Call Gov. Paterson and say enough of bad management, we want Minnewaska back in the hands of NYS and not PIPC. Unfortunately Carol Ash, head of the NYS Parks system was the former head of PIPC. One might expect that the PIPC philosophy will be advanced to other state parks and further limitations on the number of activities that we are allowed to engage in will take place. Can we look forward to all NYS Parks will having bans on rockcliming, Mt. Biking, Swimming, Ice Climbing. You might think for a second that the PIPC philosophy is right and is only there to protect the park from our over use or for our safety. It is not. It is there to keep certain activities out of the park. The current managment style of Minnewaska will not change until we get managers who realize that part of the allure is that we want to get out into wilderness areas specifically because we do not want to be protected. We neither need nor want bureacrats setting policy to protect us. Not the real motivation, on their part, but usually the excuse given. I have no problem with policies that protect the natural resource but that is not what we have. I am not advocating motorized vehicles, snow mobiles, ATV’s and the like. Human powered activities are in a totally different category, have a very limited impact on the land and offer great opportunities for healthy recreation but this is a common sense notion that escapes the PIPC Board of Directors. A board which sets managment policy that covers Minnewaska but is not responsive to NYS residents and is not elected by residents of the state.

The PIPC board is appointed by the Gov.’s of NYS and NJ and is made up of friends and polictical supporters of the Gov’s and other very rich and influential residents who live near Rockefeller State Park. Horse back riding is allowed in Rockefeller State Park and Minnewaska but not rockclimbing. Can you get hurt riding horses? Sure you can. So much for safety being the real concern. Do horses impact the land. Of course they do. So much for the argument we are protecting the resource. You can bet that if the head of a very wealthy and influential family was a climber that the activity would be allowed. The needs of the simple masses are not their concern. What other reason to keep Minnewaska under PIPC management than to control what some people do not want there. Very simple when you look but almost impossible to change. A bunch of rag tag climbers might wreck the view while the very influential crowd are visiting the park on the back of a horse. That will not, nay cannot, be allowed. If you want to rock climb in NY you better plan on going to a park without horse trails. Not that your rockclimbing would affect their horses, they just don’t want to look at cheap grubby climbing ass. Get over it, quit whining and go buy a horse.