[Awclist] gcpba Newswire - Lottery Questions Answered

[David Yeamans]

>
>gcpba Newswire, July 29, 2006 - NPS Answers Questions / Stage III
>Lottery Opens August 21 - Close August 28th
>
>Lottery Questions, Answers, and Updates
>
>In a question answering correspondence with Rich Phillips, GCPBA
>Steve Sullivan, head of the GC River Permits Office responded to
>Phillips question, "why is the time period for the initial lottery so
>short?"
>
>Sullivan replied I don't like the short registration period either,
>and there are two reasons we don't want to postpone the lottery any
>longer. The first regards the small lead time until the January
>launches. (We saw with our winter test release that winter dates
>needed to be released with as much lead time as possible if they were
>going to be taken.) The second is purely budget related (we have to
>ensure the exact amount taken in by the lottery is clearly identified
>and then spent by September 30th). People can expect the lottery to
>occur a few months earlier next year and remain open for a longer
>period."
>
>Rich also asked if there would be other registration methods
>available besides the internet. Sullivan responded "Yes, there will
>be an alternate (non internet) registration method as well, and we
>will be posting that form by mid-August. They will not be based on
>postmark date -- just that they are in the River Permits Office by
>the same deadline (we will encourage fax submissions for this reason)."
>
>In regards to publicizing the lottery announcement, Sullivan offered
>"I aim to have the park do so through press releases in a couple of
>weeks (once we are positive about dates, etc.). Remaining waitlist
>members are being notified at this time through the mail. We also
>have the information available on our website, and we expect GCPBA
>will also spread the word. Keep in mind, however, that the point
>isn't to advertise and drum up more interest, it is just to be
>forthright with the public and reach as many as possible of the
>people who have expressed interest in the past. If there is a smaller
>applicant pool, that just means those that apply will have better
>chances than they would have otherwise."
>
>Further Lottery Detail
>
>Question:
>      When will the first lottery take place?
>
>Answer:
>      We hope to open up the lottery for applications starting August
>21st and close the lottery at the end of the day on August 28th. On
>August 29th the data will be downloaded and processing will begin for
>at the River Permits Office. These dates may be postponed if the
>software is not ready in time.
>
>Question:
>      Will the new lottery software be completed in time for the first
>lottery in late summer 2006?
>
>Answer:
>      Yes and no. The software development process for the web based
>system has been divided into three separate components. The first
>component will be completed on time, but the other two components
>will not. The whole site will be a work in progress for the first
>full year.
>
>          The first component will be completed by the lottery drawing
>date. It includes a way for all applicants to setup their own
>profiles (each applicant will have their own login name and password.
>It also includes a way for existing waitlist members who choose the
>"extra chances" option in Transition Stage 3 to be credited with
>their "extra chances" for the lottery. Finally, it includes the
>actual application forms and payment links.
>
>          The second component will not be completed until January
>2007. It involves more advanced features including the internal code
>needed to automatically run the lottery online. Because this
>component will not be completed in time for the 2006 lottery (for
>2007 dates), the 2006 application data will be downloaded to the
>River Permits Office used by staff members to process the lottery
>applications and award trips.
>
>          The third component will not be completed until the summer
>of 2007. It involved the advanced management and maintenance features
>as well as all reporting.
>
>Question:
>      What dates will be available in this lottery?
>
>Answer:
>      In the 2006 lottery there will be 201 total launches available
>for various dates throughout the 2007 calendar year. 153 of those
>dates will be for standard sized trips (1 ­ 16 participants), and 48
>will be for small trips (1 ­ 8 participants).
>
>      Standard Size Trips (for 1 ­ 16 participants):
>
>          * Jan 4,5,7,8,10,11,13,14,16,17,19,20,22,23,25,28
>          * Feb 2,3,5,6
>          * Mar 4,4,6,7,7,8,9,9,11,12,12,13,14,21,23,24,28,29,30,31
>          * Apr 18, 19
>          * May 7,8,11,12,16,18,19,24,29
