[at-l] Kennebec Crossing

[greyowl at rcn.com (greyowl@xxxxxxx)]

Weary and all,

I still diagree that the Federal Government Owns the AT.  The 
trail does go through Federal Lands, but the Government does 
not own the trail.  The last that I checked none of the ATC 
employees work for the Federal Government and after spending 
2 hrs going through the FY 2003 budget I could not find a 
line item that had anything to do with the AT (It could be 
there, but it was not in any of the obvious places to look).

So here is the situation.  The trail is maintained by local 
clubs.  They get their required funds from their own local 
membeers and from the ATC.  The ATC does not approve of any 
project, thus a relo has to be coordinated with the owner of 
the land, in our case the state of PA.  There is a committe 
on trail care who collects reports of trail conditions and 
decides what is to be done each year.  Our priorities are to 
clear blow downs, place water bars, keep our whelter in tip 
top conditon, and blaxe the trail.  We also maintain a number 
of other trails besides the AT so we can be spread pretty 
thin at times.

So the contract for the ferry across the Kennebec is the 
responsibility of the Maine ATC.  I am sure that they took 
bids, and published their requirements of the contractor (i.e 
liability insurance, trained personel, etc) and they made a 
decission to award the contract.  As a member of the ATC 
(Paid in full) I have the right to make comment on a 
decission that was made on the behalf of the ATC.  I work for 
the government and so I know about low bids.  I try like hell 
to justify not accepting the low bid.  The MATC may have had 
reasons to choose a higher bit, but if they do so they are 
obligated to state why.  There may be a fully justifiable 
reason.  It is my duty to question why.  So why did they 
chose the bid that they did??

FIinally let me say that as a person who came of age in the 
early sixties my motto is QUESTION AUTHORITY.  The motto is 
over my desk and on my laboratory door.  Even volunteer 
organizations should be held accountable which leads to my 
other motto NPWA or NO POWER WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY.

Have a good day you'll

Grey Owl