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Thread: Proposed Ansel Adam Act

  1. #21

    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Portland Oregon
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    161
    Real Name
    Connie Keyes

    Re: Proposed Ansel Adam Act

    It's easy to jump to the conclusion that the big evil government is taking over, but we have to remember that forests and public roads associated with them need maintenance and care. Fees are one way to pay for that since the same people are the ones who are cutting funding for those services. I don't think people should be restricted in the enjoyment of what is by rights ours, photographers certainly should be allowed easy access without the restriction of fees. I think a more important stricture would be that there be no foot print left. Without some kind of regulation you have people leaving trash, destroying plant life and in some instances causing fires, photography in itself doesn't start fires, but a careless smoking photographer can.

    Another consideration is that a wide open use mandate, especially commercial leaves our forests open for film producers, with huge crews of staff, vehicles and impact on the area. Imagine going on a hike to a favorite spot and finding a commercial enterprise with their "little city" of production needs food, light, heating, toilets, water, cars, trucks and trailers, naturally they aren't going to want to share, and they will make millions and that leaves either the taxpayer picking up the tab or nothing being done and not mandate to clean up after themselves.

    So it becomes a two edged sword. I have no answer to the question, but I would rather pay my parking fees and be held to some kind of standard for use of the public lands. Hefty fines might work better than restricting use, but who will pay for the clean up after the people who have no consideration for others?

  2. #22
    Downrigger's Avatar
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    Feb 2013
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    Utah and the Adirondacks
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    1,677
    Real Name
    Mark

    Re: Proposed Ansel Adam Act

    This legislation is emblematic of broader antipathies in relations between the conservative public and federal land management. I suppose Stockman is not firing at a straw man - but the description of events at the foundation of the legislation is as alarming as it is hard to believe and my suspicion is that the events justifying the bill were outliers that served to create a soapbox. I've "done" Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, Y'stone and "never ever" seen anything like this - many,many interactions with Park staff while in obvious photographer mode have never been anything other than cordial.

    Here in Utah, and in nearby Nevada it is obvious that there is an emerging and vitriolic opposition to "Fedrel Gummint" management of any lands, and Utah is leading the effort to reclaim all federal lands from the "fedrel gummint" so they can be better managed (read: "exploited for resources and income more thoroughly").

    The almost punitive and increasingly severe underfunding of federal agencies managing public lands, along with general anti "gummint" attitudes in the west has created an increasingly strained atmosphere for relations between the public and workers in those agencies, one that has become dangerous for those workers - See http://www.sltrib.com/news/1765127-1...eral-employees.

    It must be very difficult for federal employees in the park service, forest service and BLM to approach the public positively as they face increasingly severe funding restriction, hostility and threats to life from the public they serve. That excludes dealing with the ignoramuses that selfishly trash public lands any number of ways, and plenty of that happens. But essentially all of them I have met are polite and respectful at a minimum. Perhaps the feds are unnecessarily high-handed or downright stupid sometimes - but the currently deteriorating environment is not heading for the dialogue and mutual respect the situation badly needs.

  3. #23

    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Nelson New Zealand
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    69
    Real Name
    Barry Doig

    Re: Proposed Ansel Adam Act

    An interesting discussion. Here in New Zealand the three Lord of the Rings movies, plus the three Hobbit movies were largely filmed in our National Parks and reserves. Strict conditions were imposed by our Department of Conservation to negate the environmental impact, and the land had to be returned to its original condition. The result was a win-win for both the movies and the subsequent tourist interest. There are at present no rules regarding non-commercial photography, but photographic organisations are watching the issue carefully.

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