I agree with your points FOF. I was told by Arizona Mike that Mike Castro takes the money as a deterent to prevent " bad " people from accessing the springs. Arizona told me that Mike Castro is not interested in the money and doesn't need it. I asked " Why then did Mike Castro raise his fee after the Willow Fire " ? The truth is that Mike Castro was frustrated by this fire closure and raised the rate to make up for his losses. That is my opinion. I don't beleive for a minute that it was because he thought it would keep more " bad " people out. If charging money was a realistic means of stopping " bad " people from reaching the springs then why not raise the rate higher and keep out all of the bad people :-) It is my opinion, as I'm sure it is with most of you that having available money does not determine the worthiness of the individual so this argument is bogus. In reality, by far, the vast majority of people who use the springs access through the Bowen Ranch so in some real way the Bowen Ranch could be described as the major conduit for people who degrade the springs since the bad come along with the good. I place no blame on Mike Castro for this reality. I accept that Mike has the right to let people cross his property but on the other hand don't lay blame at my feet for all the troubles at the springs because people communicate by differant means in thier desire to access a beautiful place like DCHS.
