tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201378124228558245.post356575010178053396..comments2024-03-04T14:33:31.447-08:00Comments on Strategies for Stewards: from woods to prairies : TED talk. Part 2. Politics and Science.Stephen Packardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01811489977185760340noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201378124228558245.post-11461785771571667222017-08-16T18:29:53.682-07:002017-08-16T18:29:53.682-07:00I have to agree with Mr. Nyberg's assessment o...I have to agree with Mr. Nyberg's assessment of the Edgebrook-Sauganash group. I went to a town hall meeting and tried to address their concerns but I am sure they remained unsatisfied. I would like to add that I hope everyone in this country never agrees on everything. It would not be the United States of America if that happens.<br /><br />I have experienced some of what Stephen experienced. My experience did not seem to be motivated by racism. The people I have encountered seemed territorial. It was more along the lines of "You come to the park near my house and are there doing something without my permission." However, I do not doubt Stephen's recounting of his experience working with kids from Chicago. Indeed, it is much like the territorialism I have experienced with the component of differences in appearance added. James McGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312887957290703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201378124228558245.post-51939841641713327002017-08-12T20:07:59.600-07:002017-08-12T20:07:59.600-07:00Nice to learn details about the contributions of L...Nice to learn details about the contributions of Lisa Culp and other volunteers. I did not talk to politicians, so I have no impression of their motivations, but I talked to people and participated in a forum. My reflection on the restoration moratorium was that the split was primarily within the environmental community. While diverse, one pole of environmentalists are anti-actions (no cut trees, no cut animals, all pesticides/herbicides are bad, fire is destructive, all species beautiful), while another pole (you & myself included) were pro-action (girdle, cull, herbicide, burn and get rid of exotic species). Your management approach clearly has won (politically & scientifically), but the alternatives still exist and may well dominate some point in the future,ying/yang.JWPbosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14235480168365185617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201378124228558245.post-36493832931963238992017-08-07T17:55:53.180-07:002017-08-07T17:55:53.180-07:00Enjoyed reading this history. ThanksEnjoyed reading this history. ThanksPatrickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16904738094480377113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201378124228558245.post-55396895139040009962017-08-03T22:16:33.352-07:002017-08-03T22:16:33.352-07:00Here is a photo to go along with the above comment...Here is a photo to go along with the above comments. The plastic red "no bicycle" signs were broken off soon after they had been placed. At the beginning of some illegal trails there were multiple signs that had been broken off by the vandals forming a line of sharp plastic points looking much like red punji sticks sticking out of the ground. This photo shows one of the metal signs. If I am remembering correctly, the sign had been set in the ground using concrete. They dug it out, but must not have wanted to haul it off. It had been stashed in a nearby culvert, but must have been washed out during a storm.<br /><br />https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/photo/107874019080399894118/6450280301119448002?icm=false James McGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312887957290703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201378124228558245.post-3031093687162497792017-07-31T20:48:26.760-07:002017-07-31T20:48:26.760-07:00The idea of having volunteers confront rule breake...The idea of having volunteers confront rule breakers was ill conceived. The end result was the rule breakers just continued to break the rules with impunity while acting very rudely toward natural areas volunteers. It took concerted effort from the highest levels of the forest preserves to make the changes necessary to solve the problem. It is unfortunate that such an effort was necessary. The few people who repeatedly removed the bicycle prohibited signs from the illegal trails made it impossible for any new trails to be authorized. This also unfortunately caused confusion and some forest preserve patrons were undoubtedly ticketed for riding bicycles on illegal trails which had bicycle prohibited signs removed earlier by the vandals. The northwest area of the county did not have to have the outcome that occurred. Many natural areas in other areas of the country have mountain biking trails that are constructed in a manner that has a minimal impact. Thoughtful planning is preferable to the Wild West situation that occurs in the absence of any authority.<br /><br />Although lands are publicly owned, someone has to act as an owner if the features are going to be preserved. When government is working well it does the job. When government is not doing its job then the task falls on the shoulders of the lands actual owners. Namely, the public itself.James McGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12813312887957290703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201378124228558245.post-21644050276294156852017-07-30T03:46:40.473-07:002017-07-30T03:46:40.473-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Dave Nolinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03458836654990583195noreply@blogger.com