Brian Griffiths: People with disabilities need wilderness access

[Ithaca 37]

Gates equate to discrimination.

I respect and applaud everyone's opinions and wishes to close off the White Cloud ranges. I can see a need to keep such areas undeveloped and pristine. The only thing I cannot get behind is blatant elitism and discrimination.

You see, I am a disabled vet and have been an active hunter, fisherman and camper all of my life. My injury involves my left knee, and I am left with a severe mobility impairment that will only get worse as I age.

I do possess a handicapped hunter's permit, but this does no good when my only access points (roads) are gated and locked.

You say you want to preserve the area for your children. That is noble; however, have you ever looked into your child's teary eyes and said, "Sorry daughter, we can't go up that road, they don't want Daddy in there." This is my life when dealing with wilderness designations and locked Forest Service gates.

While I agree with the idea of restricted access, I do not support the implementation. Removing motorized access to these areas is not an option. That only ensures that the healthy, fully mobile, and rich will be able to visit and enjoy the wilderness.

I, too, am appalled at the destruction and abuse of the forests by off-road users that have no respect for their surroundings. These users do give the rest of us a bad name. Please, understand not all of us are that way.

I offer the following compromise:

• Place vehicle size restrictions: ATVs and motorcycle-sized, and smaller vehicles only.

• Vehicle access only for those with valid handicapped hunter's and handicapped parking permits and their families/hunting partners.

• Place and enforce speed limits: 15 mph or slower.

• On-trail limits: all vehicles, including bicycles, must stay on existing/approved trails.

• Noise restrictions: all motorized vehicles must meet strict noise-output requirements.

• Camping in improved locations only. This will ensure safety and reduce fires.

• Increase enforcement and impose severe penalties for violating any of these rules.

While considering these options, please stop and think — what if you had an accident and could no longer get around like you once were able to?

Thanks for your time.

Brian Griffiths of Boise is a disabled veteran and handicapped sportsman.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040804/NEWS0503/408040316/1052/NEWS05

**********************************************

I'm afraid Brian is pretty unrealistic. Enforce speed limits and allow motorized access to all the handicapped hunter's friends and family, too?

We already have thousand of miles of roads and trails open to Brian-----more than he could ride in ten years of hunting seasons if he only goes 15 mph (his suggested speed limit).

And I never knew wilderness areas were only for the rich! "That only ensures that the healthy, fully mobile, and rich will be able to visit and enjoy the wilderness."

 

[Muledeer4me]

I am not for opening up access to wilderness area, but some compassion and fairness to those people with a disabilty would be nice.
It is a growing problem and one that should be addressed.


"There are problems, however, with what the current law sought to accomplish. Some advocacy groups complain that federal officials are not always keeping open the roads and trails designated for disabled access. In the end, government is not the solution. The solution is bold attitude on the part of the disabled to get out of the rut, and an interest by able-bodied hunters to find a disabled partner"


NRA Disabled Shooting Services

Keeping Them In The Game

"Hunting and the shooting sports lose more than a quarter-million participants every year due to disabling strokes, diabetes, arthritis, accidental injuries, and a host of other conditions. However, most people who suffer such disabilities don`t lose their desire to remain active, especially sportsmen. With more than 4 million members, it`s no stretch to suggest that many of these folks are NRA`s own.

In January 1992, to appropriately field a growing number of shooting sports inquiries from the disabled community, the NRA hired Dave Baskin of Rockledge, Pennsylvania. Baskin brought unique qualifications to the job: He was the head coach of the highly successful United States Wheelchair Shooting Team, and for 33 years he worked for an engineering firm that designed and built critical-care medical machinery. He began work by assisting a wide range of hunters, marksmen, and firearm enthusiasts with specific challenges related to disabilities. But more than members called: state departments of natural resources, law enforcement agencies, and firearm industry representatives also sought Baskin`s advice. In the first year of operation, the service fielded more than 1,000 inquires. It all was overwhelming. So, in 1994, the program became NRA Disabled Shooting Services, a bona fide department within your Association that now handles more than 5,000 requests for guidance every year. As the requests have increased, so has the department`s value.

Today, its services encompass almost every type of disability issue related to gun ownership and use.

A typical day finds Baskin fielding calls from a father looking for suggestions about hunting rifles for his son born with spina bifida; supplying a hunter ed instructor with tips about working with students in wheelchairs; even relaying contact information to a natural resources officer trying to locate the manufacturer of a mouth-operated trigger mechanism for a crossbow. Sometimes, however, what`s needed is more than a phone call can provide. Baskin also has been known to design a rifle support device for a farmer who lost use of one arm but still wanted to protect his livestock from predators, or explain the rehabilitative benefits of rifle shooting for post-injury patients to a hospital administrator. In just 10 years, Baskin`s service has grown from rather simple roots to become a clearinghouse of information, a valuable resource that serves nearly every facet of hunting and the shooting sports. Better yet, all expertise and guidance is dispensed free of charge thanks to support from The NRA Foundation. Contact NRA Disabled Shooting Services at 703-267-1495, or www.nra.org/compete/disabled.asp.--Eds."

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I have seen way too many people with handicapped placards hanging off their mirror, jump out of their van or truck, sprint into the store and come back out carrying bags of dog food, fertilizer, lawn seed or lumber to go for this. I had two handicapped children, and we only got the handicapped placard for a few months when both of them were in double leg casts at the same time as teenagers (too big for one of us to carry both of them, like we did when they were younger.) We raised those kids without limitation of the label "handicapped," and today they are fine. They competed in varsity swimming, gymnastics and one competed nationally as a cheerleader.

