Travels with Tosh — A Journal; Ep. 42

Tuesday, 24 December 2024

One of the problems with this long-term visitor area is the fee has not been changed since 1983. It is and has been US$180 for 41 years, though two scheduled fee increases were denied due to the economic downturn and COVID-19 pandemic. In that same time, all costs have increased significantly, including trash, facility maintenance, and cleaning supply costs.

In fact, the entire infrastructure of the area, including potable water tank, underground plumbing, and building condition have deteriorated from very high heat in Summer and an increase in human occupancy in Winter. Trash collection, by itself, costs the BLM more than US$1 million per year.

To put it another way, that $180 is less than $26.00 per month for unlimited water, trash, toilets, and a place to sleep. No hotel, house, or apartment will cost that little, so it is no wonder many with insufficient means come here for the Winter.

Clearly, it is a very good deal that cannot be matched in any way outside. And it is totally unsustainable. In fact, the BLM cannot backfill employee positions because they do not have the budget for it…or major repair and/or replacement of failing infrastructure.

That low price, of course, means that a lot of folks come to the area in Winter for many reasons, in spite of the fact that it was designed, and rules made for, ‘snowbirds’ from northern states and Canada to get away from snow and ice for the winter. The visitors range from very wealthy retirees with large, expensive motorhome recreational vehicles, to the houseless and homeless with far less in the way of resources. Right now, as I sit here writing this at about 16:30, or 4:30 p.m., on the day before Christmas, here are three things happening:

• One woman near me is apparently having a mental moment. She is cursing wildly into the wind — she lives alone with her car, in which she sleeps, and one small tent for storage — at, well, who knows?
• On the mesa not far from me, is a family from Alaska, clearly a snowy state at this time of the year. The adults let their dog and several children run around the mesa on which they are camped, also in several tents, in and around other campers’ areas. These children and unrestrained dogs have forced at least four other campers to relocate; apparently, the family likes that, because they are now ‘spreading out,’ taking up far more space than they really should…