Colorado River Management Plan www.nps.gov/grca/colorado/

Experimental Increase in Use for the Secondary Season

(Winter Use Test Period)

The Colorado River Manangement Plan (CRMP) Team received approval from the Superintendent to increase use during the winter months this year. This "test period" will allow the Grand Canyon National Park to collect further information on the effects of increased use during the low-density use period. As described in the 1989 CRMP, the Temporal Recreation Opportunity Spectrum provides for a variety of experiences. The Secondary Season (October 16 through April 15) is managed for lower density use and allows for longer trips. Currently, a total of 52 noncommercial launches are permitted in the Secondary Season. Most of these launches occur on the margins of this Season, typically in October to early November, and in late March to early April.

This "test" includes the addition of approximately 30 launch dates between December 1, 1998 and February 28, 1999. The launch dates will be available to individuals on the waiting list only. Waiting List members received instructions for obtaining launch dates with their Continuing Interest Form. The River Permits Office has developed a priority-based call-in system for distributing the additional launch dates.

As part of the experimental nature of this action, additional data will be collected from waiting list members who accept trip dates during this period. Trip leaders will be asked to complete surveys and river trip diaries as part of the current research programs. The Park's Recreational Impact Monitoring Program will collect data following this period to compare to data collected following the high-density use seasons and baseline data collected for the low-density seasons. The River Permits Office will track calls and correspondence related to this test period to evaluate its effects on administrative operations. An evaluation of the test period will determine whether the process will continue and at what levels for the 1999 to 2000 Secondary Season.

CRMP Workgroup Update

As part of the CRMP public involvement process, five workgroups were formed to assist the Park in reviewing issues and developing a range of alternatives to address those issues. Interested members of the public signed up to participate in workgroups. Workgroups were described in the May issue of Soundings. The Access Method and Noncommercial Permit System workgroups have been combined. The process for this workgroup was initiated with a website discussion and follow-up workshop (reported below). As of this date, workgroup sessions have not yet been conducted for Resource Stewardship, The Spectrum of Outfitter Trips and Services, and Distribution and Volume of Use.

Access Method and Noncommercial Permit System

A workshop was held October 23, 24, and 25, in Flagstaff, Arizona. The 25 participants representing private boaters, outfitters and the National Park Service (NPS) discussed various alternatives to the current noncommercial permit system. Several proposals for an alternative access method were presented. These proposals, commonly referred to as "common pool," are primarily a system whereby all recreational users make reservations for river trips and then choose whether to select an outfitter or do a private trip. Participants also evaluated the current waiting list system, and alternative systems including variations on a lottery system, and reservation-based systems.

Distribution and Volume of Use

One of the primary objectives of this workgroup is to assist researchers in building the database for the Grand Canyon River Trip Simulator (GCRTSim). This is a joint project between the Northern Arizona University Mathematics Department and the University of Arizona School of Renewable Resources. Since early June, the research team has been collecting river use data through the "Colorado River Trip Report," and by personal interviews with guides, outfitters, and private boaters. Once the database is complete and tested, workgroup participants will be involved in exploring the computer model's capabilities of simulating alternative river trip launch scenarios that consider a range of variables including campsite size and distribution, group size, trip length and total number of people and trips launching daily. In late August, the research team presented a prototype of the GCRTSim at a public forum in Flagstaff, Arizona.