Wizard, you're missing the point! As I said, it's not so much what you say as how you say it. If the discussion is intelligent and constructive, then I'm all for it. And I have to admit that recently it has been. However, when that discussion results in name-calling and mud-slinging and adults acting like children, then I'd just as soon terminate it. That's what was happening in January when I made my first post. I had been a "passive reader" of this forum for quite some time, but finally couldn't stand it any longer and I had to get involved.
My point regarding the website stands, I am in total agreement with Ron and he did a very eloquent job of making his point. Judging by Katrina's last post here, she has evidently taken Ron's point under consideration. This is good news.
I still say that if I were an official with the FS deciding what to do with Deep Creek and I was continually being assaulted by people on both sides of this issue, I would seriously consider that the easiest way to make the problem "just go away" so I wouldn't have to deal with it would be simply to close the area. That would render all arguments moot. Often times government officials favor the path of least resistance.
As to why Mike Castro does not argue his side here, I don't know, but I would suspect that since this board is 85% against him, he probably feels he would just be wasting his time and only inviting more wrath and insults. And he'd probably be right. It's also possible that he has been advised by his legal counsel not to make any statements here. That being the case, he can have his friends say anything they want, just as long as he hasn't said it himself, it can't be used against him.