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The Trail Companion
Winter 2001
"Dish" Argument Continues on New Terrain
...continued.
Since the plan's
implementation, students and community members have
voiced opposition to the University's decision. On
October 4, 2000, approximately two hundred students
climbed the foothill fences and staged a peaceful
protest at the Dish (Stanford Daily, Oct. 6,
2000). Many students were protesting the short hours
and minimal trail options while others were concerned
with possible developments on the foothill lands
(this protest occurred prior to Stanford's decision
to postpone possible development for twenty-five
years). In an opinion published in The Stanford
Daily, Tom Oristian, a Stanford junior, states, "All
I seek as a runner is the re-opening of the many
secondary trails throughout the academic reserve
which provide a solitude that the main loop does not
provide." (Stanford Daily Online, Oct./Nov.
2000) Those who walk or run their dogs in the Dish
Area have voiced the fiercest opposition to the
policy. Dog owners argue that the cattle-grazing
which still occurs in some sections of the Dish Area
is far more detrimental to the foothills than dogs
that stay on the trails. In addition, many
recreational users of the area feel as if the
University has completely tarnished what was once a
beautiful hike or jog by posting fifty-five signs
along the edges of the trail. Although many of the
University's policies have been in place for quite a
while, students and community members still object to
the paved roads, short hours, and the restriction of
dogs while cattle still graze in the foothills.
A compromise such as
this rarely pleases everyone. Stanford's attempt to
reconcile the gap between conservation and recreation
has been met with plenty of applause and just as much
outcry. As certain issues are resolved or addressed,
however, many questions remain. For example, will
cattle continue to roam the hills freely while
dog-owners find new trails? The "Three-Part
Conservation and Use Plan for the Stanford Dish Area"
is still the University's primary policy. The
decisions to repave the Dish Loop and ban development
for twenty-five years, however, are recent actions
the University has taken which extend beyond the
scope of the original plan. As the implementation of
the May 2 policy continues to unfold, it will be
interesting to witness the administrative struggle
between conservation and recreation. In the meantime,
the Stanford Dish Area is open from dawn until a half
an hour before sunset.
Ben Crowell is a first-year
student at Stanford University from Long Beach,
Calif. He enjoys the social sciences, including
politics and psychology, although he hasn't yet
decided on a major. His article is a project for the
Community Service Writing Program at
Stanford.
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