Re: [pct-l] Bear-Proof Bear Bag (Ursack)

[Brick Robbins <brick@fastpack.com>]

At 08:19 AM 6/14/00 , Prosser,Douglas A wrote:
>Is there an actual approval process for the national parks for these items
>or can we use this or even home made bear canisters in these areas?  Perhaps
>Brick could chime in since I recall you looking into the bear canister regs.

I spoke with a lawyer about this subject, and he said that it was his 
understanding that the Gov't is not in the business of "approving" devices. 
They issue specifications, and then the manufacturers, or other 3rd party 
certification organizations test and certify the products, sometimes with 
Gov't observing. As far as I can tell, there are no specs and there is no 
formal approval procedure, just some biologists in SE/KI making informed 
guesses. (At least as of late last year, when I last looked into it....)

I gave the lawyer some documentation I pried out of the USFS, and SE/KI and 
he "guessed" that they were not in compliance with federal statutes, but 
that challenging them would be long and expensive.

He suggested that a citation for using a "non approved" bear can would be 
easy to fight based on the flawed approval procedure, but questioned if the 
fight would be worth it, since the travel time to federal court in Fresno 
would be so expensive. Cheaper just to pay the ticket.

All IMHO, IANAL, YMMV

-Brick

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