FreeLists / az-observing / [AZ-Observing] Re: I'll never return to KOFA--I promise!

[PHXJeff@xxxxxxx]

Steve Coe wrote in part:

>About 5:00 in the afternoon the ranger showed up and informed me that I 
>had my vehicle more than 100 feet away from the graded dirt road and that 
>I should have stopped at the signboard when I drove onto the KOFA range 
>and picked up a pamphlet that informed me of the rules.  At which point 
>she wrote me a misdemeanor ticket to the tune of $150 and told me if I 
>wanted to fight the ticket that the court for this district is in 
>Yuma.....just ask for a court date.  So, I told her.....nevermind.  I 
>moved to another site that was not on the KOFA range.

My sympathies to Steve. Many have been finding out the Forest Service and 
Rangers are NOT your friends.

I have to attend a meeting in Prescott Monday to fight the Forest Service 
closing the road to my mountain cabin property. The road has been there 
and used for over 100 years. Several others up there have taken up the 
cause and written Congressmen and Senators as well as many in the USDA 
FS. If anyone cares to see just what they have been up there (and many 
places) I have a web site devoted to it. 

http://www.hposoft.com/SMT/SMT.html

Why should these things be of concern to amateur astronomers? Like the 
problems with light pollution, trying to get to dark skies may land you 
in trouble as Steve has found out. If you don't express your concerns to 
Congressmen and Senators, it will be assumed you agree with what is 
happening.

Jeff

                          Jeff Hopkins
                            HPO SOFT
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