[at-l] Respect For AT Wildness Values

[nealb@midlandstech.com (William Neal)]

-----Original Message-----
From: RoksnRoots@aol.com [mailto:RoksnRoots@aol.com]
>>>corridor a primitive and wild place as stated n the ATC guidelines for
the AT. 
TURTLE:  I'm all for wild places, but unfortunately the AT's wildness was
long gone before Benton McKay's article.  People logged and farmed along the
AT corridor well before the 1900s.  Either that or barb wire does grow on
trees.  Some areas (if you look in the old photographs) were denuded up
until sometime before WW2. I understand that Helen, GA., was a big lumber
town in its first heyday. BUT that does not mean we cannot keep it as wild
and natural as possible.

Only if we seek to preserve the rules ABSOLUTELY PERFECTLY, we are apt to
end up with non-perfection.  You can please some of the people all of the
time.  All of the people some of the time.  But you can't please all of the
people all of the time.  Unfortunately (or fortunately) all of the people
own the AT.  And if either of the "extremes" prevail, we're apt to end up
with something that nobody wants.

Think of something you'd absolutely refuse to support or pay for, and
realize that there is somebody on the other side who feels the same way
about what you do want.

Only reasonable "compromise" will preserve the AT in any acceptable form.

Unless somebody inherits a Trillion dollars and buys all the land along the
corridor.  Or would it cost 2 Trillion? ;-) Then I could keep out all those
**** that want to hike my trail.

William, The "I hate compromise, but I've compromised with it" Turtle