Jane, Diana, et all, this is an alarming state of affairs, where , once again, the USFS is handling un-researched and against the general welfare of the US wild areas (remember the scandal selling protected forest to the paper companies...at a huge discount! Still going on, as far as I know) Agreed, politics has no place on this robin, however, conservation does! I would urge all members to send an E-Mail to the responsible department(s) expressing our vehement anger at this squandering of natural beauty and resource, apparently to make it a bit easier for back-packers to toss their plastic waste across the landscape! Let's get real, anyone interested enough in the wildlife to trek in such areas is not going to complain about shrubberies ripping their hose or loose stones snapping a heel! We have many protected areas in Europe, from learning the hard way, and, in order to access these areas one MUST stay on proscribed paths (often wooden walks raised above the landscape). It works, the areas are great attractions and the biotope receives minimal impact. The manifold inhabitants of these areas make them living museums at all times of the year. We still need more of them, mind you. The further South one moves through Europe, the less diverse it becomes, a sad fact. Parts of Spain, Italy, Turkey and Greece are virtual deserts from goats and sheep grazing the flora into extinction and the homes of fauna are permanently destroyed. Much of this lost biotope will never be recovered! In a real sense, these areas represent our versions of "Save The Rainforest", yet, in our arrogance, we treat them like many products in the modern world....disposable! OK, I've soap-boxed enough, but, in my opinion, every precious piece of biotope must be considered. Even smaller areas harbour endemic species. Then there is the "policy" question. If they do it here, they will later do it somewhere else, with possibly disasterous results. The only thing I cannot supply is the proper E-Mail address. Can someone help us out here? Remember, America still has one of the last great wildernesses on our planet, to loose it piecemeal would be one of the greatest crimes of modern man. Jamie Vande Cologne Germany _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php