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The NPS is raising our Bridge Day Special Use Permit fees over the next three years. In 2007, we'll be paying more than $2500 just to rent the LZ for six short hours, and that's not even considering the possible travel expenses (airfare, car, hotel, food) for any rangers that are brought in from other parks. Last year, we paid $660.

I've asked them to reconsider the fee increases and demanded the travel expense reimbursement clause be removed. It's not gonna be pretty if the fee increases are implemented. Tomorrow, I meet with the Bridge Day Commission to discuss the situation.

These fee increases will cause your Bridge Day jump slots to increase in price, in addition to causing further damage to our access fight. Other parks might use Bridge Day as a model for future access.

Perhaps many of you can send an email to the Superintendent (Calvin Hite) to express your opinion on the fee increase? Calvin Hite is available at (304)465-6511, Calvin_Hite@nps.gov

See the attached letters to/from the NPS.

Quote :

"it has been necessary to detail more than 2 park rangers at Fayette Station to monitor activities during Bridge Day, as direct result of BASE jumping acitivities"

Can somebody translate that ?

If they want to see all the landings during BD, I am sure a videotape can be made available to them. Otherwise it seems they are just being what they are - BUREAUCRATS ( you thought I was gonna put A$$H*LES, didn't ya ? )

Jason,

Is it possible to rent the private property under the bridge, just for Bridge Day, to create a non-NPS landing area rented from another party?

I'm investigating that as well. I've got to dig through the records at the courthouse to find out who bought it last month.

If you haven't heard, the land under the NRGB was sold to an unknown buyer (90 acres for $220,000) despite two separate, ignored bids from BASE jumpers (10 acres bid at $120,000 and 3 acres bid at $25,000). I'll find out who the buyer was tomorrow while I'm in Fayetteville.

I sent an email. Hope everyone else does also. I feel we should make this an issue at the saftey briefing on friday 14 Oct...

I'll say it park ranqueers are asols there to stupid to hold any other job and there scared of us because we have bigger balls. They think there tough because some moron gave those girly men a gun. With out there guns there all a bunch of boy loving geeks!

inciting them does us no good

Sounds like they're definitely trying to set a precedent, probably because of the approaching access coming up in all National Parks. Imagine what they'd try to bill for rangers to monitor crowds for 100 jumpers at El Cap!

Have you tried contacting your friendly congressman Tancredo? He may be concerned about this flagrant move to push BASE out the back door, OR he may just figure $2400 bucks ain't that much money?

Maybe the bridge day committee will have to cough up the bucks for the base jumpers IF they want to keep their star attractions? It wouldn't be that much for the community as a whole, while it is much more for the 450 BASE Jumpers.

Skypuppy

Kissing but does no good either we've been doing that for 20 years

this shit does nothing but piss me off...im not even a base jumper but i do have a pass this year...all 75 dollars worth...im not bitchin about the price because all the effort put into this is more than worth it...Somebody tell me- what the hell is Bridge Day without BASE jumping? does anyone think that 200,000(is that the #?? correct me if im wrong) people would show up without crazy F@#%kers jumpin off a bridge?? seems like a boycott could be in order..Fayetteville and surrounding towns would be hurting..theres millions and millions in revenue to be lost!! I realize that im stating something that has probably been said before and im assuming the NPS gives a damn about local economy (yeah right) but damn them...i think you should call their bluff--there's plenty of illegal sites anyways...itd be nice to see some west virginians lobby congress with pitchforks---before the flaming starts im just a stupid skydiver who knows jack about base...just my .02 .....somebody riddle me this...when the man has a monopoly over this event and can charge as much as he wants, how long do you have to bend over and take it till your ass is sore?

I love you man~~ the government of the people for the people doesn't give a dam about the people just big money! Oh they'll do little things and make a big deal about it but when it comes to money bend over baby!

