Park Planning per NPS Management Policy (MP) document
This MP document defines how a park planning process should be conducted. BASE jumpers have been so far been unable to find a park that has the willingness or capacity to complete a park planning process for BASE jumping. In the NPS' absence of conducting the planning process, we have gone ahead and done so ourselves below abiding by the NPS' own guidelines:
You can find the planning document that Yosemite used for hang-gliders here. As wingsuit flying and hang-gliding are incredibly similar activities, most of the checklist applies to wingsuiting in terms of lack of impact. BASE Parachute advantages over hang-gliders in terms of landing and minimal impact are addressed further below.
Is the activity uniquely suited to the National Parks?
Yes. Factors that impact BASE jumping safety include: terrain profile, rock/exit quality, required glide ratio, and landing area. There are only two terminal jumps in the United States that when taking in these factors would be considered acceptable jumps for beginners: Mt Baring and Notch Peak. There are 30+ jumps that would be considered suitable for beginners within the National Parks.
BASE jumping as a modern activity was born at El Capitan in Yosemite which is the safest object in the United States to jump from.
Given the safety parameters for a successful jump and the history, BASE jumping is uniquely suited to National Parks.
MP Section 1.5
MP Section 8.2
Does BASE jumping allow the areas to retain their primeval character and influence?
Yes. BASE jumping does not require any modifications to the environment. As an activity it is essentially the same as hiking except for 1-2 minutes of descent which are rarely noticed by other park goers.
MP Section 6.4.3
Is BASE jumping of a nature that protects and preserves natural conditions?
Yes. Hiking has an impact on trails and animals near the trails. Thanks to wingsuits and parachutes, recreational hikers can reduce their trail impact by 50%. Furthermore, practitioners aim to fly near sunrise and sunset, with sunrise being more treasured. As a result, BASE jumpers are usually accessing trails at times that avoid congestion from other users.
Is BASE jumping of a nature that leaves the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable?
Yes. BASE jumping requires no modifications to the environment.
There is no noise produced by the activity that exceeds ambient noise levels. It is nearly impossible to see a wingsuit until the parachute has deployed and the parachute is generally visible for 30-40s if one is directly looking up. In areas with 200ft trees (ie Yosemite), the parachute is generally visible for 10-15 seconds if someone is looking straight up.
Is BASE jumping of a nature that provides outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined types of recreation?
Yes. BASE jumping often takes its participants to places that few others visit, in terms of both exit points and landing areas. It is an activity that is often practiced solo. Even in the most popular destination in the world for BASE jumping, Lauterbrunnen, one can usually find solitude at an exit point given the small number of practitioners (3000 worldwide).
Is BASE jumping of a nature that preserves wilderness in an unimpaired condition?
Yes. BASE jumping does not require any equipment beyond what is worn by the participant, thus there is no reason for gear to be left behind intentionally or by accident.
Is the safety of other park visitors impacted by BASE jumping?
In the 40-year history of the activity, there has never been a bystander fatality as the result of a BASE jump. There are also no known injuries to a bystander as the result of a BASE jump.
MP Section 8.2.2.1
Is the general soundscape impacted by BASE jumping?
No. As demonstrated by the below video clips, noise generated by the activity does not exceed ambient noise levels
MP 4.9
The hang-gliding planning document specifies a wetland landing area under active restoration. Do BASE jumpers need similar landing areas?
One advantage of BASE parachutes is that they can be consistently landed in far smaller areas (10mx10m), allowing for far more landing options. Greater landing options offers more variable use pattern to avoid repeated impact at the same location.
The impact of the landing is no greater than that of a family laying down a blanket for a picnic or a tarp for a tent.
Does BASE jumping qualify for Categorical Exclusion (CE)?
A categorical exclusion is defined per the NPS planning page: "By definition, a categorical exclusion refers to a group of actions, typically within a single project, that does not individually or cumulatively have a significant impact on the human environment. These exclusions also, by law have been found to have no effect in the federal guidelines that the National Park Service follows. Because of this, neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement is required."
Yes. We will use the CE document for Yosemite Hang-Gliding to reference requirements.
