[at-l] Kennebec etc.

[wdlists at optonline.net (Walter Daniels)]

> 
> 
> I am confused, I hit the link below  
> http://www.nps.gov/appa/pphtml/facts.html
> 
> and up pops
> 
>  
> Appalachian National Scenic Trail 
> 
> Nothing about Appalachian National Park.  In PA I have never 
> seen a national park service ranger on the trail and by law 
> they have to be around to enforce park rules.  Instead I see 
> PA game wardens enforcing PA Game laws.  In fact the National 
> Park Service only provides overisght and funds, the trail 
> management has been turned over to the ATC for day to day 
> operations.  It is the document that I refered to in my first 
> posting.  National parks have rules that most hikers would 
> probably not tolerate.  For instance use by moterized 
> vehicles (snow mobiles).  They are forbidden on National 
> Scenic Trails.  ALpen Rose Motor Sports Club can be built if 
> the AT was a National Park, but since it is a National Scenic 
> Trail the developers will lose.  There are other 
> ramifications if the trail becomes a National Park.  Look up 
> the laws.
> 
> Grey Owl
I suggest you volunteer with one of the maintaining clubs and get to know
the facts. There is exactly one ATPO ranger. ATPO is the Appalachian Trail
Park Office, i.e. the official name of the unit of NPS that covers the AT.
He covers the whole trail. How does he do that? Because of the cooperative
agreement and all the State MOUs. Any law enforcement officer in any
jurisdiction can be called on to help enforce the laws if it happens in
their territory.

Don't we all wish that the Alpine Rose case was as solved as you think it
it. At the last ATC Board meeting we just approved a lot more money to help
fight the case in the courts.

All hikers on the AT are supposed to obey all the NPS rules or USFS rules or
State Park rules, etc. as appropriate. Are they onourous? Some - maybe. Are
the obeyed? Mostly by most people. Every legal jurisdication I know of has
some number of silly laws that no one enforces, but they could. There are
also numerous cases of laws that are way underinforced, mostly due to lack
of enough law enforcement personnel.

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