When tourists enter the wilds …

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April 19, 2009: Limiting tourists into fragile ecosystems is a technique that is being imposed more and more often. In the Antarctic proposals limiting the number and type of ships allowed into the area as well as limiting the number of passengers allowed to go ashore looks sure to pass. These are the kinds of solutions which may be called for in our Wilderness Areas as visitor populations soar, along with global populations.

Yesterday, the BBC published an article about the threat of tourism on the fragile Antarctic environment. This is a part of that article:

“ Countries with ties to Antarctica have adopted US proposals to limit tourism in the region, in a bid to protect the fragile ecosystem of the continent.

Parties to the Antarctic Treaty agreed to limit the size of cruise ships and the number of tourists taken ashore at a meeting in the US city of Baltimore.

Limiting tourism has taken on urgency due to a surge in visits and a number of cruise ship accidents.

Antarctic visits have risen from 6,700 in 1992-93 to over 45,000 last season.

The agreed limits will only become legally binding once ratified by each of the 28 nations who have signed the Antarctic Treaty, launched in Washington 50 years ago.

The restrictions do not set out an enforcement mechanism or penalties, but require member countries to prevent ships with more than 500 passengers from landing in Antarctica and to allow a maximum of 100 passengers on shore at any given time.”

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August 15, 2008
One of the challenges all in-holders, all users of the LPNF, and the USFS itself face, is that the USFS has the mandate to encourage multiple uses. In fact, Los Padres is called “The land of many uses.” Cattle grazing is encouraged, hang-gliding is encouraged, hunting is supported, camping in undeveloped campsites is tolerated, mining on existing mining claims is tolerated, although closed to new claims, as are many other uses. Some users are extremely knowledgeable and conscientious, while others are clueless. As long as we have these mandates, we must look toward solutions to multiple uses that consider these very divergent types. The USFS budget has been completely drained by the costs ($150M, I am informed) of fighting the Indian and Basin fires, this year. The solutions seem unattainable … but the operative word, is “seem.” There will be solutions, we just haven’t found them, yet.
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July 21, 2008
… the Darwinian candidates are everywhere. At first, I thought it would be great if we could implement a policy akin to the driver’s license. You know, take a basic test on basic survival (how far can one hike without bringing any water? True or false, rattlesnakes are dangerous. Why should a camper always carry a shovel?) If one has a “wilderness” license, then one can enter the wilderness area. If not, then one can get a learner’s permit and only enter with a licensed wilderness “driver.” One learner per driver. Yeah, and we could charge for these licenses, too, and create yet another DMV-esque agency.

I did a google search, figuring I could find some stories to tell here — especially the funny ones. I’ve got plenty of the other kind that just seem to prove to me what idiots the human species is. What I discovered instead is that tourism is threatening wildernesses everywhere. Let’s have a conversation, here, and see what we can come up with to solve some of our turista problems here in the wilderness, particularly here in Big Sur.

Published by the BBC on Friday, November 7, 1997:
Tourism threatens Antarctic wilderness
The world’s last great wilderness, the last unexplored continent, is under threat from tourism.

Some areas are developing policies to both encourage eco-tourism of their wilderness areas, while at the same time, protect it. The state of Karnataka (Mysore) in India has developed a policy which limits the number of tourists having access in any one year, which discourages the “casual” tourist, and encourages the use of guides and programs. (See http://www.karnatakawildernesstourism.org/WLPolicy.htm)

In 1998, at a symposium, a paper was presented about the increased tourism pressures on New Zealand’s Wilderness areas. One of the conclusions, after a great deal of study, is that tourism needs to be confined to the outlying portions of the wilderness, leaving the core, or more pristine areas unavailable for tourism. (See http://divcom.otago.ac.nz/tourism/research/electronicpubs/sustainingwilderness/)

These are just two of the suggested solutions being offered and/or implemented in other tourist-threatened wildernesses in the world.

So, what are our solutions? As more and more people want to “escape” the city life which has bound them, many of them completely unconscious of what it means to be in a wilderness area, the stress on our wilderness systems will increase. The opening day of hunting season always sends a shiver up my spine. The last time, there were 20 illegal campsites set up on the top 2 miles of Plaskett Ridge. One campsite had over 20 people, and 6-8 trucks parked there. Fortunately for our bucks, most of these hunters are really just out to drink beer, shoot down my “No Trespassing” signs and avoid shooting each other. Hey, and SOMETIMES there is even a USFS patrol on the opening day!