Kathleen Przybylski
General Management Plan Coordinator
3131 Highway 53
International Falls, MN 56649
Kathleen_Przybylski@NPS.gov
October 9, 2000
American Whitewater is a non-profit river conservation organization. We were founded in 1957 with the purpose of conserving and restoring America’s whitewater resources and enhancing opportunities to enjoy them safely. We have 8,000 members, and represent more than 160 affiliate clubs with an additional 80,000 whitewater paddlers. Our program areas focus on safety, conservation, access, and events.
RE: American Whitewater Supports Alternative 2
Dear Kathleen and other planning team members,
I am writing on behalf of American Whitewater and our members in the boating community. Many of our members have visited Voyageur National Park and enjoy canoeing there with their friends and family. In general, our membership is concerned about the effect of motorized recreation on visitor experiences and the environment in National Parks. Though there is limited whitewater, there are wonderful canoeing and kayaking opportunities in the park.
American Whitewater supports the General Management Plan’s (GMP’s) “Alternative 2,” which provides better environmental and resource protection for the park than the GMP’s Preferred alternative. Specifically, American Whitewater:
* Strongly supports limiting the number of houseboats that can be in the park at any one time. The park should also develop a houseboat management plan that follows the GMP;
* Endorses the proposal to keep floatplane use at its current level and opposes any move to allow commercial floatplane use in the park;
* Strongly agrees with the implementation of a free and unlimited registration or permit system for overnight visitors in the park that will have the sole purposes of (1) allowing park managers to gain better statistics on park usage and (2) to share information with visitors;
* Insists on an end to snowmobile racing in the park (so-called “radar runs”). Such activities are inappropriate in a national park and there is no shortage of venues elsewhere on Minnesota’s 15,000 lakes;
* Supports moving park headquarters from International Falls in Koochiching County, south to Orr in St. Louis County which contains over 90 percent of the park and is closer to three of the four park visitor centers; and,
* Urges the National Park Service to develop more opportunities for non-motorized use and ending the lopsided balance in favor of motors.
Thank you for your consideration of our concerns. If you have any questions (particularly in regard to possible free registration systems), please contact me at 301-589-9453.
Please send a copy of the final management plan to American Whitewater at 1430 Fenwick Lane, Silver Spring, MD 90210.
Sincerely,
Jason D. Robertson
Access Director