USFS Region 2 WNS closure expiration

[bigredfoote]

The WNS closure in Region 2 expired and has been replaced by a new visitation registration system.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r2/home/? ... rdb5430001

[bigredfoote]

Also, their decon guidelines

http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOC ... 430253.pdf

[caverdan]

Good news......I guess.......butt......it also marks the beginning of a new era of permitted caving in region two. And the end of one more freedom for the masses.

[tncaver]

Give them an inch and they will take a mile. Big Brother at work.

[PYoungbaer]

The Region 2 caves are open, and you're complaining? Really? This took a lot of work over the past three years by a lot of people in an environment where other parties were aggressively pursuing legal avenues to stop the whole process. If you're looking for a world in which you can just go anywhere, anytime, that's just not reality. By the way, kudos to the US Forest Service for adopting the very succinct decon paper developed by the SCCi, and to SCCi for such clarity.

[tncaver]

The Region 2 caves are open, and you're complaining? Really? This took a lot of work over the past three years by a lot of people in an environment where other parties were aggressively pursuing legal avenues to stop the whole process. If you're looking for a world in which you can just go anywhere, anytime, that's just not reality. By the way, kudos to the US Forest Service for adopting the very succinct decon paper developed by the SCCi, and to SCCi for such clarity.

Peter your work and that of others is appreciated. But the simple fact is, until uncle Sam decided to restrict open land and caves to everyone just
a few short years ago, almost everything WAS available to go to almost anytime and anywhere. Big Brother is a regressive monster that keeps getting bigger and uglier and more restrictive the longer it exists. I think cavers have always turned a blind eye to that reality until suddenly, it
affects them directly.

[PYoungbaer]

At a practical level, the Region 2 system is less restrictive than the entire National Park System. They consider all their caves closed, and have for many years. A back country permit is required. That existed pre-WNS and continues - a full=fledged permit system. Regions 2 is pre-registration, or "permit-lite."

If you want to get upset about big brother, there's plenty to complain about with the whole NSA phone monitoring, etc., and I have to my congressional delegation. Now, that's Big Brother in spades. Yeah, I appreciate the national security concern, but we've gone to extremes with the NSA, TSA, and more. Don't get me started.

[tncaver]

If you want to get upset about big brother, there's plenty to complain about with the whole NSA phone monitoring, etc., and I have to my congressional delegation. Now, that's Big Brother in spades. Yeah, I appreciate the national security concern, but we've gone to extremes with the NSA, TSA, and more. Don't get me started.

Go for it Peter. I'm with you all the way on those "other" issues.

[NZcaver]

I don't have a problem with it. This is better than the alternative.

[tncaver]

I don't have a problem with it. This is better than the alternative.

Yes. Access is better than the alternative.