Flyfunston

GGNRA Dog Management Plan

Are you tired of having to avoid dog walkers in the LZ and their dogs running loose chasing gliders, biting pilots, and peeing & pooping in the setup area? You can help prevent all this by supporting the GGNRA's proposed dog management plan!

Under this plan, dogs will be able to run off-leash on the beach and certain areas on the north side of the parking lot, but must be on leash on the sand trail through the HG area and going to the beach. They will not be permitted in the LZ and other areas at Fort Funston. You can see the map here: http://www.nps.gov/goga/getinvolved/upl ... ton_v4.pdf

The GGNRA is taking final public comments on their plan and they are getting a lot of negative response, so your comments of support are vital! The easiest way to make your opinion count is by making a comment online:
http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComm ... -0002-0141

If you want to have an even greater effect you can also write a letter to the GGNRA Superintendent, and even our representatives in Congress:

Superintendent Chris Lehnertz
GGNRA
Dog Management Proposed Rule
Building 201, Fort Mason
San Francisco, California, 94123

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
90 7th Street
Suite 2-800
San Francisco, CA 94103

Congresswoman Jackie Speier
155 Bovet Road, Suite 780
San Mateo, CA 94402

Congressman Jared Huffman
999 Fifth Ave.
Suite 290
San Rafael, CA 94901

FAQ’s and other plan info from the GGNRA can be found here:
http://www.nps.gov/goga/getinvolved/pro ... og-mgt.htm

You can read other comments here:
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDeta ... -2016-0002

Hey, I got the email about dogs. with a website address.
http://view.emails.sierraclub.org/?qs=f ... c05d2e550b

My general take is that, while it would be nice if we didn't have to contend with dogs, maybe it's more important that we be able to spread wood chips to make the area more usable. In my reply, that's what I said:

I fly my hang glider at Ft Funston. People have been flying there since the 1970s, and it is nationally recognized as an outstanding place to fly. To make the area easier to handle gliders on the ground, club members have been scattering wood chips on about 1 acre, that includes the area where gliders are set up, launched, and land. Keeping the bushes off that small space is really helpful. Recently the Park Service decided that they will no longer permit club members spreading wood chips. The recent rain has encouraged considerable growth of opportunistic plants, that make it harder to use the area.

If you go there on almost any day, and particularly on weekends, in the summer, (this past winter hasn't been as good) you'll not only see many (5-10-20 or more) gliders set up and flying. You'll also see quite a lot of spectators watching, and asking pilots how they fly - how hang gliders work - how safe they are (relatively safe, although there is always some risk whenever you're up in the air) - how are they steered - where else do people fly - where can they get lessons.

We're not asking for a large area, nor are we asking for anything that will ruin the area -- as can be seen from the return of greenery this year. We would ask that we be allowed to coat that acre with wood chips, to make flying easier, and landing, safer.

If you look at the GGNRA as a whole, there are about 200 visitors per acre, per year. Fellow Feathers, the hang glider club, has about 500 members, many of whom visit the area many times per year. In other words, the hang glider area has a higher use than most of the park. And that doesn't include people who just come to watch and ask about hang gliding. It would be nice if the park service encouraged an activity that has as much participation, with as low a footprint, as is the case with hang gliding.

Thank you for considering my comments.
Lin Lyons (h-3 hang glider pilot)

Good afternoon, I agree with almost everything in the previous post. Although we
must adhere to GGNRA demands. My contention is one of public sanitation. New chips
have a thing called camphor which has a sanitizing effect. These old chips in the setup area
and mainly around the picnic table are getting more and more toxic. We have dogs
pooping and peeing, granted most poop gets picked up but not the diarria or the food
or who knows what else. At night rats come out of the bush and where there's rat poop
there's piss as well. Please let's have some concern for where we our children and pets
play. This could turn into a public sanitation issue. Just my take. What say you?
rick hawkins

I agree Rick, the chips are really dirty and black dust gets all over our gliders now, not to mention the weeds and grass growing up.

I wish we could bring in fresh chips, but ever since folks got carried away and dumped chips outside our permitted area and down the sand ladder, the GGNRA cracked down and have prohibited us from bringing any more chips into the park. They have told us that we are to let things go back to nature.

Another example of how we can lose our privileges by acting like we own the place and pushing the limits too far.

Well I'm glad we have found some common ground,,,ground I bring an extra pair
of shoes for in case I step in something. We are all aware of the water under the bridge.
Some believe that nothing can be done about water under the bridge, but it gives you
20/20 and that should steer the ship. Deliberate breaking of the rules [waking canopies
and letting dogs run amok biting] is one thing but these chips were applied with good
intentions! An honest mistake at best. Lack of supervision? There is a big difference
here! Now I believe we all need to do our part to protect our environment and the
parks will make sure of that. What about that black dust [mold?] in the air that gets
sucked deep in our lungs and absorbed directly into our bloodstream? Isn't that our
environment to? What about that picnic table full of rat piss when I sit there to eat
my Chipoltle burrito? Is that our environment? Is this our punishment, tolerating
this environment? Maybe if we are all good little boys and girls Santa will bring us
one load at Christmas. A special [clean] load spread in and around the picnic table.
To all things, there are exceptions. rick hawkins