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As Joshua Tree reopens, anger over damage to economy, environment
Los Angeles Times ^ | January 26, 2019 | Louis Sahagun

Posted on 01/28/2019 1:02:55 PM PST by EveningStar

Against a backdrop of jumbled boulders and spindly trees, former Joshua Tree National Park Supt. Curt Sauer joined dozens of people at a rally in this high desert enclave on Saturday to express their anger over the economic and physical damage caused by the partial government shutdown to the park and the surrounding community.

President Trump signed a short-term spending bill on Friday that will reopen the government until Feb. 15. But the 35-day shutdown has already taken a heavy toll on the economy of this dusty refuge for nature lovers, rock climbers and artists at the main gateway to the 800,000-acre national park, as well as on the otherworldly landscape within the park’s boundaries...

Reports of trash piling up, vandalism, illegal camping and off-road driving led to restricted operations at Joshua Tree, as well as at Yosemite and Death Valley national parks. During this period, skeleton federal crews, volunteers and imported law enforcement officers began patrolling Joshua Tree...

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: deathvalley; joshuatree; nationalparks; shutdown; yosemite
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To: dragnet2

Like George Carlin said,

The planet has been through a lot worse than us. Been through earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drift, solar flares, sun spots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles … hundreds of thousands of years of bombardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worldwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages … And we think some plastic bags and some aluminum cans are going to make a difference? The planet isn’t going anywhere. WE are!


21 posted on 01/28/2019 1:20:22 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: dfwgator

George Carlin was very much correct.


22 posted on 01/28/2019 1:29:05 PM PST by wally_bert (We're low on dimes in fun city.)
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To: Yogafist
Joshua tree is nothing but a land grab national park. There is no way it deserves park status.

1. You've never been there. 2. Land grab? Why would the government set aside this location that draws hundreds of thousands of people every year just so could stare at it's awe-inspiring, other-worldly beauty?

Wait. I think I answered my own question.
23 posted on 01/28/2019 1:31:04 PM PST by LanaTurnerOverdrive ("I've done things in my life I'm not proud of. And the things I am proud of are disgusting.")
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To: EveningStar; All

Yay! Rattlesnakes! Heat Stroke! Tarantulas! Prickly Cactus! Rats!

24 posted on 01/28/2019 1:31:39 PM PST by Diana in Wisconsin ( "Why can't you be more like Lloyd Braun?")
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To: EveningStar

“to express their anger over the economic and physical damage caused by the partial government shutdown “

Excuse me, the shutdown did not “cause” anything. If there was a lot of trash, blame the people who left the trash!!


25 posted on 01/28/2019 1:32:51 PM PST by AC86UT89
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To: EveningStar

I’m in favor of shutting down the government.

In fact, let’s keep shutting it down until all we have left are the military, food inspectors, and President Trump. :-)


26 posted on 01/28/2019 1:34:04 PM PST by Pravious
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To: EveningStar
Illegal camping? Ridiculous. It's a National Forest and WE are the People.

It's not like 12,000 people in a caravan invaded the park.

27 posted on 01/28/2019 1:36:08 PM PST by Sacajaweau
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

There ya go...How in hell do you destroy that? I’ve been there many times. You could drive 5000 dune buggies across those 800,000 acres and nothing would be destroyed. As usual, these complaining leftist who want everything banned are FOS.


28 posted on 01/28/2019 1:37:48 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: EveningStar
to express their anger over the economic and physical damage caused by the partial government shutdown to the park and the surrounding community.

I am sure there is a baby just minutes away from being born that you can kill, would that make you feel any better?

29 posted on 01/28/2019 1:37:50 PM PST by New Perspective (Proud father of a son with Down Syndrome and fighting to keep him off Obama's death panels.)
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To: EveningStar
Reports of trash piling up, vandalism, illegal camping and off-road driving

Sounds like my neighbor's yard.

30 posted on 01/28/2019 1:40:01 PM PST by P.O.E. (Pray for America)
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To: Sacajaweau

Good point, these AH’s want to protect desert weeds and dirt in their nearly 1 million acre park, but if you try to protect our lawless violent borders, our country and our sovereignty, you’re a racist Nazi.


31 posted on 01/28/2019 1:40:45 PM PST by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: P.O.E.

“Against a backdrop of jumbled boulders and spindly trees...”

The lead sentence makes it sound like total destruction!


32 posted on 01/28/2019 1:42:10 PM PST by 21twelve (!)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

Is the Grand Canyon looking for free, clean fill?

The yawning chasm doesn’t look sustainable.


33 posted on 01/28/2019 2:06:14 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: EveningStar

Uh oh; sounds like the triggered snowflakes in CA need a Whaaaambulance.


34 posted on 01/28/2019 2:13:02 PM PST by Boomer ( Leftism is toxic poison to a free society.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
Fairly typical of the view from the California line to northern end of Barstow, with a couple of breaks where the Joshua Trees aren't quite that thick.

About as scenic as I-80 from Rawlins to Green River, Wyoming. Not quite as long.

35 posted on 01/28/2019 2:18:20 PM PST by Vigilanteman (The politicized state destroys all aspects of civil society, human kindness and private charity.)
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To: ataDude

Exactly.


36 posted on 01/28/2019 2:30:00 PM PST by Theo (FReeping since 1998 ... drain the swamp.)
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To: EveningStar

The border wall and security overall is integral to the long term good of this country. National parks included.


37 posted on 01/28/2019 2:49:00 PM PST by CondoleezzaProtege
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I have a number of observations and opinions I want to put out on this subject in general as well as comments directed to the specifics.

I went to JT about 18 months ago. I thought it was much better than I expected. I had been familiar with Joshua Trees here in Arizona as there are a few regions that have clusters, notably northwest of Wickenburg. The park was much more than just the JT habitat.

I found the communities nearby somewhat in the hippie/biker/Burning Man genre but enjoyed myself nevertheless. I thought the trails and layout made for great hikes for a senior couple with grandkids along — something a great many of the national parks can’t achieve.

The restroom areas were not very well maintained, but it was a crowded weekend.

I have family members that were impacted by the shutdown and they know it goes with the turf. There have been about a dozen shutdowns in the last twenty years since the Democrats hamstrung the normal budget process that used to be a matter of course.

I am not very fond of visiting California despite its number of great features and some fine people. It is too much like going to a foreign country where everyone is rude, of lower intelligence but also think their culture knows everything of value. I will, however, visit Joshua Tree again, it is time well spent and enjoyable.

I think that government employees that want to grandstand on political issues should be seen for the drama queens they are trying to be by such actions.


38 posted on 01/28/2019 3:33:08 PM PST by KC Burke (If all the world is a stage, I would like to request my lighting be adjusted.)
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To: EveningStar

BS. All lies.


39 posted on 01/28/2019 3:35:26 PM PST by Fledermaus (Tagline For Lease)
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To: EveningStar

Thank the Lord that the fat-ass, 60 IQ unnecessary federal drones are back at work. The country nearly collapsed without them. I missed getting federal documents with greasy potato chip fingerprints.


40 posted on 01/28/2019 3:45:50 PM PST by sergeantdave (Teach a man to fish and he'll steal your gear and sell it)
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