Sandboarding in Designated Wilderness

08/15/1998: Sandboarding : Wilderness Area Ethics

Posted by: Stuart_Schneider@nps.gov (Stuart Schneider)

Great Sand Dunes National Monument does not have a specific policy on sandboarding, but I could relate a few things for potential visitors to the dunes who wish to board.

- Remember that you are entering a nationally designated wilderness area, the largest NPS designated wilderness in Colorado. Wilderness was primarily set aside to preserve special wild areas of our country, "for the use and enjoyment of the American people in such manner as will leave them unimpaired for future use and enjoyment as wilderness, and so as to provide for the protection of these areas, the preservation of their wilderness character,..." (Sec. 2(a) PL 88-577 Wilderness Act)

- Primitive and unconfined recreation is allowed in wilderness. The issue of sandboarding could be easily argued for or against, but since it is non-motorized equipment, it is not specifically prohibited. Downhill and cross-country skiing could just as easily be argued to not be "primitive" anymore with today's technology of binding innovations and ski design, however, all are allowed whether on sand or snow. The bigger issue might be visitor behavior, rather than the activity.

- Large groups of people, excessive noise levels, radios, colorful clothing, all these may detract from one's wilderness experience. Certainly spraying furniture polish on a board is unnecessary and would likely not help performance in the least.

- Wilderness is to be enjoyed, certainly, but in a different mode than most conventional backcountry recreational areas. It is a place where peace and solitude should be the norm and not the exception.

- Sandboarding can bring great enjoyment to visitors, especially if groups are kept small, use is spread out and no damage to the environment occurs (i.e. don't board over vegetation, don't litter, no sprays, park in designated areas, etc.)

That's about it in a nutshell. We welcome sandboarders (and xc-and downhill skiers), but it will be important for them to realize what the purpose of wilderness is and how it should be used in order to preserve its character.

Sincerely,

Stuart Schneider
Chief Ranger

08/29/1998: Re: Sandboarding: Wilderness Area Ethics

Posted by: tephilli@aol.com (Tom Phillips)

While it is true that Great Sand Dunes National Monument does not have any official policy regarding "sandboarding," it is not true, as Stuart appears to suggest, that sandboarding is a primitive form of recreation which is allowed under the NPS Management Policy Guidelines for wilderness. Great Sand Dunes National Monument simply does not have nor enforce wilder ness regulations because it has no wilderness management plan in effect. This is in direct violation of U.S. Department of the Interior Management Policy Guidelines.

Stuart writes:

"The issue of sandboarding could be easily argued for or against, but since it is non-motorized equipment, it is not specifically prohibited. Downhill and cross-country skiing could just as easily be argued to not be "primitive" anymore with today's technology of binding innovations and ski design, however, all are allowed whether on sand or snow."

Stuart is wrong here. It is not whether a recreational activity is motorized or non-motorized which determines it's suitability as wilderness recreation, but whether that activity is in accord with wilderness values and regulations. While motorized access is not, neither is sandboarding in accord with established NP management policies for wilderness. Sandboarding is not as innocuous an activity as cross country skiing or snowshoeing.

Now, it must be recognized that we are not talking about just any sand dunes. We are talking about National Park and National Wilderness System lands which by law must be managed for wilderness values, not the recreational desires of human beings. Great Sand Dunes Wilderness was established by Congress in October 1976 (PL-94567). By legislative mandate, National Wilderness System lands are managed to different standards than National Park lands or other federal lands. Whereas "Parks are for people," in wilderness people and recreation come second to the wilderness itself. Federal management agencies have as a tool the authority to restrict or ban uses or access which conflicts with those wilderness values. Recreation, where allowed, is be in accord with wilderness values: a primitive form of recreation which both augments and enhances a primitive recreational experience for both the recreationist and those persons the recreationist comes in contact with. Sandboarding is not a primitive recreational activity, i.e., one which is required by the wilderness environment. Any statement that it is can be viewed as a contradiction of the U.S. Department of the Interior's Management Policies, National Park Service:

"The National Park Service will encourage and facilitate those uses of wilderness that require the wilderness environment and do not degrade wilderness resources and character. NPS wilderness management actions will be directed toward providing opportunities for primitive and unconfined types of recreation by park visitors."

Does sandboarding really meet this criteria? In winter, cross country skis or snowshoes are necessary for wilderness travel and impact only snow. But sandboarding is not necessary for any wilderness experience and is not a means of non-motorized travel. Whereas nordic skiing is the only non-motoroized means of experiencing wilderness in winter, sandboarding is a summer activity that can occur anywhere on any dune; it does not require wilderness nor does a wilderness experience require it.

Unlike non-motorized travel on skis, which low impact occurs from point to point across snow, sandboarding represents a *concentrated* use occurring directly on the dunes, not snow. Sandboarding causes unnatural, mechanized erosion on wilderness sand dunes. And while the goal of most forms of wilderness travel and recreation is to see and experience wilderness, sandboarding per se does not have as it's main recreational pursuit a wilderness experience. So, continued comparisons between these two uses and their intent with regard to a wilderness experience is unfounded.

In conclusion, the criteria of non-motorized use is not the only criteria which determines a particular activity's compatibility with designated wilderness.

But regarding sandboarding itself. It is true the article "The Great Dune Adventure" openly and unabashedly promoted an irresponsible use of wilderness by introducing a toxic petroleum-based product (furniture polish) to "enhance" the thrill of sliding down wilderness dunes. Common household furniture waxes contain polyaromatic hydrocarbons, the same stuff that oil spills and gas tank leaks are composed of. Once on the dunes, these likely do not evaporate, but percolate down through the sand into the shallow water tables and thence into streams and aquatic life. Real thoughtful, sandboarders.

However, lest I be accused of intending to attack sandboarders or advocating a ban on this "sport," I should state my belief that this situation has occurred due to the lack of an effective NP management plan with corresponding wilderness regulations which recognize illegitimate wilderness recreational activities, and one that is consistent with other federal agencies who manage wilderness. The administration of Great Sand Dunes NM has simple failed for 23 years to manage the Dunes Wilderness as it should be. In fact, when I ran the sandboarding-furniture polish scenario past an experienced National Forest wilderness manager I know (who is responsible for at least 4 wilderness areas twenty times the acreage of Great Sand Dunes) she said without hesitation that the activity violated wilderness regulations and would be cause for an immediate citation.

Thus, while the responsibility for allowing such inappropriate activities rests solely with the National Park Service, it appears it cannot simply be left to the individual Parks and Monuments to be directly responsible for managing National Wilderness System lands that exist within Park boundaries.

Sincerely,

Tom Phillips