[at-l] Fwd: Land of the Free and Detached

[daveh at psknet.com (Dave Hicks)]

I suspect that the issue here is not primarily "public lands" vs. "private
ownership"  -- albeit that is an issue which also threatens the backcountry.

Some time back I was actively in trying to recruit some non-white government
co-workers to join me for trail maintaining -- in response to some criticism
leveled at our community about a lack of diversity.

Two sets of "urbanite" reaction dominated the responses:

1)  I like well lit wide sidewalks on busy streets.  Trees, bushes, dark
parks, etc are where muggers, dopers, gangs, etc hide, hang out, waylay
folk, etc.  You won't find me going there.  Nighttime in the dark woods?
You got to be kidding.

2)  If I'm going to fix-up anyplace for recreational use, it'll be in the
city -- a playground, set of hoops, Boy & Girls clubhouse, etc.

The appreciation of "public facilities/lands" was there.  However, the
appreciation was for open, well lit, and well policed public
facilities/lands in an urban area.  The National Mall was a good place to
be.  Rock Creek Park was not.  Ocean City Beach was good.  Assateague Island
Seashore wasn't.

IMHO, folk w/o a cultural appreciation for the rural, the country, the
remote, the wild places, etc want to see all such places turned into places
which look and feel similar to those setting for which they do have good
cultural feelings -- places which feel good to them.  So, I suspect that the
issue is not will we have public land, but what will be the nature of that
public land.

BTW -- I sense some of the same feelings in our community.  There are folk
who are comfortable on the AT, but would never attempt a unblazed wilderness
area.  There are some of us who need shelters, hiking companions, instant
communications, etc.

America may have its work cut out for it if we want to continue the legacy
of public-land for something other than The National Mall, the City Beaches,
the Parks that are heavy on asphalt and Rangers and short on perceived
dangers, etc.

Chainsaw

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John O" <johno@monmouth.com>
To: <at-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
Sent: Monday, May 24, 2004 7:50 PM
Subject: [at-l] Fwd: Land of the Free and Detached

SNIP
>>
Witness the Urbanization of America. As The City grows, it
absorbs a flow of country bumpkins and other folks who value open public
spaces.
<<

SNIP

>>
American culture has a stake in public lands as well, said Pierce.
Backcountry activities and the outdoors are foreign, generally speaking,
to the fastest-growing cultures in America: Hispanics, Blacks, Asians. The
USA Today article reported a projection of Hispanic and Asian populations
to triple in the next 50 years, with the Hispanic population alone
doubling in size to 103 million; an estimated 24 percent of the nation's
population. Those cultures have little historical appreciation of public
lands.
<<

SNIP