[Awclist] GCPBA Talks With NPS About Plan Implementation

[David Yeamans]

GCPBA Newswire, March 2, 2006 GCPBA Talks With NPS About Plan Implementation

Members of the GCPBA Board met on Friday, February 24th in Flagstaff with 
NPS planning staff who are formulating some of the final elements of the 
Colorado River Management Plan (CRMP), and on Saturday, February 25th at 
Lees Ferry with NPS river rangers.

Board Members Karen Chambless, Richard Martin, Marshall Nichols, Willie 
Odem, and Rich Phillips participated in the meeting with NPS planning and 
river staff Linda Jalbert, Mike McGinnis, Steve Sullivan, David Chapman, 
and Peggy Kolar. In both sessions, Park personnel were very receptive to 
GCPBAs priority on having a cooperative approach to CRMP issues. This 
Newswire summarizes our Flagstaff meeting.

The meeting began with an emphasis on the fact that the current status of 
the CRMP was in limbo because the Record of Decision (ROD) a necessary step 
in the implementation process, has not been released by the NPS in 
Washington, D.C. for official announcement in the Federal Register.

The ROD involves extensive coordination with other Federal agencies, as 
well as Native American tribes with an interest in GC issues, and evidently 
those consultations are taking longer than expected. Consequently Park 
staff emphasized that they would be only able to provide limited 
information on CRMP implementation, and that the information they did 
provide could change if the ROD is approved with unexpected changes.

It is safe to say that those involved at the local level in the Park are as 
concerned as we are that the ROD process be expedited. However, to publicly 
issue any final procedures before the ROD is released would constitute 
impermissible pre-decisional action.

However, and importantly for private GC boaters, Park staff pointed out 
that this delay in the RODs release has not prevented them from developing 
tentative procedures and policies that will be ready for implementation as 
soon as the delay is over.

  The extensive, detailed letter that will be used to notify waiting list 
members of the specific transitional procedures has been completed. It is 
ready to be mailed as soon as the ROD is issued, and is literally being 
updated every week with new dates, to accommodate the changing timeframes 
caused by the ROD delay. This document will also contain specific 
information about lottery procedures, including the applicable fee structures.

  Park staff were responsive to our offer to make GCPBA resources available 
to supplement Park educational and communication efforts. For instance, the 
Park soon will be issuing to each permit holder an informational DVD that 
will contain content on river-related issues. This will supplement, and 
perhaps eventually supplant, the presentation now given at Lees Ferry. A 
number of ideas were discussed regarding ways GCPBA could augment this 
effort on its web site, listserv, and publications. The Park also will be 
upgrading its river-related Internet FAQs, to contain even more current 
information on important topics for trip leaders.

  In answer to our lottery and permitting system questions, we learned the 
following: the NPS hopes to hold each year's main lottery around mid-year, 
with secondary lottery drawings to fill launch slots that were unclaimed 
from the main lottery. Any launch vacancies available after this secondary 
lottery drawing (presumably caused by failure to pay required fees in a 
timely manner) will be released immediately through a system that will 
involve internet postings.

  The first lottery is tentatively scheduled for mid-summer 2006, providing 
the ROD delays do not unduly interfere. The first lottery will draw dates 
for the 2007 season. Not all 2007 dates will be awarded this way, since 
some already are assigned because of deferment, and others will be awarded 
to people converting from the waiting list. The Park continues to plan on 
having all three transitional stages for current waiting list members 
completed in 4-5 months after the ROD release.

The lottery will make draws based on names, not preferred launch dates. A 
person whose name is drawn will be given the first date available in their 
top 5 list of prioritized launch dates. A person whose name is drawn and 
who has no available dates will not be awarded a launch. However, that 
person still is included in the secondary lottery draw, and also may 
qualify later for a cancellation on the internet.

The NPS intends to set lottery and permit-related fees at a level that will 
cover the noncommercial portion of costs for the revised river program.

Among a lengthy list of data items provided to the Park staff (compiled 
from GCPBA member and listserv submissions) was the matter of launch 
calendars. We were told that soon after the lottery program is compiled and 
operating as planned, the Park intends to make a launch calendar available. 
We voiced our interest in having a calendar available on the internet.

Board members brought up the question of volunteer participation in river 
projects. The Park is in the process of developing new protocols for 
educational, volunteer, and partnership arrangements. When those are 
released, GCPBA will examine them for expanded volunteer opportunities for 
its members and private boaters in general.< /p>

  GCPBA is gratified with the cooperation provided by the Park staff 
involved in this meeting. It is hoped that this kind of interaction will 
continue in a productive manner for both the Park and GCPBA members and the 
larger river running community.

  As a final note, readers of this Newswire are again cautioned that the 
CRMP-related information that it contains should be considered 
tentative,and subject to change in the event the ROD is not released in the 
expected form.




For GCPBA / Rich Phillips


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