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Show THE ZEPHYROCTOBER 1990 PAGE 34 Dear Editor: feedback the readers respond Greetings Jim: must take exception to the comment quoted In your September, 1990 Issue concerning the Idea that photographers "have little or on Impact on the land or the resources." This comment was made In reference to the BLM's proposed annual fee for commercial photographers who take photographs on public land. In my Job as the BLM ranger at Kane Gulch on Coder Mesa, It Is my experience that commercial photographers do In tact Impact the resources by their work, perhaps more than they realize or want to face up to. (Please understand that I am writing this letter on my own, not as a BLM spokesperson.) In my Job I am most concerned about visitor Impacts on the archaeological resources of the area, especially In light of the tremendous Increase of use Cedar Mesa has experienced the last three years. Much of this Increase has been partly, at least, created by the numerous photographs of the archaeological ruins that have been widely published within the last several years. Photographers via their published photos have a tremendous amount of power! I have learned that photographs of Southeast Utah's archaeological treasures are not only worth a thousand words, but very often are worth a thousand (or morel) new people wanting to visit that particular photographed site. I have had numerous first-tivisitors to Cedar Mesa put a published photograph on my desk and ask me how they can get to the archaeological site shown In the photo. The photographers whose work are shown to me are both local and more widely known professional photographers. The archaeological sites that are most often photographed for publication are the best preserved, most Intact ones, or the ones that are the least known. For example, a nationally known photographer recently stopped In at the Ranger Station to Inquire about what best preserved, least known, and not previously photographed ruins I could tell him about! And Its not that many professional photographers don't realize they are dealing with a double edged sword. I have had many discussions with photographers who readly admit (and agonize over It) that the publication of their work can bring both personal satisfaction (In terms of money and esteem) and public problems (In terms of Increased visitation and Impact to archaeological sites). I wonder how many photographers who commented on the BLM's proposed user fee for commercial photographers were forthright enough to have said that In their comments. I me In my view, published photographs of archaeological ruins (even If ambiguously labeled for name and location) can be succinct guide books. I think some of the disparaging words you wrote about hiking guide books In the July, 1990, Issue of the Zephyr fit very well some published works of photographers. Many photographers seek out the "last blank spaces on the map; "they find remote, Infrequently visited places,., write It up, desk top publish the results, and distribute the book In every book store, drug store, grocery store, and curio shop within 300 miles of the "target area. Mass marketing brings results. For the term "book you could also Insert postcard, poster, and calendar. Yes, mass marketing of appealing photographs of Southeast Utah's archaeological sites brings results, In the form of Increased visitation and Impact to those sites located on the public lands. As you also wrote, Its "DATA. Its an attempt to make exploring more efficient I don't believe photos are necessarily published to make exploring more efficient but that Is the net effect Published photos, too, I believe, can "make good kindling. People have a right to visit the ruins on Cedar Mesa. But what published photographs often do Is to channel and concentrate visitors to the last best places. IPs akin to building a road In the wilderness to them. Instead of Increased visitation being dispersed, It too often becomes focused on these last remaining pristine areas. I have had visitors who were only Interested In visiting one particular ruin they had seen In an appealing photograph recently published somewhere. That published photograph had made those visitors exploring more efficient, le., they could visit an attractive archaeological site with a minimum amount of personal Investment In time and knowledge. Archaeological sites cant withstand that type of casual, ready-mad- e, Disneyland approach. I realize the causes and consequences of Increased visitation deserve more discussion than can be done In one letter. However, I do believe It Is Incorrect for commercial photographers to assert that their use of the public lands "have little of no Impact on the land. Their published work can, In the long run, have a substantial Impact on the resources of the public lands, particularly for archaeological sites. Whether this Impact should be translated Into a user - fee Is, perhaps, another matter. Best regards, Bob Vance P.S. Keep up the good work on the "Public Lands Watchdog articles. Raquel Shumway brought to mind a belief commonly held by many that the universe exists expressly for the benefit of the righteous humans. These are the