Hello Everyone...

The following would take an enormous amount of collaberation, effort and time but here it is. An "environmental impact" or LNT study conducted in a couple of National Parks where letterboxes are placed. Boxes would have to be in place for a period of time in order for a joint committee of park officials and letterboxers to assess whether or not there is impact. It would be an uphill battle to demonstrate that this activity is indeed one that has the potential to "leave no trace" due to the apparent narrow-mindedness and tunnel vision of some within the NPS. 

How would this study be funded? I will leave this to others more familiar with grant writing and other funding methods to provide input.

As Randy mentioned, apparently, where hunting is allowed, the presence of shell casings littering the ground is acceptable. Aren't some of them plastic and brass?  I wonder if the NPS ever conducted a study to assess the impact of hunting beyond controlling and culling large herds of deer, elk, and flocks of geese and ducks, etc. It seems they are willing to put up with shell casings and off trail pursuit of wounded animals. Vis a vis a permit to hunt over and above state hunting licenses, is this seeming disregard for LNT really a money issue? To wit, the Federal Duck Stamp that is quite costly and is required to hunt in NWRs.

If any of you belong to the National Parks Conservation Association (www.npca.org), you will know how alarms go off constantly over cuts in funding as well as policies with regard to timber cutting and drilling. This organization could be a real friend to letterboxers if approached from a "friends of the environment" and LNT perspective. I believe they do have lobbyistsand if not, by other means, as an interested party, they do have influence with the NPS.

There are 700+ letterboxers in our family. If you include immediate families and friends and growth, perhaps by the end of 2003, could we safely assume that perhaps +/- 2,000 people will be involved? Compared to the higher numbers who visit NPS areas every year, it would seem that our impact, if we act responsibly, would and could be minimal to zero.

Did you realize that in Dartmoor, there are about 3,000 letterboxes in a small area relative to the size of some of our National Parks, Forests and Recreation areas? Since letterboxing there has a much longer history than here in the U.S., do we know what the environmental impact has been? I very briefly searched for some information but found nothing either negative or positive. If anyone knows differently, please post.

I think a study would accomplish a few things. First, if interpreted fairly, it would measure our impact, if any. Second, a successful model whose outcome is measurable and positive may encourage the NPS to relax it's restrictions in more areas such as National Forests. I think we all agree that there are certain NPS sites that should be off limits to letterboxing and I also believe we can live with that.  Third, most of our National Forests see far fewer visitors. In some small way, perhaps allowing letterboxing there as a beginning might assist in taking some of the pressure off overcrowded areas. Fourth, the quid pro quo is that we may be asked to give something back in terms of volunteerism. The NPCA, I believe, is involved with some of those activities as well.

Maybe this is all just wishful thinking. Maybe the real issues are more abstract..or political and I'm not seeing them. Amanda is correct. We have almost endless opportunities for letterboxing in other places. I would just hate to see officials from various states look with interest at NPS rulings, assume that letterboxing is a bad thing and start to limit it in their own areas.

Linda a/k/a Alafair