[pct-l] Questioning authority

[CMountainDave@aol.com (CMountainDave@aol.com)]

I'm sorry, but the "Authorities know best" thread has me a bit worked up.
Why? Because it reminds me of what was said when the NPS insisted that goats
should be eliminated from the Olympics because they weren't native and were
causing irreparable damage to the Olympic alpine ecosystem. I was the only
vocal opposition to this plan in the outdoor club I belonged to. Everybody
was saying the same thing: "Trust the authorities." Hundreds of goats were
removed before a Congressman finally stepped in, due to many people like me
who saw fatal flaws in the NPS's logic, and stopped the proposed final
slaughter. An independent scientific study found the NPS goat study
conclusions to be "Unnecessary alarmism" and "Bad science at it's worst." So
you see I've been conditioned to believe that speaking out when you believe
you see authoritative negligence is a GOOD thing to do because it helped save
the goats in the Olympics.
       How about an independent study to determine the best methods to solve
the bear problem in the Sierras. Only problem is, the NPS will reject any
solution that costs money. Why aren't back country user fees used to put in
poles, boxes, dogs, snipers with rubber bullets? I would very much like to
see that they are. With a concerted effort, this problem CAN be solved.