Basin campground BIG CHANGES

[kearlymad]

I was just camping in the Basin campground the last 4 days. We saw all the preparations for paving but yesterday the surveying started and we found out that they are planning to convert the upper portion of the campground to RV sites with LARGE paved pull in areas. I think this is terrible and will totally change the feel of the campground. We filled out a comments form and got several other tent campers to do the same. Apparently the idea came down from the regional park service (Santa Fe? I forget) not Big Bend administration. The park is taking comments and may reconsider if they get enough feedback. So if you like tent camping in the Basin, PLEASE contact the park and get your comments in.

[SA Bill]

I am NOT in favor of this at all! How many tent sites will be lost to accomodate RVs? Makes me sad to hear this. I agree that it will change the feel of the campground. Bad decision somewhere up the line. I'll send an e-mail tomorrow after I get myself sorted out.
  Bill

[TexasAggieHiker]

How large of an area is going to be converted?  Could you tell how many tent sites are going to be lost?

[Quatro]

Thanks for this heads up, kearlymad. 

I hope that surveying stakes don't mean the comment period is closed. No need to encourage big RVs to attempt that road. And wouldn't RV spots mean dump stations?  And wouldn't dump stations mean a pumper truck up there to service that station?

My pitchfork is in the car.

[rosco]

i was in complete agreement and upset about this.  but how many "new" RV spots will go in?  there are already a bunch of RV spots there.  heck, the parks personnel live up there w/ showers, ...

are there plans for the road to be expanded? 

if the road stays narrow to disallow big vehicle onslaught like RMNP that is the same.  if RV generators are still being shut off at 9pm then same.   AND if they are just moving the RV spots out of the center and putting them on top, then this is VERY GOOD!

i'm curious about this.  i'll stop telling people about the park this very moment

[dkerr24]

I would think any plans to widen the Basin road would be very costly.  Without a lot of extensive blasting work.

I mean is there really that much demand for homes on wheels in the basin?

[rosco]

i sure hope the road isn't widened.

and i hope this is just moving the RV's out of the middle of the campground to an outside road.  it would make sense for traffic and remove them so more tent sites have views.

[JRD]

We were in GUMO this spring and they were adding RV spaces by Frijole Ranch.  So I'm guessing the NPS has decided the RV crowd is a source of revenue that can be better tapped system-wide.

As a taxpayer I can appreciate where they are coming from; but as someone who loves the National Parks & Big Bend in particular it makes me ill.

[jeffblaylock]

I suppose they are going to straighten out the road over Panther Pass so the RVs can get to the campground? Not happy about this plan but RV sites mean more $$$$

[Undertaker]

They could just level the mountains and put in a four lane freeway with a toll booth for more revenue. All the new Asphalt is going to be a huge "carbon footprint".

[rosco]

i got off the phone with the superintendent a few minutes ago.  i'm not sure what is really happening but it looks like the comments/concerns over this is stopping it.  so send them in: 

my letter probably has atrocious grammar and will confuse, but it should help: 
Dear Superintendent:
Thank you for answering my questions and concerns about a possible change to the Chisos Basin Campground. I was concerned when I heard that a regional office had made a directive to make the park more accessible to RV's.  You let me know that this was a misunderstanding and this was not going to happen. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. My phone number is  ***-***-****

Our Concerns:
The park entrance should not be widened or this will greatly increase traffic into a fragile environment supporting an amazing amount of wildlife.  Increased human traffic in other parks and public land over the last fifty years has resulted in wildlife disappearance. 
We go to lots of national parks, state parks, national forest and wilderness areas along with some BLM land.  Most of them are full of dying trees and mostly devoid of wildlife.  Big Bend is unlike them so we'd like to see the management of this park remain unlike the others and autonomous.   We hope no outside influence perpetrates the local administrative processes or decisions. 
We think large RV's should not be allowed and RV presence kept at a minimum in the Chisos Basin along with generators all together.  Noise pollution is always over looked.  Large RV's produce too much noise and their presence, or size, is too great.  The only way to improve wilderness is to take some of the human presence out.  It is a balance and large RV's just take too much of that.
Lastly, the laying of asphalt should stop.  laying new blacktop is a serious release of pollution and should stop asap. 

With kind regards, rosco

if there is something that stands out and should be changed, let me know.  i'll send it tomorrow AM

[rosco]

i complain about the park personnel attitude, their advice and esp a particular camp host.  but the park is the healthiest i saw this year. 

i hope the right people, who are there for the right reason to preserve what aldo leopold wrote about, can fight off the onslaught of crooked politicians trying to make this into a cash cow. 

[jeffblaylock]

Is there a particular place to send comments? I could not find the Basin campground road work among the park planning projects seeking public input (But, then again, all I got was a "Problem loading page" error).

[rosco]

Is there a particular place to send comments? I could not find the Basin campground road work among the park planning projects seeking public input (But, then again, all I got was a "Problem loading page" error).

Jeff - the superintendent asked me to send my concerns and comments to her.
Office of the Superintendent
Big Bend National Park
PO BOX 129
Big Bend National Park, TX 79834

thanks quicksilver

[RichardM]

I emailed the public affairs officer for BIBE immediately after seeing your post yeaterday using their online contact form. Here's the response:

There has been much misinformation floating around about the Chisos Basin campground improvements.  Currently, the only project that has been approved and passed all compliance is the paving and resurfacing of the roads in the campground.  If a campsite already has "paving" - that will be resurfaced.  A few sites may be slightly enlarged if necessary for better access, but there are no plans to turn any parts of the campground into an RV park, or even to enlarge sites to accommodate anything larger than a 24 ft RV [the recommended length for the Basin road and campground].

I wouldv'e posted this earlier, as it was sent first thing this morning, but I've been away from the computer all day.