The Conservation Commissioner speaks
Maine Conservation Commissioner Pat McGowan was on the radio this AM talking about the Katahdin Lake land deal.
Listen in and hear his take on the proposal.
You can take it from there.
As for me, I'm not a hunter. I don't even play one on TV.
I'm a hiker.
That said, I simply can't understand why the two factions can't get along. Has it always been this way and I just haven't paid attention?
I hike in the 750,000 acre White Mountain National Forest, the 500,000 acres of the Maine Public Reserve lands, countless trails on private property. And share these places with those who hunt.
By October and November each year, when the vast majority of hunters are outside and active, the vast majority of hikers are not. For me and others who enjoy extending the hiking season into the cold fall weather, we don some blaze orange and hike on.
What is the big deal? Really?
With Katahdin Lake we're not talking about mixing motorized recreation with non-motorized recreation. And that makes sense to me. It's hikers and hunters. No machines.
Sorry, but I'm just not the exclusionary type. That's what I see going on here. And it's the only reason why I have trouble with this proposal that would preserve a fine chunk of the Maine woods for all of us.
What I am missing?
Carey,
You're missing the sad truth that polarization plagues our decision-making skills as a society. Folks on the left think one way, folks on the right think another way, and there is no middle ground.
Same thing with this issue: hunters on one side and non-hunters on the other. There actually are a LOT of folks out there like you: folks who believe that compromise is possible, and enjoyment of this land can be shared by all.
However, the sensible folks mentioned in the previous paragraph are not in politics. The people making decisions, and the loudest noise on the issue, will have it either their way or no way at all.
Posted by
FornyaMarch 17, 2006 02:41 PM
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