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Bryce Canyon announces 2001 shuttle schedule
May 9, 2001 (NPS): The National Park Service has established the shuttle service schedule for the 2001 season at Bryce Canyon National Park. The shuttle will begin May 25 and operate until October 1. The system will operate similar to the 2000 season, the first year of shuttle operations at Bryce Canyon. Three routes will serve the public. The Blue Line will operate from the Boarding area to the Visitor Center with stops at Ruby's Inn, Ruby's Campground and the main park visitor center. From the visitor center the Red Line will travel to the park’s developed area, including all the main amphitheater viewpoints, Sunset Campground, the Bryce Canyon Lodge and Camper store. The Green Line will provide several 2 ½ hour trips to the southern end of the park each day, first-come, first-served. The park had hoped to include service this year from the boarding area to the town of Tropic, Utah. The park believed this route would provide a needed service to visitors staying in Tropic and hiking park trails that connect to Tropic. Some local residents may have also used the system to reach their jobs at locations near the park. This proposal was presented to the public through an April 2 news release inviting public comment and an April 10 open house in Tropic. There was strong support and encouragement for this line. Unfortunately, funding levels will not allow the park to initiate this line this year. "We remain committed to including service to Tropic," said Superintendent Fred Fagergren. "We are very disappointed and recognize the disappointment the community will experience with this announcement."
Fagergren explained that the park had originally expected to receive sufficient funding to include the Tropic line while still meeting obligations for construction of the park's new visitor center. "The funds that were to have assisted us with our visitor center are not available and we are required to locally fund the shuttle and visitor center." Fagergren explained. "Our funds should allow us to complete the visitor center but we can only operate the shuttle at 85% of the original contract. This eliminates any opportunity for a Tropic line this year." Fagergren indicated the park would continue to pursue the Tropic line. The park would like to partner with Tropic City for shuttle stop locations, placement of shuttle shelters, and to pursue alternate transportation funding opportunities. Fagergren hopes this partnership will allow the Tropic service to be part of the system in 2002.
Bryce Canyon National Park joined other parks operating transportation systems (e.g., Zion National Park) when it initiated its voluntary shuttle system on June 29, 2000. Visitation during the 1990's had steadily increased, creating parking challenges for visitors. Public surveys during this period, emphasized that visitors did not believe the park was congested but that they disliked the problems with finding a parking spot. During the middle of the day on most summer days, the park was experiencing 3-4 cars in the park for every parking spot. Earlier efforts to expand parking lots had proved too costly and environmentally damaging. When the Utah Congressional delegation gave the National Park Service legislative authority to collect a shuttle fee and utilize it locally to support the transportation system, Bryce Canyon initiated its system.
While some parks received external funding assistance to start their systems, the Bryce Canyon system began with no external funding and little external assistance. Nevertheless, the system proved to be very successful during its first year of operation.
Some 340,000 riders enjoyed the experience of visiting Bryce Canyon without worrying about available parking space. During the first year of operations, 15% of park visitors chose to park their vehicle at the boarding area or Ruby's Inn and enter the park via the shuttle. Many other visitors who entering the park with their cars chose to also use the shuttle. Over 1500 written public comments were received regarding the shuttle; over 90% of these were positive. Park operations also benefited from the shuttle. In previous years, park rangers spent a minimum of two days per week sorting parking lots. During the entire summer of 2000 only two days were spent in that activity.
As one visitor explained, "For the first time, I got to enjoy the scenery instead of simply driving through the park!"
The local economy also benefited from the shuttle operations. The shuttle provided $500,000 in new salaries in Garfield County. "The shuttle has enhanced our visitors experience, improved the protection of this park's resources and provided a significant benefit to the local economy," noted Fagergren. "These are confirmations of the success of the system."
As a park employee emphasized: "The shuttle is the only way Bryce Canyon can remain more a National Park than a national parking lot."
Bryce Canyon National Park Proposes to Implement a Series of Prescribed Fires During 2001
April 11, 2001 (NPS): Bryce Canyon National Park is proposing to implement a series of prescribed fires, supporting our goals for restoring natural ecosystem processes, during 2001. The cumulative effects of pre-park grazing strategies, selective harvest of timber resources and aggressive suppression of lightening and human-caused fires have resulted in plant communities with a high amount of combustible fuels, which present a very high risk to structures and human activities that occur within the park.
A study was conducted of alternatives for managing wildfire incidents and the environmental review was documented in an environmental assessment in 1994. The documented decision was to extinguish all wildland fires and implement a combustible materials (hazard fuels) reduction program through a combination of prescribed burns and mechanical thinning of trees and shrubs.
During the winter of 2000-01, the Federal wildland fire management policy was reviewed. The review provided more clear direction to federal agencies that protection of human life is an overriding principle. Wildland fire will be used to protect, maintain and enhance resources and, as nearly as possible, be allowed to function in its natural ecological role. Planning must provide for firefighter and public safety, address important values to be protected, be consistent with resource management objectives and comply with environmental laws and regulations.
The hazard fuels treatment projects proposed for 2001 include the burning of piles of materials cut and gathered during 2000. The piles are located within the historic district and would be burned while snow is on the ground or during periods of rain in the spring, fall, or winter of 2001-02.
A second project is proposed for the area immediately south of the road to Bryce Point and Paria overlooks. A portion of this area was burned in 1993. The area encompasses approximately 1,500 acres, and includes the high ridge separating the Yellow Creek and Sheep Creek headwaters. The treatment strategy involves burning accumulated surface fuels, while preserving a large percentage of the mature Ponderosa Pine canopy.
The final project is located west of the main park road along the west boundary near the Agua Canyon overlook and extends south to an area near the Black Birch Canyon overlook. The work proposed in 2001 would be preparatory to under-burning a 1,200-acre unit in the next couple of years. The work includes primarily mechanical thinning of trees and shrubs to establish holding lines along ridgetops, and along portions of the west boundary, where the U. S. Forest Service would be conducting a similar treatment on their side of the boundary.
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