IMO the USFS is an entrenched bureaucracy that rewards staff to be non-controversial. The WMNF is generally regarded as a plum pre-retirement reward for supervisors who have gone along with the system for their entire careers. Suggesting or implementing usage restrictions would be a major controversial item and unless it's comes down from on high from DC, no WMNF supervisor would risk his career progression suggesting it. Far easier to participate in blue ribbon commissions that delay any decisions to the next supervisor.
As an example, look at the USFS approach to date on the Mt Washington commission master plan, make few comments or waves until they are forced into it. This is not one off, they were very quiet on the prior summit hotel proposal. NH government has made it clear that they want to have unlimited summit use and do what they need to encourage that use. If WMNF objects pressure will be applied.
peak bagger, I agree with your assessment and in fact, think the problem is worse than you describe. But, this may have led me to a slightly different conclusion.
I've spent my career (more than 3 decades) supporting various parts of the USG on both the civilian and military side. Contrary to the cartoon images of buffoonery, most low to mid level managers I've worked with are public servants trying to accomplish the mission as stated. However, as you correctly describe, when you get to the rank of upper management "the system" rewards people who understand the golden rule of Washington - namely, he who has the gold makes the rules.
The closer managers get to Congressional hearings, the more overt the problem comes. The point of our current government is to advance commerce. Period. Full stop.
Radical Neoliberal political/economic theory has won 2 major victories. The first is that it has transformed (or, perhaps better, recaptured) government to be for and by corporations and the rich as opposed to for and by the people. The second and deeper victory is that it is has convinced us that this is the inevitable natural order of things. The system just is and we are to accept it as such.
An alternative view is that it the right (or duty!) of the governed to democratically determine how they will be governed. This is where I've landed.
If the system is rewarding bureaucrats who go along to get along, then we must change the system.
Let me put it this way... The first step in answering the question "How to manage the WMNF?" is to agree that it is our national forest and that the USFS must work for us. Sadly, there is no easy button for this. My take... it starts with local organizing capable of controlling towns and states. Corporations and the rich played the long game and now hold the reigns of power.
I went through there about 5PM SAT and it was more like a frat house than a wilderness lodge. I hightailed it to the rock outcrops at the top of the Camel Trail and made my dinner there so it was out of view and mostly out of ear shot. I pretty much always hike now early, late and in the dark and get way off the beaten path during the day. Nothing about the LOC hut SAT resembled what I want out of a hiking experience.