I would contribute to a special private "Viewing" area rented by a private party.
~J

also sounds like bureacrats protecting their budgets. the current administration is not known for flooding the NPS with money. I can easily see some higher up stating "either start recoverying costs, or make cuts elsewhere." the big question is why they need 5 rangers.


has someone been issued a special use permit?


that $2500 bill works out to about $5 per slot. the nasty bit is the potential travel costs.

and again, Thank You Jason. keep up the good work. events like yours help break the stereotype of BASE jumpers being uncontrollable, irresponsible, and reckless.

The NPS claims that Bridge Day costs them $18,000 each year. As far as I know, there are only three permits issued by the NPS for the event:

1) BASE jumpers LZ
2) Live TV Broadcast truck in LZ
3) Chamber of Commerce at Burnwood

I'm pretty sure that we will be paying the most out of the three. But realistically, the NPS is probably only recouping $5000 max out of the $18,000.

Back in 1992, Andy Calistrat set a bad precedent when he agreed to pay $10 per jumper to the local Chamber of Commerce. This has come back to haunt future organizers because the stars of the show (jumpers) are paying to jump while the spectators pay nothing. Earlier this year, I heard some rumors that they wanted to raise it to $20 (I would quit before that happens). But they did get the rappellers to start paying $10 per person starting this year.

Unfortunately, despite my suggestions, the local Chamber of Commerce won't charge spectators but they're happy to charge us. I wrote them a check for $3900 last year for the 390 jumpers that showed up at BD04. If they had collected $1 per person to walk onto the bridge, they would have more than $100,000 (and it rained that day).

Keep in mind that the BASE organizer (me) has to pay the $10 per jumper to the Chamber and the excessive NPS LZ fees (anywhere from $5-15 per jumper, depending on NPS travel costs). I just don't want to be the organizer who "allowed the NPS to rape us on LZ fees".

Ask them how their community will feel if the Bridge Day celebration starts being held in Idaho. You've got these people by the balls. Just start squeezing.

You hit the nail in the head. More rangers, because the department has to show that it is doing more than last year. Any government department must do more (=more activities involving more staff) than it used to do in the past, just to justify its existence.

An unspoken rule of any organization, whether governmental or down to a local club house is to do what it needs to do to stay in existence... look at the CIA or FIB for example

To hell with bridges lets take over the Stratosphere in Vegas! Cheaper flights, hotel rooms, and gambling!!

 

 solidarity man boycott~boycott~boycott

How many people would turn up to watch rappellers?
How many TV trucks would turn up to film an empty bridge?

I'm actually more interested in what's up with importing rangers from elsewhere. where really? some park within driving distance? or will it be used for the NPS to, uh, "educate" staff from CA?

if so, will the WV staff become more hardcore, or the CA staff more understanding?

Heck Ya! Total BS!

Can we use the letter you wrote as a bit of a templete to send to Mr. Hite, just to make it easier on us lazy folk?

I agree this is excessive, is there any way as taxpayers we can request an itemized list of expenses?

I know you're asking him, but my advice is that each letter should have a different style. No one ever reads the boilerplate.

If Mr. Hite gets 100 letters that all sound the same, he's not going to bother to read each one. If you change the perspective slightly in each letter, the "BASE lobby" will appear bigger than it really is.

More important, for a little more punch, the letters need to go to others besides Hite. Copies should be sent to all interested entities and individuals.

rl

 

The Alliance of Backcountry Parachutists has made its letter-writing system available to facilitate the sending of letters to NERI Superintendent Calvin Hite. In addition to faxing letters to NERI headquarters, letter-system users may also elect to fax carbon copies to three Congressional members: West Virginia 3rd District Representative Nick Rahall II, and West Virginia Senators Robert Byrd and John Rockefeller.

The Alliance has not provided any suggested letter text, as stylistically different letters will always be more sincere and better-received, so you must create your own text. Your letter will appear to have come from you and only you; we are merely providing the means to expedite your responses to Superintendent Hite.

edit to remove link ~TA

Sincerely,

K. Gardner Sapp, Director
Jason Dawson, Director

The Alliance of Backcountry Parachutists
P.O. Box 38202
Atlanta, Georgia 30334
gardner@backcountryparachutists.org

Nice job Gardner. I just sent my letter and was very easy even for a complete moron like my self. Now lets pound these people with letters and remind them of the economic impact of BASE jumpers pulling out of bridge day festivities.

