[Awclist] [Fwd: RRFW Riverwire - GROUPS CRIPPLED BY AGREEMENT]

[Thomas Robey]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	RRFW Riverwire - GROUPS CRIPPLED BY AGREEMENT
Date: 	Sun, 5 Mar 2006 18:12:37 -0700
From: 	Riverwire <riverwire at rrfw.org>
Reply-To: 	<Riverwire at rrfw.org>
Organization: 	River Runners for Wilderness
To: 	riverwire at rrfw.org



RRFW Riverwire - GROUPS CRIPPLED BY AGREEMENT

March 5, 2006

River Runners For Wilderness recently discovered that four groups, Grand 
Canyon River Outfitters Trade Association, American Whitewater (AW), 
Grand Canyon Private Boaters Association (GCPBA), and Grand Canyon River 
Runners Association (a motor concessions customer group) signed a 
Memorandum of Agreement that restricts certain critical activities of 
the boards of all four groups for the next ten years.

The Agreement stipulates that the groups will use their “best efforts” 
to dissuade their membership from engaging in any activities that would 
not be consistent with the terms of the Agreement. The groups will 
support removal of wilderness designation for the river corridor, 
support the river concessionaire’s motorized allocation, and will not 
interfere with the award in 2006 of new ten year concessions contracts 
for the existing concessionaires.

The four groups agreed that they will not support any annual 
re-distribution of allocation between the commercial and non-commercial 
sectors. The re-distribution was initially suggested by the National 
Park Service.

The agreement came to light some 15 months after it was signed and only 
after several Grand Canyon Private Boaters Association members asked the 
GCPBA board of directors to reveal the Memorandum’s contents.

GCPBA board member Richard Martin confirmed the terms of the agreement. 
“We have agreed to recognize the river as an access corridor and 
therefore exclude it from wilderness designation” he said. “We have 
agreed not to challenge their [the concessionaires’] allocation, and 
they not ours, we don't have an issue with their contract renewal.”

Mark Singleton, Executive Director of American Whitewater, is troubled 
by the lack of transparency to AW members by this deal, which was signed 
by his predecessor Jason Robertson, who is also on the GCPBA board. 
Singleton noted “Closed processes aren't something I'm comfortable with, 
transparency to our members is important.” Nonetheless, according to 
Singleton AW will abide by the agreement.

Jo Johnson, Co-Director of River Runners For Wilderness, notes the 
ramifications of this agreement are far reaching. “This agreement 
strangles GCPBA and AW. They are barred from protecting the Colorado 
River in Grand Canyon from overuse. They can’t advocate for equitable 
demand-based access for their own members. And even more troubling is 
that if Grand Canyon’s Wilderness Recommendation is moved forward in 
Congress, they will not support wilderness designation for the river.” 
She adds “River Runners for Wilderness will continue to steadfastly 
defend Grand Canyon from resource degradation, inequitable allocation 
and continued illegal motor use.”

The Agreement is online at www.gcpba.org/content/view/50/28/ 
<../../../../Local%20Settings/River%20Journal/www.gcpba.org/content/view/50/28/>.

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