atn mayâjune 2000 appalachian trailway news

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Paper Trail Blind thru-hiker Bill Irwin’s 1990 trek made national <strong>news</strong>. people are to actually use primitive or backcountry facilities and trails? Startzell: Yes. It probably is fair to say that the prevailing attitude among the representatives of the disabled community was: “If you build it, they will come.” However, a number of recreation-providers with experience in designing and building accessible recreation facilities did not necessarily support that. ATN: What about the Appalachian Trail? Startzell: People with various disabilities—including serious vision and mobility impairments—have explored portions or even the full length of the Trail without the benefit of accessibility modifications. But, our experience simply is too limited to draw reliable conclusions about the extent to which use by disabled people is likely to be generated by expanded opportunities for such use. ATN: What are the implications of the cost? Startzell: The disabled community generally believes that equal (or at least proportional) access fundamentally is a civil-rights issue that does not lend itself to traditional cost-benefit analyses. Some recreation-providers, on the other hand, believe that accessibility requirements stemming from the Americans with Disabilities Act and other related legislation simply represent an “unfunded mandate.” ATN: How did the committee resolve this conflict? Startzell: I believe each side came to recognize some basis for both perspectives. In any case, the Access Board is required to develop and consider some financial-impact analyses before adopting any final regulation. That information also should be available for inspection during the public-review period. ATN: Do the recommendations address the needs of all disabled people? Startzell: Not necessarily. The greatest emphasis was on people with mobility impairments, who require the assistance of wheelchairs, motorized scooters, or prosthetics, and, to a lesser extent, people with vision or hearing impairments. ATN: So, how would you summarize the committee’s recommendations affecting trails? Startzell: The committee recommended an “exceptions-based approach.” This means the decision-maker begins by assuming that accessibility can be incorporated into the design and construction of the trail or trail segment. In other words, to paraphrase one of the committee members, “access should be ‘on the table’ whenever decisions are made affecting outdoor-recreation facilities, including trails,” in much the same way as we presently consider slope, surface conditions, and a host of other issues. ATN: Will all trails will be required to meet these standards? Startzell: No. That’s why it’s “exceptions-based.” In the first place, the standards apply only to new construction or substantial alterations to existing trails or trail segments. Also, the affected segment must be connected to an accessible trailhead or to another accessible segment. The regulations would not apply to trail segments “in the middle of nowhere.” Another general exception would effectively eliminate from consideration trail segments characterized by “extreme” conditions—severe slopes, cross-slopes, and/or surface impediments. Such conditions are quite common along primitive, mountaincrest footpaths such as the A.T. ATN: Are there other exceptions? Startzell: Yes. Where modifications would cause substantial To paraphrase one of the committee members, “access should be ‘on the table’ whenever decisions are made affecting outdoor-recreation facilities, including trails.” harm to natural or cultural resources; where they would substantially alter the nature of the setting or the purpose of the trail; where they would require construction methods prohibited by federal, state, or local laws; or where they would not be feasible due to terrain or prevailing construction practices. Clearly, one or 10 MAY–JUNE <strong>2000</strong>
more of these circumstances may exist along many sections of the A.T. ATN: Both you and Peter Jensen have been attempting to keep leaders of Trail-maintaining clubs informed of this issue throughout process. What’s been the reaction among those volunteers to the accessibility proposals? Startzell: Before the actual language of the recommendations was fully developed, many of the reactions tended to cluster at the “fear and loathing” end of the spectrum. ATN: And now? Startzell: Once the exceptions-based approach was explained, I think people came to understand that what is being proposed is not as onerous as some had feared. I would not, however, suggest that all of the concerns have disappeared. The most commonly voiced concern is that modifications could fundamentally alter the nature of the Appalachian Trail experience. The Trail has been designed, constructed, and maintained for seventyeight years to provide a primitive, mostly backcountry experience with opportunities for physical challenge and to “lie lightly on the land.” When people think of wheelchair-accessible trails, they tend to think of flat, paved pathways that would be altogether incongruous with the character we have striven to establish and maintain along the A.T. ATN: That’s not a legitimate concern? Startzell: It’s legitimate, but extensive grading and paving are not necessarily required in order to meet the recommended accessibility Extensive grading and paving are not necessarily required . . . and no one is suggesting that a primitive footpath, such as the A.T., should be modified in that way. standards, and no one is suggesting that a primitive footpath, such as the A.T., should be modified in that way. ATN: So, what will clubs have to do that they didn’t do before? Startzell: Today, new Trail construction or reconstruction tends to make greater use of sidehill terrain to facilitate drainage anyway. It has a somewhat wider treadway, gentler slopes and cross slopes, and more self-maintaining erosion-control devices, such as drainage dips. Many of these same techniques also can be employed to make the Trail more accessible to people with varying degrees of disabilities. ATN: Aren’t modifications to accommodate accessibility expensive? Will funds be diverted from other Trail projects in order to pay for accessibility modifications? Startzell: It depends on the site, the length of Trail, and other factors. But, modifications to accommodate wheelchair or scooter access definitely can be quite expensive when compared to our “normal” construction practices. Since neither ATC nor the Trail-maintaining clubs have unlimited financial resources, funds targeted for accessible-trail projects certainly could divert funds away from other projects. ATN: Is that the main concern? Startzell: A greater concern may be the impact on our human resources—our volunteers. Those volunteers already devote an incredible number of hours to Trail construction and maintenance. If compliance with accessibility regulations significantly increases demands on those volunteers, the burden could prove to be “the straw that breaks the camel’s back.” ATN: How do we address that issue? Startzell: My hope is that this new challenge will prove to be manageable if we focus on Trail segments that can be most easily modified to accommodate accessibility— and where there is the greatest likelihood for ready access by disabled people. We also will need to program these projects in a way that does not exceed our available resources or create excessive or disproportionate demands on any single Trail-maintaining club. ATN: What are the next steps? Startzell: Next comes the pub- Bob Barker battled both A.T. rocks and multiple sclerosis in 1987 to become a “2,000 miler.” APPALACHIAN TRAILWAY NEWS 11
Page 1 and 2: ATN MAY-JUNE 2000 APPALACHIAN TRAIL
Page 3 and 4: APPALACHIAN TRAIL MAY-JUNE 2000 ATN
Page 5 and 6: and, for the most part, engaged in
Page 7 and 8: Camping in the 1940s did I state th
Page 9: Paper Trail Trails, as well as recr
Page 13 and 14: SIDEHILL News from clubs and govern
Page 15 and 16: Hikers view proposed quarry (highli
Page 17 and 18: “2,000-Milers” for 2000 The App
Page 19 and 20: Clinton E. Fuhr (Pale Rider), Pitts
Page 21 and 22: Samford (Greenbean), Avondale, Ga.;
Page 23 and 24: through freezing rain up the ridge,
Page 25 and 26: “A.T. hikers now walk within thir
Page 27 and 28: For the sake of discussion, let’s
Page 29 and 30: Then, maybe you can try to control
Page 31 and 32: MINISTRY OF FUNNY WALKS Felix J. Mc

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atn mayâjune 2000 appalachian trailway news