I promised myself that Id try to be less political.........but dang I just couldnt keep silent on this..National parks are the property of the citizens of the Unites States of America. This is just wrong, its time to get involved! The U.S. Forest Service has set into motion plans to fine picture-takers at least a grand for snapping images in any of the wilderness areas under their care, nearly 36 million acres of wilderness in all. If the plans are finalized in November, any media with a camera, even a simple cell phone camera, will have to purchase a permit from the Forest Service if they plan on taking photographs in places like Mount Hood or Mount Jefferson, permits that can cost nearly $1500. If they refuse, they risk being fined $1000 for the infraction. As you can imagine, this has given photographers everywhere a reason for concern. Its pretty clearly unconstitutional, Gregg Leslie, legal defense director at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in Alexandria, Va told Oregon Live. They would have to show an important need to justify these limits, and they just cant. According to Leslie, the Forest Service hasnt shown any real-world justifications for the new law. Others believe that the new limitations are being set into place for a more nefarious purpose: to punish media outlets that report unfavorable stories about wilderness areas by refusing future shooting permits. The Forest Service needs to rethink any policy that subjects noncommercial photographs and recordings to a burdensome permitting process for something as simple as taking a picture with a cell phone, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, said. Especially where reporters and bloggers are concerned, this policy raises troubling questions about inappropriate government limits on activity clearly protected by the First Amendment. The only time that new rules wouldnt apply is in regard to breaking news, such as a natural disaster. Regardless of the reasoning, its easy to see why such a change is a terrible idea, particularly when it comes to the fuzziness between who qualifies as media. Would a national news network with the ability to throw away nearly two grand be considered the same media as a self-funded photography blog? Is a journalism student with an iPhone comparable to a salaried news anchor for a local network? The new rules dont answer these questions, and the room for interpretation could mean that media access to wilderness areas will be only be available to those who can afford it. Luckily, the Forest Service have opened themselves up for comment. Photogs, give em hell.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 18:44:50 +0000
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