- • If BASE Access' Yosemite Proposal were to be adopted, no endangered species would be impacted thanks to the restriction on flying from exits near nesting peregrine falcons.
- • No historic properties would be impacted
- • There would not be serious or long-term undesirable environmental or visual effects. Flight time for a BASE jump in Yosemite would range from 1-2 minutes. Hang-glider flights are around 10 minutes. Wingsuits are far smaller than hang-gliders. Parachutes are slightly smaller than hang-gliders. If hang-gliding does not have a visual impact, given the smaller nature of wingsuit equipment and the shorter flight duration, it is impossible for wingsuit base to have a visual impact. BASE jumpers are able to consistently land in a 10m by 10m landing area and can thus land in many of the places hikers frequent in the park. There can be no impact greater than a hiker's with BASE jumpers landing in the same places hikers hike, and there can be no flight impact greater than hang-gliders given the shorter flight duration.
Would permitted BASE jumping be a significant change in pattern of use?
No. BASE jumping was previously allowed in the 1980s; it is a known and once permitted activity in the National Parks. As the large volume of criminal BASE jumping cases reflects, BASE jumping has been a daily activity in the National Parks since the 1990s. It's a small community whose size has held relatively static at a total of 3000 worldwide participants. Many folks jump in the parks despite the unclear regulatory status since it's such a hard activity to observe. With legal jumping, there would not be a substantial increase in the amount of jumping taking place in the parks.
MP 6.4.3.1
Would BASE jumping potentially interfere with another user group (eg hang-gliders)?
No. The Yosemite Proposal would restrict jumping from Glacier Point which is the one launch site for hang-gliders. There are no other exit points nearby where hang-glider and wingsuit flight path could possibly intersect.
Is BASE jumping aligned with the foundation document for Yosemite National Park?
Yes. The foundation statement reads "The purpose of Yosemite National Park is to preserve the dynamic natural setting within the park’s boundaries, including soaring granite domes, dramatic cliffs, towering waterfalls, ancient sequoia groves, expansive wilderness terrain, and free-flowing wild and scenic rivers; to celebrate the cultural and historic traditions of the Central Sierra Nevada, including thousands of years of human history; to perpetuate the American conservation ethic; and to provide opportunities for scientific exploration, recreation, education, and inspiration for generations to come."
Wingsuit BASE jumping is both recreation and scientific exploration of human flight.
Later in the same foundation statement, Diverse Recreational Experiences is listed as a fundamental value.
The hikes and climbs required for BASE jumping clearly fall under physical fitness. The videos of bystanders watching wingsuit BASE jumps in Yosemite clearly reflect an "emotional, awe-inspiring" experience.
Is BASE jumping aligned with the foundation document for Grand Canyon National Park?
Yes. Diverse recreational and experiential opportunities is listed as a fundamental value in the foundation document.
Is BASE jumping aligned with the foundation document for Northern Cascades National Park?
Yes. Wilderness recreation is listed as a fundamental value in the foundation document.
Is BASE jumping aligned with the foundation document for Grand Teton National Park?
Yes. Visitor experiences in an outstanding natural environment is listed as a fundamental value in the foundation document.
Is BASE jumping aligned with the foundation document for Kings Canyon National Park?
Yes. Opportunities for a range of experiences is listed as a fundamental value of the park in the foundation document.
Is BASE jumping aligned with the foundation document for Glacier National Park?
Yes. A "variety of recreational opportunities" is listed as fundamental value in Glacier National Park's foundation document.
Is BASE jumping aligned with the foundation document for Zion National Park?
Yes. Opportunities for connection to the resources is listed as a fundamental value in the Foundation document.
Is BASE jumping aligned with the foundation document for Big Bend National Park?
Yes. The park purpose statement in the foundation document reads "The park provides for the benefit and recreational enjoyment of the public". Additionally, "Recreation and Education" is listed as a fundamental value of the park, the foundation document further calls out the potential for "unconfined recreation".
Is BASE jumping aligned with the foundation document for Guadalupe National Park?
Yes. The document calls out the park's abundance of outstanding, primitive recreational opportunities in the foundation document's park significance statement.