[Awclist] [Fwd: RRFW Riverwire - PARK VIOLATES NO MOTOR SEASON FOR TRASH PICKUP]

[Thomas Robey]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	RRFW Riverwire - PARK VIOLATES NO MOTOR SEASON FOR TRASH PICKUP
Date: 	Tue, 11 Oct 2005 21:23:15 -0600
From: 	Riverwire <riverwire at rrfw.org>
Reply-To: 	<Riverwire at rrfw.org>
Organization: 	River Runners for Wilderness
To: 	riverwire at rrfw.org



RRFW Riverwire – PARK VIOLATES NO MOTOR SEASON FOR TRASH PICKUP

Release Date: October 11, 2005

In blatant disregard for its own prohibition against motors, Grand 
Canyon National Park authorized a motorized pickup of what remained of a 
commercial dory during the annual motor-free season which began 
September 15th and ends December 15th.

Concessionaire Arizona River Runners’ fiberglass and wood dory, part of 
a 5 raft, 2 dory trip that launched September 18th, crashed against the 
right side rock wall in Horn Creek Rapid on September 23rd. According to 
eyewitnesses, the guide and customers swam free and were safely rescued 
during the incident with no reported injuries.

The bow was completely destroyed although the stern remained intact. 
Remains of the wreck were pulled out of the river and left in a heap at 
Monument Camp above the high water line. A 22 foot Hatch snout with 
Honda 4 stroke engines was authorized by the Park to retrieve the 
remains of the wreck despite the motor-free season, calling it an emergency.

According to National Park Service policy, wilderness managers are 
required to work through a decision matrix to determine the most 
wilderness-compatible method and “tools” to get a job done. In 
life-threatening emergency situations, mechanized tools such as 
helicopters may be used.

“This was essentially a trash truck doing a trash pickup,” said Tom 
Martin of River Runners for Wilderness, who was camped at Tuckup Canyon 
and witnessed the motor evacuation of the dory remains. “It is hard to 
fathom how this was justified as an emergency by the Park since the dory 
was not even in the water and the personnel and gear were safely 
downriver.”

“The Park Service has clear mandates to evaluate management options to 
minimize impacts to the wilderness experience of visitors,” added Kim 
Crumbo of Arizona Wilderness Coalition, “Particularly when other canyon 
travelers have every right to expect they would not encounter motors in 
the canyon during that season except in emergency situations...this was 
not an emergency.”

Grand Canyon’s river and backcountry were recommended by the Park to 
become wilderness nearly 30 years ago. It remains a “proposed potential” 
wilderness, a classification which requires, by law, that it be treated 
by the managing agency as if it had already been formally designated as 
wilderness by Congress.

“It is sad enough that the Park continues to allow what it admits is the 
“nonconforming” use of motor boats during 9 months of the year, but 
doubly so when it can’t even adhere to its own wilderness rules during 
the other three months” observed Jo Johnson, also of River Runners for 
Wilderness.

River Runners for Wilderness has joined Arizona Wilderness Coalition and 
Wilderness Watch in requesting an explanation for the action by the Park.

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