And so in addressing the wars and WAR MACHINES to save money, they instead, levie taxes on me and my doggies:
Give them tickets for running free and not causing any problems..
The easiest ones to tax..
The law abiding ones,
Up to a point.. <g,ng>
That's in my neck of the woods though....
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
» Popular areas affected: Mount Rose Summit trail, Whites and Thomas creek trails, Galena Park area, Belli Ranch.
Source: U.S. Forest Service
Hikers planning to take to the trails with their dogs in the hills west of Reno beginning this summer should bring a leash along with their boots and water bottles.
That's because the U.S. Forest Service plans on instituting new regulations requiring all dogs to be leashed within one mile of trailheads -- a step rangers say is necessary to address impacts to wildlife and conflicts on the trail involving roaming dogs.
"There is a high potential for conflict between dogs and trail users. The intention is to reduce that conflict," said Jeanne Higgins, forest supervisor for Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest.
The leash rule was included in a plan released last summer for a network of trails planned along the Carson Range, including a long-envisioned link between the Reno area and the popular Tahoe Rim Trail.
The plan also dictates which portions of trails will be open to hikers only and where mountain bikers and horseback riders can go. The leash requirement for federal trails -- designed to mesh with rules already in place at Washoe County-owned trailheads -- will go into effect at an undetermined date this summer, Higgins said.
The reaction
Planned leash regulations came as a surprise to Richard Bowen, an avid hiker who loves to roam the mountains with his Hungarian beagle, Cinderin, His pet, Bowen said, is trained to obey off-leash, and he said he objects to the idea of being forced to leash it in the backcountry.
"The big one is why a mile?" Bowen said. "I'll bet not but a handful of people even know about this. As I tell people about it, they're beside themselves."
Objecting to the idea, Bowen was told by Forest Service officials that he couldn't appeal the rule because he failed to provide comment during an official monthlong comment period.
In subsequent correspondence with Higgins, Bowen described the leash regulation as "arbitrary and capricious" in nature and in possible violation of the National Environmental Policy Act. He said it was based on opinion, not science, and cited a failure by the government to provide records of dog-related problems on the trails.
In an April 1 letter to Bowen, Higgins countered that the regulation was a "responsible decision" needed in a part of the national forest abutting a growing urban area.
Problem areas, Higgins said, include the Mount Rose Summit trail, Galena Park, Thomas and Whites Creek trails and Belli Ranch.
How it would work
Laura Bielser hiked the Galena Park area one day last week with her children and Sophie, a 130-pound Saint Bernard.
Sophie always goes leashed, a precaution made necessary by her propensity to chase any squirrel in sight, Bielser said. But she objects to a blanket rule affecting all dogs.
"I know some really, really well-behaved dogs that have never required a leash," Bielser said. "Enough with the rules. It's so unnecessary."
Mary Bennington, executive director of the Tahoe Rim Trail Association, said she doubts the new rules will result in any big changes readily apparent to hikers. She said she's never seen leash laws enforced where they already exist at county-owned trailheads.
"I honestly don't react to it as a big change," she said. "Our approach to dogs on the trail is they should be kept under control. If they react aggressively to animals or other trail users, they probably should be on a leash."
Higgins said that, at least initially, Forest Service officials will only warn violators of the leash law. A citation -- with fines ranging between $50 and $100 -- would only be likely in the event of a dog bite or something similar, Higgins said.
"The notion of people getting tickets, that's not something I would expect to be widespread," she said.
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