Hi All
I have been following the discussion on the user fee topic and thought I
would like to make a few observations relating to the subject. Let me say at
the start that while I have beliefs and opinions ( which I will try hard not
to express), I have no answers that are pertinant to this forum and only
want to delve a little deeper into the situation as it exists.

The first thing that comes to mind is the relationship of population to
resources. The more people that use a resource the more it takes to maintain
it. Old resources need more maintainance as more people use them and new
resources need to be aquired and developed if they would reduce the pressure
on the old. Hunters have been mentioned and I think that is a good
illustration of this point. In days gone by, hunting was a primary means of
feeding ones self and family. As population increased and more resources
were used for growing of food and less land was available to support game,
something had to change. Most of the population quit relying on wild game as
a food source, and some began taking steps to preserve and manage the
wildlife. Hunting simply could no longer be a right, but out of necessity
became a privilege. This required regulation and management, which in turn
required the means to pay for same. Being as how the larger part of the
population were no longer hunters, and as life goes were finding it
difficult enough to provide their own necessity, they hesitated to vote more
means to preserve what had now become a sport. The hunters in turn realized
finally that if they were to be able to hunt, they would not only have to
pay for the privilege, but would also have to support the management and
preservation of resource if they were to have anything left to hunt.

Another observation is that if true respect and care of resources is shown,
they last longer and take less means to maintain. When someone knowingly
damages a facility or causes it to be more costly to keep up such as
improperly disposing of garbage, misusing facilities and such, they are
causing means that could be used otherwise to be diverted, or as sometimes
is the case, the facility to no longer be usable by the rest of the
population. Such acts are criminal, and while most people don't do these
things, we all see the effects. Most of us however, have at one time or
other unwittingly or unthinkingly, added to this problem. The point here is
that the more people use these resources the more careful they must be not
to leave an impression. (Sorry, that is an opinion.)

A thought or two about majority/minority. There are certainly a lot more
birders than there were in the past, and more joining the ranks everyday.
However, as I observe the interest of people around me, be it in the
workplace, a family gathering, etc., I would conclude that it is a minority.
Especially so when compared to the population as a whole, which includes,
amongst others, boaters, horseman, atv users, and loggers. All of these also
have a justifiable need for resources. Most of these groups are not only
larger than birders, but have commercial interests behind them that stand to
make far more money from them than us.

Those that have less means. A position that I find myself in only
relatively. By that I mean that I can afford some amount of non-necessary
things but not all I could wish for. Many, however, are far less fortunate
than I. That is a problem that has been with men for a long time. No society
has as yet successfully addressed that situation. To fail to take any action
to care for earths resources would probably be worse than to do nothing
because of putting them beyond the reach of some. The local parks and
greenways do offer some avenue for birding and nature. Perhaps that is the
best that can be done.

A final observation. If something is needed and someone is trying to provide
it, unless we have an obviously better solution and are willing and able to
promote it, our stomach (at least mine) hurts less if we cooperate and work
with it.

Joseph V Higbee
Puyallup, WA
Mailto: jvhigbee at hotmail.com