FS giving tickets in the BNF (update)

[Uncle Wayne]

My uncle by marriage told me one of his long time friends was ticketed for collecting water in milk jugs from a spring in the BNF last week. A lot of the mountain folks will carry a gallon jug to various springs they know to be good tasting water and carry them home full of spring water for drinking purposes.  I even do it occasionally.  I don't know all the details about this situation but this guy had 5 one gallon jugs and had filled them all with water when the FS drove up and started questioning him.  When he told them he was carrying the water home  he was told that was illegal. The water was poured back into the spring and he was given a ticket for collecting water from a NF source for use outside the forest.

I've seen a waiting line to get water from the Kinlock Spring in years gone by. I'm going to do some more investigating on this to see exactly what is the FS official policy.

[McDowra]

sounds like a ranger having a bad  day and your friend was a release valve

[Bankheadboy]

That is why the Forest Service is #1 or 2 on the most Hated list of Goverment Agentcies with the IRS> Dont hurt the pine trees!!! If you want to get someone from BHF (old timers) mad talk about a Forest Ranger! But stand Back!!

[Uncle Wayne]

I talked with the Ranger office this afternoon and they said while it is illegal to carry water (or wood or sand or stone etc) in the forest outside for private use without a special permit, they very rarely enforce it especially with the forest item being taken 4 or 5 gallons of spring water.

I mentioned the case I knew of that happened last week and the reply was "there must have been extenuating circumstances the enforcing officer saw that you don't know about."

So there you go.  Probably McDowra hit the nail on the head with his reply.

[Bankheadboy]

"there must have been extenuating circumstances the enforcing officer saw that you don't know about." 
This must be the case for most the harrassing stories coming out of Wren about the Forest Service. My favorite being my wife's dads. He picked up a walking stick walking near a clear cut and a Ranger wanted to know where he got it and if he cut it. The day I seen a Ranger was when I had a flat tire on a small trailer. I pulled off on FS234 from Hwy33 and was working on the tire and here he come flying up slamming on his brakes. Like I got one! Backs up looks over and see's that I'm only changing a flat and I'm five feet from any pine trees and takes off! Was that a Good Day? I could have used some help, I had no tools. I think their is nothing worst than the feeling of being made feel like your a criminal. It takes a few days to get over something like that if you know your a good person(Good Person). Having a bad day on any job sucks but having a harrassing day from someone on a high horse is worst! Next you will have to dump the water out of your live well on your fishing boats?