$5000 Charge for Wilderness Rescue Ignites Debate–Again.

June 21, 2007

A Kansas man has been billed $5000 for a wilderness rescue after he injured his ankle while hiking along a steep hillside.

This debate has been raging for well over a year now–whether or not people in the wilderness, when accidents happen, should be liable to pay for their rescue.

Kansas is only one of a number of states who have been looking in to billing people that have come to need a rescue involving local authorities. Colorado also has a similar law in place and one is also currently making the rounds in Utah.

The great Blog, Two-Heel Drive ran by Tom Mangan, tipped me off to the forementioned article featured in the June 18th issue of Rocky Mountain News discussing this incident, as well as the debate raging in Kansas. You may read the whole article HERE.

As far as Colorado is concerned, there has recently been news that another individual will be billed $7500 for his subsequent rescue as well.

This is reigniting a big debate amongst outdoor enthusiasts. Should they be charged or shouldn’t they? I have already expressed my own opinion on this matter as it pertains to climbers needing rescued–(please see story posted HERE, for my opinion.) How much is to much?

Alot of us go out and try to enjoy the peace and solitude of the outdoors for 1) it is great exercise, 2) it gets you away from the hustle and bustle of cities…and PEOPLE, and 3) It is alot cheaper to walk a trail then drive a car.

If all of us ran the risk of having to pay $7500 for rescue after a badly twisted ankle PLUS our own medical bills, would we still be outdoors?

Alot of the previous debate over this issue has occured mainly over climbers getting stranded high on mountains, as in the two incidents that have occured in the past year on Mt. Hood. More and more though, we as individuals are seeing this pop up for some things that seem–dare I say mundane?

I think the political motivation behind this issue has jumped from saving lives to making money, and in a sense, infringing upon our own freedoms to explore nature and the outdoors.

Perhaps a few people have taken advantage of the system. Perhaps a few have ended up where they never should have been in the first place without the experience or guidance they needed to be there. Is this a reason to Pigeonhole a whole section of the American population? Instead of going out to “Get Away From It All”, that “All” is slowly trying to step in and even take away the essence of being out there.

I understand that the Authorities job is to serve and protect–my father was a Police Officer, yet why must we all feel like children being guarded while playing outside?

This country is slowly becoming everything we have spent 300 years fighting against. Our basic freedoms are slowly being dissolved, our choices are slowly being made for us.

As far as I know, The American Public pays for such things as our National Park System, however mediocre the funds are that eventually get there..these are our parks, our lands, and we deserve to have a say.

Here is one idea. How about spending 1% of the budget that we are using to finance Iraq and set up a Parks sponsored system to enact these rescues when needed?

We as individuals need to be vocal about issues such as this. Let your lawmakers know.

SummitPost, a forum on Mountain Climbing, currently has a thread debating this very issue as well. If you will just go through and read this whole thread, you will see the varying opinions associated with this issue.

How much are we going to let them take? What are your thoughts on this issue, and what could possibly be done to make matters a little easier. In the coming days, I will be posting some of these thoughts, as well as perhaps talking to some people in the “know” on this issue. Post your thoughts and let your voices be heard!

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