2022-09-17, 08:25 PM
We don’t need more helicopters. CHP and China Lake SAR birds are more than sufficient and have been doing a bang up job for years. There aren’t very many rescues a year and a dedicated air asset that gets limited use and duplicates existing air resources doesn’t seem worthwhile.
We don’t need more road grading. Less please. Although, sure, short spur roads like Salt Creek and what not should get frequent grading. Stop grading Racetrack Road though. Needs some deep “gatekeeping” ruts to keep inappropriate vehicles off of it.
Do like the idea of perhaps having a MOU with various 4WD clubs to fix major washouts while leaving roads in a largely primitive state.
What we really need is more education and patrols. Many Parks are getting loved to death and DVNP is a likely next victim. If we could get more rangers on staff to be out educating new visitors that would be huge. Signage helps of course, but rangers are the most respected government employees in the US in survey after survey. Hire more and get them out at the highly visited sites interacting with and educating people. That will do more, in my opinion, to protect DVNP then almost any other infrastructure project. And I really, really, REALLY, am not interested in infrastructure that increases visitation or access. The people are already coming, we don’t need to “build it” so that even more come. We should focus on educating the ones that do come rather than just encouraging more to come.
Interesting thread, have enjoyed the responses so far and looking forward to others!
We don’t need more road grading. Less please. Although, sure, short spur roads like Salt Creek and what not should get frequent grading. Stop grading Racetrack Road though. Needs some deep “gatekeeping” ruts to keep inappropriate vehicles off of it.
Do like the idea of perhaps having a MOU with various 4WD clubs to fix major washouts while leaving roads in a largely primitive state.
What we really need is more education and patrols. Many Parks are getting loved to death and DVNP is a likely next victim. If we could get more rangers on staff to be out educating new visitors that would be huge. Signage helps of course, but rangers are the most respected government employees in the US in survey after survey. Hire more and get them out at the highly visited sites interacting with and educating people. That will do more, in my opinion, to protect DVNP then almost any other infrastructure project. And I really, really, REALLY, am not interested in infrastructure that increases visitation or access. The people are already coming, we don’t need to “build it” so that even more come. We should focus on educating the ones that do come rather than just encouraging more to come.
Interesting thread, have enjoyed the responses so far and looking forward to others!