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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Colorado National Monument Superintendent Joan Anzelmo said she is looking forward to directing her attention back to her primary mission of overseeing operations at the monument and serving the 738,000-some visitors who come each year to visit.
For the past five months she has spent much of her time reviewing proposals, and meeting with supporters of a commercial bike race that sought a permit to stage a portion of the race through the national monument.
National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis in Washington, D.C., reaffirmed Monday an earlier decision by Anzelmo to deny a request from the Grand Junction Local Organizing Committee to hold a stage of the 2012 Quiznos Pro Challenge commercial bike race in Colorado National Monument.
The director reached his decision after a briefing by Park Service Intermountain Region Director John Wessels, who met with several members of the Local Organizing Committee in Grand Junction last Friday to discuss the committee's second, revised proposal which would have changed the number of laps over the monument's Rim Rock Drive, from three to two, and reduced the number of support vehicles on the road.
“We look at this as the final decision and look forward to moving on and serving the public, welcoming cyclists and various events,” Anzelmo said.
The bike race would have required the presence of helicopters and other small aircraft, television crews and support vehicles — and a full closure of Rim Rock Drive — the main road used by Glade Park residents.
Park officials estimated the road would have been closed for at least eight to 10 hours during its busiest tourist season.
Anzelmo said she denied the permit based on a review of national park service regulations, policies and laws. She offered to allow a “ceremonial lap” through the monument that would not require aircraft or road closure.
Scott Mercier, a former professional bike racer and a supporter of the race, said a “ceremonial lap” wasn't acceptable.
“These are pro-athletes. We will not get them to come for a ceremonial lap,” Mercier said. “It would be like getting the whole Yankees squad to come and play a three-inning softball game.”
PRECEDENT-SETTING DECISION
Allowing a major sporting event in a national park could open the door to other commercial sporting events and races in other national parks, Anzelmo said.
“Everyone in the National Park Service was watching the outcome of this process. It would be a precedent-setting decision,” Anzelmo said.
Allowing commercial events of this nature “are not at the heart of what the national parks are about,” she said.
Race proponents disagree, and point to the Coors Classic bike races that took place in Colorado National Monument during the 1980s as precedent for allowing the Quiznos bike race.
Times and circumstances have changed since then however, Anzelmo said. The east side of Rim Rock Drive is now a right-a-way for Glade Park residents. And in 1994, the road was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
The park's wildlife, birds, and other natural and cultural resources including recent paleontology discoveries could all be negatively impacted by the aircraft and large numbers of spectators the event would draw, Anzelmo said.
“Our primary mission, given by Congress, is to protect park resources and serve the visiting public,” she said.
Retired park service employee Rick Smith of Tucson followed the Quiznos bike race issue closely. Smith is chairman of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, and was former superintendent at Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains national parks, as well as interim superintendent at Yellowstone.
Allowing the commercial event at CNM would have set a “terrible” precedent for the remaining 393 park service units, he said.
“The management policies (updated in 2006 after collecting 45,000 comments from the general public) clearly state if an event is held in a park there has to be a ‘meaningful association between the park and the event, and the event must contribute to visitor understanding of the significance of the park area,'” Smith said.
“In this case, I couldn't see that this bike race did either of those.”
‘SUPERINTENDENT ACTED IN GOOD FAITH'
In his announcement denying the permit, NPS Director Jarvis said “closing the park to accommodate the needs of a commercial bike race goes against our management policies, would adversely impact park resources, and would deny access to the park to other visitors. Federal law and NPS policy restrict commercial activities in national parks to those that are ‘necessary and appropriate' to park purposes.
“This bike race is neither necessary nor appropriate in the park.”
Special events that take place in national parks must serve the interests of park visitors, and not be geared toward a “narrow group of participants,” Wessels said.
“If permitted, it could have changed fundamentally how parks are perceived and used,” he said.
Friday's meeting included race supporters such as Mercier; Mesa State College president Tim Foster; Daily Sentinel Publisher Jay Seaton; Mesa County Commissioner Steve Acquafresca: Scott Tipton's Chief of Staff Mike Hesse; retired Rocky Mountain Health Plans CEO John Hopkins; U.S. Bank Regional President Steve Gunderson; and others.
Hopkins, who serves as spokesman for the Local Organizing Committee, said Wednesday the group will probably get together in the next week or so to discuss how to move forward.
“I think the race is still possible,” Hopkins said. “We will look at different options.”
Foster was unavailable for comment.
Wessels said he came to the Grand Junction meeting Friday out of respect for the Local Organizing Committee, and to let them know it was not a decision the park service took lightly. He was also there to show his support for Anzelmo.
“This superintendent more than most understands community outreach and partnership,” Wessels said. The park's positive economic impact on the community has substantially grown under her tenure, he said.
Wessels expressed dismay at the meeting for the “vitriol” he's observed directed at Anzelmo since the first proposal was denied.
“Disagreement with the superintendent at times strayed toward negative and personal criticism,” Wessels said. “We should be able to discuss (the issue) without personal attacks. It did concern me.”
An editorial and opinion columns published in a local daily newspaper went too far, he said, in a later interview.
“I'm a fan of free speech and the role of the press, (however) some of the opinion pieces I read were critical not just of the National Park Service but critical personally of the superintendent. It was out of bounds. The superintendent acted in good faith.”
This park is an enormous supporter of this community and welcomes cyclist, and non-commercial tours, such as Ride the Rockies and Community Hospital's fundraiser Tour of the Valley, he said.
