Politics threaten national parks
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By Mike Koshmrl, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
February 21, 2013
Grand Teton National Park could be forced to close three of its six visitor centers during the busy summer tourist rush.
In Yellowstone National Park, the west, south, east and northeast entrances might not open until two to four weeks later than usual.
Those scenarios will become reality if congressional leaders fail to reach a budget agreement before March 1, according to the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees.
Earlier this month, Jon Jarvis, the director of the National Park Service, instructed park superintendents to begin planning for �sequestration,� the term that describes the practice of imposing mandatory spending cuts in the federal budget. Sequestration was agreed to almost two years ago to avoid a previous budget train wreck. Battling over the federal budget, deficit spending and the climbing debt have repeatedly left Democrats and Republicans unable to reach a spending compromise that would avoid the sequestration.
The cuts now facing the government would, without a deal between lawmakers, trigger across-the-board 5 percent cuts to Park Service budgets. The cuts would have to be absorbed over the last six months of the fiscal year.
The sequestration plans for Grand Teton, Yellowstone and a handful of other national parks have been leaked to the retirees group, said spokeswoman Joan Anzelmo.
�We have sources, we have friends, and we worked to get that information,� said Anzelmo, a former Grand Teton public affairs spokeswoman. �The Park Service director and superintendents could adjust how they�re going to take the cuts, but this is the best information that we were able to get.�
A sequester would cut Grand Teton�s fiscal year 2013 budget by $627,000.
The plans laid out to make up for the loss in Grand Teton include closing �the Jenny Lake Visitor Center, the Laurence S. Rockefeller Preserve, and the Flagg Ranch Visitor Contact Station for the summer season,� a Coalition of National Park Service Retirees statement said.
The closures, the retirees group estimated, would be felt by more than 300,000 visitors.
To the north, in Yellowstone, officials would be forced to delay spring road openings in order to meet its $1.75 million budget reduction, the retirees group statement said.
Park access from West Yellowstone, Mont., Jackson and Cody would be delayed two to three weeks, the statement said. Access via the Chief Joseph Highway and Beartooth Highway would be delayed three to four weeks.
In interviews, National Park Service officials would not confirm or deny the accuracy of the retiree group�s information.
�There�s been no change to the Department of Interior policy that directs us to refer reporters and their questions about sequestration to the Office of Management and Budget,� Grand Teton spokeswoman Jackie Skaggs said.
The OMB has repeatedly failed in the past to respond to interview requests made by the Jackson Hole News&Guide.
On Wednesday, the Park Service still wouldn�t say what steps it anticipates taking, but did release a statement in response to the retiree group�s leaked information.
�We remain hopeful that Congress is able to avoid these cuts,� said Jeffrey Olson, chief spokesman for the Park Service. �I can confirm, on background, that the impacts outlined in the retirees� release include potential consequences of a sequester. The planning process is ongoing, and the information contained in the release should not be considered final.�
Panic the masses to get what they want.
When are folks going to figure out that we're broke? Maybe Yellowstone will be closed for 20 years. We don't need the parks, they're nice to have, but JFC, when there's NO MORE MONEY, there's NO MORE MONEY.
Sell some elk/deer/wolf/bear tags and they will be solvent in no time.
Park service employee's should be volunteers.
It's always the first things they leak, things that will affect the public use and piss them off. In reality, they rarely go there though as it's pretty much drama. They know better, but it works in most cases. Noting more than blackmail.
Go ahead, close em, and see what a s***storm looks like.
Park service employee's should be volunteers.
Why? Everyone else gets paid for the work they do.
This about the same as when the city of Colorado Springs turned off street lights and locked doors in city park restrooms. They choose the highly visibale things that impact the public as scare tactics.
They are still short of money,but now want to pay the City Council Members $48K per year where they get $6K per year for apart time job.
You can bet the Admin. people at both parks will not be cut,pay wise,time wise, or number wise.
Park service employee's should be volunteers.
Why? Everyone else gets paid for the work they do.
What work exactly does park service do?
