Tag Archive for 'Politics'

Outdoorsy Debates

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on September 11, 2008
in Politics and hiking
. 0 Comments

Backpacker caught the story of what may be the most rugged political event of history:

Utah Washington County Commissioner hopeful Lin Alder will be hiking and biking along the route to a proposed 170-mile water pipeline from perpetually-shrinking Lake Powell. He’s running against the pipeline and the increased development and costs to the state, and will hold information-gathering sessions and lectures. The trip will end in a sure-to-be-dramatic debate with his opponent atop the Hurricane Cliffs, just outside Zion National Park.

Wow.

That’s one way to get people excited about politics.

Parks Safe For Now

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on May 14, 2008
in Politics and State and Local Parks
. 1 Comment

In a highly expected and not-at-all surprising announcement this week, Governor Schwarzenegger said he would NOT close 48 State Parks, shortfund schools, or release thousands of inmates from prison to balance the state’s budget.

Instead, he’s planning on borrowing money from investors that he hopes to pay back with future revenues from California’s lottery, which sounds like something you’d read in an email from the member of some royal Nigerian family.

Expect fees in some of the more popular parks to rise — but hey, at least you can still use them, right?

Via Two-Heel Drive.

Roadlessland.org

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on March 4, 2008
in Environmentalism, National Forests and Recreation Areas and Politics
. 3 Comments

Reader Nelson commented on some of the recent entries about the Forest Service’s attempt to overturn the 2001 Roadless Rule. He provided a link to his web site, devoted to educating the public about the Roadless Rule — roadlessland.org.

It’s an easy and visceral way to get an idea of just how much land could be affected if the Roadless Rule is overturned. Here in Southern California, large swaths of the Angeles and San Bernardino Forests will be up for grabs, while almost all of the Los Padres National Forest could be facing new construction crews.

The dark green diagonals are already-established Wilderness Areas. The light green areas are currently-held Roadless areas, which may potentially lose their protection if the Bush Forest Service gets its way.

You can click on the sections of forest to get more information about each one, as well as search by state and name. If you want to get a bit more informed, there’s an excellent summary of the issue … and if you want to be scared about what might happen, they’ve got aerial photos of some particularly invasive Forest Service roads.

Toll Road Defeated

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on February 7, 2008
in City Life, Environmentalism and Politics
. 4 Comments


Yesterday, a massive group of surfers, campers and environmentalists flooded a public hearing on a proposed toll road through San Onofre State Park.

The 3500+ person crowd rallied against the 6-lane toll road, which would have taken 320 acres of the park’s land, including sections of a protected marine estuary. In that rare instance of good news, the rabble managed to convince the county commissioners to vote down the toll road, 8 to 2.

The formerly semi-green Governor Schwarzenegger, who has also proposed cutting back the lifeguards at San Onofre, came out in favor of the trans-wilderness freeway last month.

Via LAist.

Americans Would Rather Stay Inside

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on February 5, 2008
in City Life, Environmentalism, Politics and The Great Outdoors
. 1 Comment


Lonely Bench in Forest, originally posted by Eszter

A new study finds Americans are getting into the Great Outdoors 25% less than they did in 1987, with the decline continuing at about 1% every year.

The study measured attendance to National Parks, hiking and camping permits, and getting a license to hunt or fish, and say a new national epidemic of “videophilia” - a focus on “sedentary activities involving electronic media,” may be to blame.

Although the folks at the GOBlog take this to humorous heart, I can’t imagine it’s the primary cause of this decline.

I’m a gamer, myself, and I got into the Outdoors on my own accord well after I’d already been indoctrinated into the joy of various-bit gaming systems. We gamers have had our pasttime blamed for everything from obesity to school shootings to the Downfall of Civilization, itself, so I’m not surprised that they’re also being blamed for keeping kids indoors.

There’s probably a laundry list of reasons why people don’t get outdoors as much anymore - but I’d say that the media’s sensationalizing of the Dangers of Nature does more damage than video games and Google ever will. You’ll catch a cold if you go outside. Or maybe even the plague. Or you’ll get a tick and catch Lyme disease. Or you’ll get mauled by a mountain lion. Or eaten by a bear. Or murdered. What parent wouldn’t want their kids staying in the living room with all that Evil out in the woods?

Maybe what we really need is to stop attacking straw men and start reintroducing the appreciation of the Great Outdoors into our educational curriculum. Teach more environmental science. Show kids how important it is to preserve wilderness in their own communities. Teach about the history of the National Park System - a revolutionary idea that grew up right here in the good ol’ US of A. Show students how survival skills serve both a practical and emotional utility.

Oh, and let’s show them adults value the outdoors by not dumping trash all over it, shooting soot into the air, or closing down a fifth of your state’s parks.

Update on the California Park Closings

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on January 14, 2008
in Politics and State and Local Parks
. 0 Comments

For those fellow Californians who are tracking Gov. Schwarzenegger’s threatened closing of 48 state parks, the San Jose Mercury News has some updates and analysis of the issue.

The good news: If enacted, the parks likely wouldn’t close until 2009, and groups across the state are preparing counter-assaults on the proposal, pointing out it would only eliminate one tenth of one percent of California’s deficit, and that Arnold would become the first California Governor ever to close State Parks to balance a State Budget.

