A recent phenomenon of western countries seems to be a growing polarization in both politics and in personal and institutional ideological belief. This narrow and rigid world of absolutes and all-or-nothing thinking seems to have spread to our local Outdoor Recreation Groups. The concept of balance, flexibility, open-mindedness and a world of grey/many colours appears to be, in some instances, a distant memory.

In this post I will refrain from naming the specific organizations.

That being said, I have witnessed outdoor recreation groups move radically away from their foundational principals and mission statements of promoting and advocating for backcountry recreation and the improvement of access and trail infrastructure, towards a strict anti-recreation conservation agenda.

No new trails without studies, broad strategic planning, assessments, management plans, etc. The outdoor community itself is actively putting in as many roadblocks as it can to block and to place delays of years and even decades upon new hiking trail development and infrastructure.

How did this happen, and how did these organizations stray so far from the very reason they were created?

Sadly, the conservation zealots that have infested and applied their black and white ideological principals to the hiking community have a blind spot to the fact that commercial operators, industry, mechanized users and other recreation groups (mountain bikers for instance) continue to build and lobby for increased recreation facilities for their user groups and companies as never before.

Conservation values and new trails/improved trails, facilities and access can and must coincide with one another. Furthermore, it seems like these outdoor recreation groups (which I will not name) are engaged in self-sabotage, by undermining our user group’s recreational opportunities, while all the other user groups (including commercial interests) move in a more rational and balanced approach for their respective communities and stakeholders.

Black and white all-or-nothing conservation thinking in the non-motorized community will leave us left out, locked out, left behind, and relegate us as a bottom feeding, bottom of the barrel laughingstock.

It has been a while since I wrote a general article about Advocacy.

I was reflecting upon the ethics surrounding advocacy situations where the issue is of high stakes and/or high profile, and the corporate or governmental body is in fundamental opposition to the values and objectives the advocate or the advocate's organization believes in.

Firstly, I don't believe that the ends justifies the means. And while there are situations where the position taken by the opposing side can appear distasteful, unjustifiable, unethical, illogical, or dishonest, etc., it is important to remember that we are all human beings. We all have loved ones, feelings, hopes and dreams.

Indeed, it is both easy and all too human to get caught up in one's passions and emotions, and to cast one's opposition as "evil" or "the enemy". But the world is never so black and white.

Vigorously representing one's arguments and facts is healthy, but it is important to remember that sometimes the person on the other side has no choice but to present a certain position regardless of their personal beliefs. And organizations themselves have their own psychology and pathology independent of the individuals within them. In fact, it is even possible to give an entire organization a mental health diagnosis just like an individual. I have personally witnessed those on the opposite side of an issue forced to defend a tenuous position they themselves did not believe in because of their employment. I felt great compassion for their internal conflict.

It is good to fight the good fight, to use all the tools at your disposal, and to enjoy the battle.  A chess game needn't be personal and should be fun. When your opponent loses, do not kick them when they are down. Do not rub their noses in their defeat. And when you lose, hold your head high knowing that you gave it your best and cared enough about something in life to try. Let the defeat go and learn from it.

I say these words not just for you, but also for myself.

Yes, the issues matter. But at the end of the day, you have to be able to live with yourself too. We also have to be able to live with each other, and to try to not create too much suffering around us.