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MWGemini

I want your opinion on the NPS & BASE

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1980- The NPS, in cooperation with the USPA, legalizes jumping for a period of about three months, but changes their policy to prevent jumping after several jumpers are injured, as well as the damage the jumpers were doing to the park (apparently they were leaving too much trash behind).

Flatbed 10

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I apologize for making an innaccurate post. I did state in the offending post that the information was probably not complete or accurate, however.

There is a lot of information out there, and a great deal of it comes from sources that cannot be trusted to give the truth, let alone the complete story. I'm new to this part of the sport and as such, I do not have the knowledge many of you may take for granted. I am trying to learn as much as I can, however. Please be patient while I research things.

Having learned something new now, this in and of itself does not seem like grounds for the policies as they are now. 25 years ago, the BASE community was probably just getting started, and probably did not have the "BASE ethics" that are more commonplace in today's community. In addition, the park and the governing body have changed as well. I don't see how the NPS can realistically exclude jumpers from the parks based on (what seems relatively minor) events that occurred 25 years ago, which is before I was even born.

Another thing that I've found is several stories of jumpers who have been harassed by NPS officials for possessing (although not using) BASE rigs in a park. I can see how it could be argued that the people in question had the intent to use them, but really, how can the NPS know for sure? And even if it is proven the intent was there, I don't think that is a crime, just the act of jumping itself. Or am I mistaken?

Thanks,

Mike

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Another thing that I've found is several stories of jumpers who have been harassed by NPS officials for possessing (although not using) BASE rigs in a park. I can see how it could be argued that the people in question had the intent to use them, but really, how can the NPS know for sure? And even if it is proven the intent was there, I don't think that is a crime, just the act of jumping itself. Or am I mistaken?



You might call Skydive Moab for more on that. I believe the DZO might be able to give you some information about the "intent to jump" business.
-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

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Thanks, I'll add that to my list of resources to look into. Do you (or anyone else) know of any locations somewhat local to North Carolina that I can apply for a permit to jump (I understand you can't name sites). I'd like to start applying for permits and begin keeping records of when/why/how the applications were denied. That might help later on down the line.

Thanks,

Mike

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...locations somewhat local to North Carolina that I can apply for a permit to jump...



I'd recommend contacting your locals, for that kind of info. If you're not sure who they are, drop me a PM, and I'll point you at the right folks.
-- Tom Aiello

[email protected]
SnakeRiverBASE.com

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Mike,

Some other tidbits . . .

The first contact (I know of) between jumpers and Rangers is in 1966 when two (possibly three) skydivers jumped from El Cap. I have the newspaper clippings, but not where I am right now, but you should be able to find them.

Two of the jumpers were injured (they were jumping rounds) and the Rangers expressed shock and anger over the jumps. This the first time, I believe, the aerial delivery rule was imposed on jumpers. Prior the rule was only used to keep backcountry hunters from re-supplying themselves (cargo drops of ammo & grub) in order to extend their time on the hunt.

In 1975 Carl Boenish (and still three years away from the first modern El Cap jumps he organised) was harassed in the park while filming two jumpers who jumped from a hang glider over the valley. The encounter was very heated and charges were filed, aerial delivery and also filming without a permit

As for the legal season in the early 80s, it wasn't four months long. As I recall it was a matter of weeks. From memory (again, I don't have all my notes here) the Rangers were under pressure from jumpers and the USPA to allow legal jumping. They finally allowed it, even though they didn't want to, but they had an ulterior motive. Basically, they knew we wouldn't follow the rules, so the legal season was just a way to gather enough infractions to shut jumping down forever. And their plan worked brilliantly.

I was personally at the meeting held at Perris Valley that summer to hammer out the rules for legal El Cap jumps and they seemed innocuous enough. All jumps were to be by permit, no jumps after a certain time in the morning, no night jumps, and hard helmets and boots must be worn. (The boots rule didn't go down well at the meeting as by this time all experienced jumpers are wearing tennis shoes, sandals, or no footwear at all.) All jumps were to be single exits, with no RW allowed. Parachute gear, reflecting the wisdom of the day, was to be square mains and round reserves. And you had to have a "D" license.

In the short time the legal season lasted every one of those rules were broken. People jumped without permits. People jumped at night. People did RW. One jumper spray painted a rock with the message, "Man Small, Why Fall, Skies Call, That's All." And, of course, there was the Flatbed Ten.