Please DO NOT USE the ABP fax system. I was never contacted by the ABP regarding use of this system and I feel that the ABP and Robin Heid will only only cause further harm in the BASE community. I've just discussed the situation with the NPS earlier today and faxing them is not an appropriate method. The ABP should concentrate on their own agenda and not interfere with the progress I've made over the last 4 years.

Nothwithstanding the whole ABP brouhaha, faxing a letter of this kind is a no-no.

Letters should be printed or handwritten (legibly), in a traditional format (whether you use letterhead paper or not) and signed in blue ink.

They should be mailed in a properly addressed envelope with a return address, and real stamps are better than postage meters. Make sure you use the correct amount of postage. Or go for the gusto, and send it overnight. FedEx will be grateful, and such deliveries generally get more immediate attention.

The only time a letter should be faxed is if it is an emergency, and even then, a "hard" copy should follow.

Emails are also out. The more work it appears that you put into the letter, the more attention it will receive.

I feel stupid explaining somethign that seems so basic and very much a matter of common sense, but you would not believe some of the total shit people send out these days. What they don't understand is that the impression they make is lasting.

If anyone needs help, I'll be happy to offer suggestions. I won't write your letter, because then it would be my letter. But I will proofread for you and help you make any necessary corrections.

(And if you're reading this, Banned Boy, it's just one more thing I don't have time for, but what's a couple more weeks in the grand scheme?)

rl

P.S. Each letter should be addressed to Hite, but a cc should go to Sherri Clendenin as well as anyone else you elect to send a copy to.

 
I have been sending correspondence to several state and federal agencies. I have certified it, FedEx it, faxed it, mailed it, email it and made it dance. I still get the same form letters back with the same text.

Email is the most popular form of a grassroots campaign. I have also used most of those systems several times and I get a written responce about 40% of the time and an email responce 100% of the time.

Jason Dawson

It isn't about the response you get.

It's about the impression you make.

There are two issues here, anyway.

Bridge Day is a unique animal, and base jumpers have no small influence, because they draw spectators to the event. Spectators mean money for the local economy, and this creates a power base for the stars of the show. If the stars of the show take an obvious interest in what affects them directly, it will not go unheeded. But making the best possible impression will not hurt, and it usually helps.

A grassroots campaign, on the other hand, starts at a disadvantage. There is no economic reason to indulge you, and the success of such campaigns is measured in the number of supporters you collect as you go along--in other words, how strong a showing you can make. Even so, as you work toward your goal, you will make friends--or enemies--based upon the impression that you give the powers-that-be. You never know who is going to be in the right place at the right time to see the letter you have written. You really don't seem to understand that sometimes things actually happen because a single person happens to be in the right place at the right time to take an interest in your cause.

Letters get filed. Letters on good paper may be read again when that file is opened because they stand out. Faxes, on the other hand, get lost in the shuffle, and emails just get deleted.

No one has to listen to me. I'm just talking about what I've seen happen over the years in the places I've worked--both to the firms and their clients--when things are done the wrong way and when they're done right.

rl

P.S. Purely as an aside, and in my humble opinion only, a grassroots campaign is useless and a waste of the limited resources available to the base community. What is required is well-planned and duly executed legal action to compel the entities involved to knuckle under.

Rhonda is correct about mailing letters, and I assumed everyone would read the attached letters and pull Calvin's mailing address from it. In case you missed it:

Calvin Hite
Superintendent
National Park Service (NERI)
PO Box 246
Glen Jean, WV 25846

I, too, have tried various methods of communication to the NPS and every one of my Congressman, Senators, and even the Governor. The most effective method is MAILING your own letter. I almost always receive replies when mailing letters, but faxing them has had a 33% reply rate so far.

Just so you know, I got no sympathy from the Bridge Day Commission (BDC) at their meeting today. I was often told to simply "raise my jump ticket prices" and no one from the BDC wanted to get involved. Several BDC members rejoiced when I mentioned that Bridge Day would not exist without us (indicating they'd rather see the event go away).

