Backpacking in the Three Sisters Wilderness back in the 70's, I would often encounter cattle grazing on a mountain meadow. Was there no place that was off-limits to the sacred cow (out West, I mean)? The ranching industry is too strong. I still see cattle trampling streamsides to dirt along salmon streams here in Oregon. But they are out of our wilderness areas now. The thought of cattle in our wilderness now seems preposterous to the public at large. We are just slow to do what to many are obvious and long overdue. Jet skis are like cows. They will eventually be out of the wildernesses. But what really needs to happen is for them to be cleaned up. They are way too polluting both in the context of noise and exhaust. I make no apologies for these statements. To say that because I drive or paddle too close to wildlife, I can't express these ideas (which really are self evident to those who keep informed) is rediculous. It's like being ridiculed for saying that stealing is wrong just because I (fill in the blank). Stealing is still wrong. To call one an elitist is to perform a mild charactor assassination. To most thinking people they just showed themselves to be aggressively ignorant. And they were probably pushed too hard by a well-meaning person who passionately cares about the environment. Bill *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Dec 06 2000 - 01:10:09 PST
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