Now, it helps to understand what stage BASE jumping was in at this time. There is a small band of hardcore BASE jumpers led by Carl Boenish operating, but for the most part these are skydivers out on a lark. Most considered El Cap something you did once and that was it. There was no feeling among the majority of these skydivers that BASE was a stand alone sport. To them, and understandably so, it was all a big hoot. Even I felt that way about it at the time.

When we turned to USPA for help after the program was shut down our pleas fell on deaf ears. Everyone at USPA headquarters had already made "their" jump. That's when Carl and Jean stepped back into the picture and began the long fight that leaves us were we are today. I gave up on my own hopes of jumping El Cap over the next few years, my attention centered on something new and exciting on the drop zone, it was called AFF.

There's a lot more of course, but you'll have to wait for my book . . .

As an aside, Mike, it's good when anyone gets into this issue with a fresh set of eyes like you are doing, but please be mindful about making comments about things like Jan's death. To those who were involved it's not abstract, it was very real and very emotional. And it was all done with the best of intentions. Saying it set things back is making the same mistake the Rangers make. They don't understand the sport. When people BASE jump, people will die, that's just the way of it.

One of Carl Boenish's best quotes goes, "Cliff jumping is first allowed because it's unknown, then it's regulated because it is feared, then it's banned because it is misunderstood." (Not exact, but close.)

NickD :)BASE 194

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MWG,

I am relatively new BASE jumper (just under 100 jumps) and I feel very strongly about the topic along with everyone else. Here is a paper that I recently did for my own English class. It will save you some time researching the numbers involved in rescues and budgets as well as the huge number of visitors every year. If you use it, don't forget to cite it. Good luck, and be safe.

Travis

P.S.
If anyone else has an opinion on the paper, please feel free to voice it.

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Excellent paper! This is a good paper to send along with your permit requests or letters to the decision makers in your state. Keep in mind that the rangers usually don't end up paying for Yosemite rescues or deaths. They bill us.

Also, there has been only one fatality in the Moab area and that place has been jumped far more than Yosemite (and the cliffs are not as safe). Many Yosemite fatalities were the result of less than ideal conditions in order to evade the NPS.

Think about the fact that we've watched the NPS walk all over us for more than TWO DECADES. Two decades of discrimination. The longer we wait to do something about it, the better off the NPS will be. Kudos to Avery and the four others who had the guts to stand up for what they believe in 1999.

---
(c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted. <==For the media only

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Nice,

What grade did you get on it? ;)

I am about to write to my crongressman for what it's worth and will write to NPS as well.

I might write a proposal for a small grant to investigate the problem. The more air and fuel the bigger the fire...
Memento Audere Semper

903

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I got an "A" for the paper and I also did a 20 min presentation w/ a two-min BASE video of mine own stuff. My professor loved it ,as well as the rest of the class. I normally don't like the "Hey look at me, I'm a BASE jumper..." attitude, but I figure the more people that are aware of how unfair the situation is, the better off we will all be.

Thanks for the positive input.

Travis

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So, as I understand it, an application for a permit is pretty much useless unless it contains

a Experience level of jumper making application
b Dates for proposed jumps
c Reasons
d processing fee? and offer to post bond
e perhaps some indication of other people included with names and addresses and experiences, or at least a statement of minimum experience required to participate?

Maybe we should cut and paste some of this info into a summary and make it into a sticky, or is politics an accepted use of dz.com?
If some old guy can do it then obviously it can't be very extreme. Otherwise he'd already be dead.
Bruce McConkey 'I thought we were gonna die, and I couldn't think of anyone

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The paper is due tomorrow, and I've got it done (I hope). The professor has made me re-write it more times than I can count, and I think I have lost my ability to look at it objectively. I'll send it to anyone who is interested.

Mike

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shoot it over...

I guess this is where it pays off to be a Military Desk Jockey...

seriously though, send it over!

;)

now that is funny, I dont care who you are...
Leroy


..I knew I was an unwanted baby when I saw my bath toys were a toaster and a radio...

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Yes please. I'd like to read it.
My grammar sometimes resembles that of magnetic refrigerator poetry... Ghetto

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'All of this means is sucks to be a BASE jumper. "

-well now, i wouldnt say that;)

-SPACE-

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Does anyone have any idea or experience working with the ACLU?

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