I have mixed feelings about the watertrails concept. I am a member of the Maine Island Trail Association, the originator of the idea. I see the service they provide as getting permission to use private islands. These islands were probably being camped on before MITA came along, so in a sense they are just charging a fee for what people had been doing for a long time. But the ethics of commando camping at these spots was questionable. There is no ethical question about camping on a "MITA island" once MITA has negotiated the permission. The MITA guide includes public lands in its directory, but you don't need to be a MITA member to use these islands. The traffic on private and public islands has increased, but is this a result of MITA advertising or is it due to the increased popluarity of sea kayaking. If people are out kayaking anyway, isn't it better that they camp where they have permission, in a somewhat controlled manner, than sneaking in somewhere. The trail movement has concentrated the camping, and in a sense "ruined" many good campsites. But people randomly creating campsites would be damaging as well. I've paddled alot in the Stonington, Maine area, which is the nicest, best kayaking, section of the Maine Island Trail. The many islands are close together and there are several nice camping islands. I have yet to see a real crowding problem. Maybe a couple days a year there is a problem. The most powerful protection for the islands is the ocean and the skills required to paddle on it. More people get the MITA guide, read it and dream, than actually get out on the islands. The people that do get out there would probably do so anyway. MITA just lets them do it without facing the ethical problem of trespassing. Where I have problems with the Trails concept is where it gets in the way of the local's use of traditional camp sites. Now they have to deal with people from "away" telling them they can't use an island they've used for generations, just because they aren't carrying the right card. The locals often have at least implicit permission to use the island and should not be bothered by high minded outsiders. If the guide says that only card-carrying members should use the island... well let the owner enforce it. Nick At 1:57 AM -0700 7/11/00, Matt Broze wrote: >Actually I agree with most of what Ralph says (below). I was still surprised >he put it into print in his book. I can imagine how a landowner, upset with >some kayakers, could use it in a hearing about controlling access to >kayakers in his area. "Look its not just a few bad apples doing this here it >is described in a well respected book on the subject.". > >I disagree with Ralph about supporting paddle trails organizations though. >They sell the pipe dream of more camping areas but from what I have seen >locally that's not what actually happens. More likely they will find all the >existing camping areas and post them and charge a fee and advertise them >nationally to attract paddlers from all around to their new trail. They >justify these new fees by saying they need it so that new areas can be >purchased or developed but I've not seen much progress here either. > Nick Schade Guillemot Kayaks 824 Thompson St, Suite I Glastonbury, CT 06033 (860) 659-8847 Schade_at_guillemot-kayaks.com http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/ >>>>"It's not just Art, It's a Craft!"<<<< *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue Jul 11 2000 - 06:20:32 PDT
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