Sadly, the part of central Utah in which I live is subject to the same type of mis-use by some people who take their vehicles over pristine areas and thus create a trail which others then feel justified in following. I believe that there is an underlying issue which is the disappearance in our culture of the connection between matter and 'spirit'. If we understood that there is indeed something sacred about the planet itself and all life forms - this sense being quite independent of a religious belief or dogma, perhaps innate in a human being until cultural values intervene - then perhaps we would not be so eager to recreate at the expense of the planet. This behavior is not unlike sitting for hours on the beach for the fun of it while ones skin burns. We need the skin of the planet to be healthy just as we do that of our bodies.

Bonnie Mangold