On Talking to the Forest Service

Anarchists and the United States Forest Service (USFS) don't seem to get along. Not that this should surprise anyone. The USFS is a paramilitary operation and anarchists tend to refuse to take orders, object to organization and resist any strategy that includes following the party line.

So a group of anarchists I go camping with every summer have a long running feud with the USFS over the right of the people to peacefully assemble, permits, and guns. We support the first and oppose the last two. By the way, the use of the word "we" is always in question as some anarchists feel "we" implies representation - but I use it more rhetorically so don't be sidetracked by the use of the collective "we" to indicate some random group of people who may or may not attend gatherings.

The long running saga has many twists and turns but there's no room for a book here so I'll cut to the chase. Some gatherers have been dis-organizing a series of conference calls with the USFS mucky mucks - the current Undersecretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, Mark Rey, and some of the law enforcement staff that often include the number one honcho, John Twiss as well as an assortment of flunkies.

So in the crazy world of Usenet, Mailmain and other internet communciation tools, I sent my two cents around on the value, or lack thereof, of talking to the USFS about our differences and the Forest Service's escalating violence towards people camping in the woods.

So here's my two cents.

The greater the diversity of peoples that interact with the USFS, the better off everyone is and the stronger we all get. Each of the wonderful bellies in this world has unique ideas, concerns, and thoughts and it's important to share those with USFS and with each other.

I realize that talking today may change nothing in Wyoming or wherever we land in 2009. But I have faith that by 2072, the journey we are on now will still have Rainbows and a peace trail. Talking to people today about concerns, issues, ideas helps all of us better understand what we are doing and is creating the future we all want.

If you haven't participated in one of the conference calls, please plan on joining in on March 17. If you're at the gathering in Wyoming, make sure to stop by INFO and find out when the daily cooperations council happens and show up and listed to what people are saying - both those
who work for the USFS and those who don't.

Peace comes from love, openness and communication.

Create peace. Find ways to communicate with those whose opinions differ from yours.

Be the change you wish to see in this world.