Flyfunston

Pilots,
Now is the time to send your letters to open hg and pg in the National
Parks. Sorry if you receive duplicate notices.

Gene Pfeiffer

>>>>>
In a message dated 1/11/2006 8:56:09 AM Pacific Standard Time,
[email protected] writes:

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 ([email protected])
Jack Eckert ([email protected])
Mark Frasca ([email protected]
Steve Onstad ([email protected])

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.cfm?projectId=13746&documentID=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.cfm?projectID=13746&documentId=12825>

for brief public comments like the suggested letter below.
[2] OR email: [email protected] 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







2.1 unnamed text/plain 3.89 KB


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 ([email protected])
Jack Eckert ([email protected])
Mark Frasca ([email protected]
Steve Onstad ([email protected])

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.cfm?projectId=13746&documentID=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.cfm?projectID=13746&documentId=12825>
for brief public comments like the suggested letter below.
[2] OR email: [email protected] 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

http://www.nps.gov/policy/mp/comparison.pdf

Looks like page 179 is us.....
diev

Dear Mr./Ms. Hart:

This will acknowledge receipt of your e-mail below concerning the
National
Park Service's draft Management Policies currently out for review.
Your
comments will be given due consideration. You may be interested to
know
that we have placed on the Internet a new document that compares the
revised draft with the original 2001 edition. It is annotated to
highlight
important changes and to explain the intent behind them. The
comparison
can be accessed at <http://www.nps.gov/policy/mp/comparison.pdf>.

Thank you for taking the time to write to us, and for your interest in
our
national parks.

Michael M. Shelton
Office of Policy
National Park Service
1849 C Street, N.W. / Mailstop 7252
Washington, DC 20240
(202) 208-7456 (Gen'l Off. No.)
(202) 219-8835 (Fax)

guess the Recreational Use part starts on page 178....