What is your opinion?

[j10asen]

I read on a differenrt messade board that the reason why Wisconsin State parks do not have many electric site. I attended the Camping show in Green Bay this weekend and the DNR had a both. I approched the Rangers and asked them why they do not have more electric sites in their campgrounds. Their response was the same as posted on another message board.
The private campgrounds got together and conviced legislature to pass the law restricting the number of electic site so the State would not compete with the the privates.

Please post your feelings

[Crys]

That doesn't surprise me.

Really though, as far as I'm concerned, state parks should be kept as natural as possible. Electric lights and flush toilets are great, and both require electricity to at least that building ... but do you really need electricity at the campsite? Knowing there are less electric sites at a state park actually makes me more inclined to camp at a park than a private campground because there'll be less loud music and lights blocking the stars at night.

[j10asen]

Originally Posted by Crys

That doesn't surprise me.

Really though, as far as I'm concerned, state parks should be kept as natural as possible. Electric lights and flush toilets are great, and both require electricity to at least that building ... but do you really need electricity at the campsite? Knowing there are less electric sites at a state park actually makes me more inclined to camp at a park than a private campground because there'll be less loud music and lights blocking the stars at night.

Thank you for a repsonse.
I would like to point out that while electric could be made avaialble it does not make it a requirment to use.
I also would like to point out that there are people who need electricty for various reasons beyond lights and music for example a diabetic who needs to keep their insulin in a controled temperature. If you had to rebuy spoiled medicatins you would understand this need alone. That is one of many examples. Do you want to restrict those users from enjoying a State Campground?
Remeber there are many battery operated BOOMBOXES but few BATTERY OPERATED refrigerators.
and question even deeper is
Do you want a select group (private campgrounds) to legislate and control how we enjoy our state?
That could go go down a whole new line situations like water access etc only leading to limitation put on those less fortunatesfrom enjoying our natural resources.

But hey I asked for your opinion you gave and I appreciate that.

Please all join in and share, the more the better as far as I an concerned.

[Crys]

hahahahah I meant to say electric lights and hot showers require electricity. I know flush toilets don't require electricity :lol:

Yeah, I can see the need for keeping medication in a controlled environment, and getting a small cooler that plugs into the car would drain the battery if you used it on a camping trip. I think though, that the majority of people who would use an electric site wouldn't be in that situation, they'd just want it because they think they can't live without their radios and hair dryers and tons of lights at night and they can't control their kids without a tv and dvd player. I don't know what the ideal middle ground is, I just know that installing electricity is disruptive to the natural areas.

I wasn't in any way condoning private interests dictating legislation! I just am not surprised that they did.

[talleyJudy]

Actually, flush toilets do require electricity because they require water pressure. Unless the shower house is connected to a municipal supply(which requires electricity), the water has to be pumped out of the ground, thus requiring electricity to pump the water.

Having done a lot of camping over the years, it seems that most not counting on having electric at a site will bring a generator; producing fumes and NOISE! I's sure rather they be "hooked up".

Actually, the reason we avoided "public" camping facilities was because of the lack of 'security' of the campground while we were away from camp.

Going back to the subject at hand, I think that one should contact their state reps. and have them revisit the situation.

[keith]

Interesting post.

We have a campgournd as a client. The following is my response ~ not theirs (and, quite frankly, I don't know what their response would be. They're good people, business owners with a social conscience. We've discussed some of this, but our client brought up so many ways of looking at things that I don't recall his stance so much as the wealth of the number of ways to look at the situation. Anyhow, the parenthesis here were to emphasize this is my opinion, not that of the owners at www.DellsTimberLand.com).

Now, as a citizen, I love the fact that the state provides great resources for camping ~ Wisconsin in particular. I don't know whether they do so at a loss or a profit. Regardless, I assume that State Parks bring a lot of vacation dollars into our economy.

If you look at the most popular State Parks, Devils Lake, Peninsula, and Governor Dodge, it is clear that the State has a monopoly on the very best locations. That is, I believe, as it should be. These areas are jewels, and should be held in the public trust. It is right that they be available for shared use by us, the public.

On the flip side, put yourself in the shoes of the business owner, doing his or her best to provide a great camping experience for customers. The absolute best locations are taken by the State. The State ~ that's one heck of a competitor...a competitor that doesn't have to worry so much about gas prices, labor costs, taxes, etc.... Sure, they have budgets and such. It just isn't the same for a State Park manager as it is for a campground owner, though, who faces a 'compete or perish' situation.

State Parks can live on, virtually no matter how they are managed. The managers of State Parks aren't putting their own houses and credit on the line to finance improvements, like electric sites.

