Be Courteous to Your Neighbor and Silence Your Phone Now
© smith via FlickrWhat’s missing from Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks? A cell phone tower, though possibly not for long. Verizon Wireless wants to locate a cell phone tower, possibly 80 feet tall, on Park Ridge near Grant Grove in Kings Canyon.
According to a notice run in the Federal Registrar, "Park Ridge is an established telecommunications site for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Current structures on Park Ridge include: two concrete block structures containing NPS and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) communications equipment with power generators; a 20-foot fire lookout tower; two 40-foot lattice towers with NPS and USFS telecommunications equipment; and a 30-foot tower on the NPS communications building supporting a passive reflector used for land-line service operated by Verizon California."
Let the debate begin. Do we need amazing cell phone coverage within national parks? Should you carry a cell phone while hiking through a national park? Does this mean more people will be chatting loudly on phones while you are trying to enjoy the peace of nature? Will having more coverage increase safety?
Questions aside, it's up to the staff at the two parks to evaluate the request under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the National Historic Preservation Act, The Telecommunications Act of 1996, and National Park Service requirements, policy and regulations. Once completed, the NEPA analysis will be available for public review.
Have an opinion on the matter? Send your comments to: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, Planning and Compliance Office, 47050 Generals Highway, Three Rivers, California 93271. Or email them to seki_planning@nps.gov.
I can see some people being upset about this decision, but having cellphone reception in the backcountry could mean the difference between life-and-death. I’d keep my phone off unless it was an emergency, but the comfort of knowing help is only a phone call away is invaluable.