I worked for the US Forest Service in the 90's when the government shut down. They sent home all the people who maintained the campgrounds, the crews that maintained roads, fire crews etc...and kept on EVERYONE in the office who were writing 100 year management plans that never once set foot on the actual forest service land.
No different than local government who always lay off policemen, fireman and teachers instead of stuff that is a waste of money to begin with.
Park service employee's should be volunteers.
Why? Everyone else gets paid for the work they do.
What work exactly does park service do?
Well I know they like to harass the hell out of folks.
In Yellowstone National Park, the west, south, east and northeast entrances might not open until two to four weeks later than usual.
Those scenarios will become reality if congressional leaders fail to reach a budget agreement before March 1, according to the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees.
Women stop doing housework, men stop repairing cars, teachers hold up classroom instruction and people slowly start drifting over to TV sets to witness the ongoing national tragedy of *Park Disruptions*..............my God, can't anybody
DO SOMETHING to stop the horror!!! Looks like Obama is The Only Man who can save this nation from a heartrending disaster. Please, Dear Leader, I'll give you my Lorcin .25 Auto and pay more taxes if you'll just keep the parks open!!!!
/sarc off
Surely it isn't the parks that are causing us to go broke. The parks just might be an inspiration for kid living on concrete to get out and enjoy the wilderness.
I'm sure the folks of Jackson, Gardiner, and West Yellowstone won't mind....it's not like their livlihoods depend on the park. And since neither the right or left want to touch their sacred cows these good folks are held hostage.
Surely it isn't the parks that are causing us to go broke. The parks just might be an inspiration for kid living on concrete to get out and enjoy the wilderness.
I'm sure the folks of Jackson, Gardiner, and West Yellowstone won't mind....it's not like their livlihoods depend on the park. And since neither the right or left want to touch their sacred cows these good folks are held hostage.
The folks in Jackson are mostly progressive/liberal/socialist rich people. Hard to find a home there for less than a million. Closing the parks would fit right in with their environmental whacko agenda. that is, unless they get told they cant go hiking there.
Oh...here's a 'sage idea'! Instead of sending a check for every bastard child born out of wedlock to some wench that has NEVER contributed one red cent to society or to the betterment of this country.....CUT THIS OUT!! STOP letting illegals into the country and putting them on the welfare rolls as well!
I still say open them up to hunting. Lottery out some permits. That will garner more money than a granola vending machine.
I worked for the US Forest Service in the 90's when the government shut down. They sent home all the people who maintained the campgrounds, the crews that maintained roads, fire crews etc...and kept on EVERYONE in the office who were writing 100 year management plans that never once set foot on the actual forest service land.
No different than local government who always lay off policemen, fireman and teachers instead of stuff that is a waste of money to begin with.
Private sector does the same thing many times.
I still say open them up to hunting. Lottery out some permits. That will garner more money than a granola vending machine.
Missouri does that for state parks to keep the deer population in check. Works great. I think they charge a little extra than a regular tag, it has been a few years since I drew one. The MDC runs the hunts outside of the normal rifle season it's a good way to get some extra hunting time.
The liberals cut where it hurts the most,,,,, and the do it on purpose. Also, why the heck can't ya go in there just cause it's closed??? Oh there won't be anyone there to collect money. It's our land, we should be alble to go there. And yes, we should use the place for special hunts like disabled people, kids who are terminally ill through make a wish foundation, youth hunts, and even special hunts to pay bills there like Steelhead mentioned.
So, where are all the Asians gonna go??? Six Frags
Let the parks keep the money that they collect and just leave them alone. They'd be self sustaining. The problem is they put the money into the general fund and "poof" it's gone!
Open the parks up to hunting and public use, we don't need no national parks.... it's not natural..
Rest assured they will sill have four layers of administrators on the payroll
Open the parks up to hunting and public use, we don't need no national parks.... it's not natural..
Teddy and Stephen just rolled over in their graves. The parks are a vital part of our nations infrastructure and money well spent compared to many other line items in the budget.
There are millions that tour several parks every year, spending money along their travel paths injecting vital amounts of money to rural communities. The RV rental industry alone was pretty much established because of the parks.
