Hi all,

Utah has a proposal to make BASE jumping illegal in Snow Canyon. Right now it is not technically illegal there, but it is not jumped frequently as they will give you tickets for landing in the "off trial" areas. But either way it will be sad to have one more beautiful sites formaly illegalized. Please read the following article from the utah hang-gliding paragliding association website. (http://www.uhgpga.org) and if you can voice your objections to the address listed it will be greatly appreciated.

Proposal to be presented to the Board of Utah State Parks and Recreation from the Snow Canyon State Park Management:

"Snow Canyon State Park Management Team requests the park be added to the prohibition current in place at Dead Horse Point State Park, rule number R651-633-1 prohibiting BASE jumping within the State Park. The reasons for the prohibition are as follows:

The BASE jumpers, because of their landing sites, are violating the parks 'stay on designated trail' rule.
The only area suitable for BASE jumping is located above the main technical climbing wall in the canyon and as such creates a very unsafe condition.
There is also a heavily used walking trail below the area where the BASE jumping occurs also creating a hazardous situation.
The request for a rule prohibiting hang gliding except by special use permit comes out of the Snow Canyon Resource Management Plan (page 56).
Snow Canyon has now become, as always predicted, an urban park. We are constantly faced with new and ever-increasing recreation demands on the resource. Most of these demands can be met with a little thoughtful planning and be accommodated with our special use permits. However, BASE jumping in the only area within the canyon suitable for the sport, presents issues that we cannot easily solve and therefore prohibition is the step we feel must be taken in this instance."

Pilots would need to obtain a permit and approval directly from the park. ( specialusepermit.pdf (49 KB))

The proposal has not yet been adopted. There is a public Board meeting Friday, July 8 from 9 to 5 p.m. with the BASE jumping/hang gliding issue to be discussed at approximately 1 p.m.

The meeting will be held at the Courtland C. Nelson Lodge at Soldier Hollow / Wasatch Mountain State Park in Midway. If you are not able to attend, you may send a position paper to:

Bruce Hamiton, Deputy Director
Utah State Parks
PO Box 146001
SLC, UT 84114-6001

If you have any additional questions, please contact:

Deena Loyola
Utah State Parks and Recreation
deenaloyola@utah.gov
(801) 538-7347 - Work
(801) 554-5199 - Cellular



FYI: Jumpers can land on the trails or the road, it is not a heavily conjested area, and obviously the climbing issue is crap since Jumpers and climbers in Moab share the walls with no problem, And it is not the only jumpable wall in that canyon.

Thanks!!!

P.S. Just to avoid confusion this is NOT Moab. All is still well and legal in that desert Utahopia.