A proposal to put a cell tower in Sequoia National Park, California, has stirred up a buzz of opposition by people who want the park quiet and the visitors absorbed in nature. It would resemble the 'fake tree' at top center above.
The Verizon tower, which would cover only the "front country" area of the park, where visitor services are located, has its approvals in place, and is scheduled to be in service by late 2020. It's a bit of a standoff: Under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, towers are permitted unless they can be shown to adversely affect a particular location, while under the Wilderness Act of 1964, nothing of the sort can be built in designated wilderness area. Thus the limit to non-designated areas around the visitor center.
Nearby parks and others already have towers, including Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Mount Rainier National Parks. The Park Service says it urges visitors to use phones only when necessary. A Sequoia officials told press that “We can’t make cell phones illegal to use, but we can provide messaging that you’re in a national park — leave your tech off unless you really need it.”
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