REPOST
Oh that I wouldn’t have to post this every summer !

I want to thank Dr. Jeff from Goodreads for reminding me, it’s that time of year again!

I have never seen it this bad, then again, there have never been so many people in our back-country as there are now.

TOILET PAPER AND HUMAN WASTE IN AND ON THE SHORES OF OUR CREEKS AND LAKES.

Anyone that urinates/craps in or near water has to be a complete and total moron, right? Because they are knowingly(?) contaminating their own water supply. As an ecology teacher these days, I can tell you many people do not know this! Common sense but you see, it’s not.

Hey Dummy, There’s a Bathroom Right Across The Street!

As I say to my agency friends (U.S. Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife, State Parks, etc.), if you’re not doing Environmental Education, then what in the hell are you doing? In other words, posting a shit-load of signs does not replace the need for an active environmental education program that INCLUDES telling people not to crap/urinate in the water. I offer up Exhibit A:

Signs From God? No. God Would Put Something Up About Not Crapping In/By the Water.

HOLY CRAP! Lord but we love our signs! The information board in the photo above is across the street from where I took the T.P.-on-the-creek photo. This information board is next to some very nice bathrooms so the idiots that crapped by the creek are indeed, total idiots, but also, no where on these bastions of government guidance does it say anything about how to care for water when you are in the out of doors–something like, “HEY MORON! DON’T CRAP IN THE WATER! IT CAN MAKE YOU AND OTHER ANIMALS SICK! THANKS!”

In traveling to public lands all over California, I have not seen ONE SIGN that addresses proper treatment of water when one is camping or hiking and I am seeing more of the scene above every where I go. Again, hey Statie, Freddie, IF YOU’RE NOT DOING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? In California, would this not be a great campaign for our Water Boards to take on? Perhaps every bathroom, Porta-Jon, outhouse could be fitted with the near classic, How To Shit in the Woods.

Tying into all this is the need to make sure the Land and Water Conservation Fund gets fully reauthorized and funded. This little pot of money (of course, it’s a little pot because it comes from corporations/corporate fees and of course certain members of our Congress want it to sunset because we can’t possibly make corporations that drill, mine, explore, etc. on our public lands actually PAY/COMPENSATE Americans for the right to do this! Gosh, no! Let them just take all the profits while we clean up the mess with taxpayer dollars! OK!)–anyway, ahem, this teeny tiny pot of money is used exclusively to buy new public lands and/or maintain them, FOR US. This includes putting in bathrooms. Again, it uses no tax payer dollars.

Time is of the essence. Please send an email to your legislators as soon as possible. If you love our Public Lands, you need to do this. You can learn more about this important program at this link or just let Katy explain it. Thanks!

Note: Since the original post from last year, the program that asked corporations to pay their fair share for use/profit off OUR public lands is dead. Read more at the link: https://www.lwcfcoalition.com/press-releases/.
NO IT’S NOT DEAD. YES IT IS. NO IT’S NOT. Please make up your mind, the planet is waiting. NO IT’S NOT! As of 2020, the LWCF has been given PERMANENT funding by Congress except, uh…nothing is permanent from Congress but for now, YEAH. Stay vigilant, however. Thank you!

https://www.doi.gov/lwcf/permanent-funding

Land and Water Conservation Fund
Listen to Katy

Stay Wild! Fight for the Wild!