Fred Burke
former: cowboy, colonel, state senator, river guide, outfitter

   1) We need to change the user day system to reflect numbers of people going thru the canyon. Is there a way to change user days to people? When one person leaves Lees Ferry for any length of trip, that should count as one people/day. There should be no split days.

   2) There should be a 7-day minimum motor trip to the Whitmore Wash pad. You can change people at Phantom Ranch but must change the same number or lose the bottom halves. No carrying half a person.

   3) It’s imperative to cut down on research trips, especially at the height of the season. Each person must justify his/her reason for being on the trip. This goes for NPS too.

   4) There needs to be a better way to screen private trip lists. For a long time there has been a loud cry that it takes years to get a private permit, but this is caused to some extent by repeat people going year after year, many of whom are running semi-commercial trips themselves. The people who are going year after year need to be stopped. This issue needs to be addressed more actively by the NPS.

   5) Instead of having quasi-boatmen who have only run small rivers taking private trips, there should be a list of qualified Grand Canyon boatmen available to guide private trips who want their services. This would give more work to guides and should cut down on littering in the canyon and rescues by NPS.

   6) There should be no more than 20% of the annual quota run in each month of the season by each company.

   7) The pricing has gone wild and far above the rate of return on money invested. The increase in prices has not resulted in better trips. Larger companies seem to be the goal but that has proved erroneous since volume should result in cheaper prices, which has not been the case.

   The NPS should monitor prices with the public in mind, not NPS percentage fees. Companies should merely be assured of an adequate return on investment. NPS should monitor prices and make every increase justified, but in no case should an increase be made unless approved by the NPS. These increases should also be made with a view to the treatment of employees.

   Increases in prices have not reflected an increase in benefits or welfare of the boatmen and swampers. Seniority is ignored as well as skills in different levels of water and experience with people. Approval of any price increase should reflect better conditions for boatmen too. Regulations should demand better job security to encourage career boatmen. Weight should be given to boatman pay, health insurance, board and room, and a retirement plan of some sort. Every motor trip should have one paid swamper as a safety measure. Boatmen should never be threatened with termination of their jobs if they apply for workmen’s compensation. This should be treated by the NPS as a gross violation of a permit.