<html><head></head><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif;font-size:14px"><div><span></span></div><div></div><div id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1479407751043_4549" dir="ltr">Thanks, Jeff.<br><br>It is hard to argue with the overarching idea of those lines of text - resource protection and public health are both important considerations.<br><br>Being proactive about implementing those ideas is also necessarily not a bad idea, but here is where the problem arises - the language there suggests that park managers should err on the side of caution, or even overcaution, and thus make study and observation of natural features off-limits (even more than they are now).<br><br>Probably mostly to avoid lawsuits., since on a per capita visitor basis, actual problems are still really rare.<br><br>The only thing we have to push back against this type of thing is statistics, both for general public access and for "advocates'" access, for lack of a better term.  Not sure what those stats are - have self-described "geyser-enthusiasts" or "advocates" ever harmed themselves or natural features in the modern era?<br><br>For the last ten years or so, I have been a proponent of issuing permits for geyser gazers and other analogous users to be able to gain observational access to features that have been placed out-of-reach of traditional forms of observation by new rules; but that idea seems to have gone nowhere.  It seems to me that observers' permits (and whatever that entails) could be a neat compromise for those of us who understand and are essentially safe around off-trail features.<br><br>As far as front-country features go - I would hate to see interesting features become even less accessible than they are due to authoritarian bureaucracy or severe overcaution - but how can you fight this sort of thing?  I would really love to see boardwalk/trail access to the Purple Pools, parts of the Kaleidoscope Group, White Creek and Geyser Creek, among others - but how can even a well-known and respected group of advocates convince a stubborn bureaucracy to bend a bit?<br><br></div><div class="signature" id="yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1479407751043_4532">Bruce Jensen, California, USA ~~~~~~~~~~~~</div> <div class="qtdSeparateBR"><br><br></div><div class="yahoo_quoted" style="display: block;"> <div style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> <div style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <div dir="ltr"><font face="Arial" size="2"> On Thursday, November 17, 2016 9:56 AM, JEFFREY CROSS <jeff.cross@utah.edu> wrote:<br></font></div> <blockquote style="padding-left: 5px; margin-top: 5px; margin-left: 5px; border-left-color: rgb(16, 16, 255); border-left-width: 2px; border-left-style: solid;"> <br><br> <div class="y_msg_container"><div id="yiv0077440907"> <style type="text/css"></style> <div> <div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 10pt; direction: ltr;"> <div>Please read and take note of the following document, especially section 6 (lines 215-264).</div> <div><br> </div> <div>The public comment period closes on **November 18th.**</div> <div><br> </div> <div>There is little time.</div> <div><br> </div> <div>Think about the implications of this policy, please.</div> <div><br> </div> <div>Thanks.</div> <div><br> </div> <div>Jeff Cross</div> <div>jeff.cross@utah.edu</div> <div><br> </div> <div><br> <a style="color: rgb(54, 88, 153); line-height: 19.32px; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?documentID=75328" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">https://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?documentID=75328</a></div> </div> </div> </div><br>_______________________________________________<br>Geysers mailing list<br><a href="mailto:Geysers@lists.wallawalla.edu" ymailto="mailto:Geysers@lists.wallawalla.edu">Geysers@lists.wallawalla.edu</a><br><a href="https://lists.wallawalla.edu/mailman/listinfo/geysers" target="_blank">https://lists.wallawalla.edu/mailman/listinfo/geysers</a><br><br></div> </blockquote> </div> </div> </div></div></body></html>