I asked the NPS about alternate landing areas (RR tracks, river, etc) and was told they would arrest us if we landed in the river without accepting the permit. The NPS is reportedly going to provide me paperwork that will support their right to enforce their rules over the New River.

At this point in time, the NPS has no reason to reduce their fees. They are providing a service to us at a cost, but that cost is excessive. I'm submitting my initial application for the permit and if they have not reduce the price, then I'll use the media to gain support. I'm going to talk to the newspapers, radio, and TV. I've already got the local paper and a Charleston, WV talk show scheduled for interviews and further talks.

It's a big mess.

We'd all like to see that paperwork.

It's not a big mess. Bridge Day without BASE will be just another community street fair. While the commission members may try to bully you (because they don't want to do battle with NPS), they do answer to a higher authority--the media, the people who come each year just to watch the jumpers, and the businesses that benefit economically from the event. (A letter to each of the latter explaining the situation and the potential consequences therefrom might not be a bad idea.)

rl

No shit...couldnt have said it better myself i say we get about 50 keggers and start pouring at 9am and turn the oak hill holiday inn into to biggest freakin keg party and by noon the media and NPS will practically be on their knees smiling like a donut....wait no scratch that...what if 450 geared up jumpers are on the bridge at 9am in front of 100,000 plus spectators,march all the way up to the exit point only to get peoples hopes up and then tell the world in front of live TV how the NPS is not gonna rape us anmore and go back and party like its 1999!!

OMG it'd be organized chaos at best and you know it!

Now that is classic =)

Bad idea. The spectators and the media are our best friends, and we don't want to alienate them.

rl

Jason, you may not be able to charge admission, but can you ask for donations? ask people to show their support and help keep the tradition alive!

talking points were mentioned in an earlier thread, mainly focused on NPS access. it might be helpful to develop points on this and other topics as well. if the local tv stations plan on the same extended broadcast as in 2004, they may welcome more material...

Bad idea. The spectators and the media are our best friends, and we don't want to alienate them.


Best friends? the media wants a story--good publicity or bad and they dont give 2 shits which one...im not saying that there wouldnt be pissed off spectators because that'd be totally wrong. All im saying is that the majority of people out there can be influenced by us to blow the whistle on the NPS provided that they're well informed...i dunno we can pass out flyers to people, take donations, and use the air time (since they wont be showing any jumping) to tell people what BASE and the NPS is all about.

I think i'd rather be hated for who i am than befriended for who i am not

RL is absolutely correct. Nothing matters to these types of organizations other than legal action and or economic impact to local business in the area. Jason is doing the right thing by getting this out to the local and state media as well as the businesses that would be affected by the pull out of BASE jumping to this event. Not to mention the insane amount of TAX benifit that gets brought to the state and if there are specific county taxes. Unfortunately, maybe they need to be reminded of how they were impacted when BD was cancelled in 2001.

businesses that would be affected? make them affected...make somebody else feel your pain...this kind of crap is a little hard to swallow when it suddenly gets forked out onto their plate (talking about west virginians who look at bridge day as a chance to make killer money)...besides what does BASE jumping have to lose over a bridge day boycott? from what it sounds like were gonna lose a big damn hole in our pants when they run away with our wallets.. Besides i've heard from more than one person that BDAy is more about the experience rather than the jumping...look i cant wait for my first base jump but doesnt sticking it to the man feel so much better??

No.

You don't know what you're talking about.

What Rhonda said.

I've worked for The Man in a previous life as a government attorney.

You might be able to get some temporary satisfaction sticking it to him. But The Man has the resources to stick it back to you ten times worse.

Too many folks around here seem to have a Ready Fire Aim mentality...

lol i guess you're right but being passive doesnt help either

still haven't sorted out HOW your plan accomplishes this...

sounds like you want people to travel to WV, pay for food, lodging, and liquid refreshment. then meander and mingle on the bridge...

so where is the economic disruption?

emotional, rather then rational, decision making at exit points creates many BASE injuries. the best BASE jumpers know to avoid this. before starting BASE, you may wish to grab a pilot training book and read what the FAA says about "Aeronautical Decision Making."

