[Awclist] [Fwd: RRFW Riverwire - GROUP ALLOWED TO LAUNCH]

[Thomas Robey]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	RRFW Riverwire - GROUP ALLOWED TO LAUNCH
Date: 	Wed, 31 Jan 2007 22:00:44 -0700
From: 	Riverwire <riverwire at rrfw.org>
Organization: 	River Runners for Wilderness
To: 	<Riverwire at rrfw.org>



RRFW Riverwire – GROUP ALLOWED TO LAUNCH

January 31, 2007

Members of a non-commercial river party who had their permit revoked 
shortly before their scheduled launch on January 27, 2007 have been able 
to claim an unused permit.

The group had originally intended to launch from Lee’s Ferry, Arizona, 
for a thirty day rafting trip through Grand Canyon to South Cove at Lake 
Mead. On the morning the group was to launch, the river runners were 
approached by law enforcement officials and a drug-sniffing dog. The dog 
detected drug paraphernalia and according to a trip participant, three 
ounces of marijuana were seized.

Five of the trip’s members were taken into custody and appeared before a 
judge that afternoon in Page, Arizona. Misdemeanor possession charges 
were brought against all five individuals, who were released on their 
own recognizance pending a future court date.

Despite the National Park Service’s policy which allows any individual 
who has registered to call in and claim any available trip opening, a 
remaining member of the group, Mike Grijalva, was denied when he 
immediately requested to claim the aborted trip launch. Mr. Grijalva had 
previously registered for the lotteries held in the fall of 2006 and was 
eligible to claim any unclaimed or cancelled date.

The group was assured by the River Permits Office on the following 
Monday that there were unclaimed river trips on Feb 1, 2 and 4. However, 
Mr. Grijalva was again denied one of these permits on the basis of his 
association with the 5 individuals who were arrested and later released.

One of the river party members called Senator Harry Reid’s office, and 
one of his staff contacted Grand Canyon National Park officials on his 
behalf. Subsequent negotiations between Senator Reid’s office and Grand 
Canyon National Park officials today resulted in Mr. Grijalva being 
awarded an unclaimed launch date for February 2, 2007.

According to Mr. Grijalva, his initial request was to include all the 
trip participants, but the Park Service was hesitant to allow this due 
to the earlier infraction. Mr. Grijalva then requested that the nine 
individuals not charged in the initial investigation be allowed to 
participate in the new launch and this request was granted.

“It’s a shame the folks who were not implicated were initially denied 
even when they followed park procedures,” said Tom Martin, Co-Director 
of River Runners for Wilderness. “It shouldn’t take Congressional 
intervention to get them what they are perfectly entitled to as citizens.”

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