Unfortunately, like everything else, the abusers are too numerous to allow this type of access. You would have one guy with a "bad knee" and his 12 buddies, all on ATVs, driving up the road.

 

[Muledeer4me]

http://www.nraila.org/Issues/Articles/Read.aspx?ID=135

"Wheel Man For Disabled Hunters
When President Bush appointed Graham Hill to the National Council on Disability, he picked a man who knows firsthand how the rewards of hunting can help disabled folks lead a better life."

 

[Ten Bears]

Once again I see IT finds time to point his crooked finger at a disabled person and make fun of their misfortune. What's the matter IT, afraid of the hunting and fishing competition these disadvantaged sportsmen represent? Afraid they may be given some consideration for their disadvantage and you wont be able to take advantage of it? Afraid they may stand in the spotlight on centerstage, and you'll be relegated to second fiddle?

 

[Ten Bears]

CH, I agree that there are too many abusers, but why not allow the disabled guy to ride his ATV, and his buddies park theirs at the gate? Why should all roads be closed to all motor vehicles at an arbitrary gate?

 

[Ithaca 37]

Ten, You're crazier and dumber than ever. "Once again I see IT finds time to point his crooked finger at a disabled person and make fun of their misfortune."

Is that the way you comprehend what I wrote? Go back to the third grade.

 

[Nemont]

I happen to agree with Ithaca on this. The ADA does not mean all areas of the country are accessible. It is a tragedy that people are handicapped. It could happen to any of us. But there is not way you can make a wilderness area accessible for everyone.

The ADA is being applied to things that were never intended to be covered by it and it provides a sense of entitlement to handicapped persons. Note I am not saying access to facilities or anything is not right I am saying handicapped inviduals cannot realistically expect to access everywhere.

Perhaps if all the ATVer's policed themselves rather then turn a blind eye to those who abuse ATV's. It is unfortunate that all get the blame but that is the way it is.

Nemont

 

[Bambistew]

Why can't this guy get a fuggn horse? I've seen plenty of handicaped people ride horses. One in particular that had no legs! I would think that if he can handle a big ol "iron horse" he could handle a real one. What a frign whiner!

 

[cjcj]

I agree with Cali Hunter way,way too much abuse, and the problem is with the doctors issueing [placards] to many people who are borderline or don`t need it, and also alot of these placards are stolen and or duplicated! I saw a black dude the other day run like a deer into the store and he was parked in the handicapped! But one major problem is there are so many degrees of handicapped, ive heard you can get "fake" placards at some park& swaps. I have had a placard for 7 yrs. and have NEVER had a cop check it out to see if it is real.[no enforcement] but as far as the hunter goes i think he should have some reasonable access.

 

[Ten Bears]

Perhaps if all the ATVer's policed themselves rather then turn a blind eye to those who abuse ATV's. It is unfortunate that all get the blame but that is the way it is.

How about:
Perhaps if all the hunters policed themselves rather then turn a blind eye to those who poach or abuse the resources. It is unfortunate that all get the blame but that is the way it is.

My freinds disabled hunter permit is printed right on his license. Idaho doesn't use disabled hunter placards anymore.

 

[Nemont]

Perhaps if all the hunters policed themselves rather then turn a blind eye to those who poach or abuse the resources. It is unfortunate that all get the blame but that is the way it is.

Ten Bears
I agree with that statement as well. I am happy that we agree ethical ATVer's and hunters should turn in those offenders who do illegal things.

Nemont

 

[1_pointer]

TB- When are the ATVers gonna make ATV education mandatory before buying a license in ID? Does one even need a license for ATVs? Hunter's have did those things. How many 1800-Tip-ATVs lines have ATVers set up? Hunters have.

ATVers are saturating the available resources to the point that restrictions will only get stricter and access more limited. Hunters and white water rafters already do this, why not ATVers?

 

[Calif. Hunter]

"• Vehicle access only for those with valid handicapped hunter's and handicapped parking permits and their families/hunting partners."


That is what I was referring to when I talked about the one disabled guy with his 12 buddies, Ten Bears. What if the disabled hunter bags an elk, 5 miles back and his buddies are on foot? If he can't get off his ATV due to disability, what is he going to do with it? Drive back 5 miles to his buddies who are on foot, tell them where it is and then wait for them to walk behind him while the carcass sits there, untended and bloats in the sun? How do we police who and how many get to ride ATVs with the disabled guy?

(And I am not against disabled hunters - I raised 2 disabled girls into healthy, functional adults who would never consider themselves handicapped...)

 

[Ithaca 37]

Here's the one I like! " Place and enforce speed limits: 15 mph or slower."

How are we gonna do that, Ranger Rick on an unmarked ATV following somebody going 20 MPH on a logging road and then pulling him over?

 

[MarvB]

I actually think that Ranger Rick would be back off the trail in the manzanita, eating a doughnut and holding his radar gun......

 

[Bambistew]

Originally posted by Ithaca 37:
Here's the one I like! " Place and enforce speed limits: 15 mph or slower."

How are we gonna do that, Ranger Rick on an unmarked ATV following somebody going 20 MPH on a logging road and then pulling him over?

I think Smokey the Bear is looking for work

 

[1_pointer]

Bambi, it's Smokey Bear, no THE!

 

[MarvB]

He's right! ...but it was Winnie the Pooh!