DISCOVERERS, DEVELOPERS, AND MERCHANTS
How the old west gold mining and modern land use are similar
By Del Albright
The old prospector no longer gave a hoot about all the talk of getting rich during the 1849 gold rush. No matter how he looked at it, it was dang hot and ugly mean in the western desert, and he’d not had a decent drink of water or a good meal in days. He was hot and tired; his mule was dragging, and his supplies were about gone. He was having about as much fun as a jackrabbit at a coyote picnic.
With no gold in his pockets, he gave up for the day and settled in next to a ledge of rocks that provided some shade. He tipped back his sweaty, worn-out hat and began to collect a few rocks to make a small fire ring. The last of his hard-tack would taste mighty fine about now and he still had one can of beans to heat up. Then it struck him like a mule kick in the butt! His fire ring of rocks was the best gold ore he’d ever seen. He was suddenly going to be a rich man living the life of luxury.
The old prospector was a “discoverer.” Discoverers are those who find the ore or the strike but usually don’t have the capital to develop a gold (or silver)
mine. Sometimes in the 1800s it was common to have to sink a shaft 200 – 300
feet or more to get the “good stuff.”
So the discoverer would sell out to the developer, who did have the
money, manpower, and backing to fully develop the mine.
Of course, all this while the merchants- the businessmen who brought the shovels, beans, bullets, and other supplies that miners needed – were
establishing the long-term trade and supply routes to build this country while
supporting the mining development. It
all came together: the discoverers, the developers, and the merchants. Today, landuse is not much different.
In short, the discoverers in landuse are the local folks
who are “prospecting” their way through the maze of government, just trying to
recreate and enjoy the great outdoors with their toys. Discoverers find problems (bad government decisions,
unnecessary road closures, unwarranted gates, etc.), then bring in the
developers (larger landuse organizations) to help out. Merchants are the off-road businesses of
today who support the developers. It all
comes together – just like in the mining days of the “old west.”
Allow me to break this down for you a bit more. Let’s take the example of a “local Joe,” just
a lone-ranger kind of recreationist, who finds that his favorite trail is being
closed up tighter than a tick on a hound dog.
He makes a few phone calls; writes a couple letters; and gets the
typical run-around. So then he moves it up a notch and finds a local club to
engage in the fight. “Local Joe” is our
prospector who gets things started with his local knowledge, expertise, and
passion – he’s the discoverer.
Soon it becomes evident that professional help and
perhaps even legal advice might be crucial in saving this trail, so the locals
reach up to the bigger organizations at the state, regional and national levels
– the developers with the money (hopefully everyone has been joining and
supporting these bigger organizations so they do have some strength). Naturally, the merchants – the off-road
businesses – are in the game as well by supporting the big orgs and clubs out
there prospecting and developing to help keep the gold mine (the sport) alive
and well.
It all comes together, just like in the old mining days
of the American west. Well, that is to
say, if we’re all working together, making the system work, and finding unity
in our voices.
If you
read my writing very often, you know I love metaphors and analogies. This piece is no different. Here you go.
Our freedom to explore is a treasure in this great country of ours. Our recreation is a gold mine, if you will. Be a “discoverer” who works to prospect for
new ways to keep our sports alive and our trails open. Join and support the “developers,” who are the
big orgs helping to support you and your local trails. Finally, buy from “merchants” who support our
local, state, and national efforts as we all prospect for a brighter,
gold-filled future. J
MORE HELPFUL LINKS:
DEL'S BOOKS (LAND USE, WILDFIRE, DEATH VALLEY, COWBOY POETRY, AND MORE)
WEBSITE (HOME PAGE)
PINTEREST (BOOKS, ARTICLES, AND MORE)
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAMDEL'S ARTICLES (LAND USE, LIFE, WILDFIRE, VOLUNTEERISM, AND MORE)
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