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Speak out against wiring the Wilderness!

Urge changes to the Connect Our Parks Act

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Photo: Death Valley National Park by tom_stromer via Flickr.

Speak out against wiring the Wilderness!

U.S. Congress

Subject: Connect Our Parks Act (S.2018 and H.R.5919) needs to be amended to protect Wilderness

Message:

I’m writing to express my concerns with the Connect Our Parks Act (S.2018 and H.R.5919). Providing broadband or cellular service to developed areas within the parks is one thing, but injecting this technology into the backcountry and Wilderness not only degrades the areas, but further erodes the distinction between Wilderness and our everyday, maddeningly-connected lives. The Connect Our Parks Act has language that not only goes well beyond providing service to developed areas, but that is confusing, inartful, and possibly creates needless conflicts that could lead to litigation. For example, the Act directs each national park to assess the need for cellular services in “any area…that would increase access of the public to emergency services…” This language suggests that all park backcountry which currently lacks cell service should have that coverage. Doing so would, in essence, entail wiring virtually all designated, potential, recommended, or eligible wilderness throughout the national park system. The Act would also direct a national park to consider extending cell service wherever it might “increase… the communications capabilities of National Park Service employees.” This expansive legislative directive also seems to lack any boundaries. Nor does the bill offer any explanation as to why every backcountry ranger in even the most remote corner of a national park should be within the coverage of a cell tower. Certainly they’ve gotten by thus far without this additional technology. Rather than simply promoting more access, the Act could improve our policies governing these commercial services in national parks. I suggest the following amendments: Cellular and broadband service, if provided at all, should be restricted to developed areas. No coverage, intentional or unintended spillover coverage, should be allowed into or across any designated, recommended, or proposed wilderness, or in any park lands that are wilderness eligible. Park superintendents should not renew any right-of-way or other approval for any cellular or broadband service that extends coverage, intentional or unintended spillover coverage, into or across designated, recommended, or proposed wilderness, or in any park lands that are wilderness eligible. Require each park to seek public comment for any proposed cellular or broadband facility and publicly post all National Environmental Policy Act and National Historic Preservation Act compliance documentation for each such facility. Within one year of enactment, NPS shall submit a report to the appropriate committees analyzing emerging telecommunications technology, including but not limited to 5G and satellite-based systems, and assessing their future impact on parks and visitor safety, as well as planning for the removal of outmoded telecom infrastructure. These amendments will address the problems of the Connect Our Parks Act as currently written, while preserving the integrity of Wilderness.

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