United States Department of the Interior

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
1849 Street, NW.
Washington, DC 20240

NW 13 ton

 

The Honorable Rob Bishop
Chairman

Committee on Natural Resources
House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. Chairman:

. The National Park Service (NPS) is strongly opposed to HR 974, the Yellowstone and Grand
Teton Paddling Act, which was reported from the House Natural Resources Committee on
October 8, 2015. The bill requires the NPS to promulgate regulations to allow the use of hand-
propelled vessels, at a minimum, on 50 speci?c river segments in Yellowstone and Grand Teton
National Parks, as well as the John D. Rooke'feller, :Jr. Memorial Parkway. The bill would
diminish the ability of park managers to meet their responsibilities under the NPS Organic Act
and other laws to provide for public enjoyment, ensure visitor safety, and address adverse effects
to resources at those units and also would set a poor precedent for the NPS.

The areas required to be opened to paddling by HR. 974 represent some of the most intact,
pristine landscapes in the contiguous United States and include rivers such as the Lamar,
Yellowstone, and Gros Ventre. 'There may be no other scenic resource like this in the United
States, and possibly the world, where visitors can experience large intact river systems and their
environments in a wild, ecologically pristine state. These rivers are sensitive nesting and
breeding grounds for wildlife, home to endemic and endangered species, spawning grounds for
native cutthroat trout, and some of the last streams in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for
Arctic grayling. Opening these waterways will increase the risk of the transmission of aquatic
invasive species like zebra and quagga mussels, Eurasian watermilfoil, whirling disease and
others. --

By mandating that the NPS allow paddling on these 50 waterways, the interests of a small group
of recreational paddlers would be placed above those of all other Americans and above the
protection of these fragile resources. The NPS has a statutory responsibility under the NPS
Organic Act to ensure the protection in perpetuity of the fundamental values and resources for
which Congress established these parks. By mandating that the NPS open these 50 waterways
for the bene?t of a very select few, Congress would undermine the ability of professional park
managers and the public to determine how best to manage these special places.

Enjoyment of the national parks through a wide variety of appropriate recreational opportunities
is a core part of the NPS mission, and one which we fully embrace. In addition to opportunities
for hiking, photography, wildlife viewing, scenic touring, camping, bicycling, and many other
activities, both Yellowstone and Grand Teton already offer many outstanding places for hand-
propelled paddling. In Yellowstone, 163 of the 168 lakes in the park are open for boating and on

average over 2,000 permits are issued annually for non-motorized boating. In Grand Teton, over
60,000 people enjoy ?oating the iconic 26-mile segment of the Snake River along the Teton
Range each year, and many more enjoy paddling on the lakes that are open to paddling, six of
which are located entirely in the park?s baclccountry.

HR. 974 would set a very poor precedent that would affect the ability of park superintendents to
meet their statutory responsibilities to properly manage the use of our national park lands. The
NPS believes strongly that the existing authority granted by Congress through the Organic Act is
suf?cient and appropriate for the proper n?ianagement 'of these lands for all Americans.

Sincerely,

dwaaw%gwm

Jonathan B. JarVis
Director

cc: Honorable Raul Grij alva, Ranking Member