“(Anzelmo) did not make any decision in isolation or without full knowledge and support of the regional office in Denver and the Director of the National Park Service in Washington,” Wessels said.
For the past five months she has spent much of her time reviewing proposals, and meeting with supporters of a commercial bike race that sought a permit to stage a portion of the race through the national monument.
National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis in Washington, D.C., reaffirmed Monday an earlier decision by Anzelmo to deny a request from the Grand Junction Local Organizing Committee to hold a stage of the 2012 Quiznos Pro Challenge commercial bike race in Colorado National Monument.
The director reached his decision after a briefing by Park Service Intermountain Region Director John Wessels, who met with several members of the Local Organizing Committee in Grand Junction last Friday to discuss the committee's second, revised proposal which would have changed the number of laps over the monument's Rim Rock Drive, from three to two, and reduced the number of support vehicles on the road.
“We look at this as the final decision and look forward to moving on and serving the public, welcoming cyclists and various events,” Anzelmo said.
The bike race would have required the presence of helicopters and other small aircraft, television crews and support vehicles — and a full closure of Rim Rock Drive — the main road used by Glade Park residents.
Park officials estimated the road would have been closed for at least eight to 10 hours during its busiest tourist season.
Anzelmo said she denied the permit based on a review of national park service regulations, policies and laws. She offered to allow a “ceremonial lap” through the monument that would not require aircraft or road closure.
Scott Mercier, a former professional bike racer and a supporter of the race, said a “ceremonial lap” wasn't acceptable.
“These are pro-athletes. We will not get them to come for a ceremonial lap,” Mercier said. “It would be like getting the whole Yankees squad to come and play a three-inning softball game.”
PRECEDENT-SETTING DECISION
Allowing a major sporting event in a national park could open the door to other commercial sporting events and races in other national parks, Anzelmo said.
“Everyone in the National Park Service was watching the outcome of this process. It would be a precedent-setting decision,” Anzelmo said.
Allowing commercial events of this nature “are not at the heart of what the national parks are about,” she said.
Race proponents disagree, and point to the Coors Classic bike races that took place in Colorado National Monument during the 1980s as precedent for allowing the Quiznos bike race.
Times and circumstances have changed since then however, Anzelmo said. The east side of Rim Rock Drive is now a right-a-way for Glade Park residents. And in 1994, the road was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
The park's wildlife, birds, and other natural and cultural resources including recent paleontology discoveries could all be negatively impacted by the aircraft and large numbers of spectators the event would draw, Anzelmo said.
“Our primary mission, given by Congress, is to protect park resources and serve the visiting public,” she said.
Retired park service employee Rick Smith of Tucson followed the Quiznos bike race issue closely. Smith is chairman of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, and was former superintendent at Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains national parks, as well as interim superintendent at Yellowstone.
Allowing the commercial event at CNM would have set a “terrible” precedent for the remaining 393 park service units, he said.
“The management policies (updated in 2006 after collecting 45,000 comments from the general public) clearly state if an event is held in a park there has to be a ‘meaningful association between the park and the event, and the event must contribute to visitor understanding of the significance of the park area,'” Smith said.
“In this case, I couldn't see that this bike race did either of those.”
‘SUPERINTENDENT ACTED IN GOOD FAITH'
In his announcement denying the permit, NPS Director Jarvis said “closing the park to accommodate the needs of a commercial bike race goes against our management policies, would adversely impact park resources, and would deny access to the park to other visitors. Federal law and NPS policy restrict commercial activities in national parks to those that are ‘necessary and appropriate' to park purposes.
“This bike race is neither necessary nor appropriate in the park.”
Special events that take place in national parks must serve the interests of park visitors, and not be geared toward a “narrow group of participants,” Wessels said.
“If permitted, it could have changed fundamentally how parks are perceived and used,” he said.
Friday's meeting included race supporters such as Mercier; Mesa State College president Tim Foster; Daily Sentinel Publisher Jay Seaton; Mesa County Commissioner Steve Acquafresca: Scott Tipton's Chief of Staff Mike Hesse; retired Rocky Mountain Health Plans CEO John Hopkins; U.S. Bank Regional President Steve Gunderson; and others.
Hopkins, who serves as spokesman for the Local Organizing Committee, said Wednesday the group will probably get together in the next week or so to discuss how to move forward.
“I think the race is still possible,” Hopkins said. “We will look at different options.”
Foster was unavailable for comment.
Wessels said he came to the Grand Junction meeting Friday out of respect for the Local Organizing Committee, and to let them know it was not a decision the park service took lightly. He was also there to show his support for Anzelmo.
“This superintendent more than most understands community outreach and partnership,” Wessels said. The park's positive economic impact on the community has substantially grown under her tenure, he said.
Wessels expressed dismay at the meeting for the “vitriol” he's observed directed at Anzelmo since the first proposal was denied.
“Disagreement with the superintendent at times strayed toward negative and personal criticism,” Wessels said. “We should be able to discuss (the issue) without personal attacks. It did concern me.”
An editorial and opinion columns published in a local daily newspaper went too far, he said, in a later interview.
“I'm a fan of free speech and the role of the press, (however) some of the opinion pieces I read were critical not just of the National Park Service but critical personally of the superintendent. It was out of bounds. The superintendent acted in good faith.”
This park is an enormous supporter of this community and welcomes cyclist, and non-commercial tours, such as Ride the Rockies and Community Hospital's fundraiser Tour of the Valley, he said.
“(Anzelmo) did not make any decision in isolation or without full knowledge and support of the regional office in Denver and the Director of the National Park Service in Washington,” Wessels said.
