S.V.A.S.
OPERATING
PLAN
FOR
SPECIAL
USE PERMIT
(REVISION BASED ON NOV. 22,
2002 MEETING)
OPERATING PLAN
FOR
UNITED STATES
SPECIAL USE PERMIT
Adopted and approved
by the S.V.A.S. Board of Directors on
______________,
2003
This Operating Plan (OP) provides policies and procedures for governing United States Forest Service (USFS) Special Use Permit (SUP) issued to the Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society (S.V.A.S.). Authorized users of the permit area operate at the discretion of S.V.A.S. and must comply with the terms of this OP and any other signed agreements relating to the permit area or risk forfeiture of use privileges.
Purpose
The purpose for the permitted area is for astronomical observing, education and public outreach, research, and weather science related activities to be conducted at any time, day or night.
Definitions
In this document, “permit
area” refers to the location within the physical boundaries as defined in
attached exhibits A and B and incorporated into SUP # 6223-01, to expire on
The term “HGO” refers to the Henry Grieb Observatory that is owned and operated by S.V.A.S. as defined in attached exhibit C.
The term “RJMEO” refers to the Robert J. Matthews Educational Observatory that is owned and operated by the S.V.A.S. as defined in attached exhibit C.
The term “associate
observatories” refers to the two astronomical observing improvements
operated by Nightwatch and the two improvements operated by
The Term “authorized users” refers to both S.V.A.S. members and non-S.V.A.S. members who are granted use to the permit area by the S.V.A.S. for astronomical purposes as defined in this OP.
Article
1.
Responsibilities
Section 1. S.V.A.S.
(A)
The S.V.A.S. will have sole responsibility and jurisdiction over all
authorized activities on the permit area.
(B)
A separate agreement between the S.V.A.S. and the operators of the
associate observatories will further define the insurance coverage and
responsibility of each.
(C)
Authorized organizations using the permit area will provide appropriate
insurance in advance naming S.V.A.S. as an “additional insured”.
Section 2. Oversight Committee (OC)
(A)
This OP is the responsibility of the HGO, RJMEO, Nightwatch and Sierra
College Directors who will form an oversight committee chaired by the S.V.A.S.
President.
(B)
The OC will have responsibility for revising this OP on a yearly basis,
if needed. Revisions will be submitted
to the S.V.A.S. Board of Directors for approval by Nov 1st of each year for
approval. The approved OP will be
submitted to the United States Forest Service by the S.V.A.S. at the time the
annual SUP fees are due.
(C)
The OC will be responsible for dealing with the day-to-day operations
of the permit area. The OC will have the
authority to investigate any grievances or misconduct by authorized users or
their guests using the permit area.
Upon completion of an investigation, the OC will report their findings and
recommendations to the S.V.A.S. Board of Directors.
(D)
The OC will maintain a current set of permit area drawings. These drawings will identify all
improvements, and utility lines, with measurements of each, and the amount of
land usage. The drawings will be attached to this OP and be incorporated into
the SUP.
Section 3. Associate Observatories
(A)
Associate observatory directors will designate a responsible person as
the supervisor for any and all authorized activities on the permit area.
(B)
The designated supervisor during authorized activities will be
responsible for the conduct and safety of its authorized users as set forth in
this OP and their respected use procedures.
Article 2.
Utilization
Section
1. All authorized users are subject
to the terms and conditions of the permit as well as this operating plan and
related signed agreements.
Section
2. Use of permit area by
educational facilities and public organizations will be approved on an
individual basis and authorization issued upon receipt of appropriate insurance
coverage. The responsible person will be listed as contact for the event.
Section
3. The permit area is
immediately adjacent to the
Section
4. The Henry Grieb Observatory
(HGO) shall be used as a hands-on observatory for educational and research
programs.
Section
5. S.V.A.S.
will make HGO available to all S.V.A.S. members and their guests during
S.V.A.S. sponsored astronomical observing sessions, or “star parties”. These star parties are held on a periodic
basis on the permit area and usually comprised of about 10-150 people using up
to 75 telescopes. Additional procedures
governing HGO star parties are listed in the S.V.A.S. Board Policy covering
large events.
Section
6. The Robert J. Matthews
Educational Observatory (RJMEO) shall be used for remote-control astronomy and
educational programs under the guidelines and assistance of S.V.A.S.
Section
7. The two associate
observatories operated by Nightwatch shall be used for astronomical research
and education in coordination with S.V.A.S.
