The Huachacua Mtns are not arid desert. It wouldn’t harm squat to use heavy equipment to remove tons of debris.
“Several weeks ago, the Forest Service stopped Tombstone from bringing in a wheelbarrow for the repairs.
Why on earth?
Rangers say the Wilderness Act prohibits “motorized” or “mechanized” equipment because it might damage the wilderness and disturb endangered species...The rangers insisted the wheelbarrow was “mechanized” because it had a wheel.”
Good article on CNN:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/10/us/tombstone-water-fight/index.html
The water pipes were installed in 1881 - and no, this is NOT a real wilderness area. In places in Arizona, paved roads were removed so that the government could pretend a place qualified as ‘wilderness’. This is the arrogance of the USFS - an organization I worked for 30 years ago, back before it became a haven for radical environmentalists.
“The city now insists it owns all 25 springs outright, and has the right to maintain five acres around each one, as well as 25 feet on either side of the pipeline. The city says it doesn’t need anybody’s permission to work on its own property.
“We had to fight to buy that water line in 1947, and we won,” Sosa said. “We own that water line. In 1977, we had a similar fire, and we went in and made the repairs. In 1983, more fires again, and we’re still here.” Miller Peak became a federally protected wilderness in 1984.” - CNN
This was the water supply when the OK Corral shootout happened. The Feds are flat wrong here. Power must be asserted or it is lost. Tombstone needs to turn up the heat,,, and if the water supply in California is a model,, massive publicity might not be enough.
It will probably take a raw assertion of power,, backed up by a willingness to use self defense.
Brewer should send the guard to do it.
So, why did they even apply for a stinkin' permit? Kind'a like shoot, shovel and shut up, why didn't they just go ahead and make the repairs?