[Talk-us] Tagging National Forests

[Frederik Ramm]

Hi,

On 08/19/2015 07:25 PM, stevea wrote:
> This isn't extreme.  Your backyard activity is consistent with the
> definition of a forest:  a land which is used for the production of
> wood/lumber/timber/firewood/pulp/et cetera.

There is a problem with this definition; it is too broad. Even the
seabed can fulfil some of these uses and we don't want to tag forests in
the sea. This definition of a forest is unsuitable for OSM and should
not inform our tagging. (Luckily the Wiki, which is not always reliable
on these issues, says: "A forest or woodland is an area covered by
trees.", and not: "A forest is an area where you could potentially find
something to light a fire with".)

There is also a problem with your interpretation of this
already-unsuitable definition; you say that if land yields wood for any
reason, it is "used in the production of wood". But I see a difference
here between scavenging and agriculture. Just because there's wild
berries somewhere, doesn't make the area an orchard. Just because you
are legally allowed to pick up a branch that has fallen down from a
tree, doesn't make this a lumber production facility.

Your definition is unsuitable, and your interpretation of your
unsuitable definition is extreme, and it seems like you're fighting
political battles/squabbles on the back of OSM. Whether something is a
park or a national reserve should not be subject to your personal
interpretation of your country's constitution.

To me, a lot of your bordering-on-political-rant argument reads like
what we get in other areas of the world where people fight over control
of areas; and we tell them: We map the reality on the ground, not some
wishful thinking. You might see yourself as the (co)-owner of everything
controlled by the US government but if they decide to put up a law, a
fence, or a guard keeping you from enjoying what is "yours" then please
take it up with them and don't use OSM to map what you would like
reality to be.

Bye
Frederik

-- 
Frederik Ramm  ##  eMail frederik at remote.org  ##  N49°00'09" E008°23'33"