February 26, 2004
(WASHINGTON) – National Park Service Director Fran Mainella testified before members of the House Resources Committee today that President Bush’s pledge to make much needed repairs throughout the park system is right on track.
Full House Resources Committee Press Release
March 17, 2004
WASHINGTON -- National park superintendents are being told to cut back on services - possibly even closing smaller, historic sites a couple days a week or shutter visitor centers on federal holidays - without letting on they are making cuts.
Former employees of the National Park Service, critical of how cuts are being handled, released on Wednesday a memo e-mailed last month to park superintendents in the Northeast from the Park Service's Boston office.
Among the memo's suggestions for responding to tight budgets this year are to possibly shutter visitor centers on federal holidays or during winter months, close parks Sundays and Mondays, and eliminate all guided ranger tours and lifeguards at some beaches.
The memo also advises workers to warn officials if controversy arises over any changes they make.
"If you think that some of your specific plans will cause a public or political controversy, Marie and I need to know which ones are likely to end up in the media or result in a congressional inquiry," says the memo sent Feb. 20 by Chrysandra Walter, the Park Service's deputy director for the Northeast region...
..."[Randy] suggested that if you feel you must inform the public ... not to directly indicate that 'this is a cut' in comparison to last year's operation," she continued. "We all agreed to use the terminology of 'service level adjustment' due to fiscal constraints as a means of describing what actions we are taking."
Full Story Here
March 18, 2004
Rocky Mountain National Park is not immune to what a major conservation group describes as an unparalleled crisis in funding for the nation's most treasured places.
RMNP Superintendent Vaughn Baker on Wednesday outlined possible budget cuts that include leaving some full-time positions vacant, shorter hours at a greeting center and fewer openings at campgrounds.
While myriad details must be sorted out -- nothing has been finalized -- Baker said the cuts mean the park's roughly 3 million annual visitors should anticipate reduced services and fewer chances to receive help from rangers.
"It's fair to say, like all parks, we're certainly feeling the pinch," Baker said.
A report released this week by the National Park Conservation Association concludes parks are about $600 million short of the revenues they need to provide basic services like those that could be cut at RMNP. The figure is about two-thirds of what is required to keep parks in tip-top shape, researcher Andrea Keller said.
Overall, the report found the operating budget of the Park Service, adjusted for inflation, has dropped about 20 percent in the past 24 years.
Full Story Here
Oak
(WASHINGTON) – National Park Service Director Fran Mainella testified before members of the House Resources Committee today that President Bush’s pledge to make much needed repairs throughout the park system is right on track.
Full House Resources Committee Press Release
March 17, 2004
WASHINGTON -- National park superintendents are being told to cut back on services - possibly even closing smaller, historic sites a couple days a week or shutter visitor centers on federal holidays - without letting on they are making cuts.
Former employees of the National Park Service, critical of how cuts are being handled, released on Wednesday a memo e-mailed last month to park superintendents in the Northeast from the Park Service's Boston office.
Among the memo's suggestions for responding to tight budgets this year are to possibly shutter visitor centers on federal holidays or during winter months, close parks Sundays and Mondays, and eliminate all guided ranger tours and lifeguards at some beaches.
The memo also advises workers to warn officials if controversy arises over any changes they make.
"If you think that some of your specific plans will cause a public or political controversy, Marie and I need to know which ones are likely to end up in the media or result in a congressional inquiry," says the memo sent Feb. 20 by Chrysandra Walter, the Park Service's deputy director for the Northeast region...
..."[Randy] suggested that if you feel you must inform the public ... not to directly indicate that 'this is a cut' in comparison to last year's operation," she continued. "We all agreed to use the terminology of 'service level adjustment' due to fiscal constraints as a means of describing what actions we are taking."
Full Story Here
March 18, 2004
Rocky Mountain National Park is not immune to what a major conservation group describes as an unparalleled crisis in funding for the nation's most treasured places.
RMNP Superintendent Vaughn Baker on Wednesday outlined possible budget cuts that include leaving some full-time positions vacant, shorter hours at a greeting center and fewer openings at campgrounds.
While myriad details must be sorted out -- nothing has been finalized -- Baker said the cuts mean the park's roughly 3 million annual visitors should anticipate reduced services and fewer chances to receive help from rangers.
"It's fair to say, like all parks, we're certainly feeling the pinch," Baker said.
A report released this week by the National Park Conservation Association concludes parks are about $600 million short of the revenues they need to provide basic services like those that could be cut at RMNP. The figure is about two-thirds of what is required to keep parks in tip-top shape, researcher Andrea Keller said.
Overall, the report found the operating budget of the Park Service, adjusted for inflation, has dropped about 20 percent in the past 24 years.
Full Story Here
Oak