>          * Jun 12,13,14,27,29,30
>          * Jul 6,7,12,13,14,19,20,21,26,27,28,30,31
>          * Aug 10,11,15,16,17,20,
>          * Sep 6,7,7,8,9,11,11,12,13,13,19,21,23,25,26,27,27,29,29
>          * Oct 7,11,12,13,18,19,19,20,25,25,26,27,27,28,29,29,30,31,31
>          * Nov 8,9,10,15,16,17,22,23,24,26,27,28,29,30
>          * Dec 4-9,11-14,16-22,24-31
>
>      Small Size Trips (for 1 ­ 8 participants):
>
>          * Apr 6,12,14,18,20,22,26,28,30
>          * May 4,10,12,14,20,22,24,26,28,30
>          * Jun 5,7,9,15,19,21,23,25,27,29
>          * Jul 3,7,13,19,21,23,25,27,29,31
>          * Aug 10,14,16,18,20,22,24,26,28
>
>Question:
>
>      If in the lottery I am listed as a Potential Alternate Trip
>Leader (PATL) under a leader who is awarded a launch, can I continue
>to apply in subsequent year's lotteries?
>
>Answer:
>      You can apply in the next year's lottery, and you will have 1
>chance. Chances are reset to 1 whenever one is a member of a
>successful application or one participates in a commercial or
>noncommercial trip.
>
>Question:
>      When can the permit holder cancel?
>
>Answer:
>      Any time, but the fees they paid will remain nonrefundable. For
>a standard sized trip, $400 is due with the application (a deposit
>that applies toward the final cost of the permit), and the remainder
>is due 90 days before launch. Failure to pay on time will result in
>cancellation of the permit.
>
>Question:
>      If I am successful in getting a trip through the lottery, can I
>still invite whoever I wish to be participants on my trip? Can these
>people have been listed on other applications? Can these be people
>who were not on the waitlist?
>
>Answer:
>      Within the maximum group size limits, you can invite anyone onto
>your trip who will not have been on any prior commercial or
>noncommercial trip through the Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek section of
>the river within the same calendar year. This can include people who
>were on the waitlist, people who were not on the waitlist, and people
>who are already planning to participate on other trips in other years.
>
>Transition Stage 3 began on July 26, 2006. Remaining waitlist members
>are each being sent personalized letters explaining their options and
>telling them how to proceed. In this final stage of the transition
>process, no launch dates are being awarded. Instead, all remaining
>waitlist members are removed from the waitlist and given the chance
>to accept one of the two following options:
>
>     1. Refund: The waitlist member can leave the waitlist and accept
>a refund of the total fees they paid Grand Canyon National Park for
>their current spot on the waitlist, or
>
>     2. Extra Chances: The waitlist member can leave the waitlist and
>accept an extra chance in the lottery for each year they had been on
>the current waitlist. These extra chances do not expire and can be
>reused in the lottery each year the former waitlist member applies
>until that person is awarded a trip or participates in another
>noncommercial or commercial trip through any part of the Lees Ferry
>to Diamond Creek section of the Colorado River.
>
>Why Might a Person Choose to Accept a Refund Instead of the Extra
>Chances?
>
>There are many reasons an existing waitlist member might choose the
>refund option. Here are a couple key reasons:
>
>     1. The person is no longer interested in obtaining their own
>noncommercial trip through the canyon.
>
>     2. The person believes they will lose their extra chances before
>they could win a trip through the lottery. For instance, this might
>be the case if the person plans to be a participant on another
>noncommercial or commercial river trip through Grand Canyon within
>the next few years. As soon as they participate in another trip, they
>will lose their extra chances. For these people, taking the refund
>might be the better option.
>
>If you have any other questions, please call or write the River
>Permits Office. If necessary we will add to or modify this list of
>Frequently Asked Questions publication and make it available on our
>internet site. Thanks for your patience, and good luck in the new
>system and throughout the transition.
>
>      US Postal Service Mailing Address:
>      River Permits Office
>      P.O. Box 129
>      Grand Canyon, AZ 86023-0129
>
>      Address for Other Carriers:
>      River Permits Office
>      #1 Village Loop Road
>      Grand Canyon, AZ 86023
>
>      Email address: grca_riv at nps.gov
>
>      Phone (800) 959-9164
>      -or- (928) 638-7843
>      Fax (928) 638-7844
>      Cancellation Line (928) 638-7883

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