction of the hikers. Due to their
small numbers, and the time of the year they go through habituated
bear country, the thrus really don't have much impact on the problem.
While arguing over applying regulations to thrus is a popular topic,
it really just doesn't matter that much in the big picture.

Historically most of the habituated bears were habituated in the car
accessible areas, then relocated to the backcountry to keep them away
from the car campers. It has only been in the past few years that the
car campgrounds (Red's Meadow, Tuolumne,  etc) have had adequate bear
boxes to allow easy bear proof food storage for the car campers.

As far as SEKI removing the bear boxes, I've been told by some
insiders I know, that there are political issues involved here. Inyo
NF and SEKI have a close relationship, and a few years back Inyo's
backcountry manager decided to remove the bear boxes from Inyo NF, and
started applying pressure for SEKI to do the same. Each forest and
national park are essentially independent fiefdoms, and they can
administer their territory however they want.

Hell, for a long time, one could get a wilderness permit from a USFS
in Region 5 ranger station http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/ (say Cleveland NF
near Campo) that would be good through all the California USFS, NPS,
BLM and , State Parks land. USFS Region 6 (OR &b WA) wouldn't
recognize those permits, so the PCTA thru hiker permit was born.

There is a lot more to these regulations than just "good management"
practices. Empires are being built. Ask anyone who's been in the
military or worked for the gub'ment.