last days prophesied somewhere so It really doesn't matter that we use up all our resources or dirty up our cage because Its Just about all over anyway. Soon comes the final cataclysm and our brotherSavlor Jesus files In to save the day and lift our entire planet up a cosmic notch or two. Glory be then with choirs of Angels. Oh, Happy Day! Before that Joyous day when we're all delivered of our sins however, all the unborn souls yet waiting In heaven must have their go at flesh and blood. It behooves us, therefore, to have as many babies as possible as rapidly as possible to hasten the day of bliss. We may be Judged harshly when that day arrives If we have not fully utilized the resources with which we have been blessed. There Is virtue In cleaning our plate, so to speak. Our modem American consumptive lifestyle and Its Inevitable consequences are part of the holy cosmic plan and certainly nothing to be ashamed of. It Just makes sense that our decisions concerning land-u- se planning for the future reflect our beliefs. It's time for all to Join together and put our shoulders to the wheel In bringing people about the collapse and destruction of modem human civilization as we know It right-thinki- ng Respectfully, M. Joseph Young Dear Jim: After that excellent lunch and conversation at the Main Street Broiler I meandered back home by way of Wyoming. Ive been catching up on my reading, got a special kick out of your piece on guide books. My own resentments bubbling and boiling over, I recalled typical guidebook gems: "A spectacular view can be had from.. "A hard scramble up the east col brings you to.." Yes, count me In with those who dont want to be told what's around every bend. Did you know, there's nowon the market a big leap forward In the guidebook field? a video that brings you to the tops of Colorado's highest peaks, step by step, view by Its I view. havent seen this ultimate In couch potato mountaineering, nor do i Intend to. Not that I don't appreciate clear directions In plain English. But, the way things are I think Ill now, go along with you on the keeping of secrets. I'll swear off telling about that In terrific valley the mountains Just off the trail to You touched on the solitude Issue. Im ambivalent on that I keep asking, what If we modems weren't so afraid of each other? What If the sighting of another human In back country didnt mean, nearly every time, an encounter with a machine? If cars parked In sensible places and people hoofed It from there? If we hadn't gotten so Intimidated that, for example, we let "multiple use" come to mean "every body and every enterprise In every place? remember walking up ML Katahdln In the midst of what came close to being a long crocodile of fellow scramblers. But It was okay. For one thing, there were no motors. And being on our own two feet sometimes four, brought wordless assurance that we'd use most of our breath for climbing, not much for shouting, and there'd be no diesel fuels. Another time: ML Marcy In the Adlrondacks. We mixed with a crowd at the top, sheer numbers didn't spoil IL Only a private plane did that, flying low, circling. And one more: My walk to Delicate Arch coincided with the disgorging of a huge tour bus. The path was a wee bit crowded, especially at flrsL but once past the parking lot you could hear, beyond our scuffling, the silence of the deserL We went along, sorting ourselves out, and In due course came to the arch In Its awesome setting. It took us down a few pegs; lots of people there; very little noise. Maybe I happened to hit on a good day. If Id been alone It would have been different, for sure. Better? That's a tough one. Crowds can be hell: Dangerous, unpredictable, downright discouraging. Folks enter congested places like campgrounds with caution, these days, and for good reasons. All Im claiming Is that It takes quite a bunch of foot travellers to equal the disruption wrought by one egomaniac on a dirt bike. Or one truck full of oil and gas exploration gear. In taking on guidebooks youve opened up a big can. Hang In there. I Martin Murie, North Bangor, NY. Dear Editor Stiles: My hat Is off to Jane Jones, for her article In the September Zephyr. That article two first thirds of It anyway) was by tar the most thoughtful ever to appear In the VYALU (the It column. managed for the most part to cut through specific Ideologies and local turf wars and expose the root cause of nearly all of the problems we face overpopulation. As Jane points out, this situation Is considerably aggravated by ridiculous levels of per capita resource consumption In most developed countries (the U.S. In particular). That Is not to say that Increased consciousness and conservation Is any antidote for ongoing population growth, nor, In my mind, Is Improved technology and developmenL No matter how consciously we live, this earth has a limited carrying capacity (even more limited If you think that quality of life and the lives of other beings are valid considerations) which must ultimately be outstripped by an ever Increasing population. And no doubt 471 s. main desert plaza suite 7 ASK ABOUT OUR NEW HOME WARRANTY PROGRAM 259-502- 1 toll free ext. 52 1Z each office Is Independently owned and operated. |