[yak1]

Over the past couple of decades I have had several conversations with the forest service about access to the Big South. The nod their head, say they appreciate the boating community's concerns. Then assign some one to go out look at the roads and areas accessed by the Long Draw road and ask them to make a decision based on absolutely no parameters. I got tired of beating my head against a wall so I gave up. This year it's the 4 wheelers. In the past it was that the camp grounds weren't open. In other years the main road's too wet. Get the picture. They change personnel there so often that nobody at the USFS has any reason to stick their neck out and actually do something.
This same discussion comes up every year and every year the general opinion is that somebody should do something about this. Well boys and girls I did what I could for a couple of decades and I don't think my I've got any more Big South trips left in my adrenal glands so it's time for some one else to take up the torch. You have several options open to you.

There's always the monkey wrench option. Show up some dark and stormy night with a plasma cutter or a petrogen torch and leave the gate in a pile on the side of the road.
Or a group of local boaters can get together talk to the folks at AW and come up with a coherent strategy to deal with the USFS and then go for it.
Or you can whine about it and be asking the same questions again next year and the year after that and the year after that.... you get the picture.
Good Luck and happy boating.
yak1