GCHBA Board Meeting 5-8-2005

Minutes and Treasurer Report

The minutes of the 10-17-04 meeting were approved as published without being read.

The treasurer’s report, showing a net loss of $137.50 and a balance of $4753.74, was approved.

Hank will show membership numbers on the next report.

Membership

Pat will send letters to all members due for renewal July 1, 2005 and to all members whose membership expired since July 1, 2004. Gene will make labels and a mail-merge letter so that members will only have to confirm or change their information rather than filling it all in. Pat will also mention the opportunity for membership on the E-group.

T-shirts and Hats

New T-shirt design was discussed. Pat informed us that James was working on a new design. She will touch base with him again on that. Also, he is working on a design for baseball caps. It was decided that patches are too expensive and do not sell well. Hank told us that we still have 70 of them left. Baseball caps can be sold on the website along with the T-shirts and patches.

Service Project – Cottonwood May 10-13

The Project Ranger has been changed from Peggy Kolar to Della, because Peggy has been transferred to Lee’s Ferry. Della is normally at Phantom, but will be at Cottonwood for this project. The project work at Cottonwood will consist of removing weeds and grass from around buildings. Abundant water this year has caused great growth, and later drying of the vegetation will become a fire hazard.  Also, the ditch of one of the power sources for Cottonwood, an alternator with a turbine pump run by water from the pipeline, has become overgrown with vegetation and doesn’t drain properly. The work crew will remove vegetation and clear the ditch.

There are 12 people signed up for the project. Gene has sent most of the food already using the mule train.

Future Project

 The white-painted concrete abutments at the black bridge are aesthetically offensive. The GCHBA could possibly re-paint them in a future project. The project would require some workers to use ropes. There was discussion whether the Park Service would allow volunteers to do this kind of risky work. We can contact Chuck, or Eric Keefer to find out about this.

Project Patch

Discussion took place about having a patch, hat, or T-shirt made for the workers on each project. Patches could be made, but it is expensive to have a small number of patches made. We could make a general service project patch, but it would not have specific project/date on it. Baseball caps are cheaper, but many do not wear them. T-shirts seem to be the most appropriate item. They can be made cheaply even in small numbers, and they could be unique for each project.

A motion was made and passed unanimously to have a limited run of t-shirts made for below-the-rim project workers. These will be made after the project so that the exact number of shirts can be made for the actual participants. These will be mailed to the workers. A shirt for the project Ranger will be made if the Park Service allows this.

Plaque for Mary Simpson

We viewed the plaque for Mary. Gene Fowler will deliver it to Mary in person. The wooden plaque is about 8”x10”. It has a the GCHBA footprint logo, and an inscription which reads:

Thank you for being our President
And for all the hard work you have done
To help others enjoy hiking our mutual love
The Grand Canyon
With much respect, admiration, and gratitude
From the Board of Directors
And Members of the
GRAND CANYON
Hiking and Backpacking Association

Other Business

Hank has worked with John Nanke and turned in the paperwork has been turned in to bring our 501 status current.

Website and Web Hosting

Gene expressed concern about link exchanges with other sites. It was decided that Gene should use his own judgment about what sites are appropriate to exchange links with.

A direct link to Bob’s backcountry form and planner will be placed on the site.

A page on the site will be constructed with GCHBA’s position papers on it.

A new web-hosting site is needed, since the current provider is discontinuing its web hosting.

Bob Ribokas is looking into whether we can have it hosted where he has his site. Otherwise, we will find an inexpensive host that will allow ASP and SQL. Cindy will research sites.

Overflights, Wilderness, Backcountry use/preservation

Discussion took place about overflights. Some points from the discussion:

Natural quiet is a resource. The park is out of compliance in regard to natural quiet. There is legal wrangling about exactly what “natural quiet” is, and this must be defined.

There may actually be more tour flights if they are quieter. Tom reported that it’s possible that planes will be refitted with 4 blade “quiet propellers” to replace 3 blade noisier ones, but this results in no net noise reduction .

There are commercial flight paths over the Canyon, and other flights may divert their route so that passengers may view the Canyon. We do not know if certain flights are required to fly directly over the Canyon, or do so because of the sight-seeing opportunities. Current traffic patterns concentrate the noise, and there are virtually no areas in the Canyon that are without some flight noise. New commercial “Direct Route” rules are in the process of being made, and this may affect the number of flights over Grand Canyon.

Doug reported on his attendance at the overflight workgroup meeting. A committee, formally under the FAA, will be formed. This group will make a recommendation, which will almost certainly be approved by the FAA.  He noticed that there is dissatisfaction in conservation groups, but commercial groups seem to be fairly confident about their position. There was little representation by recreational groups such as GCHBA. Doug submitted his name for inclusion on the work group that defines the rules. He feels that we have a good chance of being included.

Trailhead Access Advocate

Doug believes it would be a good idea to compile a list of trailheads and information about them and access to them. This would include common and popular trailheads and exclude those that are little used. We would then communicate with the Park Service, and about what the recommended access method to each would be, especially those with difficult access. Information would be included about parking, special access problems such as tribal permits or difficult roads.

Trailhead access can sometimes be a greater challenge than the hike itself. Sometimes the rules seem to change, and it is not clear exactly how the trailhead should be accessed. There are also complications with Tribal control of access to some of them. The South Bass access was brought up as a case in point. Some hikers want to use the Boundary Road to avoid fees or confrontation with tribal groups. The Boundary Road is closed to vehicle traffic, but vehicles have been seen on this road. Closures do not seem to be well enforced. Access should be equally available to all, whether that means no vehicles on the road or any vehicles, or mountain bikes on the road.

Once we have a list, we can begin to identify which trailheads have access problems, and how the Wilderness Management Plan may affect them. We can then develop a position on what recommended access should be. We can possibly form relationships with some of the tribal administration, and work together to establish access as well as protect the tribal interests to the satisfaction of both.

We will not necessarily advocate roads or other access methods being opened. We have a unique position in being able to advocate protection of resources, which may include limiting access to sites within the Park to protect the resource.

It was discussed whether to have a single person or committee to accomplish this. Tom said he would be willing to chair a committee of contributors, who would collect the information and submit it to the Board for decisions on what should be included.

It was unanimously decided that a committee will be formed, with Tom Martin as chair. Doug Nering will draft a description of the committee’s purpose.

The next meeting date is tentatively set for October 23, 2005. The date will be finalized later.

Respectfully submitted,
Cindy George
GCHBA Secretary