I'm sure the Central Ohio Transit Authority will get right on that!
(what's COTA?)
Fair enough. Point taken.
As I mentioned, there is only one full-time staff person. You can reach out to TKO via email to express your desire that someone respond to discussions on this forum.
Right, and I'm pretty sure that person has never participated here, but other Board members certainly have over the years... I take it, by your response, that's no longer the case. That's unfortunate, given the mission statement. Hard to advocate for folks you don't reach out to, right? (Rhetorical, yeah.)justpeachy wrote: ↑April 17th, 2019, 8:21 pmAs I mentioned, there is only one full-time staff person. You can reach out to TKO via email to express your desire that someone respond to discussions on this forum.
Matt's earlier comment gets at the crux of your conundrum: TKO has a vested interest in maintaining a "friendly" relationship with the USFS in order to continue getting the volunteer-work trail projects it needs.
I've been trying to make that exact argument to TKO people on here for years and it falls on deaf ears. The organization has embedded itself in a way that prevents it from being an advocate for the hiking community. If they think this is a mischaracterization, TKO people have had numerous opportunities here to set the record straight about their advocacy platform whenever this topic comes up, and they consistently duck and weave and claim that they don't have an official position or aren't able to engage. Trails surely need work, and from a pragmatic perspective I suppose you could argue that even if the Forest Service should be funding its own trailwork, and just focusing on fixing trails misses the bigger picture, trail conditions are better with TKO than without TKO. But if that's all they do, it's disingenuous for them to then also claim they advocate for our larger interests rather than just being a Forest Service trailwork proxy. You don't have to strain your eyes to see through the facade.Matt wrote:They're in a no-win situation where they must maintain relationships with the FS in order to operate yet supporting FS policies causes access issues, decrease in FS work, and detriment to their member/user-base.
Seriously.
The fact that this did not happen makes me wonder if they are in agreement with USFS. It's hard to believe they could not even send one letter like many of us did, As a hiking organization I have to believe their letter would have carried more weight than mine.Charley wrote: ↑April 20th, 2019, 1:32 pm
It would not take very long to look at the Central Oregon Wilderness Plan, get the gist of it, and decide that it's an overreaction. Following that, it would not take long to craft a simple statement to the effect that the TKO advocates for a less draconian, expensive, exclusionary, bureaucratic solution to overcrowding. Subsequently, directing the E.D. to attend a Forest Service meeting to simply agree with the Mazamas, would have been fairly easy.
Note "the Oregon hiking experience."Inspiring action for the protection and enhancement of the Oregon hiking experience through advocacy, stewardship, outreach and education.
On the face of it, taking a stand on the COW plan is a no brainer, entirely within the written intent of their governing documents. I understand it's difficult to advocate against the decisions (however radical they may be) of the professional bureaucracy while also depending on their good graces to provide volunteer work, but it certainly must be possible to draft a statement that is polite yet firm.TKO is actively committed to promoting hikers’ interests in Oregon by:
Representing hikers when advocating to state and federal agencies, elected officials and other organizations that impact the hiking experience
...
Advocate for a range of trails and hiking experiences that are accessible and available to all people, regardless of income level, ethnicity, gender, ability or age.
Ensure that access to trails is provided on an equitable basis to all communities served by public agencies under the principle that it is a right, not just a privilege, for people to have safe healthful access to their public lands.