National Park filming legislation

[Kevin Railsback]

Yep Bob, same one.
We just need to find a way for people to find it since we can't link to it here.
Maybe I can write up a post about what we're trying to do on my blog or something and I can include a link there.

[Chris Hurd]

Haven't forgotten you. It's been a rocky start to the new year (out of town trips plus recent forum tech drama w/ DNS, email, etc.) but I'll make this a priority and get it done before our next newsletter mailout.

[Kevin Railsback]

That would be most awesome Chris.
I feel like we're just spinning our wheels trying to get this law passed and the longer it takes, the harder it is going to be to get congress to change the law.

[Alex Chamberlain]

Seconded. That would be wonderful, Chris. I spent time on the phone with Senator Lee's office again today. They're still very encouraging, and suggested that I should be contacting local film festivals to gather support and also contact my State Representatives and urge them to pass a measure of support. (no binding verbage, but can be powerful in it's own right for getting something done nationally) I'd suggest that everyone here who is interested pursue the same courses.

[Kevin Railsback]

Please everyone, start pushing the original petition to get this law changed!!
I can't post the link here but do a Google search for Allow Professional Videography on Public Lands

This needs to get going. We've pussyfooted around too long waiting for this to go up here.
I received an email from a person who had Yellowstone contact him AFTER he released a film saying he needed to obtain a permit for future projects. So Yellowstone is actively looking to nail people by searching for people who filmed in the park. Here's part of their email:

" I was approached by the Yellowstone film office months after releasing a
personal project video of Yellowstone telling me I needed to obtain a
permit for future videos. I have since received a $200 filming permit
for Yellowstone, but I am upset because it says I can't record
anything in thermal areas without a monitor for $65/hr."

The guy is a photographer who happened to shoot some video and now he's on Yellowstone's radar.
This is just going to get worse if the law isn't changed.
Here's the video they made:
http://www.caublephotography.com/video.html

So please, nature and wildlife filmmakers are a small niche, we need everyone to go to the petition, sign it and get everyone they know to sign it who is a filmmaker as well.

[Eric Olson]

Allow Professional Videography on Public Lands Signer #130.

[Kevin Railsback]

Thanks!
I wonder how many signatures we need to make this a go?

[Pat Reddy]

I just invited my friends on facebook to sign the petition.

Pat

[Alex Chamberlain]

Thanks guys. Guess I'd better give an update too. The wheels are turning slowly, but they're turning. I actually was at the Utah state GOP convention yesterday (guess everyone knows something about me poltically, now. . . I'm a state delegate this year). Over the last week, I've had some good one-on-one time with both Senator's Hatch and Lee, and a few members of the House. I've given all of them copies of the letter and asked them point blank if they'd not only support the change, but if they'd help put it through, and I'm getting affirmative responses from all of them. None of them, however, felt like it had a great chance of going through before the elections in November, at which point Senator Lee's office will be including it in another bill. He knows about the petition and will be watching it (thanks Kevin), and he both sits on the natural resources committee in the Senate and represent Utah, which is 67% federally owned (a fact that bothers a LOT of Utahns), so we have a very good case with him. Thanks for keeping this alive, folks. P.S. They've contacted NANPA (North American Nature Photographers Association) and they have indicated that they'll publicly support the change.

[Kevin Railsback]

Good to hear Alex.
I mean if Yellowstone is actively trying to track people down on the internet by looking for video they've taken and then seeing if they had a permit, that's going to far.

We should be treated the same as professional photographers. A professional photographer can photograph all they want for profit without a permit and without an escort. But they flip the switch to shoot video and now they need to shell out $200 get a liability policy and pay $65 an hour to have a ranger escort.

[Alex Chamberlain]

Kevin, I'd love more details if the person who experienced that story would be willing to share them with me. I think an example like that could really help to galvanize opinion when I approach legislators. If it's acceptable to your source, could you PM me some more info. through DVInfo here? Thanks!

[Willard Hill]

I have followed this thread from the beginning, but find this latest development to be the most disturbing of all (coming after the photographer about the video after the fact). I have signed the petition and hope that many others do also and thank those that have expended so much effort on contacting officials, etc. in hopes of changing this situation.

[Kevin Railsback]

I'm going to talk to him tomorrow so I'll tell him you'd like to get the specifics from him.

Willard. Yeah, that's pretty bad if the park is stalking people after the fact about getting a permit etc.
Yellowstone has always been the one park that really goes out of their way to keep people from filming there.

[Markus Nord]

you got my name on it...

[Kevin Railsback]

I was talking to Christopher Cauble, the guy that Yellowstone contacted about needing a permit after they found his footage online and he brought up an excellent point that I think really shows why we ned the laws changed.

"The fact that it is illegal to take a video of
Old Faithful from your iphone and publish it to your blog is absurd!"

I mean think about that.