--------------------------------------------------
From: "Oliver Bernstein" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 3:21 PM
To: "Oliver Bernstein" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Release -- Sen. McCain's Rider Threatens Grand Canyon National Park

> http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=165821.0
>
> March 17, 2010
> Contact: Kristina Johnson, Sierra Club, 415.977.5619
>
> Sen. McCain's Rider Threatens Grand Canyon National Park
>
> Last-minute Rider Would Lock-in Aircraft Noise and Lock Out the Public
> and the National Park Service
>
> Phoenix, Ariz. -- In a secret attempt to permanently destroy years of
> progress toward restoring natural quiet to Grand Canyon National Park,
> Senator John McCain (R-AZ) is attempting to attach a harmful rider
> onto unrelated legislation now being voted on in the U.S. Senate. The
> McCain rider derails progress on efforts to resolve aircraft noise at
> the Grand Canyon by legislating the existing conditions and by
> preventing the National Park Service from trying to improve
> protections for natural quiet at America's premier national park.
>
> "The McCain rider is a blatant giveaway to the commercial air tour
> industry and a direct attack on Grand Canyon National Park," said
> Sandy Bahr, Director of the Sierra Club's Grand Canyon Chapter. "It
> prevents the National Park Service from managing a vital piece of the
> visitor experience at our flagship national park -- the natural quiet
> of this world class treasure, one of the quietest places on Earth."
>
> The Grand Canyon is one of the quietest national parks, but commercial
> aircraft disturb this natural quiet and compromise the experience for
> visitors who come to the national park for contemplation and
> reflection.
>
> The McCain rider defines "substantial restoration of natural quiet,"
> required at Grand Canyon by the National Parks Overflight Act of 1987,
> to 50 % of the park for 75% of the time. This weak definition is one
> the National Park Service was trying to improve with its environmental
> analysis, due later this year.
>
> "The current noise reduction levels mean that half of the Grand Canyon
> can be a total 'noise sacrifice zone,' while the 'protected' part
> still allows aircraft noise to be heard up to once every 4 minutes,"
> said Bahr. "We can and should do better than that at the Grand
> Canyon."
>
> The National Park Service and the Federal Aviation Administration are
> coming together around a common planning process, but Senator McCain's
> rider threatens to derail the entire effort to protect Grand Canyon
> National Park. The environmental impact statement is due later this
> year, but if the McCain rider passes then the public will not have any
> voice and no changes can be made in the future.
>
> "If this becomes law, then the only thing that visitors and the
> National Park Service can do about commercial air tour noise at the
> Grand Canyon will be to listen to it," added Rob Smith, Senior Field
> Organizing Manager for the Sierra Club in Phoenix. "President Teddy
> Roosevelt called upon Americans to protect the Grand Canyon, but his
> words are not being heard above the noise today."
>
> For more information visit http://bit.ly/a5VfFQ
>
>
> ###
>
>
> -- 
> Oliver Bernstein
> Senior Communications Strategist
> Sierra Club
> Phone: 512.477.2152
> Cell:  512.289.8618
> 

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