Onsr Comments

[awhuber]

I heard from a reliable source that the numerous Horse Club groups that frequent the ONSR are all up in arms over these proposals. It is rumored that they are going to have a mass-showing at the Powder Valley meeting next week, even going as far as hauling their horse trailers to the meeting in an attempt to crowd out the limited parking spaces for regular folk wanting their voice to be heard. Not kidding.

The rumor i heard is that the club sierra and nature con folks were going to have a mass showing at the Van Buren meeting, even going as far as bringing their range rovers and prius'(es?) in an attempt to crowd out the limited parking spaces for regular folkwanting their voice to be heard. I'm not kidding either.

[SpoonDog]

I heard from a reliable source that the numerous Horse Club groups that frequent the ONSR are all up in arms over these proposals. It is rumored that they are going to have a mass-showing at the Powder Valley meeting next week, even going as far as hauling their horse trailers to the meeting in an attempt to crowd out the limited parking spaces for regular folk wanting their voice to be heard. Not kidding.

Use histrionics and intimidation to create a spectacle in one of the state's largest media markets? Brilliant strategy.

I hope they do it, and I hope it gets picked up by the news. This stunt may wind up doing more for protection of the Riverways than anything else

[fishinwrench]

That's the thing I don't get - aren't there enough places to ride horses without polluting the river with horse dung? I don't buy the tradition bull crap.

Look at it this way: It all flows downhill, so the closer they poop to the river....the sooner we get rid of it.

[Terrierman]

Comments submitted.

[tanvat]

Great point spoon. I heard the same thing as coldwaterfshr. If those folks actually drove all the way to Kirkwood to make a scene, odds are they would be on the shrill side of the spectrum; the "Voice of the Ozarks" crowd. They'd be there own best bad publicity.

The Voice of the Ozarks website is great; it illustrates the nonsense that seems guide the discussion. According to the Voice folks, the NPS preferred alternative is a terrible thing that: 1. ELIMINATES 65 MILES OF HORSE TRAILS ADJACENT TO THE RIVERS (neglects to mention that it is 65 miles of unauthorized trails and that they will add 30+ miles and improve 20+ miles) 2. ELIMINATES UNAUTHORIZED RIVER CROSSINGS (the outrage!!!! closing unauthorized; i.e., illegal, river crossings!!!!) 3. REQUIRES PERMITS FOR HORSEBACK RIDING (better to just have 3,000 horses/trailriders peeing in the river as they please, e. coli does not really exist and the big city folks think the piles of steaming horse sh%# are from a sasquatch) 4. ELIMINATES MOTOR VEHICLE ACCESS TO GRAVEL BARS (you mean you I can't drive my RV down to any old gravel bar down an illegal road anymore?!?!) 5. ELIMINATES ALL ATV, UTV, AND FOUR WHEELER USE (blantant lie) 6. ELIMINATES OUTBOARD MOTORS IN SOME AREAS (for a few miles for part of the year, while allowing 5 guys on jet-boats to dominate an entire 20 mile stretch of river) 7. PASSES REGULATIONS THAT WILL REDUCE BOAT MOTOR HORSEPOWER (you mean I might not be able to fly up a narrow, windy river in a National Park at 50 mph anymore! And, of course, its not really a national park anyway, you know?)

[SmallyWally]

Comment submitted here.

[Alex Heitman]

Guys I'm a local from down there I think the big problem is not enough enforcement! I love taking my jet boat down there and fishing. It is a great smallmouth fishery and because of some idiot drunks they are going to ruin it for us. Believe I have never seen a ranger down there patrolling and they wonder why people are running wild down there. I'm so sick of them saying well the jet boats aren't working down there, well if they would actually get some rangers down there it would be a different story. The people trying to make these new amendments haven't even been there most likely and have no idea what's going on. Just really pisses me off

[ness]

Yeah Alex, the enforcement isn't what it should be. Never has been.

[SpoonDog]

I've seen enforcement on both the Jacks Fork and the Current, but I agree more can be done. But it isn't just about floaters and it isn't about making new amendments- they're closing roads, accesses, and horse and ATV trails which were never authorized in the first place. They're barring vehicles from gravel bars- which was never authorized in the first place. They're doing exactly what you've asked of them- enforcing the rules which have always been in place.

[Alex Heitman]

Those rules are fine with me spoondog but once again if they were down there handing out tickets we wouldn't even be discussing this. I hate how people think we need all that's amendments. If the rangers were down there there wouldn't be extra access roads and horse trails. The only time I have seen a ranger was when he waited for me to get done fishing at welch's access and stopped me while I was pulling out. They need to be enforcing this more because I have seen countless times when a person has kept more than 4 trout. The last trip down there I seen 3 people with 5 or 6 trout on the stringer. That's why the trout are all small down there too. No enforcement what so ever