Letter from the Superintendent

February 27, 2002

Dear Grand Canyon Constituent:

On January 17, 2002, four conservation and boating organizations and the Grand Canyon River Outfitters Association joined the National Park Service (NPS) in announcing the settlement of a lawsuit regarding management of the Colorado River and backcountry areas within Grand Canyon National Park.

The lawsuit, most recently styled Grand Canyon Private Boaters Ass'n. v. Alston, challenged a February 2000 decision by former Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Robert L. Arnberger to cease work to combine the park's Colorado River Management Plan (CRMP) and draft Wilderness Management Plan into a single document, and to cease further work on the CRMP. The decision was based on the difficulty of resolving several issues prior to formal action on the park's wilderness recommendation and the lack of available fiscal and human resources to complete the comprehensive planning effort.

The settlement commits the NPS to, within 120 days of the order of dismissal, initiating a process to update the park's 1989 CRMP with a Record of Decision to follow by December 31, 2004. The settlement also commits the NPS to restart revision of the 1988 Backcountry Management Plan subsequent to the completion of the CRMP.

The collaborative nature of the settlement sets the tone for all interested parties to come together in an effort to resolve many of the long standing issues surrounding management of the Colorado River and backcountry areas within Grand Canyon National Park.

In the year that I have been Superintendent, these issues have been a major focus for me. I am pleased with the progress we've made through this settlement and look forward to an open public process to address the many issues that have been brought forward. Issues which include: appropriate level of visitor use - consistent with resource protection mandates, allocation of use between commercial and non-commercial users, the permitting system, level of motorized verses non-motorized use, the range of services provided to the public, and in consultation with the Haulapai Indian Tribe and other appropriate parties, we will consider the continued use of helicopters to transport river passengers to and from Whitmore Wash.

A great deal of time and effort has already been invested in the planning process and numerous sincere and well thought-out comments have been received and analyzed. That work and public involvement will not be lost as we reinitiate the process to revise the CRMP. We are now reviewing the work that was done and the comments received to see what can be retrieved and what work remains to be done.

I certainly understand the frustration of my predecessor, and know it will take all of us working together to move this process forward in a constructive manner. We have a great deal of work ahead of us and a short time to complete it. Knowing we have an ambitious timetable, we have already secured $2.4 million dollars in funds from a concessions franchise fee account to be used towards the completion of the revised CRMP. In addition I have formed an interdisciplinary team of park staff to review, update and prioritize key decisions and information needs. We fully intend to honor the terms of the settlement agreement and complete the CRMP by the end of December in 2004.

I see public involvement as an essential component in the planning process. In initiating this process we will actively seek out and consult with Native American Tribes, interested members of the public, those who have already expressed their interest in this planning process, existing and potential visitors, neighbors, scientists and scholars, concessioners, cooperating associations, gateway communities, other partners and government agencies.

The NPS will host at least one public meeting to identify issues to be addressed in the plan and one public meeting to receive comments on the draft revised river management plan in, at a minimum, Flagstaff, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, and Denver.

We look forward to working with you on the revision of the Colorado River Management Plan. If you are currently on our mailing list and you should receive a notice regarding public scoping later this spring. Should you wish to have your name removed from or added to the mailing list, please send your request to Superintendent, Grand Canyon National Park, P.O. Box 129, Grand Canyon, Arizona 86023, Attn: CRMP Planning Team.

Sincerely,

Joseph F. Alston
Superintendent