Resumption of the Colorado River
Management Plan

On January 17th, settlement was reached by the Grand Canyon Private Boaters Association (gcpba) against the Grand Canyon National Park to restart the Colorado River Management Plan (crmp). The crmp was commenced in 1997 and subsequently canceled in February of 2000 by then Superintendent Robert Arnberger, was settled Thursday, January 17th in the United States District Court in Phoenix, az.
The gcpba was joined in the July 2000 suit by the National Parks and Conservation Association, American Whitewater and the American Canoe Association. In addition to the organizations, four individuals signed on to the lawsuit. The Grand Canyon River Outfitters Association intervened in the suit to represent and protect the interests of commercial outfitters operating on the Colorado River within the Park under National Park Service (nps) concession contracts.
As a result of the negotiated settlement, within 120 days the nps will initiate a process to update the park’s 1989 crmp. The nps “will prepare appropriate environmental documentation consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969” (nepa), no later than December 31, 2004.
The nps will host at least one public scoping meeting and one public meeting to receive comments of the draft revised river management plan in, at a minimum, the following four cities: Flagstaff, Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Denver.
The planning process will embrace a variety of topics agreed to be included by settlement of the suit. Planners will be attempting to ascertain the appropriate level of visitor use on the Colorado River consistent with desired levels of resource protection and visitor experience goals.
Contention between non-commercial boaters (private) and park concessionaires over the total share of allocation available for non-commercial use will be addressed.

The settlement directs planners to study “…the allocation of use of the Colorado River between commercial and non-commercial users, the allocation of use between different types of commercial users (e.g., between motorized and non-motorized trips), and alternatives to the current system of commercial/non-commercial allocation.”
Planners will also appraise the suitability of the continuation of helicopter exchange of passengers within the Canyon. The settlement provides for consultation with “the Hualapai Indian Tribe of Arizona and other appropriate parties” with an interest in the helicopter exchanges.
Furthermore, pursuant to nepa requirements to systematically analyze “all reasonable alternatives,” the nps intends to consider an alternative in the planning process wherein motorized watercraft are not permitted on the Colorado River within the park.
To accomplish the crmp planning process, the nps has committed the use of funds that have been deposited by the commercial outfitters into a concessions franchise fee account in the United States Treasury.
The nps has maintained an extensive mailing list of those who participated in earlier planning efforts and those who have expressed an interest in the crmp. Those individuals will be notified and invited to participate once the planning process resumes. The public will also be notified through news releases, the park’s website and the Federal Register.
For a complete copy of the settlement agreement, you can view it at www.gcroa.org/Pages/settlementtext.htm. Also, once Department of Interior internet has been restored, it will be posted on the park’s website at www.nps.gov/grca. Or, faxed copies can be obtained by calling (928) 638-7779.

Note: the above information was compiled from both gcnp and gcpba news releases.