Section
8. The two associate
observatories operated by
Section 9. Permit area utilization will be accomplished by:
(A)
Setting and housing astronomical and other scientific instruments on the
permit area and in astronomical observatories.
(B)
Providing a permit area for educational and outreach observing sessions
in order to promote interest in and enjoyment of astronomy and other science
activities.
(C)
Provide a permit area for research in the fields of astronomy and
related sciences.
Article
3.
Access
Section 1. Authorized users and their
guests shall be allowed access to the permit area at any time for the purpose of astronomical observing.
Section 2. Placement of portable
observatories (telescopes and other scientific equipment) and parking of
vehicles shall be restricted to the designated area(s) of the permit area as
defined in Article 3, Section 4, space permitting.
Section 3. Authorized users and their
guests are to remain within the boundaries of the permit area as posted except
for purposes of ingress and egress.
Section 4. The permit area is adjacent
to an operational airport – Blue Canyon/Nyack Airport – operated and maintained
by the
Article
4.
Communications
Section 1. The S.V.A.S. President and
Vice President, or their appointee, shall be the only individual authorized to
communicate with the United States Forest Service or The County of Placer on
behalf of S.V.A.S. on issues and concerns regarding this permit.
Section 2. The United States Forest
Service will consider only communications authorized by Section 1 of this
article to be a communication from S.V.A.S.
Section 3. A copy of the S.V.A.S.
Operating Plan will be made available on the website at (http://www.svas.org).
Section 4. The S.V.A.S. will keep the
United States Forest Service and the
Section 5. The S.V.A.S. through the
oversight committee will maintain updated schedules of the intended use of the
permit area by means of updating this OP and by posting authorized activities
to the S.V.A.S. website and the observatory group calendar.
Section 6. The S.V.A.S. will submit a
yearly report of the activities completed and projected. This activity report shall be provided as an
attachment to the annual update of this OP.
Section 7. The contents of the
activities report shall be as follows:
(A)
Provide a summary of the previous year’s educational, community
outreach efforts and research programs.
(B)
Projected utilization for the upcoming year’s educational, community outreach
and research programs.
Article
5.
Security.
Section 1. All enclosed structures will
be secured with window and door locks.
Only authorized users will be allowed access.
Section 2. The permit holder will
incorporate into its emergency procedure, appropriate contact information to
communicate with the USFS concerning security or emergency matters. This information will be clearly posted
inside all buildings.
Article
6.
Safety Plan
Section 1. Open fires are strictly
prohibited.
Section 2. The S.V.A.S. and operators
of the associated observatories will maintain in good working order and with
reasonable access an ABC rated fire extinguisher and first aid kit inside each
enclosed improvement located on the permit area.
Section 3. Each improvement will
contain a clearly posted emergency action and evacuation plan and a copy
provided to the Forest Service showing the following:
(A)
Information and procedures for contacting persons in case of
emergencies.
(B)
Location of first aid kit for minor injuries.
(C)
Location of fire extinguisher.
(D)
Procedures to follow in case of life threatening medical emergencies.
(E)
Procedures for emergency evacuation.
(F)
Procedures for notification of the appropriate authority in the event
of a security issue.
Article
7.
Annual Maintenance
Section 1. Building maintenance (e.g.,
painting, roof repairs, etc.) will be performed on an as needed basis with
projections included in the annual report to the USFS.
Section 2. General grounds keeping will
be performed in accordance with USFS policies.
Section 3. The permit area will be kept
clear of all brush, weeds, and vegetation without the use of herbicides.
Article
8.
Long Term Plans
Section 1. During the term of the SUP,
S.V.A.S.’ permit area improvement goals and projected future projects include,
but are not limited to:
(A)
Construct an attached storage facility on the east side of HGO.
(B)
Construct an access road behind bathrooms to permit area to eliminate
the use of the airport tarmac for ingress and egress.
(C)
Acquire additional permit area east of HGO to be developed for
astronomical use in lieu of the airport tarmac.
Section 2. All projects will proceed
through development and approval per the terms and conditions of the SUP and
United States Forest Service requirements.
ATTACHED EXHIBITS
Exhibit A: S.V.A.S. Permit Area
Exhibit
B: S.V.A.S. Permit Boundaries
Exhibit C: Identification of Improvements
Exhibit D: Identification of Power and Phone Lines