Highly unlikely as this would require them drastically changing the current permitting system or just scrapping it entirely for the year and just saying to the horde, go out there and try not to destroy every plant and animal in the wilderness.Wandering Daisy wrote: ↑Thu Apr 09, 2020 12:16 pm Another related subject. Would backpacking permits that are unused because trailheads remain closed, be re-issued for a later date? And if later dates are already full, how could that be fairly done? If things do open up this summer, it looks to me that it will be a very difficult year to get first-come permits. What about the PCT permits?
More likely is a complete shut down of entry onto public lands. I've seen comments that this would be impossible. How so? The state and federal park service employees are still being paid. How hard would it be for them to patrol trailheads and issue tickets or even charge the owners of vehicles parked at said trail heads with a crime for violating an order of the state health officer (this is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $5000 for each violation, if I remember correctly from when I worked for the Dept of Public Health)? This would also require additional action by the state health officer or governor or other departments of the state and/or county government, but once you get beyond that whole inalieanable rights BS, it's pretty easy.
Now, I'm sure many of you are seing me as some sort of right wing crack pot. I would disagree, but that's your right. In my defense, I don't think closing of borders, social isolation, etc. are bad ideas or unawful. However, I'm seeing what I consider to be a serious level of panic because this is a highly contagious virus with no vaccine or proven treatment at this time. It seems that people are grasping at anything any action that the government says is necessary to save lives no matter how illogical it might be (Department of Fish and Wildlife is moving towards closing the commercial and recreational fishing for the year, why - Corona virus! Huh?). However, this panic has set in and as long as the press keeps flaming it with lies and half truths to generate viewership you can bet people will continue to grasp at anything to control something that is not controllable. This is not the flu, this is worse, at least for now. By most estimates, it is 3 to 4 times as contagious. Even with under-reporting due to a lack of testing, it is likely more deadly. And, once again there is no vaccine or treatment. We need to be safe, but we need to be sensible. For me, that means minimizing contact with other people in general, hand washing more than ever before (I'm no longer that weirdo who returns from the bathroom with a paper towel to open the doors between there and my office or maybe I still am), and limiting contact with older people especially, as I don't know if I am infected, infected in the past but clear now, or never infected. However, I do not see how riding a bike, hiking, or fishing which are all solitary pursuits for me, are a risk, and I am losing patience with people who tell me any additional risk is unacceptable, especially given the risks they have accepted every day for as long as they have been alive and continue to accept without even thinking about it.
My apologies for the long rant. It's been building for a while as I see a summer being wasted and an economy destroyed, which by the way, could mean 10's of thousands of additional deaths per year for year's to come and reduced life spans in general due to the affects a large economic depression would have on nutrition, medical care, and health in general. But those are acceptable I guess.
