Thank you for providing an opportunity to provide input on the Backcountry and Wilderness Stewardship Plan. I look forward to taking part in future planning efforts in Death Valley National Park.
Topic Questions:
What do you value about the Death Valley Wilderness?
What are your issues or concerns regarding how the wilderness resource is used and managed?
I cannot comment on these two topic questions because I do not visit DVNP because of the Wilderness areas. I believe that in many instances the Wilderness designation has been over-applied and has severely limited use of our public lands.
What do you value about the park's non-wilderness backcountry lands and network of backcountry roads?
Many of these routes create loop opportunities with routes on lands with other jurisdictions, for example the South Park/Pleasant Canyon loop connects with routes administered by the Bureau of Land Management.
These routes are essential for the safety of the back country traveler.
They also provide the DVNP visitor with a unique mode of travel not experienced at other National Parks.
Routes provide access to sites of historical, cultural and scientific value.
What are your issues or concerns regarding how these backcountry lands and roads are used and managed?
No loss of current backcountry routes should occur.
Continue to keep the routes open to street-legal vehicles.
Closure of the routes would essentially close a majority of the Park to visitation.
Volunteer help could be used to maintain the routes. Look at the volunteer hours donated to the USFS in the San Bernardino National Forest Adopt-A-Trail program. The SBNF Adopt-a-Trail Program generated $270,742 in Volunteer value in hours. 13,370 hours x $20.25/Hr.
What are your thoughts and/or concerns regarding the relationship between wilderness and adjacent non-wilderness backcountry?
Access to the backcountry, especially backcountry Wilderness Areas of DVNP is provided through the system of back country routes. Backcountry access would be dangerous and extremely difficult without the route system.
Route users are usually the eyes and ears of the area, often reporting illegal/unauthorized activity and the first to offer assistance to people in distress.
Routes would still need to be maintained to allow access and patrol by Park employees.
