Shoshone NF proposes to close all 32 camping sites next year

[branhap]

So I just read an article where the Shoshone NF is likely in spot where it is complaining about lack of funding...

They are proposing to close all 32 campsites for next summer due to $2M (of their $14M budget) being sidetracked to manage Beetle Kill trees in the Snowy's (SE Wyoming/Northern Colorado).

Not sure if it will actually occur, or if it is posturing at the moment. But in any case, this would be sad for our area, but probably improve the fishing... However, it would likely have a negative impact on much of the land and increased chance for fire due to dispersed camping being allowed anywhere on state lands.

Also, I find it interesting, as they have just spent millions of dollars to pave a road that nobody wanted paved over the past couple of years. (This was pre-Obama money)

*sigh*

Paul

[MTSkibum]

I lived in both Cody and Greybull and have used the shoshone forest a fair bit. While this is not good news it wont effect the locals much. Most people i knew already didnt stay at campgrounds. Who this effects is the people in motorhomes on their way to YNP.

[kbproctor]

It's going to have some effect in tourist dollars, too. And what about the loss in revenue for all those hunting licenses for Tourist Season that they can't sell now?

[DG]

That sucks. My Forest is in the same boat. All of the funding we normally get, excluding the salaries of our permanent employees, went to the beetle forests. No seasonals, no $ for doing work on the ground, nothing. And they keep asking how we feel about doing details to some bug forest to work on their projects, even though that won't save any $ on our own forests. We had some backlash from it, as people pointed out that you cannot take it ALL, since we have expenses and commitments, such as feeding our horses, buying toilet paper, and the like. They compromised on a small amount of $ that is not really enough to do much, in my opinion. As people realize just what sort of impact it will have on the programs in the Forest, I expect it will cause more outrage, and maybe some $ will be scraped up somewhere to compensate.

If you have concerns, I strongly encourage you to write to the Regional Forester in Denver, and to your congresspeople.