If this is possible, and if it is accompanied by an explanation that points to the increased cost to the base jumpers for providing the day's entertainment, it's a great idea.

rl

I don't want to publically discuss some of my ideas, but I've got several interesting, effective methods in the works. I don't WANT to implement them, but I feel I HAVE to. I would hate to be the BD Organizer who allowed the fee increases to happen without protest.

If the NPS is willing to keep the permit fees identical to last year, then I'll be happy to drop the whole issue.

Ted since you worked for the man do you have any ideas for Jason I am sure he would love any suggestions or help.

 

Amen my brother!!! Can I get a witness!!!

The media say that there is push for a large land development in the area of the Gorge. Apparently the developers want to build 2500 homes in the vicinity and it must be a dividing issue in the community. It must be a headache for the park too.

Jason may be caught in a difficult situation, where jumping relies on support or at least positive attitudes from many sides, who often have opposite interests themselves (NPS, BDC, city, sponsors, public, media), so he can't "take sides":
gain support of one and alienate the other.

It must be quite a mess.

I can't believe I'm making a post in here, I can't even remember what I came into the BASE forum to find in the first place, but oh well...


If you think like a 'committee' that wants to see something go away...or a major company...how did we phase out bad products in corporate America? We raised the prices until the interested parties weren't interested anymore. It was that simple. We didn't have to state that we didn't want to provide low-income loans anymore, we just raised the rates until nobody wanted them. -Is this what's happening to you?

And if so, why? From what I have read from all of you (and that's all the knowledge I have, you know I have never been there) the BASE population brings a great deal of commerce to local businesses during this event, yes? I guess the committee is attributing this increase to the event itself and not specifically to the BASE jumping? Just wondering if it might be possible (I think it was mentioned earlier) to have an economic impact statement letter included in your petition? Something to the effect of 'X' amount of BASE jumpers, bringing 'X' amount of family/friends to witness the event enjoy the festivities with them, spend on average $75 each at local establishments on food, gas, lodging, entertainment, blah, blah, blah...which equals 'X' dollars economic impact to your community. Higher fees, means less jumpers, reducing the positive economic impact, etc etc etc.

Sorry if that's been thought of and is too simplistic to be of any help at all, but I thought I'd try anyhoo.

Secondly, what is the permit fee for the rapellers? How about other activities on/around the bridge? There must be permits issued to other groups for other activities as well, and those must also be public info. I wonder how they compare, price-wise, for their permits? Just a thought. Is there a huge difference? Does it look biased? Are those groups having the same economic impact as BASE jumpers are?

And last, I think this sign is a great idea! Shoot I'd pitch a buck in the bucket to see that show, and I would bet you it would bring in a whole lot more than you'd think. <--Here's the sad part about it though: you'll have to assign a guard to the donation station. It sucks, but that's society today. IF you're going to do that, I'd have one at each end of the bridge.

Just some random thoughts, but hey, it might lead somebody to something that would help.

I'm guessing the extra rangers they want to bring in are just going to be hanging out at the 'other' local bridges/etc in the area during the meetings.... And for this, they want to charge you.

I like your idea! I know the celebration i heard about out there sounded like it was becoming a little bridge day event ...

It would be nice to have two events.

It would be sad, after so many years, to turn away from Bridge Day.

rl

Don't worry, Bridge Day will be around for quite some time.

Maybe the NPS is pulling in rangers from other parks and using 5 rangers this year instead of 2 so they can hide at the bottom of one of the other local bridges that jumpers frequent? The day before Bridge Day 2003, the chief ranger at New River sent two plainclothes rangers dressed as fisherman to a local bridge where they waited for jumpers to leap. The rangers had fishing poles and video cameras and quickly arrested four jumpers after they landed.

I can't wait to see what the public thinks of the above paragraph. And if the NPS doesn't budge on the fees, the public WILL find out very soon.

It's no secret that I'm going to drag the NPS through the mud this year if fees are increased. I just hope the NPS is smart enough to back off before they get hurt.

