Hello Fellow Boaters!

Thanks to Tom Halladay I received word about a very important upcoming meeting hosted by Ohiopyle State Park. This meeting is to gather input and feedback on a proposal, under the Bureau of State Parks evaluation, which would provide non-commercial private boating access to Ohiopyle Falls. The meeting is an open public meeting to review the proposal, ask questions of State Park Staff, and to provide comments.

The date of this meeting is Saturday, November, 22, 2008.

The open house will be conducted between 1pm and 5pm at the Meadow Run House (former park manager’s residence) across from the Meadow Run Natural Water Slides. Its not required to stay the entire time but we are trying to get as many boaters as possible show up at the meeting to show support for private boater access.

It is very important that all of us paddlers as a whole show our support for the private boater access! If the Bureau of Parks rejects this proposal we may not get another chance for private boater access for a long time. “Public comments from this meeting will directly contribute to the Bureau of State Parks’ evaluation of the feasibility of this access proposal and help to frame the access issue on Ohiopyle Falls in general.”

Here is another opportunity for us as paddlers and The Wilmington Trail Club to be apart of the increased river access to a wonderful river we love paddle!

 Lets try to get as many people as we can to play a part in this event!

If you plan on attending please post here and we can work out a caravan of some sort!

People Interested in attending:

Tom Halladay

Hans Vantrigt

Brian Wiley

Dave Smith

This also seems like a good time to promote the WTC Paddlers - 2008 Falls Fest video!

LOUD & EXPLICIT MUSIC

WTC Paddlers @ Falls Fest 2008 from Tom Halladay on Vimeo.

I got the below note on this issue asking us to submit  a letter as follows / Peter B. --------------------------

Ohiopyle State Park held a public meeting to gather input and obtain feedback on a proposal submitted by the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks for private boater access to Ohiopyle Falls on November 22, 2008. The meeting was well attended by boaters in support of private boater access despite the inclement weather that day. American Whitewater is now asking boaters to submit letters supporting the park proposal, which are due by December 31, 2008. For more information go to AW web site: 

http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Article_view_articleid_30219_display_full_

or: www.americanwhitewater.org  Even though the proposal gives boaters limited access with some restrictions American Whitewater is asking that boaters support the proposal and send a personal letter to the Park. The sample letter below is an easy way to get started:

Ohiopyle State Park P.O. Box 105 Ohiopyle PA 15470 Ohiopyle Falls Private Boater Access Proposal

I have read the Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks proposal for private boater access and am in favor of this proposal. Even though it has some limitations I feel it is a good start and well overdue. It has been ten years since we started running the Falls only on certain days and only during structured events. As a boater I feel confident that, as with any rapid, we paddlers are able to make our own decision whether to run the Falls or not without having a special event.

 Make the letter personable and consider the following points:

• If you have run the Falls try to make it personal. Talk about the first time you ran the Falls or another time that you did (legal runs only). Please no runs that you got trashed. You can also talk about your friends and their feelings.

• Let them know you appreciate the Park’s effort in this proposal for stepping up this time.

• Talk about other water falls in the area or even in the Park.

• If you have not run the Falls state how the Falls should be treated like any other rapid and should not be restricted.

• If you live close to the community let them know. The time has come for the center point of this park (the Falls) and its most valuable resource to be open to private boater access.

Respectfully,

Letters are being accepted via e-mail at: ohiopylesp@State.pa.us as well as through the mail. You can view and download a copy of the park proposal and the American Whitewater response via the links above, along with other documents. The Park Proposal also has a survey you can download and mail in.

It is important to note that even though this is a park proposal that could give us access to the falls they can and will reject their own proposal if they feel the community is not in favor of their proposal. In addition, if the Bureau feels there are various other reasons not to let private boater access they will reject the proposal. There will likely be opposition from various sources to any private boater access so we need to make sure there is overwhelming support for private boater access.

American Whitewater has been working on this issue directly with the Park for over fifteen years and we now need boater participation via e-mail and letters. If the Bureau of Parks rejects this proposal we may not get another chance for private boater access for a long time.

To view the following documents about Ohiopyle Falls Access in order to help you out with your letters go to the link above.

• AW Response to Private Boater Proposal
• Water Falls Within State and Federal Parks
• Ohiopyle Falls Private Boater Talking Points
• Ohiopyle State Park Public Proposal

If you have any questions and would like to send me a copy of your response feel free to do so. Pass this e-mail on to other persons who will support the proposal.

Thank you

Barry Adams

AW Ohiopyle Over The Falls Festival Coordinator

www.FallsRace.com

bj2adams@juno.com

412-242-4562

For anyone who is interested, these are the proposed restrictions / guidelines.  The only one that seems ridiculous is the requirement to put on on the river-right side, which requires walking your boat all the way over the bridge.  That's a pretty big pain in the ass if you're trying to coordinate with the rest of your trip putting on down below at the regular put-in.

1.      Prior to launching for each falls run, all boaters and/or guides must register at the Lower Youghiogheny Launch Booth on SR 381.  For private boaters, a launch permit, governed by the private boater quota reservation system, is required during applicable periods.  

2.      Water Level must be 1.8 feet or below on the USGS Gage at the Lower Youghiogheny Launch in Ohiopyle.

3.      Using the Lower Youghiogheny Launch to take-out is prohibited.  Boaters running the falls must continue down river and take-out either at the Loop Take-Out on Ferncliff or Bruner Run Take-Out.

4.      Falls will be open for runs between 8:30 am and 2:30 pm from the first Saturday in May till the second Saturday in September (corresponds to 7-days a week manned Lower Yough Launch Area Operations).

5.      Access (put-in) will be from the river right shore only (Ferncliff side).  Access will be prohibited from the Falls Day-Use Area except during Falls Running Events governed by Special Activities Agreements.  When Double Rope Buoy Lines are fixed (typically Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day Weekend), access must be on the downstream side of the lines via Ferncliff Trail.  When Double Rope Buoy Lines are not fixed, access is permissible from approved upstream locations: Ferncliff Trail to SR 381 Bridge.

6.      Boaters are prohibited from running Ohiopyle Falls alone (solo boater/party of one).  Minimum group size is two boaters.  2^nd boater does not have to run the falls and is included for the minimum group size for providing safety from shore (above or below) or boat (below) the falls.  3 to 1 ratio applies for Commercial Clinics with a minimum of 2 guides. 

7.      Only single and double occupancy kayaks and canoes designed and fully outfitted for whitewater use are permissible.  Unguided Liveries/Rental Craft are prohibited. 

8.      Boaters may scout the falls from beyond the warning signs during open hours but must wear PFD and helmet at all times.

Yeah I'm not knocking the proposal, it's fantastic progress, and major kudos to American Whitewater and the folks at Three Rivers Paddling Club.

But if you read the full report, you'll see that there is only an estimated 8+/- days per summer that the falls would be runnable (less than 1.8 feet), and with access opened up, it's not expected that there will be a huge amount of boaters running the falls; so my personal opinion is the majority of the restrictions are definitely reasonable, but that particular one strikes me as simply unneccessary. 

It's most likely intended to discourage spur of the moment decisions to put on with the rest of a group that is running it.  By forcing people to walk around, they probably think it will seperate the dedicated from the whimsical....?

Hey Everyone!

Just wanted to post a little friendly reminder that the due date for the letters in favor of opening up Ohiopyle Falls to private boater use is due by December 31st. Also, you can submit a letter by email if it is more conveinent for you. You can submit your letter to this email address ---> ohiopylesp@State.pa.us

Thank you again for all of your help and support!