Like I said before I have only met MC once but I have used his land for parking a few times and haven't had a problem with him nor do I wish to. I think MC should be able to charge for his land use. He provides a service to people who do not have the means to use another route. It is his land and should be able to do as he wishes with his land as long as it isn't effecting the land or environment around it.
The USFS fire roads are not part of his land nor is the land on the other side of the fire roads. The parking area near the Deep Creek Hot Springs Trail Head isn't part of his land either thus it is fine for people who have 4WD to park there. I believe that everyone has the right to visit the pools as long as they respect them and the other visitors. This however doesn't always happen. The first time I came to DCHS I talked to MC and he told me that some do not take care of the springs, he also gave me a trash bag but I had no need for it since I had one with me already. I don't have a problem with MC doing whatever it is he wants to do on his land but the springs are not part of his land thus gives him no right to tell other's what to do.
But I do have to say that some of the "visitors" that just want to have a good time at the springs are always found to park on his land. Him letting people use his land makes it that my easier for the wrong sort of visitors to make it to the springs. It's not that we want the springs to our selfs, its that we want to keep them clean and "open" to those who do take care of them. I have been down at the pools far to many times and have seen visitors leave beer cans, glass, tents, and trash everywhere and it really pisses me off. Nature is not man's trash can even though most of us think it is. Pack out what you pack in is all I ask. No one owns the springs but it is up to us all to take care of them.