- the following is a "congratulations" letter for our efforts in working together with other Colorado River recreational users to bring about the recent (1/25/05) historic agreement and submitting joint CRMP recommendations to the park...

I would like to be among the first to congratulate you for the historic agreement you have reached and thank you for the extensive effort I know this had to take. You have reached a wonderful achievement that will have a long lasting positive impact on the river running community.

I've been a river person all my life, and feel very strongly that the people who have chosen river running as an avocation are truly special. In the past, all discussions about our common ground and mutual love of rivers had something hanging over it -almost like a cancer that held us back from our true potential. Always beneath the surface there was this problem about the Grand Canyon. You have now taken a major step towards removing that and our community will be healthier and better due to your work.

I've been involved in many public and political processes relative to public lands issues, and know how hard it is to reach consensus, especially when the issue is related to something we care about with such passion. Throughout the process the doubters say, "It can't be done" .And you have done it! It is so easy in our free society to sit back and criticize, to denigrate the efforts of others, to hold out for one's own true knowledge of the truth. Rarely do statesmen step forward and put their differences aside and focus on the real issue - our ability to protect and enjoy that special place we call "The Grand."

You have done that, and demonstrated true leadership in your organizations. You have given a wonderful gift to the river community - a gift that will echo in a positive tone for generations of river runners.

May the blessings of the River Gods be with you.

Always Look Downstream,

Doug Tims
Maravia Corporation
Boise, Idaho
- the following is an excerpt from an article written by Bob Downing about Dan Tomsho, GCRRA Northeast Ohio Chapter President, October, 2004

A Stark County man is wading into a heated national battle over raft trips through the Grand Canyon. Dan Tomsho of Jackson Township is heading a new grass-roots campaign to persuade the National Park Service not to cut commercial raft trips from Lee's Ferry in northern Arizona. Tomsho, 68, a retired postal carrier, has signed up 10 people in the Akron-Canton-Cleveland area who support the position of the six-month-old Grand Canyon River Runners. His group is one of 24 that have sprung up around the country to support the commercial rafting companies.

Currently, the National Park Service issues permits for raft trips of up to 279 miles through the Grand Canyon. In a typical year, about 19,000 people take commercial trips through the Grand Canyon and an additional 3,500 take private, self-organized trips. The commercial trips, mostly in motorized rafts, tend to be for six days. The private boat trips tend to use rowing and paddle rafts and typically last 16 days. The current allocation calls for 68 percent of the rafting days going to commercial trips and 32 percent going to private trips. But that may change under a park service proposal. There are more than 8,000 names on a waiting list for the private permits, and that list grows by 1,000 names a year. Between 300 and 400 organizers a year get the coveted private permits.

Now the park service is finalizing a new management plan for the Colorado River that is expected to reallocate those river slots and perhaps eliminate motorized rafts. Commercial outfitters are worried that their river slots will be cut to accommodate more private parties, and they're fighting back with help from Tomsho and others.

Tomsho started the Northeast Ohio chapter of Grand Canyon River Runners 10 days ago, after returning from his third raft trip through the Grand Canyon. "We're hoping that we can sway the National Park Service with numbers,"' he said. There is room in the canyon for both groups of boaters and neither one should dominate, he said.

A similar group has been organized in the Columbus area. Tomsho is a Grand Canyon devotee. Since 1956, he has made 50 trips to the Grand Canyon, mostly to hike. "I took one look in it and it was all over,"' he said. "It's an addiction...and the canyon is a life-changing place."
- Ruthann Stoner, Flagstaff, Arizona, October, 2004

"The editorial [Arizona Daily Sun] on Sunday, October 3rd caused me to reflect upon my early years of rowing a boat for the National Park Service in Grand Canyon. As an inexperienced person, I formed my opinions of commercial motor trips by observing them and listening to others. For 7 years I rowed my raft and believed my Canyon experience was superior to those who were taking a commercial motor boat trip.

In 1987 I left the NPS and started working as a commercial river guide both on motor and oar trips. I thought (like you stated) that I'd have people only interested in "booking trips on high-speed rafts that can zip from rapid to rapid mainly for the thrill of whitewater rafting." What I discovered instead were genuine people who booked a trip to experience the heart of Grand Canyon. I learned that motorized rafts are neither capable of zipping anywhere nor are they strong enough to be classified as a powerboat. To my amazement, the motor trip was just as much about the Canyon as the 80 rowing trips I'd done.

You stated that "we'd like to see more emphasis on access to the Canyon for people who are there to appreciate it as a wild and scenic place, not as a thrill-seeking theme park". I encourage you to interview any commercial passenger and you'll learn they have a genuine appreciation and respect for their national park. People are greatly affected by the Canyon regardless of the craft they're on. Maybe then, you'll become a true advocate for public access."
- David Richardson, Flagstaff, Arizona, October, 2004

"Your [Arizona Daily Sun] editorial of Oct. 3 and an accompanying news article present a distorted picture of motorized rafting in the Grand Canyon.

First, the canyon is not a wilderness but a totally controlled, man-made environment. It has not been a wilderness since the Glen Canyon Dam was built and will never be a wilderness unless and until someone blows up the dam.

Next, the news story (includes a quote that) characterizes the operators of motorized trips as "corporate oligarchs." Nonsense. These operations are small, family-owned and operated businesses that provide jobs and pay taxes. They do not control the park or the canyon as oligarchs for their sole benefit, but rather must follow a strict set of government regulations, and beyond that have a vested interest in keeping the canyon clean and available to all.

Finally, the plan recently announced by the Park Service in my view seriously compromises the ability of commercial outfitters to operate in the canyon by taking away choice time slots and awarding them to private users. The vast majority of people who want to see the canyon from river level do not have the time, the money or the skills needed to mount a private trip. The only option open to most folks is a motorized trip.

A small elite of private users has been whining about waiting times and necessary restrictions for years, and their persistence has influenced the Park Service. If they continue to get their way, they will eventually get what they want: exclusive use of this unique national resource for themselves, and the rest of us be damned. "
-Sandy McGuffin, Great Falls, Montana, July, 2002

"My interest was to experience "the canyon"—its beauty, its culture, its sounds, its harmony, its energy. I was pleased to find that the canyon appears raw and natural especially at the pullovers where potential for human impact is greatest. The mix of guides on my 2002 trip was perfect. Each guide had a different interest and stock of knowledge and experience that together provided the passengers with an interesting, well-rounded, and varied understanding of the canyon and its geologic and human history. The guides' genuine love of the canyon was evident by their high energy and enthusiasm to share their understanding and experiences. Their willingness to share sparked an increase in the passenger's enthusiasm and curiosity as well."