At 10:39 AM 5/21/2002 +0000, you wrote:

>In my opinion, the ban on entry to national forests should only apply
>to people in vehicles, and those intending to stay overnite.  Day hikers
>should still be allowed in, perhaps with their packs being searched,
>and having them "sign in" and "sign out" at the trailhead.  There is no
>threat of forest fires from nonsmoking day hikers, even with the
>tinder-dry conditions we have right now.

Isn't that sort of an elitist attitude about the forest?  What evidence do 
you have that people who drive vehicles into the forest are causing 
fires?  I can understand the overnight campers are more likely to have a 
fire, but I fail to see why simply driving a vehicle makes you undesirable 
to be in the forest.  Also, why is it better to be a non-smoking day hiker 
instead of a non-smoking vehicle driver?

I don't know if it was intended or not, but it seems like your belief is 
that your use of the forest is ok, but others that want to use the forest 
in a different way is bad.

Personally I don't want to see any closure of the forest.  I can understand 
the reason why they want to do it, but I still don't agree with it.




>Mike (Malthusian)
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Az-Geocaching mailing list
>listserv@azgeocaching.com
>http://listserv.azgeocaching.com/mailman/listinfo/az-geocaching
>
>Arizona's Geocaching Resource
>http://www.azgeocaching.com

Scott
Team My Blue Heaven
www.myblueheaven.com/geocache