Ian,

Was that a post in the editorial section, or is there a columnist/writer showing a positive interest in access to Big Cypress? If its a staff writer, I'd love to see more of what he writes.

I remember reading something about Lawton Chiles having been heavily involved in the Big Cypress area being set aside as a hunting preserve prior to the Feds getting all political over the area. If that's true, he'd be rollin in his grave right now. <IMG SRC="smilies/skull.gif" border="0">

Equin - I don't know how much timber land has been closed off recently, but I've heard that a bunch of the sinkholes south of Tallahassee (timber land) and bordering on the Apalachicola have been closed off in recent years. Used to be a bunch of great clay/limestone rock mud trails you could run and then dip in the sinks (river sink, double sink, etc.). Plus the Florida FS may be implementing a "closed unless posted open policy" next year...

Bill C.

[ 08-14-2001: Message edited by: Bill C. ]

Originally posted by Bill C.:
<STRONG>Ian,

Was that a post in the editorial section, or is there a columnist/writer showing a positive interest in access to Big Cypress? If its a staff writer, I'd love to see more of what he writes.

I remember reading something about Lawton Chiles having been heavily involved in the Big Cypress area being set aside as a hunting preserve prior to the Feds getting all political over the area. If that's true, he'd be rollin in his grave right now. <IMG SRC="smilies/skull.gif" border="0">

Equin - I don't know how much timber land has been closed off recently, but I've heard that a bunch of the sinkholes south of Tallahassee (timber land) and bordering on the Apalachicola have been closed off in recent years. Used to be a bunch of great clay/limestone rock mud trails you could run and then dip in the sinks (river sink, double sink, etc.). Plus the Florida FS may be implementing a "closed unless posted open policy" next year...

Bill C.

[ 08-14-2001: Message edited by: Bill C. ]</STRONG>

Hey Bill,

I used to run those same trails south of Tallahassee about 10 years ago. So the trails bordering the Apalachicola National Forest are now closed? Or did they close the trails within the National Forest? Or both? Man, that's a shame they closed them down, though.

Do you know if the Timber company terminated the lease with the State because they are planning on harvesting that area? If so, maybe they'll re-lease the area to the State again once they finish the harvesting replanting.

I've read alot of posts complaining about public lands closing. I can sympathize for those who can no longer enjoy access to public lands that were previously open. However, even if a public land is closed to access, there is nothing preventing the political process from re-opening it in the future. By contrast, in Texas, where I now live, most of the land is privately owned, which leaves off-roaders with very limited areas to off-road in, such as river bottoms and their adjoining shorelines (navigable water definition). Nothing against private property ownership, as I wish I also owned some, but there is no redress left for outdoor recreationists when there is no public land left to access. I now have to drive over 4 hours and pay a whopping $1000 hunting lease in order to hunt. Whereas in Florida and Mississippi, I only had to pay the nominal hunting fee and drive less than an hour to the closest wildlife management area. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I sometimes read posts complaining about government owned land, but then there's the other extreme in those states where there hardly is any government owned land to begin with.

Just my humble thoughts on the matter. Thanks for the update and take care,

As far as I can tell, that is just a regular old fashioned sprtsman that put his views into the editorial section of the herald.