National Park versus National Forest Commercial Use Permissions

If you have been following how our plein air painting workshops have been blocked out of the Red Rock Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest  near Sedona, Arizona because of the 30 existing permit holders who have been allocated all the commercial uses of the forest for the forseeable future, you need to read this document from a very, very well managed National Park, Zion National Park.  The rules are clearly laid out in this document without favoring anyone:  Zion National Park Commercial Use Permit Process and Rules. Who would have thought that you could teach in a crowded National Park, but not in a National Forest?  Now I know why the National Forest around Sedona needs to be designated a National Scenic Area.  or a National Park. We are looking into the possibility of relocating our Paint Sedona program to Paint Zion in 2016 due to the policies of the Coconino National Forest, Red Rock Ranger District which will not allow us the possibility of a permit until after our planned retirement begins.

Below are some amazing photos of Zion which will become kaleidoscopes soon.  Tomorrow we begin our trip east, but we have cancelled all reservations since our preferred route is requiring tire chains and is getting hit with a mighty snowstorm through Vail, Colorado on I-70...