1) The ranger's house is his *house* fer crying out loud. If
he doesn't want strangers in his back yard in the middle of the
night, I think folks should respect that. Yes, I know that it's
technically public property, but even park rangers need their
space. Aren't there *any* other places in the park where
you can set up?
2) In regards to chopping down trees: I think by nature, park
officials get a little testy when someone comes up to them
and says "we want to chop down some trees because they're
blocking our view". Even if the trees are non-native and
don't really belong there, I think the thought of chopping down
any tree makes a ranger's hair stand on end. Hell, it bothers
me, and I know why they're a nuisance.
-ed falk