When did the park rangers become god? Why if they run out of money do we have to stay off the national park? I aid my taxes for the Parks. What a bunch of bs that the gov can not and will not manage its money so I can not go into a National Park if the gov runs out of money. Too bad we don't have a law that they can't kick us out.
Park service employee's should be volunteers.
I've worked in National Parks - believe me, most jobs are not for volunteers. Fire fighting, trailcrews, road maintenance, heavy equipment operation, bear patrol, etc. are not for volunteers!
Park service employee's should be volunteers.
Why? Everyone else gets paid for the work they do.
What work exactly does park service do?
Well I know they like to harass the hell out of folks.
This is funny.
And I am a dumbass, I just kinda assumed the Parks made enough money to pay for themselves.
This is an eye-opener:
What We Do
National Park Service by the Numbers*
$48,000,000,000 incentivized in private historic preservation investment
11,700,000,000 visitors
$5,409,252,508 in preservation and outdoor recreation grants awarded
$2,750,000,000 annual budget
121,603,193 objects in museum collections
97,417,260 volunteer hours
84,000,000 acres of land
4,502,644 acres of oceans, lakes, reservoirs
2,482,104 volunteers
218,000 jobs supported in gateway communities
85,049 miles of perennial rivers and streams
68,561 archeological sites
43,162 miles of shoreline
28,000 employees
27,000 historic structures
2,461 national historic landmarks
582 national natural landmarks
400 endangered species
398 national parks
49 national heritage areas
1 mission: The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.
*numbers are cumulative through the end of FY 2008
http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/index.htmLots more crazy stuff at the link above, this link below is more fun stuff:
http://www.nature.nps.gov/climatechange/
Park service employee's should be volunteers.
Why? Everyone else gets paid for the work they do.
What work exactly does park service do?
The Park Service maintains, staffs and manages some of this countries biggest tourist (foreign and domestic) attractions. Should the staff at six flags be volunteers? What about hunting and fishing guides?
I think they're proposing cutting funding to the Parks Svc because they are tied to the same funding as the Transportation and Education systems in the US. Parks are the first ones to feel the axe.
Just close the visitor centers and the entrance shacks and go home. Leave the gates open - it's our park - we will take care of ourselves.
[/quote]
What work exactly does park service do?[/quote]
Well I know they like to harass the hell out of folks. [/quote]
This is funny.
And I am a dumbass, I just kinda assumed the Parks made enough money to pay for themselves.
[/quote]
Just take trip into the "back country" or try to watch a bear from the road one time and you'll know what I mean.
We run a trip in there every year and they usually come in to inspect our camp. Once they brought in the backcountry ranger gal and 4 gunpackers to our camp. By boat, it was on the east shore on the lake.
Imagine a cop with the worst "my lunch was always stolen while I was a kid, so now I'm on a power trip" syndrome and that is how pretty much every Park service cop or back country ranger is.
Just close the visitor centers and the entrance shacks and go home. Leave the gates open - it's our park - we will take care of ourselves.
Just close the Admin Building and the Registrars Office and go home. Leave the Library open - it's our College - we will take care of ourselves.
Sounds like a college administrator to me!
Sycamore
I hear that YNP might even have to turn Old Faithful off.
When are folks going to figure out that we're broke? Maybe Yellowstone will be closed for 20 years. We don't need the parks, they're nice to have, but JFC, when there's NO MORE MONEY, there's NO MORE MONEY.
Amen.
Just close the visitor centers and the entrance shacks and go home. Leave the gates open - it's our park - we will take care of ourselves.
Who will pick up all the beer cans?
That's Au Phuc Dup, and I ain't talkin' 'bout Viet Nam, either...
11,700,000,000 visitors...
BS, you BS'er
This about the same as when the city of Colorado Springs turned off street lights and locked doors in city park restrooms. They choose the highly visibale things that impact the public as scare tactics.
They are still short of money,but now want to pay the City Council Members $48K per year where they get $6K per year for apart time job.
