Canada: Nudity laws to be subject of constitutional challenge

Canadian laws prohibiting public nudity are an infringement of constitutional rights, an Ontario court north of Toronto will hear Tuesday.

Prominent defence lawyer Clayton Ruby was expected to argue current laws in Canada prohibiting nudity in public places, or on private property exposed to public view, are overly broad — thus they should be struck down and the laws under the Criminal Code updated.

According to the Federation of Canadian Nudists, these laws are archaic because they define nudity as generally "indecent" and intended to cause "harm" to those who witness it.

Read more: http://www.canada.com/news/Nudity+laws+subject+constitutional+challenge/4158739/story.html#ixzz1C2hr4z5v

Bagby Hot Springs, AANR-NW eNews Alert

January 18 Open House Input requested concerning proposed management changes at Bagby Hot Springs

The U.S. Forest Service is hosting an open house on Tuesday, January 18 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the national forest headquarters in Sandy, Oregon (see directions in final paragraph). The purpose of the event is to host discussion on allowing private management of Bagby Hot Springs and a number of campgrounds in the Mount Hood National Forest. The Forest Service already put out the bid information and, although two management companies showed interested, no bids were received. The bid process, if completed, would add Bagby and 28 campgrounds and day-use areas to a concession permit that already covers three dozen recreation sites. Increasingly, as Forest Service personnel budgets have shrunken, private management has been looked at and contracts in other areas (including the Willamette National Forest) have been awarded.

An environmental assessment evidently will be completed before Bagby and the campgrounds will be included in a concession permit. A public letter was issued by the Forest Service saying they are doing an Environmental Analysis (EA) regarding the possibility of a concessionaire at Bagby, and there will be a 30-day comment period soon for written public input. Here is a part of that 1 1/4-page 

letter:

"The Developed Recreation Site Concessionaire Permit Environmental Assessment (EA) is still in the process of being completed and no decision has been made yet. The Forest is requesting your comments on this project to help guide the final decision. Upon completion of the EA, there will be no further public comment period. As such, this 30-day comment period represents the final pre-decisional opportunity for public review of the project. Comments must be received or postmarked within 30 days of the date that notice for this comment period is published in The Oregonian."

The Forest Service is also apparently seeking some public input on Bagby at this open house. If you choose to attend, and are allowed to speak, please identify yourself as a nudist, be civil, keep your speech short and on-target. Our position is that simple nudity in and around the hot tubs, absent any other type of illegal conduct, is a long-time tradition at Bagby Hot Springs and should be allowed. We also intend to request and submit written comment during the 30-day period.

During a recent meeting of an AANR Government Affairs representative with Mount Hood Forest Supervisor Andrei Rykoff concerning Bagby, Rykoff stated that the existing anti-nudity order could only be changed by doing an EA. Perhaps the new Assessment could revisit the prior anti-nudity Order. At the very least, this will be an opportunity to make a strong statement that the 1992 anti-nudity Order is unnecessary and needs to be changed. Also, it should be emphasized that a major reason the Forest Service is not getting comments to change the Order is that most of the public still don't know about it.

Here is the Forest Service site with some information on what is proposed to happen concerning concessionaires at Bagby and other locations: 

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mthood/projects/nepa_project.shtml?project=32471

Update on Bagby Hot Springs physical site: Ranger Rykoff stated in the recent meeting that the old log tubs had been degrading for quite a while and the Forest Service had decided to replace them. The Forest Service installed a new round tub and one ofuro 2- or 3-person oval tub on the lower deck before winter weather set in. They will be installing two more ofuro tubs on the lower deck this year, to replace the three old log tubs.

Please consider coming to this open house if you care about allowing nudity at the Bagby Hot Springs area.

The Forest Service headquarters is located at16400 Champion Way in Sandy, Oregon. The headquarters is the first building on the right (coming from the west), about 300 yards before you reach the first stoplight west of Sandy. If you miss the turn off, you can turn right at the light and loop around on back roads to get there. 

Bagby Hot Springs, NAC Action Alert

**********************************************************************
                     NATURIST ACTION COMMITTEE
                           ACTION ALERT
**********************************************************************
                   http://www.naturistaction.org
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Copyright 2011 by the Naturist Action Committee, which is responsible
for its content. Permission is granted for the posting, forwarding or
redistribution of this message, provided that it is reproduced in its
entirety and without alteration.