There are two basic forces at play when you talk about changing government policy (and I'm talking at the agency level here).

1. People are the same everywhere. No one likes "outsiders" making their job more difficult. If anything it just makes them more resistant to change.
2. An agency will change only if it has more or less been ordered to.

Related to the first principle, is if you have a problem person or group of people, you use the system to make their lives so miserable that they eventually get tired and go away. I personally think the present situation is related to that.

In other words. If you want real change, you need to bring it about from the inside, not the outside.

Media campaigns only work where the situation is so scandalous that the higher-up politicos feel the heat and thus put heat on the offending agency. With the NPS ban in general, I don't think you have that.

With BD, it MIGHT be a little bit more effective because now you have real people, with real business, who vote, ALSO getting the shaft if we pack up and leave. So you might be able to get some politicos (i.e. a certain extremely powerful WV Senator) to turn up the heat and get the NPS to back off.

My personal take on the who NPS problem is that we really need to get some politcal heavy hitters in out court. The WV Senator would be one. If we could get some in the areas we jump... Congresspersons/Sentors from CO & Utah (a certain extremely powerful Senator also hails from UT)... we might be able to get some results. Be it through legislation (which the agency has no control over and can't ignore) or just the standard politcal heat.

460 has some ideas for maybe getting some help in our area as well.

I'd also add that finding an established lobbyist with a proven track record in DC would also be EXTREMELY helpful.

Here is an issue. One day before BD they get pissed of by four people who stretch it too much.
Can't do that. Must stop jumping outside of the window. It's sort of like self-regulation, ethics or just preventing site-burning.


3. If a government agency or part of it can be recognized internally, they may engage in a discretionary activity.

It's like brownie points, but can be used as ammunition when applying for promotion or budget increases.

I received a snailmail reply from the NPS NRG.

They basically say that the increases are to cover BASE activities on ALL park lands during bridge day... blah blah blah...

then they say that since there are and avge of 450 jumpers that the initial increase would be 1.37 USD per jumper for 2005, ending up with an overall increase of 4.09 per base jumper based on 450 registered Base jumpers.

posted a scaned copy of the letter.

One take being missed is the "slippery slope" that brought us to this point in time. It helps to have jumped at Bridge Day prior to the NPS's involvement at Bridge Day to see it, but we had our chance to put our foot down and we missed it.

The NPS began their campaign to control not only the LZ but the entire event during Bridge Day 1991. However at first they basically hit the brick wall that was Jean Boenish and it wasn't until Andy Calistrate became the organizer they made serious inroads. The first attack came in the form over the controversy of giving the list of registered jumpers to the NPS which later morphed into why you get warrant checked. Jean simply said no way while Andy gave it up like a new fish in cellblock D.

Then there was the pre-jump Friday briefing where a new NPS tactic was rolled out. They are now hiding the more militant anti-BASE Rangers like Bill Blake in favor of presenting a younger long haired and bearded Ranger whose name I won’t mention as he was a pretty good guy who I thought was being duped by his bosses.

When this Ranger, instead of an experienced BASE jumper, gave the water landing briefing I was the only one asking how many water landings had this fellow done? While the briefing itself was basically the same as any jumper would've given, the scary thing is the jumpers saw this fellow as the "friendly" Ranger rather than the wolf in sheep's clothing he really was.

The next thing is the Ranger presence on the bridge itself. Again, except for the Bridge Day article I wrote that year not much notice it is made of the fact the Rangers are video taping everyone and everything. I wondered what their authority on the Bridge was in the first place as the bridge isn't part of the National Park. What they were doing was sniffing the breath of jumpers and looking for drug use. They were exercising "control."

Fast forward to Bridge Day 2004 and now we have a time when after landing a Park Ranger will scream at you to clear the landing area, well gee, I've been dodging landing jumpers all my life, but okay, thanks for that . . .

