[at-l] If a tree falls in the forest...

[bullard@northnet.org (James Bullard)]

At 11:42 PM 1/22/01 -0500, you wrote:

>Equally important to looking up at that trees around your tent site is
>reporting suspect trees so that they get taken down or pruned. All shelter
>maintainers are supposed to inspect them, but not all do a good enough job.

As an Adirondack lean-to (shelter to y'all down South) maintainer I have to 
remind everyone that on some State (and Federal?) lands even a maintainer 
can't cut a suspect tree without permission. That said, 'widow makers' that 
were adjacent my lean-to or the camping area have been known to come down 
while I was on a maintenance trip. They just sort of fell and no, Mr. 
Ranger, those aren't saw marks on the end. Looks to me like the woodchucks 
around here finally learned to chuck wood.

Saunterer (Nobody saw me do it, you can't prove a thing.)