I spend most of my time in the Tahoe National Forest -- where there are no restrictions, no permits et al, and some of the areas are worse than the city dump.....welcome to the wilderness.
Are those areas ones accessible by day hikers and day-use fishermen, or spots where backpackers have actually ruined the area?
I think it is important to make this distinction, because this discussion is supposed to be about the need for, or absence of permits to access an area. Keep in mind that even at Mt Whitney, anyone can access the area up to Lone Pine Lake, and the MR up to Lower Boy Scout Lake. I find it ironic that Inyo N.F. cited damage of the area below LBSL when they set day hike limits on the Mountaineers Route.
