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[pct-l] PCT and politics
- Subject: [pct-l] PCT and politics
- Date: Sun, 12 Nov 2000 13:30:56 EST
So politics are okay as long as it involves the PCT? Well, here goes. There
are certain people who would love to recreationally commercialize our public
lands. They want to contract out the management of these public lands to
private corporations who would then charge us for "rides" (backpacking,
climbing, sightseeing, kayaking, etc.) in their "Disneyland's" with a
kickback to the national treasury. So how the hell does this affect a hike on
the PCT? Simple. That free through hike pass could be history if a certain
non tree hugging person gets elected. Let's say you spend 120 days on public
lands during your thru hike. At $4 a night, that makes your "ticket" price
for your "ride" come to $480. But then we also have to have an entrance fee
for approximately 30 different "Disneylands". At $10 a pop that comes to
$300. Total excursion fees: $780 plus various and sundry taxes. Oh, sure,
there will always be a few "James Dean" types around to bitch and moan, but
most people will just come to accept it and pay with an "it's for a good
cause" attitude. I went for the guy that climbed Mt. Rainier with his son. I
thought he could relate to my outdoor issues better than someone who wants to
commercially exploit wilderness, whether for oil or recreation.
* From the PCT-L | Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html *
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To: "'CMountainDave@aol.com'" <CMountainDave@aol.com>, pct-l@backcountry.net