DATE   : January 13, 2011
SUBJECT: Oregon - Bagby Hot Springs
TO     : Naturists and other concerned citizens

Dear Naturist,

The Naturist Action Committee is asking for your immediate involvement and action on behalf of Bagby Hot Springs in Oregon. Bagby is a popular and traditional clothing-optional site on public land in Mount Hood National Forest.

U.S. FOREST SERVICE IS PROPOSING PRIVATIZATION OF BAGBY HOT SPRINGS

The Forest Service managers at Mount Hood National Forest have already taken significant steps that have changed the traditional character of Bagby Hot Springs. Without advance public notice, Forest Service personnel have removed the historic wooden tubs from the bath house at Bagby and have destroyed the tub materials by chopping them up and burning them. New tubs have been installed. The new tubs lack the leaks of the old ones, but they also lack the character and history.

The Forest Service management at Mount Hood has also prohibited nudity in the large common area of the Bagby bath house. Nudity is allowed now only behind the closed doors of rooms with smaller tubs.

The action is part of the Forest Service's preparation for finding a private concessionaire to operate Bagby.

NAC ASKS FOR YOU TO TAKE ACTION

The Naturist Action Committee is requesting that you
  1) attend an open house that's being presented by the Forest Service
     AND
  2) write to the Forest Service to express your concern

ACTION 1: ATTEND THE FOREST SERVICE 'OPEN HOUSE' ON JANUARY 18

If you're anywhere in the area of Mount Hood National Forest, NAC asks you to attend a public open house at Forest Service headquarters on January 18, 2011.

  DATE: Tuesday, January 18, 2011
  TIME: 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m
  LOCATION:
  Mount Hood Nat'l Forest Headquarters
  16400 Champion Way
  Sandy, OR 97055

If you're planning to attend the meeting, please contact:
  NAC board member Don Zirbel
  orcoba@live.com
  (503) 970-6674

or NAC executive director Bob Morton
  execdir@naturistaction.org
  (512) 282-6621

ACTION 2: WRITE TO THE FOREST SERVICE

Whether or not you're able to attend the meeting, you can still help. NAC asks that you write to the Forest Supervisor at Mount Hood National Forest. Send your comments by e-mail, fax or surface mail. Those who will be at the open house on January 18 are also encouraged to write.

WHO SHOULD WRITE?

NAC is asking ALL NATURISTS and other concerned individuals to contact the Forest Service, regardless of your place of residence. National Forests belong to all citizens.

Send a letter, a fax or an e-mail. Phone calls will likely be ineffective in this specific context.

   Acting Forest Supervisor Kathryn Silverman
   Mount Hood Nat'l Forest
   16400 Champion Way
   Sandy, OR 97055
   E-MAIL: ksilverman@fs.fed.us
   FAX: (503) 668-1794

NAC encourages you to send copies of your faxes and paper mail to:

      NAC, P.O. Box 132, Oshkosh, WI 54903.

Send copies of your e-mails to:

      bagby@naturistaction.org

WHAT SHOULD YOU SAY?

When you write:

   a) Be polite.

   b) Be known. Give your name and address. If you are a frequent visitor to National Forests, be sure to point that out. Anonymous letters have very little impact.

   c) Be focused. Keep your correspondence brief and on target.

   d) Be productive. You may certainly express your indignation over the poor decisions made by the Forest Service concerning Bagby Hot Springs and the abrupt and destructive change to the tradition of benign nude use there. Who could blame you for being upset? However, you must do more than simply scold and complain. You must point out that the Forest Service has the opportunity and responsibility to manage FOR the historic and traditional clothing-optional use of Bagby Hot Springs.

   e) Be part of the solution. Volunteers and activist groups, including the Naturist Action Committee, have expressed a strong interest in working WITH the Forest Service for the benefit of the public and the preservation of treasures like Bagby Hot Springs. When the Forest Service ignores help from volunteer groups and fails to keep them informed, it squanders a valuable resource. Emphasize the value of involving the public in the care of public land.

   f) Be clear. Say that you OPPOSE the notion of privatizing Bagby.

