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In new zealand the enviros wanted to boot mountainbikers off the trails. A govt funded study ensued. When it was completed the enviros tried to bury it.
Why?
Abuse to the trails was found caused by, from most to least:
1) human walking traffic
2) animal walking traffic
3) mountainbike traffic.
That's right...
the walking enviros caused the most mess to the NewZealand trails. The folks they wanted banned, the MTB'ers caused the least. And the middle ground was horses.
The problem is folks look at an area, think they know what is wrong and then try to make that fit.
The correct approach is:
1 - identify if there IS a problem.
With plovers, maybe the correct balance *IS* 80 pairs.
Too many and you attract predators 0 foxes and coyotes.
2 - study the ecology.
What effects the situation?
Nature (predation) Recreation (vehicle, foot, noise?)
3 - carefully modify the situation.
thin the predators?
thin the plovers?
thin the recreation?
4 - start over again.
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