Dear HCN,
Whether one supports
wilderness for the Colorado River corridor in Grand Canyon or not,
to inextricably link it with access for private boaters is wrong
and very misleading (HCN, 12/21/98).
Part of the
reason that there is such a long wait for private boaters to get to
the river is that the current permit system is flawed. If all
allocation were converted to private, the wait for a permit would
still be years long under the same system. A waiting list and
system that represents real passengers and real dates might go a
long way towards alleviating some of the current
problems.
Whether or not one agrees with motors
on the river or the issue of wilderness at all, it is equally
disingenuous to disregard the valuable contributions that the
commercial companies (both motor and oar-powered) have made for
Grand Canyon. It is largely due to the efforts of the outfitters
and guides that the river corridor is so remarkably clean, and the
beaches trash-free. The efforts of the commercial guides were a
major factor in helping pass the Grand Canyon Protection Act in
1992. Several of the outfitters have for the past several years
contributed equipment, food and guides to the Park Service Resource
Management trips to help revegetate, rebuild trails and shore up
camping areas. The motorized outfitters voluntarily decided to
convert all their motors to low-emissions, quieter four-stroke
motors by the early part of the next century. The Park Service,
outfitters and guides have for many years now been involved in a
partnership to educate guides and any other interested people about
natural and cultural history, politics, environmental and
scientific issues and policy changes at the annual Guide Training
Seminars. Some of the outfitters have supported legislative efforts
to restore “natural quiet” over the Grand Canyon by regulating
commercial air tours. In addition, outfitters are working with
environmental groups to protect the Grand Canyon’s fragile seeps
and springs.
It is equally misleading to somehow
separate private boaters and commercial passengers as different.
Many private boaters are simply along as passengers, and have no
knowledge or desire to row (or motor) the canyon. In short, they
are a lot like commercial passengers. And both commercial guests
and private passengers are part of the American public. Commercial
passengers choose to see Grand Canyon with a professional outfitter
because they are entering what is for them an alien, overwhelming
and frightening world.
Certainly, most commercial
trips are “cushier” than most private trips, but the two types of
trips emphasize different things. Commercial trips have a huge
emphasis on education about the canyon’s geology, archaeology,
history and ecology, and since commercial passengers are not
worrying about when or if they eat, how to make it through a
particular rapid or where camp is, they are free to go far “deeper”
than one might think. The enthusiasm and knowledge of the guides is
passed on to clients in ways that change their lives, and should
never be considered less important because it was paid for
commercially.
It is true that the price of
commercial trips has skyrocketed in recent decades, and that there
are a number of disenfranchised constituents, such as educational
organizations, disabled and At-Risk youth groups, who should have
easier and cheaper access to the river. We would prefer to see an
honest and open discussion of all sides of these issues, pro and
con, rather than yet another article that polarizes the “private
vs. commercial” and “motor vs. oar” sound bites even further. The
real issues are whether the canyon and the river, inseparable in
creation, should be separated by law, and how do we want to manage
this magnificent and inspiring place?
The Grand
Canyon Trust supports wilderness designation of the river corridor,
while recognizing that management change on the river will take
time and cooperation. Grand Canyon River Guides cannot take a
unified stand on any of the options currently being debated for
wilderness designation of the Colorado River, due to the widely
differing opinions of our membership. But the outfitters’ group
supports wilderness principles in management for the river
corridor.
Tom Robinson and
Christa Sadler
Flagstaff,
Arizona
Tom Robinson is
director of government affairs for Grand Canyon Trust; Christa
Sadler is president of Grand Canyon River
Guides.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Outfitters do a lot for Grand Canyon.
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