Additional writing points:

   a) The destruction of the historic tubs at Bagby Hot Springs is just the most visible indicator of the intent to change the traditional nature of Bagby without seeking public input. Despite specific requests to be included in considerations at Bagby, individual volunteers and interested parties like the Northwest Forest Conservancy and the Naturist Action Committee were ignored. That's simply NOT a proper way to manage a public resource.

   b) The changes to the traditional configuration of the bath house and the nudity restrictions there are a slap in the face to naturists and others who understand that nude soaking is the historically authentic way of enjoying Bagby and many other natural hot springs.

   c) Like most individuals and other government agencies, officials of the Forest Service are presently faced with funding shortfalls. Shedding areas and features and assigning them to private operators may seem like an attractive solution, but it creates a long term policy that shortchanges the public and is not likely to be undone when economic hard times abate.

   d) Visitors to Bagby already pay for parking, and the reality is that the Forest Service is not likely to give up that revenue. A private operator will have to charge an additional fee to justify its own effort. A concessionaire will likely choose not to keep Bagby open during less profitable night time hours. Suddenly, a public treasure like Bagby becomes less affordable and less accessible.

   e) The Forest Service has already sought private bidders to operate Bagby. One of those that was expected to bid has said that it's not interested AT THIS TIME. That changes very little about the concern over the lack of public notice and diminished opportunities for public involvement.

MORE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

Additional information and links are available, along with this NAC Action Alert on the web site of the Naturist Action Committee.

   http:// www.naturistaction.org

Select "Alerts" and find this NAC Action Alert under Current Alerts.

PLEASE HELP NAC TO CONTINUE HELPING NATURISTS!

The Naturist Action Committee is the volunteer nonprofit political adjunct to The Naturist Society. NAC exists to advance and protect the rights and interests of naturists throughout North America. Fighting for the clothing-optional recreational use of public land is expensive. To do its job, NAC relies entirely on the voluntary generosity of supporters like you.

After you've contacted the officials on the list, please take a moment to send a donation to:

   NAC
   PO Box 132
   Oshkosh, WI 54903

Or call toll free (800) 886-7230 to donate by phone using your MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card. Or use your credit card to make a convenient online donation:  http://www.naturistaction.org/donate/

Thank you for choosing to make a difference!

Naturally,

Don Zirbel
Board Member
Naturist Action Committee

---------------------------------------------------------------
Naturist Action Committee (NAC) - PO Box 132, Oshkosh, WI 54903
Executive Dir. Bob Morton       - execdir@naturistaction.org
Board Member Don Zirbel         - orcoba@live.com
Online Rep. Dennis Kirkpatrick  - naturist@sunclad.com
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Note:  See Also http://nudehiker.blogspot.com/2009/10/bagby-hot-springs-letter-to-acting.html   Rick

The Richmond Retreat is a clothing optional spa and retreat center located just north of Seattle in the Richmond Beach area of Shoreline Washington. It features an in-door pool, hot tub, sauna, separate quiet/social room, and private sunning lawn & patio. All areas have a spectacular view of the Puget Sound and the shipping lanes.

Outside the glassed-in pool area during an earlier swim.
Panoramic views of Puget Sound from this grassy area.

 More from the Richmond Retreat blog:

The recently renamed Richmond Retreat is, so far as I know, the only facility in western Washington which is open throughout the year to the area's nudists and/or naturists for clothing optional swims.  Yes, it IS possible to swim and hang out while being both naked & warm in the winter! 

 . . .

As of  January 1, 2011, The Richmond Retreat will open as a day spa on selected week day afternoons and will be available for group and club swims on the weekends.  Admission will be by appointment only and will be open ONLY to current members of:

•  The American Association of Nude Recreation (AANR)
•  the Naturist Society (TNS)
• OR any AANR recognized landed or non landed club (FS, LARC,  Bronson, SLUGS, Sun Meadows etc)

I hope to have a website and Facebook page open soon, but in the meantime, you can check back here, call Larry at (206) 369-6116 or email us at therichmondretreat@gmail.com for more information.

  

Eugene, OR-Nudie Rock posted No Trespassing

Photo from Nude Tribe (net) - Enjoying Nudie Rock

A comment on my Clothing Optional Map notes that on a visit to Nudie Rock along the McKenzie River in Eugene, OR that the entire area has recently been posted with No Trespassing signs.