[pct-l] Re: Jardine

[Brick Robbins <brick@fastpack.com>]

At 12:34 PM 11/12/1999 -0600, you wrote:

>   I...Attempted a thru of PCT in "98 and saw
>some of the damage done by horses

The problem on the PCT is NOT the horses, it is the NUMBER of horses. The commercial pack outfits are exempt from the Wildnerness Permit Quotas that apply to us recreational users (both hoof and foot) so they overuse the areas around them. Their use is up 40% since 1990 (as recorded by the quota exempt wilderness permits they are required to issue to themselves). One trailhead I know of near an outfitter has a Quota of 40 people/day. ONE day in 1998, the outfitter self issued permits for 150+ people and I don't remember how many head of stock - for this same trailhead that has a maximum daily quota of 40!!!

The solution is to fix this overuse problem by the commercial outfitters,  not to fight the hopeless fight of banning horses entirely. "Zero tolerance" is seldom a rational way to fix a problem.

All IMHO, of course.

-B

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