The bad news: Nobody thought the National Park Service would close the Grand Canyon and Washington Monuments during a 1995 budget crisis, but they did.

Either way, this is a very interesting political situation that I’ll be following closely. And, if it comes down to it, maybe some of us can spend some time volunteering in Topanga State Park to keep it open?

Via Two-Heel Drive.

48 State Parks to Close?

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on January 10, 2008
in Politics and State and Local Parks
. 4 Comments

Today, Gov. Schwarzenegger released a list of the 48 State Parks, Recreation Areas, Reserves, and Beaches that he wants to close to help get California’s budget back in the black.

The list reaches across the entire state, and would close many well-trafficked areas — including our very own Will Rogers, Topanga Canyon, and (slightly non-local) San Jacinto State Parks. It’s not clear whether the trailheads themselves will be off-limits, or if it just means closing down the services and rangers, but either way — when the parks are on the chopping block, it’s time to make some noise.

Bob Coomber left a comment on Two-Heel Drive that rightly recommends raising a political ruckus by calling or emailing your state and federal representatives to let them know you want to keep California’s park system up and running. The Drive also has a link to a more in-depth story in the Mercury Press, which shows Arnold also wants to slash education budgets and release 22,000 prisoners.

Actually, now that I think about it, this has GOT to be a way to help pass Props 94 through 97 (warning! PDF!).

Schwarzenegger’s been all over my TV talking about all the extra money California would get from expanding Indian Casinos in Southern California — and now he proposes shutting down beloved parks, cutting school budgets, and letting prisoners return to the streets? Was there any political boogeyman he DIDN’T drudge up? Maybe he could cut funding to police and fire departments … or just close all the hospitals.

Man that makes me angry. Angry enough to write some letters.

Find out your representative and get their address, phone numbers, and emails here.

How Green Is Your Candidate?

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on January 8, 2008
in Environmentalism and Politics
. 0 Comments

I just got my California Permanent Absentee Ballot in the mail yesterday, spiking my previous Election Fascination to full-blown Election Fever.

Since the best kind of voter is an educated one, I’ve added a Grist Election widget to the sidebar to the right, which will let you browse their comprehensive coverage of each candidate’s positions on various environmental-type issues. Or, if you want something a little more at-a-glance, they’ve also got a condensed chart of all the info.

Obviously, there are a lot of issues to consider when you’re voting for a potential President, but the environment should definitely be on your list.

Oh, and if you’re in California, there’s still time to register to vote. You’ve got until January 21st to get your application postmarked. Get on it!

Forest Service Buyout

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on December 6, 2007
in National Forests and Recreation Areas, Politics and hiking
. 0 Comments

Wild Wilderness is sounding the alarm about a new US Forest Service proposal that would grant preferred National Forest access to outfitters, guides, and non-profits. If this proposal is approved, it would have sweeping and potentially permanent effects on all Forest Service Lands — which is the vast majority of outdoorsy-havens around Los Angeles, by the way.

Their site has a good summary of a potential future:

* Outfitters and guides would be able to pay a small fee for sole and exclusive access to prime camping, hunting, fishing and picnic areas, including boat launch ramps.

* Outfitters, guides and non-profit organizations would be awarded an allocation of public use for ten-year periods. Commonly referred to as a “taking,” of public land the rule would give preferred access to the outfitters at the expense of the do-it-yourself public on all Forest Service-managed lands.

* This rulemaking would force allocating access in management areas where access is presently allocation-free, as it now is at Boundary Waters Canoe Area and the Deschutes River.

* Outfitters, Guides and non-profits become “Priority Users”. The public, who does not use outfitters, guides or non-profits for access would no longer have “priority use.”

* The general public would no longer be able to comment on USFS giving away blocks of access to Forest Service land. Outfitting and guiding in designated wilderness would not require public comment and review through an Environmental Assessment or Environmental Impact Statement. Additionally, there is no provision to prevent outfitting services from selling their preferred access rights to their successor companies.

* The new proposed rules do not protect wilderness areas from commercialization.

Not all doom and gloom, WildWilderness also has helpful links for ways you can submit a comment on this action, either in writing or online. They suggest you CC your Senator or Representative, too.

Remember all comments have to be received by January 17th, 2008. If you do anything outside on National Forest land, from hiking to mountaineering to horseback riding to shooting, this affects you.

Live Earth

Published
by
Modern Hiker
on July 7, 2007
in Environmentalism, Politics and in the media
. 2 Comments

Today is 07-07-07. For some, a lucky day to pick up a lottery ticket. For others, a good day to stage a worldwide concert event on all of the 7 continents to raise awareness about the climate crisis.

On the Live Earth web site, you can stream live footage from all of the world’s concerts, as well as watch some educational shorts and read up on how minor changes over large groups of people can have an enormous effect. The traditional ‘get involved’ section of the site is all about promising to change a few bulbs to CFLs, shopping for energy efficient appliances, and making sure everything is turned off when you leave your apartment or house. Really, all stuff we should be doing anyway.

So if you’ve got some time today, check out one of the webcasts, learn up on some practical ways to green your life, and sign the Live Earth Pledge, which demands our government start taking this issue seriously, and asks us to look for ways to help as individuals, too.

At the very least, try to check out the band from Antarctica - Nunatak. If there’s something I can get behind more than a worldwide concert for climate change, it’s a band playing outside a sub-zero research station composed entirely of scientists.