Sunday, September 14, 2008
Public paradise can easily be shared
Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor's Outdoors column and notebook appears regularly in The Roanoke Times.
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In Radford, city leaders have begun hunting for a compromise in an interesting dilemma regarding the use of a 250-acre plot of public paradise in Montgomery County.
At issue is who should be given priority in using the Radford-owned property, which is known to some as Ingles Wilderness and others as Cracker's Neck.
The area has been open for hunting, fishing and boating, by city-issued permit only, for about 20 years.
Earlier this year a bunch of volunteers helped build 6 miles worth of trails on the place.
The bikers and hikers knew the area would be off limits during deer hunting season -- except on Sundays, when hunting is illegal in Virginia. But they assumed that meant the two-week general firearms season in November.
Nope.
It means the early and late archery deer seasons and early and late muzzleloader deer seasons, too, a period that spans from the first Saturday in October through the first Saturday in January.
And because the hunting, fishing and boating permit doesn't distinguish that it's good only for deer seasons, hunters could technically use the place more than eight months out of the year, starting with the dove and squirrel openers in early September through the rabbit season that runs through February, and again for five weeks in April and May for spring turkey season.
Even though hunting pressure is light in the area outside of the peak of deer season, some trail users aren't crazy about the idea about sharing the area with hunters, citing safety concerns. So this past week they asked Radford's city council to restrict hunting to only the two weeks of general firearms season.
The council, to its credit, held off.
Through the end of this year's deer seasons, hunting will take precedence, limiting trail users to Sundays.
Hikers and bikers will be frustrated and, after the hours they put into the trails, it's hard to blame them.
But the good news is this problem won't be hard to solve. Radford leaders should be able to come up with a fair compromise plan that will keep everybody reasonably happy starting next year.
As for safety, there is a perception that areas open for hunting are unsafe for any other kind of use.
This is simply not true.
While tragic encounters between hunters and trail users do sometimes occur, such accidents are exceedingly rare.
The idea that hunters are out there shooting at anything that moves is a myth, one perpetuated to a large degree by hyperbole from anti-hunting groups.
Hunters and trail users can harmoniously co-exist, as proven year after year on millions of acres of public and private land in Virginia shared by hunters, hikers, bikers, birders and other recreationists.
That said, it's understandable that, given the choice, most hikers and bikers would opt to spend their time on areas not open to hunting, if only to avoid being occasionally startled by the sudden report of a rifle or shotgun.
But given the choice, many hunters would prefer to hunt areas where bikers and hikers aren't out there spooking game.
Radford can satisfy everybody by establishing a plan that gives both groups a fair amount of exclusive access.
Maybe hunters get a majority of the access in November, during the peak of deer season.
Maybe they can also get a few days a week during seasons that aren't as popular.
There's no reason the plan can't be tweaked if needed.
Some may see enforcement of rules a challenge. It doesn't have to be.
Everyone will get a copy of the rules when they get their permit, and the area will need to be marked with detailed signs.
The bikers can help, too.
They can form a National Mountain Bike Patrol chapter for the area.
Such patrols aren't there for enforcement. If patrollers encounter law-breakers -- such as the individuals who were reportedly target shooting, which is not allowed, at the area on a recent day -- they simply call the proper authorities.
Rather, the patrol's primary role is to help with trail care, education and outreach -- things many of the riders involved in the Radford project are doing already.
For an example of a patrol at work, the riders need only look toward Roanoke.
Since last spring a chapter has been doing great work patrolling the trails on Roanoke's Mill Mountain as part of a partnership with the city's parks and recreation department. (Full disclosure: I'm a member of the mountain bike patrol.)
Radford leaders have said they are seeking public comments and ideas on how best to manage recreation at Ingles Wilderness/Cracker's Neck.
It's important that all avid users of the area provide input.
This doesn't have to be a painful process rife with conflict.
In fact, as hikers, bikers and hunters work together toward a compromise, they just may realize they have more in common than they think.