The NPS says they need extra money to cover expenses incurred for monitoring the LZ. Well, what the heck are they monitoring? And how did we survive all those years before the NPS arrived on the scene? The NPS sometimes seems like a traveling road show that sets up their tents under the guise of education and preservation simply to start collecting money, bloat their own numbers, and then have an excuse to collect more money. The NPS has grown into 1000 pound gorilla that morphed first into a police force and now can almost be considered a new and undeclared branch of the armed forces.

Here is a snapshot of the NPS world:

BTW, the current Bridge Day LZ isn't technically a National Park, its The New River Gorge National River. Besides the sixty-nine places called National Parks the NPS also controls the following areas.

National Historical Parks, National Monuments, National Preserves, National Reserves, National Military Parks, National Battlefields, National Battlefield Parks, National Battlefield Site, National Historic Sites, National Memorials, National Seashores, Parkways, National Lakeshores, National Park System Rivers, National Historic Area, National Heritage Areas, National Recreation Areas, National Heritage Corridors, National Historic Trails, National Scenic Trails, International Historic Site, International Park, and National Cemeteries.

What we do at the NRGB over the next few years is going to be important to the very future of BASE jumping in National Parks. I'd like to see an "opt out" provision made for jumping at Bridge Day. What this means is a jumper declares his preference to decline the offer of landing on NPS property by landing on the RR tracks (yes I realize the consequences of that), in the river itself, or somewhere along the banks downriver. There's no reason we can't contract for separate boats to accommodate the "opted out" jumpers.

It's not perfect solution of course. And it will make jumping there more dangerous, but that's what the NPS does anyway every where else, the lengths we go to in avoiding contact with them makes BASE jumping more dangerous.

Right now the only way for me to "opt out" is not to attend the event. They win and I lose and that's what they want anyway. Depending on how it goes a few hundred landings on the RR tracks, depending on how the RR pursues it, may individually cost less than a night at the Holiday Inn . . . In any case I'd much rather donate, if it could be arranged, a hundred dollar bill to the home for retired RR workers than give another dime to the NPS. We are simply paying them to persecute us . . .

NickD
BASE 194

The situation with the NPS landing area is very dynamic right now and I'm not quite sure of the proper plan of action. I've got a few aces up my sleeve that I'll unveil at the proper time, but I'm sort of stuck in the middle of a messy situation.

On one side are 450 jumpers who've paid their $75 jump fees and arranged plane tickets and time off work. On the other side is the NPS, who is raising our special use permit fees to unacceptable levels.

I've explored the option of landing in the river (NPS says they control it and will arrest us). Gary Hartley, their Chief Ranger, said he'd send me the paperwork on how the NPS has control of the river, but it's been 11 days and nothing so far. Landing on the RR tracks was mentioned at the last Bridge Day Commission (BDC) meeting, but I'm sure any mass attempt to land there would be met with opposition (not that it's out of the question). Another option is that ace up the sleeve, to which we should know more shortly.

Keep in mind that the BDC sets no real rules for us at Bridge Day. That job, so far, has been wrongly forced into the NPS Special Use Permit each year. If we don't get the permit, the BDC will surely implement some of the NPS's own rules. Some of those rules include things like a maximum 15 way, jumpers must attempt to deploy a parachute, and many other rules developed by NON-parachutists. Apparently, they trust me enough to organize the BASE portion of the event, but not enough to develop my own safety standards.

One of the NPS's requirements for issuing a Special Use Permit is that, upon request, I must hand over a list of registered jumpers names, addresses, and birthdates. It's been a permit requirement for many years - long before I became organizer. Last year, I demanded that this item be removed from the permit requirements because the local Sheriff has all this information for his background checks. There was no need to give it to both the Sheriff and then the NPS. But the NPS refused and I was again forced to accept the permit as is in order to keep jumping.

But this year is different. I have never and will never hand over any information to the NPS regardless of the requirement. The NPS can put me in jail or sue me, but they'll never get the list from me.

We're being forced to pay outrageous landing zone fees and possible travel costs. As NickDG stated, the only work those rangers do is yell at jumpers and my staff members. I'm not willing to accept this and I'll fight this one all the way up to October 15th.

