[Philmont]: local land use regulations

David: The applicable regulations are as close as your computer. Google the Park or Forest your group intends to visit, and then check its website. If the regs aren't there, surely there is a phone number to call a Ranger. Some of these parks are so popular that you have to call one minute after midnite on Jan 1 to get a reservation (We've had something of the sort scheduling our June trip of camping on the beach at Assateague National Seashore). Often the permit will have the regs printed on the back.

The important thing to remember is to assume there are regs for any campsite, whether on Federal, State, County or private land. Find out what they are and follow them.

Those who would take the time to find out that there is no camping at the base of Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah national park (see Dr. Bob's previous post), would make arrangements to camp at Mathew's Arm Campsite (paying the entrance fee and the campsite fee) or somewhere outside the park, and then just GET UP EARLY (not as hard as it seems) in time to drive to the trailhead and queue up for this popular, yet highly rewarding hike.

Your State Department of Environmental Protection (or the equivalent) and the Federal Agencies have publications that they are only to happy to share with you. Many are the times I was setting up a personal trip to the West and wrote to the Park or Forest by snail mail. You would be surprised at the huge envelope of information, brochures, maps, trail descriptions you will receive in a week to ten days free of charge from these parks and forests. Call the Ranger on the phone. He or she will be happy to put you on the right track. I've had rangers call me (!), in response to one of my letters (on letterhead) when they wanted to make suggestions for an enjoyable trip to their park or forest (it's on your dime as a taxpayer, you may as well make use of it).

National Geographic has a publication "Our Federal Lands" which gives the address and telephone numbers of all Parks, Forests and BLM managers. Similar lists are online or available by snail mail from the Department of the Interior (National Parks), Department of Agriculture (National Forests) or Bureau of Land Management.

When you set up a trip (ours are scheduled in August for the rest of the year), make sure you get your hands on the regs by hook or by crook. Either follow them or come up with "Plan B", but don't ignore them.

P.S. The regs are individual for each area and also with regard to special designations such as "wilderness areas".

All for now.

Bill Sheehan, ASM
Troop 55, Pitman, N.J.
Philmont '70.'72, Autumn Adventure '01, 03, 05 and hopefully '06

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Received on Mon Nov 21 10:18:41 2005