Death Valley - Access ALERT - your action required!

[superstition]

Howdy folks, Death Valley National Park is accepting comments to their Wilderness and Backcountry Stewardship Plan until tomorrow (Oct 9). American Canyoneers has been examining the impacts of the plan, with help from local Canyoneers who know Death Valley well, and have formulated the following response. There are important changes that could affect your access to Death Valley. We ask that you consider the position below and provide comments to the National Park Service today using the online tool:

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?documentID=47802


Thanks for the help!

Rich Rudow

American Canyoneers Position:
We are against day use permits as cited in Alternative C and D. As a result, we favor alternative A and B, or C and D amended with the removal of the day use permit for canyoneering. Here are our reasons:

a- Most Death Valley visits for the purpose of technical canyoneering are multi-day visits because the Park is remote and far from the population centers where most canyoneers live. Specific canyons chosen for canyoneering descents are often spontaneous, especially on the second or third day of a trip. Physical fatigue, weather, lighting, group dynamics, skills, etc. often result in a change in the canyon selected for a descent. There is no way to get online to select a different permit if you

[jeremy1701]

I commented with a simple, "I support the American Canyoneers position on Death Valley National Park's Wilderness and Backcountry Stewardship Plan"

[Iceaxe]

My comments have been sent. I also supported American Canyoneers position.

[superstition]

Ice and Jeremy, thanks again for the comments. You guys bring up a great point - you don't need to have a detailed comment to the NPS, but the number of people that do comment can have a very helpful effect on the NPS policy. A reply like "I don't favor day use permits for Death Valley because there is little canyoneering traffic compared to Zion, the only Park with a day use canyon permit."

Let's face it, most of us don't like the Zion permit system. We almost got exact THAT in DV. A few DV locals told the NPS that the Zion system was far too restrictive for a Park with modest levels of technical canyoneering. But even the watered down version the NPS is suggesting now is unacceptable in our view. Imagine having to get a permit for each canyon you decide to do ahead of time? It's completely senseless. And unless we speak up, that's what we're going to get. So join me in telling the NPS "NO", we don't want or need a day use permit for each DV canyon. :eek2:

Today is the last day to comment before the NPS acts on this plan.

Thanks Again,

Rich

[superstition]

Oh, and my inbox has a bunch of emails from canyoneers that told me they already put in their comments. Thanks for helping make a difference folks!

Rich

[outsider]

Rich and AC, thanks for putting together such a well thought out and written position statement - the canyoneering community appreciates your hard work!
-john