WHITNEY ROYSTER Star-Tribune environmental reporter | Posted: Sunday, May 30, 2004 12:00 am
JACKSON - A report that details shortcomings at 12 national parks is being hailed by a superintendent at one site as a message that people care about the public lands.
Lisa Eckert, superintendent of Devils Tower National Monument, said the report by the Coalition of Concerned National Park Service Retirees shows that the public is keenly interested in the health of national parks.
"I don't think it's a secret to anyone that the National Park Service has operated under a budget crunch," Eckert said. "It's not brand new this year."
The group, in its May report, said it received surveys from 12 national parks - including Devils Tower - indicating that the parks will operate during the summer season with some combination of lower budgets, fewer employees and/or reduced services for visitors.
Bill Wade, spokesman for the coalition, said the cuts stand in contrast to a promise by National Park Service Director Fran Mainella in March that park visitors will find "outstanding visitor services" at national parks.
"We decided we'd better get some facts to back up whichever was the case," Wade said.
The report, then, is based on information from park insiders about the state of the parks.
In addition to Devils Tower, America's first national monument, the report also detailed problems at Death Valley, the Great Smoky Mountains, Rocky Mountain and Mount Rainier national parks, among others.
At Devils Tower, the group said the number of seasonal employees has dropped by 10 percent from 2002, and the park's natural history association has funded two interpretative positions.
"Delivery of essential visitor services programs will rely more heavily this year on non-NPS employees," the report said. "A significant portion of the park's resource management program is funded by one-year project funds."
The report said Devils Tower staff perform maintenance work that is related to public health and safety "in a timely manner," but other maintenance work is subject to deferral.
Eckert said the park's use of volunteers and other personnel is part of a strategy to "be creative and more efficient" in the use of park resources.
The park's 2004 annual budget is $3,000 less than its 2003 budget, dropping from $771,000 to $768,000.
Wade said the public should know that when they travel to national parks, they will likely see fewer rangers, fewer educational services, and less maintenance of campgrounds and picnic areas.
The coalition said the greatest asset lost or in jeopardy to the park is the loss of historic buildings that are deteriorating.
Eckert said the fee demo program - a program where parks can keep 80 percent of their entrance fees - should help that concern.
She said the exterior logs of the 1930s historic buildings should be restored in the near future, because the fee demo program has funded a seasonal employee who is working on that project.
Devils Tower charges $10 a vehicle for an entry fee.
Eckert said to address the maintenance problems, the park is taking inventory on all the projects that need completion. Staff is assessing the estimated costs and estimated maintenance costs, to be completed by 2006 under an "asset inventory."
"It's true we don't have that yet, but we're working toward it," she said. "We will meet all of our issues that have anything to do with employee or visitor health and safety. While we're doing that, there might be something that doesn't quite fit in that category and might be done a little bit later."
Still, Eckert said the park's hours will be the same as last year - open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The park's visitor center is open April 9 through Sept. 6 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and from Sept. 7 to Nov. 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"I think we're doing a great job and looking forward to all of our visitors coming here," Eckert said. "All the parks are trying to figure out a way to welcome all of our visitors."