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It has been stopped for now. Goto BUMP.org if you are interested in = more information.
James
Here's the news article from the local paper:
KATHERINE BOUMA News staff writer
The paving of Red Trail and other construction projects at Oak Mountain State Park appear unlikely
to go forward because of thousands of objections from the public, State Parks Director Marcus
Easterwood says.
"We're getting hundreds a day letters and e-mails," he said.
Not one of the responses from the public has been in favor of the paving or other construction at
Oak Mountain State Park, Easterwood said.
"We have got nothing but negative, negative, negative," he said. "Really about anything any new
construction."
Planners hired by the state parks system recently proposed a series of changes for Oak Mountain
State Park, ranging from adding a second golf course to paving Peavine Falls Road and Red Road.
After the proposals were announced to groups that use the parks and in newspapers, the public
reacted loudly and unanimously in opposition.
Objections were sent to state parks, letters began appearing in newspapers and a "Save the Red
Trail" petition appeared on the Internet and received more than 1,000 signatures.
"I don't think we will go in and do something that is just totally against what the people in that
area want and the users of that park want," Easterwood said.
He said an option for Red Trail that still could be considered is a simple ground cover or a cover
of tar and gravel to allow electric vehicles of some sort. But Easterwood said officials will hold
at least one meeting and possibly a public hearing before making any decisions.
Parks officials have identified about 25 groups that use the park, such as the Wildflower Society
and hiking groups, and will plan a meeting with them within the next two weeks, Easterwood said.
After that, he said, the parks system may hold a public hearing.
Opponents of construction at the park said they are worried that the state still hasn't gotten the
message that the public wants to have a say in this process.
"We're hearing from a lot of people who aren't members of any groups," said Peggy Gargis, a member
of the Sierra Club.
But Easterwood said he wants to keep the initial meeting to a manageable number. "If you don't keep
in some type of order and follow some type of protocol, it's just mass confusion, and you don't gain
anything from that," he said.
Easterwood said there has been a misconception that all the proposals were more firm than they were
ever since the parks system announced its renovation plans.
"A lot of things have to be discussed and evaluated," he said. "We have not made those
decisions yet."
Opponents of the Red Trail paving said they are pleased that the state is responding to
their concerns.
"We're nature lovers, and we go there to get away from the city and to get away from pavement, not
to indulge in it," said Verna Gates, president of the Birmingham Wildflower Society.
She said her group sent more than 100 e-mails to the state parks, in part because of their concern
for the Confederate daisy, a rare flower that grows only at Oak Mountain and Stone Mountain. If
people could drive up Red Trail, it would be easier for those who don't care about the plants to get
up there and dig them up, Gates said.
"The ecosystem is like a brick house there's only so many bricks you can take out before the house
collapses," she said.
She said her 250-member group often takes field trips to Oak Mountain, and many members live nearby
and visit often.
"We don't want to drive through the wilderness and see it through a window," she said. "We want to
touch it."
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>It has been stopped for now. = </FONT><FONT=20 face=3DArial
size=3D2>Goto BUMP.org if you are interested in more=20 information.</FONT></DIV>
<DV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DVI><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>James</FONT></DIV>
<DVII><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DVIII><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Here's the news article from the local=20 paper:</FONT></DIV>
<DIX><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DX> </DIV>
<DXI> </DIV>
<DXII>KATHERINE BOUMA<BR>News staff writer<BR><BR>The paving of Red Trail = and=20 other
construction projects at Oak Mountain<BR>State Park appear = unlikely to go=20 forward
because of thousands of<BR>objections from the public, State = Parks=20 Director Marcus
Easterwood says.<BR><BR>"We're getting hundreds a day = letters=20 and e-mails," he
said.<BR><BR>Not one of the responses from the public = has been=20 in favor of the
paving<BR>or other construction at Oak Mountain State = Park,=20 Easterwood said.<BR><BR>"We
have got nothing but negative, negative, = negative,"=20 he said. "Really<BR>about anything
any new = construction."<BR><BR>Planners hired=20 by the state parks system recently proposed
a series of<BR>changes for = Oak=20 Mountain State Park, ranging from adding a second
golf<BR>course to = paving=20 Peavine Falls Road and Red Road. After the proposals<BR>were
announced = to groups=20 that use the parks and in newspapers, the<BR>public reacted loudly
and=20 unanimously in opposition.<BR><BR>Objections were sent to state parks, = letters=20
began appearing in<BR>newspapers and a "Save the Red Trail" petition = appeared on=20 the
Internet<BR>and received more than 1,000 signatures.<BR><BR>"I don't = think=20 we will go in
and do something that is just totally<BR>against what the = people=20 in that area want and
the users of that park<BR>want," Easterwood=20 said.<BR><BR>He said an option for Red Trail
that still could be = considered is=20 a<BR>simple ground cover or a cover of tar and gravel
to allow=20 electric<BR>vehicles of some sort. But Easterwood said officials will = hold
at=20 least<BR>one meeting and possibly a public hearing before making any=20
decisions.<BR><BR>Parks officials have identified about 25 groups that = use the=20 park,
such<BR>as the Wildflower Society and hiking groups, and will plan = a=20 meeting<BR>with
them within the next two weeks, Easterwood said. After = that,=20 he<BR>said, the parks
system may hold a public hearing.<BR><BR>Opponents = of=20 construction at the park said they
are worried that the<BR>state still = hasn't=20 gotten the message that the public wants to
have a<BR>say in this=20 process.<BR><BR>"We're hearing from a lot of people who aren't
members = of any=20 groups,"<BR>said Peggy Gargis, a member of the Sierra Club.<BR><BR>But=20
Easterwood said he wants to keep the initial meeting to a = manageable<BR>number.=20 "If you
don't keep in some type of order and follow some type = of<BR>protocol,=20 it's just mass
confusion, and you don't gain anything from<BR>that," he=20 said.<BR><BR>Easterwood said
there has been a misconception that all the =
proposals<BR>were more firm than they were ever since the parks system = announced=20
its<BR>renovation plans.<BR><BR>"A lot of things have to be discussed = and=20 evaluated," he said.
"We have<BR>not made those decisions = yet."<BR><BR>Opponents=20 of the Red Trail paving said they
are pleased that the state<BR>is = responding to=20 their concerns.<BR><BR>"We're nature lovers, and
we go there to get away = from=20 the city and to<BR>get away from pavement, not to indulge in it,"
said = Verna=20 Gates,<BR>president of the Birmingham Wildflower Society.<BR><BR>She = said her=20
group sent more than 100 e-mails to the state parks, in<BR>part because = of their=20 concern for
the Confederate daisy, a rare flower<BR>that grows only at = Oak=20 Mountain and Stone Mountain. If
people could<BR>drive up Red Trail, it = would be=20 easier for those who don't care about<BR>the
plants to get up there and = dig them=20 up, Gates said.<BR><BR>"The ecosystem is like a brick house
there's only = so many=20 bricks you can<BR>take out before the house collapses," she =
said.<BR><BR>She=20 said her 250-member group often takes field trips to Oak = Mountain,<BR>and
many=20 members live nearby and visit often.<BR><BR>"We don't want to drive = through the=20
wilderness and see it through a<BR>window," she said. "We want to touch=20
it."<BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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