[at-l] Cost to remove a blowdown

[daveh@psknet.com (Dave Hicks)]

Well put me down as one maintainer who is against using weedeaters,
chainsaws, or any thing other than muscle powered tools to maintain trail in
the Wilderness -- except in a true emergency.  We worked too hard and long
to get those areas designated as Wilderness to now start to chip away at
that protection, for our convenience.  And yes, I have cut 30+ inch oaks
with ax and crosscut.  I have also work with a large crew using rock bars to
"row" aside a blowdown -- which I would have chainsawed, were it not in an
Wilderness.

BTW -- Were I to even to consider a change it would be on the restriction on
wheeled conveyances and helicopter lifts where the alternative does more
damage.  For those who are unaware of the problem it is as follows.  We can
use horse, or mule, drawn sleds, or sled type skidders, to haul
stringers/timber/etc into a wilderness to replace or repair a bridge, or the
like.  We cannot use a horse, or mule, drawn wheeled cart, or a wheeled
skidder along the same route for the same purpose -- notwithstanding that
the wheeled device creates far less damage to the land.  Some how I feel
that the wheel was invented long enough ago to qualify.

BTW2 -- There are some folk who would have that we must remove all manmade
structures (including bridges) from the Wilderness and stop all blazing in
the Wilderness.  So, I guess I am to a true purest.

Chainsaw

----- Original Message -----
From: <runhorton@juno.com>
To: <at-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2002 7:43 AM
Subject: [at-l] Cost to remove a blowdown

SNIP

> I can't imagine ANY maintainer who would be against using weedeaters and
> chainsaws to maintain trail.
SNIP