Outfitters, guides seek changes to Sequoia-Kings commercial use program

We are longtime area residents and business owners who operate guided backpacking and mountaineering tours in Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park (SEKI). Many of us have worked in gateway communities adjacent to SEKI for over two decades. During this time, we have developed a deep appreciation for the recreational and scenic opportunities in SEKI. We have also come to recognize the profound importance of SEKI to the economic vitality of our communities and the well-being of our friends and neighbors. In California, outdoor recreation generates $92 billion in consumer spending, 691,000 direct jobs, $30.4 billion in wages and salaries, and $6.2 billion in state and local tax revenue (Outdoor Industry Association, California Outdoor Recreation Economy Report, 2017). Outdoor recreation is especially important for jobs and tax revenues in gateway communities where residents are increasingly dependent upon tourism.

Last year, SEKI implemented a new wilderness commercial use authorization program that has hurt outfitting and guiding businesses in gateway communities. Most notably, the new program allocated the same number of commercial service days to all permit holders, regardless of whether a business planned to make one visit to the park or many visits. Consequently, some businesses did not use all of the service days allocated to them while other businesses had to turn customers away. It was a “one size fits no one” approach that ultimately resulted in the public having fewer opportunities to experience Sequoia-Kings Canyon, and it reduced the number of tourist visits to local hotels, restaurants and shops. SEKI also changed the boundaries of the Mount Whitney Management Area (MWMA) in a way that limited access to off-the-beaten-path locations that hold high quality experiences and which help to disperse use into less-visited areas.

In recognition of these issues, SEKI has announced plans to make changes to the commercial use authorization program for 2020-21. We appreciate SEKI’s willingness to acknowledge these issues and consider changes. To better support local businesses and improve opportunities for the public, we recommend SEKI make several important modifications. First, the park should implement a multi-tiered system for the allocation of commercial service days. This will ensure the public has ample opportunity to visit SEKI with a guide, and local communities will experience the greatest economic benefit of those visits. Second, SEKI should reconfigure the boundaries of the Mount Whitney Management Area to better align with actual use patterns. Improved boundaries will maximize park resources by expanding opportunities in low-use areas while ensuring high-use areas remain protected from overuse. Third, to offset the overall reductions in commercial activity that SEKI has implemented, SEKI should establish a new pool of commercial service days for businesses seeking to operate in the winter season. Backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, winter camping, and avalanche safety training are exploding in popularity. New opportunities in the winter would fulfill a public demand and boost local economies during a season when there are few social and environmental impacts on the park.

All of these recommendations can be carried out while maintaining the wilderness preservation mandates of the Wilderness Stewardship Plan. As SEKI is considering changes for 2020-21, we sincerely hope SEKI will take the steps necessary to enact the proposals noted above. Our businesses, the communities we live in, and the public we serve depend upon it.