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PYRAMID LAKE CLOSES -- ONS-matthews 28jan04
Forest Service shuts down Pyramid Lake when concessionaire falls behind in payments
By JIM MATTHEWS, Outdoor News Service
The Pyramid Lake Recreation Area was closed to the public Tuesday by the Angeles National Forest when the concessionaire running the marina, boat launch, and other facilities fell behind in its permit payments, but Pyramid Enterprises' management said the federal agency was unwilling to work on the "partnership" to remedy the problems and keep the area open to the public.
The recreation area will be closed to public access for up to four months, while the Forest Service hires part-time seasonal help to run the facility on an interim basis until bids can be taken and a new concessionaire found to run the facilities.
"I would love to have it open next week, but we don't have the staff to do that," said Sid Morgan, district ranger for the Santa Clara-Mojave Rivers Ranger District of the Angeles National Forest. She said that it could take up to 120 days for the Forest Service to hire the part-time seasonal help it needs to run the facility. The Forest Service would operate the lake until a new concessionaire is chosen through a competitive bidding process.
"The permittee [Pyramid Enterprises] did not make timely payments on either of its two permits for the marina and concession, so we had to terminate them," said Morgan. "They didn't make the deadline this time. Once a permit is terminated, we have to start the process all over again, putting it out to bid."
Chris Cowles, vice-president of business affairs with Pyramid Enterprises said "our partnership [with the Angeles National Forest] eroded to the point where it came to this."
"I feel a different avenue could have been taken as a service to the public," said Cowles. "Who ends up losing? We have a bruised eye, but all the public will remember is they were denied access to a lake for four months. I've spend a lot of time this year trying to repair this sinking partnership."
Cowles said that Pyramid Enterprises and its partner company Rocky Mountain Recreation has contracts to run recreational facilities, campgrounds, and marinas throughout the West with city, county, state, and federal agencies, and has a "sterling record" with all of them.
"In dealing with 20 different forests, I have never encountered the Berlin Wall-like attitude like I have with the Angeles. The Forest Service has been tremendously flexible in other places with other concessionaires. Very rarely do they take an action this draconian. This is supposed to be a partnership and normally we would get a phone call from the agency asking `how can we work with you?' Instead, they hammered the final nail in the coffin," said Cowles.
Cowles said the Forest Service is generally flexible with payments, especially if there have been natural disasters and financial setbacks like those experienced by Pyramid last year due to fire closures. The lake was closed nearly two months during a relatively busy time of year, severely impacting lake revenues.
Spokesperson Stanton Florea from the Angeles National Forest supervisor's office in Arcadia said Pyramid Enterprises had a "history of late payments and didn't meet the requirements of the permits. The decision kind of made itself."
Cowles said the decision was made without the public in mind, ending a partnership that has been ongoing for 28 years.
All of the lake's facilities, except for the Vista del Lago visitor center adjacent to Interstate 5 above the lake, will be closed until the Forest Service can hire temporary staffing, a process that will probably take at least 60 to 90 days. Shoreline access, boating and fishing will not be allowed until staffing is hired.
"We're telling the public 120 days. The problem is our hiring process. We have lots of problems getting people on in a timely fashion. We should be able to run an ad in the newspaper and get people on and open it next week, but we're the federal government. We don't operate that way," said Morgan.
Anglers and boaters who have private boats in rental slips at the marina need to call Theresa Orr with the Angeles National Forest at (661) 296-9710 to schedule an appointment to remove their boat from Pyramid. They must show proof of ownership and remove the boat by Feb. 29.
Bass tournaments already slated at the lake in the coming four months can be held as scheduled because they have already been issued permits by the Forest Service, according to Morgan. The tournament associations must make arrangements to have county sheriffs on the lake during the event. But Morgan said that since no entrance fees will be charged during these events held while the lake is closed, collecting that amount from each contestant should cover the sheriff's costs.
Pyramid Lake is located adjacent to Interstate 5 about 60 miles north of Los Angeles. It is a popular fishing lake, with excellent striped bass, catfish, largemouth bass, and trout fisheries, and it is used by recreational boaters and campers.
