[pct-l] Pct-L Digest, Vol 57, Issue 27

[Mary Coolidge]

hi devon,
three fingered jack is within the mt. jefferson wilderness: chainsaws
are prohibited under the wilderness act of 1964 for "protection of
wilderness character". exceptions for use of mechanical equipment may
be made for fire-fighting or search and rescue, but there is generally
an emphasis on use of traditional tools & modes of travel, even if
they are slower. horses are allowed as far as i know though perhaps
there is some particular prohibition in that section of trail?
there are probably many different perspectives on wilderness
designations, but i wouldn't chalk this up to hamstringing by federal
bureaucracy. rather, i'm grateful for the protection of wild places in
the spirit of aldo leupold or william o douglas, and i would happily
choose hiking through blowdown over chainsaws for tranquility in the
woods. more info on wilderness:
http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=WhatIsWilderness
mary


> > As I was walking across Oregon this year, I ran across a trail
> maintenance
> > group (I think from the PCTA) near Three Fingered Jack.  They didn't have
> > horses or chainsaws and were facing the daunting task of clearing dozens
> of
> > trees using handsaws that had apparently fallen during a wind storm the
> > previous winter.  When I inquired why they weren't using horses and
> > chainsaws, I was surprised to hear that they were banned on that part of
> > the trail.
> > I'm not clear as to why such a ban would exist in the context of people
> who
> > are actively performing trail maintenance.  It would seem to be at least
> an
> > order of magnitude easier to clear a trail with a chain saw and a horse
> > than by hand.  I would like to think that when I donate to organizations
> > that do trail work that they aren't hamstrung by federal bureaucracy that
> > impedes getting important work done.  Can anyone shed some light on this?
> >
> > Devon