I've filled out the NPS's Special Use Permit application and mailed in the required $100. Now, I'm waiting to see of Calvin Hite has reconsidered my request to NOT raise fees. I'll find this out as soon as I get the conditions of the permit and the fee amount. If Calvin raises the fees, then I've already got newspapers, radio, and TV ready to report on it. And as I said in the past - "it ain't gonna be pretty."

Does the NPS require this information of everyone who goes down to the landing area?

If not, what is their stated reason for demanding this information of jumpers only?

rl

I can't speak for all, but I'm happy you are there at this time of great change, Jason. I think we have the right guy in the right place with the right amount of across the board jumper support to swing a big hammer . . .

Jean couldn't do it as she was too divisive, Andy couldn't do it as he was too busy selling us out. Of all the Bridge Day orgainizers you are the only one so far that could pull the trigger and have a majority of the jumpers behind you.

But we need you to tell us what we should be aiming at. It seems like they are trying to price us out and some type of drastic response is needed. I mean no pain, no gain, right . . .

NickD
BASE 194

No, only registered jumpers.


Last year at a BDC meeting, I told everyone that the NPS wants our info only to add to their "list" of base jumpers (link here). I told them they should have no interest in the jumper list. The NPS responded by saying they might need to see the list because of security concerns (I love how everyone uses 9/11 as an excuse!). To which I responded that the Sheriff already has that taken care of with his own background checks. The NPS refused to budge. But it really doesn't matter because I'll never give them the jumper list anyway. But who knows if the Sheriff is secretly providing the list to the NPS. The good thing is that jumpers are only background checked once and the Sheriff only gets new jumpers on the list each year.

 

Bridge Day, because of what it is, does from time to time create situations that could only occur there.

One year (1987, I think) Lane K. smoked one down to the water and then stood dumbfounded as several Rangers "warned" him about pulling low. Lane "opted out" and never returned to Bridge Day again.

Another jumper cited for landing on the RR tracks, which he deemed safer than the small LZ that year, said later, "WTF, I've made hundreds of BASE jumps and the first time I get busted is at Bridge Day?

Still another jumper after dealing with line twists turned low to avoid someone not paying attention in the LZ and crashed through the windshield of a privately owned Ranger vehicle stupidly parked close by. The person not paying attention was the Ranger who owned the vehicle.

BTW, did anyone notice the mob of EMT personal in the LZ last year? Who in their right mind would think that number was necessary? I mean what has happened over the last 25 years of Bridge Days that warrants that many back boards and ambulances? I can see having a large EMT presence to look after the thousands of spectators "on" the bridge but not for the jumpers below the bridge.

If you have a look at Pope's excellent BD DVD from last year, about midway through or so, there is a very scary "almost" incident when a young boy is almost cleaned by a jumper swooping the LZ. The boy appeared to be with the EMT crowd and indeed he's pulled out of the path of the jumper by one of them. Anyone looking at the video can easily see he could have been killed had he been hit. He just shouldn't have been where he was in the first place.

All those EMTs and the ambulances should be staged up the dirt road closer to the packing area. To me it seemed like they were just there to watch the show and it certainly didn't take thirty EMTs to save Russel's broken big toe . . .

Also, and I've said this before, experienced BASE jumpers, not Rangers, should be running the LZ just like experienced jumpers run the launch point. An experienced jumper can look up at parachute in the air and more or less know where it's going to land. A Ranger can't and it causes a lot of unnecessary danger, yelling, and confusion in the LZ.

Editied to add: BTW, I'm not blaming Jason for the above as I know he has his hands full with all the other BS thrown his way by the powers that be . . .

NickD
BASE 194

it`s really sad that that you guys have that kind of problems. I really cannot understand whats the thing with the NPS, i mean within them. because isnt it more like "lots of tourists" etc thing...like commercial stuff for whole neighbourhood...money for hotels, restaurants etc...or what...??

I was there last year with my friends. 10.000 kilometres of travelling and all worth it.
It was really great event, and i will be there again for sure. Its a unique event with seeing lots of friends and having new ones.
I had a great time guys, hope you get all things ok soon.

FastPete