Gardner Sapp made his first fixed object jump in 1989. He prefers quality over quantity, which is much of the motivation behind his desire to see legalized backcountry parachuting in national park systems in the United States and around the world. He is a current jumper in the Atlanta, Georgia, area and is a member of Team Comotose. When not jumping, he enjoys competitive sailing, fishing for striped bass, radio controlled aircraft, sewing high performance kites, and sharing the fun with his daughters Abby and Amelia, and wife Leanne. Gardner is a Legislative Policy Analyst with the Georgia House of Representatives, where he is focused on legislative concerns related to Game, Fish and Parks; Natural Resources and the Environment; Agriculture and Consumer Affairs; and Public Safety. Gardner says, "I think we've assembled a really great team to fight for and maintain access in other countries and the U.S. - anywhere where there exists a ban on backcountry parachuting. The folks we have working with us have the qualities that will make this fight for access a success: experience, organizational skills, and team spirit. They're bright and motivated - and they're working hard for your rights!"


Jason Dawson
Legislative Director
jasond@backcountryparachutists.org

Jason made his first backcountry parachute jump in 1997. Jason co-owned a dropzone in Las Vegas which closed in 2003 and he has over 7,000 skydives. Jason recently changed professions and has pledged "as much time as it takes" to end the discrimination. "This is the group to join, even if you don't plan on actively jumping. We need to get everyone involved. Call all your friends and family and lets make a difference." In his spare time, he enjoys skydiving, skiing, snowboarding, lite climbing, mountain biking, and computers. I have recently sold my rig and will not make another backcountry jump until access has been achieved.

Rick Harrison
General Counsel
rickh@backcountryparachutists.org

Rick Harrison made his first skydive in 1972 and became an expert D-licensed skydiving instructor in 1973. He taught skydiving through the University of Iowa Physical Education Department in the mid 1970s, where he also earned his Bachelor of Arts along with a Phi Beta Kappa in Political Science. Rick also attended University of Iowa law school and earned his Juris Doctorate with honors in 1975. Rick's first backcountry parachute jump was in 1982 and he has been an active participant and supporter of the sport every since. He has been the Executive Director of the U.S. BASE Association for the last 15 years and with his wife Joy still administers the USBA numbering system. His BASE qualifying number is BASE 38 and he also holds Night BASE 13. Rick's legal career has been working for the United States Government as an attorney in real estate and environmental law. As a lawyer and manager for the Army Corps of Engineers, he was a key member of a Headquarters task force that authored the Water Resources Development Act of 1986, which changed the way Civil Works Projects, such as navigation, flood control and environmental restoration, are conducted. Most of Rick's Federal land acquisition efforts were on behalf of the National Park Service where he helped acquire more than 85,000 acres for the Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas and 575,000 acres for the Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida. In 1987, Rick was appointed by the Attorney General of the United States as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Sourthern District of Florida. As a federal trial attorney, Rick became an instuctor for the Department of Justice in trial advocacy, real estate and environmental law. He became a main litigation attorney for the Miami U.S. Attorney's Office and helped lead a team of lawyers and scientists in the successful 1988 lawsuit by the U.S. against two Florida agencies for failing to control the pollution from large sugar cane farms which was slowly destroying Everglades National Park. The case set new nutrient standards for water delivery to the Everglades - and it was the only time the U.S. ever filed suit to protect its national parks from outside pollution sources. The precedent-setting nature of the case led U.S. News and World Report to call it the most significant pro-environmental lawsuit ever filed by the U.S. Government. Rick retired from government service in 2007 and now devotes his time to his wife, jumping, bicycling - and gaining fair access to jumpable cliffs in U.S. national parks.