Forest Service shuts down Pyramid Lake when concessionaire falls behind in payments
By JIM MATTHEWS, Outdoor News Service
The Pyramid Lake Recreation Area was closed to the public Tuesday by the Angeles National Forest when the concessionaire running the marina, boat launch, and other facilities fell behind in its permit payments, but Pyramid Enterprises' management said the federal agency was unwilling to work on the "partnership" to remedy the problems and keep the area open to the public.
The recreation area will be closed to public access for up to four months, while the Forest Service hires part-time seasonal help to run the facility on an interim basis until bids can be taken and a new concessionaire found to run the facilities.
"I would love to have it open next week, but we don't have the staff to do that," said Sid Morgan, district ranger for the Santa Clara-Mojave Rivers Ranger District of the Angeles National Forest. She said that it could take up to 120 days for the Forest Service to hire the part-time seasonal help it needs to run the facility. The Forest Service would operate the lake until a new concessionaire is chosen through a competitive bidding process.
"The permittee [Pyramid Enterprises] did not make timely payments on either of its two permits for the marina and concession, so we had to terminate them," said Morgan. "They didn't make the deadline this time. Once a permit is terminated, we have to start the process all over again, putting it out to bid."
Chris Cowles, vice-president of business affairs with Pyramid Enterprises said "our partnership [with the Angeles National Forest] eroded to the point where it came to this."
"I feel a different avenue could have been taken as a service to the public," said Cowles. "Who ends up losing? We have a bruised eye, but all the public will remember is they were denied access to a lake for four months. I've spend a lot of time this year trying to repair this sinking partnership."
Cowles said that Pyramid Enterprises and its partner company Rocky Mountain Recreation has contracts to run recreational facilities, campgrounds, and marinas throughout the West with city, county, state, and federal agencies, and has a "sterling record" with all of them.
"In dealing with 20 different forests, I have never encountered the Berlin Wall-like attitude like I have with the Angeles. The Forest Service has been tremendously flexible in other places with other concessionaires. Very rarely do they take an action this draconian. This is supposed to be a partnership and normally we would get a phone call from the agency asking `how can we work with you?' Instead, they hammered the final nail in the coffin," said Cowles.
Cowles said the Forest Service is generally flexible with payments, especially if there have been natural disasters and financial setbacks like those experienced by Pyramid last year due to fire closures. The lake was closed nearly two months during a relatively busy time of year, severely impacting lake revenues.
Spokesperson Stanton Florea from the Angeles National Forest supervisor's office in Arcadia said Pyramid Enterprises had a "history of late payments and didn't meet the requirements of the permits. The decision kind of made itself."
Cowles said the decision was made without the public in mind, ending a partnership that has been ongoing for 28 years.
All of the lake's facilities, except for the Vista del Lago visitor center adjacent to Interstate 5 above the lake, will be closed until the Forest Service can hire temporary staffing, a process that will probably take at least 60 to 90 days. Shoreline access, boating and fishing will not be allowed until staffing is hired.
"We're telling the public 120 days. The problem is our hiring process. We have lots of problems getting people on in a timely fashion. We should be able to run an ad in the newspaper and get people on and open it next week, but we're the federal government. We don't operate that way," said Morgan.
Anglers and boaters who have private boats in rental slips at the marina need to call Theresa Orr with the Angeles National Forest at (661) 296-9710 to schedule an appointment to remove their boat from Pyramid. They must show proof of ownership and remove the boat by Feb. 29.
Bass tournaments already slated at the lake in the coming four months can be held as scheduled because they have already been issued permits by the Forest Service, according to Morgan. The tournament associations must make arrangements to have county sheriffs on the lake during the event. But Morgan said that since no entrance fees will be charged during these events held while the lake is closed, collecting that amount from each contestant should cover the sheriff's costs.
Pyramid Lake is located adjacent to Interstate 5 about 60 miles north of Los Angeles. It is a popular fishing lake, with excellent striped bass, catfish, largemouth bass, and trout fisheries, and it is used by recreational boaters and campers.