The state contracts out a lot of services. If they had a department for website building, though, and they decided to do something like our site, theBubbler.com, I'd be miffed, and part of me would say "It's about time" while another part of me would say, "You've got no business doing what I'm doing!" I guess if I were a campground owner and I could try to limit competition from the biggest imaginable competitor, I might do just that.

That said, if I shift to a consumer viewpoint (and I'm a bigger than average consumer of State Park services), I'd have to say that I trust that the State doesn't just simply roll over and automatically comply with the wishes of private campground owners. I trust that the State manages long term needs to accommodate their guests' needs while balancing their interests with the interests of owners in private industry. That would be prudent, and would provide the best macroeconomic yields for the entire hospitality sector, which in turn tends toward the best long-term outcomes for both the public and private sectors.

I like that you read this somewhere and confirmed what you read in a conversation, then posted here. This would be a fascinating subject to explore in more depth. Perhaps one day, if I'm lucky, I'll have the opportunity to interview a number of people in the public and private sectors to provide the various viewpoints. In the end, of course, there is no single right answer. Their is simply, if we're all lucky, a tendency toward optimizing the resources available to all of us, whether delivered via public or private enterprises.

Thanks for the post, j10asen. Hope to hear more from you.

Regards,
Keith

[j10asen]

Originally Posted by keith

Interesting post.

If you look at the most popular State Parks, Devils Lake, Peninsula, and Governor Dodge, it is clear that the State has a monopoly on the very best locations. That is, I believe, as it should be. These areas are jewels, and should be held in the public trust. It is right that they be available for shared use by us, the public.

Thanks for the post, j10asen. Hope to hear more from you.

Regards,
Keith

I should preface all my remarks with the fact that I started camping as a young boy. My parents camped exclusively in the State the of Wisconsin and for the most part at "Private Campgrounds". As an adult I have a preference to State,county and federal campgrounds. I have never had a good experience at a ""Private Campgrounds" as an adult.
Signs like "sorry cleaning the bathroom, come back in five minutes" turns me off. How can you possibly clean a bathroom in "FIVE MINUTES"?

I quoted the part of your response I agree with the most. Imagine what it would be like to to have a private group control who gets to enjoy the State's Natural resources?

That in a nut shell is what makes it a challange for private campgrounds to compete with State Campgrounds. I also challange you to find a State Park that will NOT put you in AWE, they all have their NATURAL BEAUTY no one else can duplicate.

I have posted this same message in other boards and have gotten even less of a response than here. This alone to me indicates the apathy for it all. I also am no brave soul and will not march ina parade of one. There are many reasons for the need to have electricty and I will not elaborate here, I am letting this subject go.

I love this State,The State Parks and the convenience of their proximity.

When I was younger, I would use the phrase'I'll never yaydadada again". Now that I am older I avoid that phrase like the plauge. Next year I may plan vacations more in advance than this year and I will use Wisconsin State Parks again but for 2007 like I have in 2004,2005 and 2006 I will go to the U.P. where it is much easier to get an electric site for a week. Guess where all my vacation dollars go then?

Thank you for have this forum and allowing people their say on any given topic,regradless of your stance it is a nice to have that FREEDOM.

Oh yes and I did contact a particular campground orginazation to get their take on this issue but they refused to reply with an email and requested I call them. When I did the secretatry took a message but no call was ever returned. That was over a week ago.

end of story

[keith]

Originally Posted by j10asen

I love this State,The State Parks and the convenience of their proximity.

Bravo!

Me, too. 'cept in February when I think I must be nuts to be such a booster for Wisconsin. :lol:

[/quote]When I was younger, I would use the phrase'I'll never yaydadada again". Now that I am older I avoid that phrase like the plauge.[/quote]

Likewise.

Thank you for have this forum and allowing people their say on any given topic,regradless of your stance it is a nice to have that FREEDOM.

Thank you for taking advantage of it. You're welcome ~ it is our pleasure.

Regards,
Keith

p.s.: I'll see if I can get a response for you.

[CarGuy]

You know that a lot of these state campgrounds are free. It take tax dollars to put in electricity. I wouldn't want anyone to miss anyting this great state has to offer, but I am pretty sure that if they did have all the modern conveniences that it might get a little pricey at the state grounds. and if we push this too much what do we get??? Why another govenor Doyle tax increase!!!!

O'Doyle Rules!!!

[pk]

You know that a lot of these state campgrounds are free.

This statement caught my eye when reading your post. What state campgrounds are free?

just wondering since I have been all over not just Wisconsin but other states as well and never ran across a free state campground.


pk