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

Wilderness Management Plan Update

The public comment period for Grand Canyon National Park's Draft Wilderness Management Plan (DWMP) ended September 15, 1998. Approximately 200 individuals and organizations commented on proposed management actions. Although Grand Canyon does not yet have designated wilderness, 94% of the Park is suitable for wilderness designation. While Congress has not yet acted on the recommendation, National Park Service policies require the agency to maintain suitability by continuing to manage proposed lands as though they have been designated.

Public comment on the DWMP revealed a high level of interest in various issues including management of the Colorado River. The DWMP proposed that issues related to the river would be addressed in the revised Colorado River Management Plan. However, several interest groups, individuals, and organizations, have challenged the NPS proposal to separate the river management issues from the DWMP. The Colorado River's classification of "potential proposed" wilderness has prompted further legal and policy review by the agency. Park staff are currently preparing a public information update on the status of the DWMP. The date for a Final Wilderness Management Plan is unknown at this time.

Personal Watercraft (PWC) Use Prohibited in Grand Canyon

In June, the National Park Service announced an interim management policy which directed superintendents to use the procedures in the Code of Federal Regulations to prevent the introduction of personal watercraft in units of the National Park System where use has not been significant prior to 1998. Under this policy, Grand Canyon Superintendent Rob Arnberger announced that the possession or use of PWC, including jet skis, will be prohibited throughout Grand Canyon National Park.

The policy states that prior to allowing a new recreational activity, individual parks must determine that the activity is consistent with National Park Service legislation, goals and management objectives. This would include Grand Canyon's natural, cultural, scenic and aesthetic values, environmental compliance, safety considerations, effects on wildlife, and the visitor experience of other park users.

Although PWC use has always been prohibited in Grand Canyon National Park from Lees Ferry (river mile 1) to Separation Canyon (river mile 239.5), PWC use below Separation Canyon to the Lake Mead Boundary had not been regulated. Until recently there had been little PWC use below Separation Canyon. However, following the publication of several articles highlighting PWC use in Grand Canyon, park rangers saw an increase in their use within the Park. It is now not unusual for park rangers to observe 80 to 100 PWCs in the Lower Gorge every weekend during the summer months.

The NPS has stated that while PWC use may be appropriate in some units within the system, there are many units where PWC use is not consistent with park values. The NPS determined that PWC use is not appropriate within the boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park, and that their use runs contrary to those regulations established to protect park values. The resource values below Separation Canyon are no less significant than any other part of the Park

The public review and comment period for the proposed rule for managing PWC use in units of the National Park System ended November 15. The proposal would prohibit PWC use in national park units unless the NPS determines this type of water-based recreational activity is appropriate for a specific park site based on that unit's enabling legislation, resources and values, other visitor uses, and overall management objectives.

The PWC issue is being address in the CRMP and the Lake Management Plan for Lake Mead. Public comment associated with the CRMP indicates strong support for the PWC use prohibition in the lower reaches of the Colorado River.