OK, I seem to be replying to myself on this thread and I hope this is it. Finally the facts have come out - a journalist actually did some professional reporting to follow up on this story. Got this from a Google alert and maybe there are other articles out there but this is all that came in from Google. One interesting twist I haven't read anywhere else - the judge's decision to allow commercial packing is only temporary and he cut back the maximum quota to 80% of 2007 levels.
I find it puzzling that the HSHA did not return calls to the reporter. No wonder they never got their side of the story out, they suck at PR. It's too bad these complex issues get boiled down to bumper sticker arguments. I suppose people think I'm anti-horse just because I'm in favor of taking a fresh look at the current regs based on science. Okay, his ruling called the whole business into question so maybe this wasn't the time to compromise. I'm not expert on this by any means, but the NPS should not be ignoring their own scientists. And for the record, I did my share of chores on a girlfriend's horse ranch in North San Diego County, did lots of backcountry rides and full moon rides with her, galloped on Mexican beaches and put my family on Native American horses to get out of Havasupi, Grand Canyon. I love horses, but I'm not so sure the rules are optimized for the fragile meadows of the High Sierra. Sorry, that didn't fit on a bumper sticker very well. I think I'm done beating this dead horse - hey I didn't make up that saying.
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20120529/NEWS01/205290317
