I would like to express my opposition to the new Visitor and Camping Management Plan. I’m aware that many members of the 麻豆社国产community have voiced opposition to bylaw from a human impacts standpoint.
I’ll try to make the case that the bylaw will actually do more harm than good from an environmental standpoint.
I’ll begin by saying that I fully recognize and understand the need for change to the current situation regarding overnight vehicle camping.
The environmental and social impacts of these activities are harmful both to 麻豆社国产residents and the natural ecosystems that we all care for.
That being said, I believe that the bylaw in its current form is both unproductive and unsustainable, as it will not do an adequate job of limiting the environmental impacts of vehicle camping.
Prohibiting vehicle camping within municipality boundaries (whether by recreating visitors or longer-term vehicle residents) is a classic example of a policy based on NIMBYism. NIMBY stands for Not In My Back Yard.
This mindset is actually very understandable, as it is quite easy to empathize with folks who prefer a specific activity to happen elsewhere, where they won’t be impacted by it.
While putting a stop to vehicle camping in certain areas will undoubtedly limit the impacts on 麻豆社国产residents, marketing this as an environmentally-minded policy is a mistake.
Simply limiting an activity in one area will push that activity to somewhere else, not stop it altogether.
The issue, then, is that by pushing vehicle camping farther from the public eye, the council is pushing it into sensitive environments that will be harder to monitor and harder to clean up.
The out-of-sight-out-of-mind mentality will only create further environmental impacts in areas that are harder to manage.
I currently teach environmental science in a high school setting, and I actually used this new management plan as an example of a harmful NIMBYist policy as a classroom example.
Again, I agree that the current situation is in need of reform. Because banning an activity will only hide it, not limit it, I would recommend a policy that both concentrates and embraces vehicle camping.
Having designated areas for vehicle camping will address both the environmental and social impacts without the harmful side effects of a blanket prohibition.
Please look at this issue by considering Lander, Wyoming.
It is a city park with free camping and bare-bones resources (bathroom, outlets, running water).
There is a three-day limit on camping. In my opinion, it is a great example of an innovative solution to the very same issue that 麻豆社国产currently faces.
Mason Pitchel
Squamish
