The enclosed message below was sent to me by USHGA in regards to NPS lands use policy--(something I've been involved with for years up in Maine)--it is extremely important and I encourage everyone to respond as it potentially affects land use policy in all national parks around the country.
Attention all contributors to the public lands project!
Thanks again for your park nominations and ideas for encouraging the
National Park Service to adopt a friendlier HG & PG policy. We now have an
opportunity to make this project soar after being temporarily grounded
while NPS addressed its homeland security and management priorities.
NPS now wants public comments on its new 2006 Management Policies
proposal. A big public response for a policy favoring HG & PG as
appropriate park uses will improve our chances for success and spillover to
other federal, state & local public lands - as the NPS goes so may go the
others.
In 1982, last time NPS worked on nationwide proposal for footlaunch
powerless flight, it received ONLY TWO positive responses. As a consequence
the NPS adopted a restrictive policy that prohibits HG & PG unless a
superintendent obtains a Special Use Regulation via a cumbersome process
that often takes years and extensive park resources. This understandably
discourages new site opportunities, wastes taxpayer resources, delays
permitting decisions, and explains why less than a dozen parks (out of
hundreds possible!) have this regulation!
This time we must flood the NPS mailboxes with public comments urging
an HG/PG-friendly policy. A sample letter and how to send it are shown
below. Better yet, write your own letter for a more personal touch. The
more letters the NPS receives, the better. And you don't have to be a pilot
to respond. So make extra copies for your family, friends, co-workers,
associates, etc. to send in. Do it now! Numbers count! Timing is critical!
FEBRUARY 18, 2006 DEADLINE!
Thanks,
Peter Birren (peter@birrendesign.com)
Jack Eckert (jaeckert@ptdprolog.net)
Mark Frasca (MarkFrasca@comcast.net
Steve Onstad (sonstad@gmail.com)
PS: The USHGA should soon be reaching out to all pilots nationwide with a
similar message as well as posting more at <www.ushga.org>. But since you
as contributors already know what's at stake, we're counting on you to help
quickly get the word out.
PPS: More policy details at
<http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cf ... ntID=12825>
or <http://parkplanning.nps.gov/waso>.
HOW TO SEND YOUR LETTER:
Put your name & address on the letter below (better yet, write your own!).
Send it by one of these three ways so it's received by the NPS before the
FEBRUARY 18, 2006 deadline.
[1] PREFERRED: Via the web
<http://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentForm ... ntId=12825>
for brief public comments like the suggested letter below.
[2] OR email: waso_policy@nps.gov for longer letters.
[3] OR snailmail: Mr. Bernard Fagan, National Park Service, Office of
Policy-Room 7252, Main Interior Building, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington,
D.C. 20240 for longer letters.
SUGGESTED LETTER:
Dear Mr. Fagan:
In response to the proposed 2006 NPS Management Policies, hang gliding and
paragliding are fully in keeping with the NPS's goals and efforts for
conserving park resources and values. These recreational activities have
historically had no more - and often less - adverse impact than most
traditionally-accepted activities like backpacking and hiking.
National parks are often the best or only terrain suitable for footlaunch
powerless flight. Yet hang gliding and paragliding are prohibited unless a
superintendent obtains a Special Use Regulation through a cumbersome
process that often takes years and extensive park resources. This is a
burden to the NPS, park managers, and the powerless flying community.
I urge the NPS to adopt a friendlier policy that does not require a Special
Use Regulation before this low adverse impact form of recreation
is allowed in a park. Powerless flight should be determined by the park
manager and the hang gliding and paragliding community.
Sincerely,
Your Name & Address
NPS policy change
Moderator: CHGPA BOD
Comments to National ParkService DEADLINE Feb 18
As Marc recommended, and the OZ Report reminded us,
http://ozreport.com/10.14#5
now is the time to be heard on making it easier to fly in National Parks. Best way to comment is the online form:
Via the web http://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentForm ... ntId=12825 for brief (up to 4000 characters) public comments.
On Jan 16 I dropped the following into the web form. Feel free to plaigerize.
----
As I read the proposed National Park Service Management Policies, I was most surprised to see a list of recreational activities in Section 8.2.2 that failed to include hang gliding and paragliding (i.e. powerless foot launched flight) among the examples of recreational activities such as scuba diving and rock climbing. And then later in that same section, hang gliding is grouped with primarily noisy and powered, potentially intrusive, activities like snowmobiling and personal watercraft.
As a hang glider pilot for ten years, I can assure you that powerless foot launched flight, both hang gliding and paragliding, is fully and completely consistent with the goals and criteria for park use in Sections 8.1 and 8.2. Hang gliding and paragliding are as environmental friendly as any activity in the current list of included recreational activities. Foot launched powerless flight in many cases has even lower impact on the environment than some of the other listed activities.
I very strongly encourage the NPS to recognize hang gliding and paragliding as recreational activities deserving encouragement in National Parks in the same manner as hiking, cross-country skiing, and rock climbing, and that both of these powerless foot launched flight activities be listed as included activities. Please give local park management the authority to develop park use rules for powerless flight in concert with the local hang gliding and paragliding community, not subject to such bureaucratic burden as Special Use Permits.
For a wonderful example of the positive impact of hang gliding in a park system, I encourage you to look to the Arkansas State Park system, where several State Parks have not only encouraged powerless flight in the park, but have used it successfully for promoting the state park system. See the state park web page at
http://www.adventurestateparks.com/hang-gliding/
for more information.
Thank you for you consideration.
