Rules.

This past week we went backpacking with the kids (I'll blog about that later). The primitive campsite we camped in didn't allow campfires, only backpacking stoves. Despite the fact that the signs were posted everywhere, and you had to sign that you had read the rules before you could pay for the permit, there were makeshift fire pits all over the place. The first one we stumbled on had been used only hours or less before. It was still wet from the water that had been poured on it to put it out. Then, while we were setting up camp, we heard the noise of a hatchet cutting fire wood. Jamie went to see what was going on. The man that he talked to acted like it was no big deal, and that Jamie was rather odd for pointing out the campfire rule to him. Actually, he was rather belligerent. As I was thinking about this man and his attitude towards Jamie, I wondered why we didn't have campfires in the backcountry. Here are a few:

• Repeated wood-gathering has depleted the high country of soil-stabilizing, nutrient-building ground cover.
• Human-built fire rings, with their sooty residue, have tarnished many natural settings with scars of human intrusion.
• Poorly tended fires have escalated into ruinous wildfires.
• Today's backpacking stoves are lightweight, clean, convenient and fuel-efficient, making backcountry fires unnecessary.

I have always followed that rule because I figured that those who made the rules knew more about the area and the ecosystems that we were visiting. It wasn't until this incident that I even bothered to look for any stated reasons. What really surprised me was that these were the reasons that I already really knew, and the reasons that I have followed that rule for a long time. I enjoy the backcountry and I want others to be able to enjoy it too. I wouldn't have known how enjoyable camping can be without a fire, if I had never tried it in the backcountry. I would never have thought about the impact that I make on nature, if I had never been able to enjoy it in that way, as far from human traces as you can get, I want to show it to everyone. It is one of the most uplifting and hopeful things that I have ever experienced.
I realized then that there are two ways to learn about rules and gain the intrinsic motivation to follow them. The first is to not follow the rule and face the consequences. This man, and apparently many others are taking the risk of putting wildlife and themselves in danger. What if that fire had started a forest fire? My entire family would have been put in needlessly in danger. Many acres of beautiful forest would have faced an untimely forest fire, millions of animals would have died and even more pollution would have filled the air. Hopefully then they would understand the wisdom in that rule. The second way is to follow the rule from the beginning, and there by enjoying the benefits of following the rule. This way you can see that the restriction placed on your life by following the rule 1) is something that you really can live without, happily and 2) that you are freed from the fear of the consequences. I think that fear is what made that man so belligerent.
Which is better? Personally, I think that it is better to be motivated to obey a rule because of the benefits, not because of the consequences.

And as a post script to all you who read my blog: Please follow the rules when you are visiting nature. There just isn't as much of it as there used to be and I enjoy it a lot, as do many others.