In Court: Packers vs Forest Service vs Eco-People
In the ongoing saga of the historic pack outfit uses of trails in the Sierra Nevada versus the Forest Service's 2001 (and 2005) wilderness use permit management plan versus the eco-people, Federal Judge Elizabeth D. Laporte ruled on May 6 to reinstate the Forest Service's 2001 management plan. She trimmed stock use by five percent, and the ongoing battle for historic uses continues. Environmentalists, suing the Forest Service and indirectly the pack stations, have added to the eight-year battle by challenging FS data on pack stock uses in the wilderness. Affected by this lawsuit and bureaucratic boondoggle are 17 pack outfits, including all of the eastern Sierra pack stations. At stake, say conservationists, are the Ansel Adams and John Muir Wildernesses, plus the scenic values of more than 800,000 acres.Environmentalists claim the pack outfits are ruining the trails and the scenic wonders with excessive use. Laporte reordered, from the 2001 management plan, stock use quotas in the wilderness areas, plus a 1 to 1.5 stock-to-person ratio for all commerical trips. The pack outfits had wanted a 1 to 3 ratio. Laporte also ended grazing, entrance to areas where the Yosemite toad (endangered species), and took away the ability of pack outfits to have campfires in areas where the general public can't sing around a campfire. Most pack outfitters pledge to continue to push for their historic uses in the region, which date back to the original use of the Fresno Trail (from Fresno to Mammoth Lakes) during the Gold Rush days. A handful of our Presidents and congressional representatives have availed themselves of pack trips, most notably with Bob Tanner and his Red's Meadow mules and horses. In the early days, the pack stations helped break the trails for the Sierra Club adventures and helped pack out the trash created by unthinking hikers. Pack stations have helped remove debris from the trails so the public could enjoy the trails too. Most pack station operators also work hand-in-hand with the FS to clear the trails each season, and yes, this is so they can operate their businesses. This ongoing court battle doesn't affect private pack users, but it is costing tax payers money when the FS has to foot the bill for defending and rewriting its management plans. Once again, our taxpaying dollars are at war in our very own pockets....