Cragin Shelton
Alexandria VA
http://ozreport.com/10.14#5
now is the time to be heard on making it easier to fly in National Parks. Best way to comment is the online form:
Via the web http://parkplanning.nps.gov/commentForm ... ntId=12825 for brief (up to 4000 characters) public comments.
On Jan 16 I dropped the following into the web form. Feel free to plaigerize.
----
As I read the proposed National Park Service Management Policies, I was most surprised to see a list of recreational activities in Section 8.2.2 that failed to include hang gliding and paragliding (i.e. powerless foot launched flight) among the examples of recreational activities such as scuba diving and rock climbing. And then later in that same section, hang gliding is grouped with primarily noisy and powered, potentially intrusive, activities like snowmobiling and personal watercraft.
As a hang glider pilot for ten years, I can assure you that powerless foot launched flight, both hang gliding and paragliding, is fully and completely consistent with the goals and criteria for park use in Sections 8.1 and 8.2. Hang gliding and paragliding are as environmental friendly as any activity in the current list of included recreational activities. Foot launched powerless flight in many cases has even lower impact on the environment than some of the other listed activities.
I very strongly encourage the NPS to recognize hang gliding and paragliding as recreational activities deserving encouragement in National Parks in the same manner as hiking, cross-country skiing, and rock climbing, and that both of these powerless foot launched flight activities be listed as included activities. Please give local park management the authority to develop park use rules for powerless flight in concert with the local hang gliding and paragliding community, not subject to such bureaucratic burden as Special Use Permits.
For a wonderful example of the positive impact of hang gliding in a park system, I encourage you to look to the Arkansas State Park system, where several State Parks have not only encouraged powerless flight in the park, but have used it successfully for promoting the state park system. See the state park web page at
http://www.adventurestateparks.com/hang-gliding/
for more information.
Thank you for you consideration.
Cragin Shelton
Alexandria VA
NPS policy change
The reviewers of public policy comment letters generally put more stock in letters that are distinguishable from others espousing the same position.? In other words write your own.? The reason is that nearly identical letters are assumed to be mass mailings from special interest groups.
I encourage you all to take a few minutes to write.? The future of access to Skyline Drive and Yosemite National Park is in our own hands.? I copied my letter below.? Feel free to use what suits you but please don't simply replicate it for the reasons I described above.
Dan T
Permitting hang gliding in the National Parks.
Please reconsider your decision to exclude hanggliding and paragliding from authorized National Park activities.? Foot launched hanggliding and paragliding is a completely unpowered activity.? The only measurable impact that a responsible hanggliding/paragliding activity would have on a National Park would be the establishment of a suitable launch location at or near a high point in the park and in some cases a parking area for the vehicles which can be well over 100 yards away.? A typical launch site is almost always less than 200 feet long by 100 feet wide, and is sometimes as small as a 20 foot square.
Hanggliders and paragliders operate without any power whatsoever other than the force of the wind.? Once airborne they create no more noise or pollutants than the birds circling overhead.?
They are a delight to watch and will enhance the experience for any park visitor.
If the purpose of the Park Service is to provide? suitable recreational opportunities for its visitors while providing a reasonable degree of protection for the park ecosystem, there can be no more compatable use than this one.
This sport is self regulated by members of the United States Hang Gliding Association, (USHGA).? The members of this community are well aware of the fact that we must respect and protect our sites.? It is among the first orders of business of every local chapter of this organization to protect and preserve its sites.? The vast majority of its members will do everything that they reasonably can to assure that we do our part in protecting the integrity of the park and respecting the varied interests of the people who visit it.
If you have never seen a human literally attach him or herself to a pair of wings and soar like an eagle, I invite you to visit a site near you.??? If you are in the Washington DC area I'd be delighted to show you personally.? You can learn more about our sport of free flight at http://WWW.USHGA.ORG.
Thank you,
Dan Tomlinson
I encourage you all to take a few minutes to write.? The future of access to Skyline Drive and Yosemite National Park is in our own hands.? I copied my letter below.? Feel free to use what suits you but please don't simply replicate it for the reasons I described above.
Dan T
Permitting hang gliding in the National Parks.
Please reconsider your decision to exclude hanggliding and paragliding from authorized National Park activities.? Foot launched hanggliding and paragliding is a completely unpowered activity.? The only measurable impact that a responsible hanggliding/paragliding activity would have on a National Park would be the establishment of a suitable launch location at or near a high point in the park and in some cases a parking area for the vehicles which can be well over 100 yards away.? A typical launch site is almost always less than 200 feet long by 100 feet wide, and is sometimes as small as a 20 foot square.
Hanggliders and paragliders operate without any power whatsoever other than the force of the wind.? Once airborne they create no more noise or pollutants than the birds circling overhead.?
They are a delight to watch and will enhance the experience for any park visitor.
If the purpose of the Park Service is to provide? suitable recreational opportunities for its visitors while providing a reasonable degree of protection for the park ecosystem, there can be no more compatable use than this one.
This sport is self regulated by members of the United States Hang Gliding Association, (USHGA).? The members of this community are well aware of the fact that we must respect and protect our sites.? It is among the first orders of business of every local chapter of this organization to protect and preserve its sites.? The vast majority of its members will do everything that they reasonably can to assure that we do our part in protecting the integrity of the park and respecting the varied interests of the people who visit it.
If you have never seen a human literally attach him or herself to a pair of wings and soar like an eagle, I invite you to visit a site near you.??? If you are in the Washington DC area I'd be delighted to show you personally.? You can learn more about our sport of free flight at http://WWW.USHGA.ORG.
Thank you,
Dan Tomlinson