You can bet the Admin. people at both parks will not be cut,pay wise,time wise, or number wise.
exactly, but no one wants to crunch the numbers. you look at the operating budget of a huge park like yellowstone, or yosemite or any of them, it's in the millions yes, but when you consider the billions of foreign aid we give to our enemies.... WTF? for what? honestly, for all the gov "services" out there, the national parks and the like are the last ones we should try cutting. in reality they are the only ones that EVERYONE can use and enjoy. everything else is special interest or foreign.
yet they cut what will impact the public the most, because that's who is paying for it and will voice an opinion. at the end of the day no politician cares about what side of the isle or who's right or wrong. they are about themselves, bottom line, bottom feeder.
these are national treasures, set aside by teddy for the public. We don't need park rangers/cleaners/gate people. sure its nice to have maintained camps/roads but the park is about 'nature'. so open the damn gates and let people come and go at will, just like all the non popular national forests.
Just close the visitor centers and the entrance shacks and go home. Leave the gates open - it's our park - we will take care of ourselves.
Just close the Admin Building and the Registrars Office and go home. Leave the Library open - it's our College - we will take care of ourselves. Sounds like a college administrator to me!
Sycamore
Your post could indicate that you might know something about the essence of true education, and maybe the philosophy some of us follow and apply as teachers. If that is the case, I'll take your wisecrack as a grinning compliment.
If, on the other hand, you are taking ad
ad hominem swipe, just confirm that and I will do my best to educate you about how that works.
Just close the visitor centers and the entrance shacks and go home. Leave the gates open - it's our park - we will take care of ourselves.
Who will pick up all the beer cans?
Many among us never drop cans anywhere, so you can take care of your own. AAMOF, I live within a National Forest frequented by quite a few hunters and, sadly, find myself picking up their dropped cans too frequently. I like what this fellow says:
mossbergman: these are national treasures, set aside by teddy for the public. We don't need park rangers/cleaners/gate people. sure its nice to have maintained camps/roads but the park is about 'nature'. so open the damn gates and let people come and go at will, just like all the non popular national forests.
Outside the Boundary Waters; I pick up beer cans.
Inside the Boundary Waters; I find no beer cans to pick up.
I hate all the BWCC regulations enforcement and crowd control permits, but without it�chaos.
I too have picked up more than my share of other people�s trash. Last month we were rolling up old barbwire on some new state park land.
In the National Forests I roam in, the worst offenders are the locals dumping their household stuff on the back roads. My truck ain�t big enough for all that trash.
About a zillion better places in the government to save gazillions of dollars.
- - - In the National Forests I roam in, the worst offenders are the locals dumping their household stuff on the back roads. My truck ain�t big enough for all that trash. About a zillion better places in the government to save gazillions of dollars.
I sure agree with you about the "zillion better places - - to save gazillions".
My OP was a response to the Fed "threat" to close something that they think will cause visible hurt to citizens. I like the cleanliness rules enforcement - it's my forest to enjoy without clutter. I dislike the political manipulation.
BTW, it's interesting here where the county has significant trash disposal challenges - so far we see ZERO local dumping in our part of the forest. And, I have not seen such problems elswehere in the Gila - except for what is done by a few visiting hunters at campsites.
This is an eye-opener:
What We Do
National Park Service by the Numbers*
$48,000,000,000 incentivized in private historic preservation investment
11,700,000,000 visitors
$5,409,252,508 in preservation and outdoor recreation grants awarded
$2,750,000,000 annual budget 121,603,193 objects in museum collections
97,417,260 volunteer hours
84,000,000 acres of land
4,502,644 acres of oceans, lakes, reservoirs
2,482,104 volunteers
218,000 jobs supported in gateway communities
85,049 miles of perennial rivers and streams
68,561 archeological sites
43,162 miles of shoreline
28,000 employees
27,000 historic structures
2,461 national historic landmarks
582 national natural landmarks
400 endangered species
398 national parks
49 national heritage areas
1 mission: The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.
*numbers are cumulative through the end of FY 2008
http://www.nps.gov/aboutus/index.htmLots more crazy stuff at the link above, this link below is more fun stuff:
http://www.nature.nps.gov/climatechange/ That's just a small percentage of the foreign aid money that "we" are giving to Egypt...not counting the Sixteen F-16s and 200 Abrams tanks.