Transportation in the Parks
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Journal of the Association of National Park Rangers Stewards for parks, visitors & each other Vol. 31, No. 3 | Summer 2015 TRANSPORTATION IN THE PARKS CONTENTS Summer 2015 Letter from the president .........................................................................1 Lighting the tunnel ................................................................................2 Making inroads in Yellowstone ...............................................................4 ANGERThe Journal of the Association of National Park Rangers Vol.R 31, No. 2 Summer 2015 How to become a tram mechanic ............................................................6 Missiliers traversed Plains in wind and weather ......................................8 Ranger (ISSN 1074-0678) is a quarterly publication of Oral History Project: Ranger Pat Reed ..................................................10 the Association of National Park Rangers, an organization The Professional Ranger ........................................................................12 created to communicate for, about and with National Park Service employees of all disciplines; to promote and Opinion: A view from outside ..............................................................14 enhance the professions, spirit and mission of National ANPR Reports .....................................................................................15 Park Service employees; to support management and IRF president finds Congress invigorating .............................................16 the perpetuation of the National Park Service and the National Park System; and to provide a forum for Update: Eighth World Ranger Congress ...............................................18 professional enrichment. Sponsor WRC delegates from Sister Parks ............................................19 In meeting these purposes, the Association provides In Print: Speaking of Bears .....................................................................20 education and other training to develop and/or improve the knowledge and skills of park professionals and NPS website features Ranger archives .....................................................21 those interested in the stewardship of national parks; All in the Family ...................................................................................22 provides a forum for discussion of common concerns of Life Century Club ................................................................................23 all employees; and provides information to the public. The membership of ANPR is comprised of indi- viduals who are entrusted with and committed to the Copyright © 2015. All rights reserved. Articles and images care, study, explanation and/or protection of those in this publication are the sole property of ANPR and Ranger natural, cultural and recreational resources included in the National Park System, and persons who support magazine, except where otherwise indicated. Republication these efforts. in whole or part is not allowed without written permission. ANPR’s official address, through Dec. 31, 2015, is: P.O. Box 984, Davis, CA 95617, www.anpr.org. Members COVER: West entrance to the Bridge Mountain tunnel in receive Ranger as part of their membership dues. See the Zion National Park. Provided by Russ Cash. website or Ranger for membership/subscription details. FINAL DEADLINES Spring issue ...............................................Jan. 31 Summer issue ..........................................April 30 Fall issue ....................................................July 31 In this issue: Transportation in the Parks Winter issue ............................................ Nov. 15 ational parks have always been about transportation. Stephen Mather understood this when Nhe set the wheels in motion to bring the political elite to parks via deals with rail companies. But parks transport us in other ways too. As John Lubbock wrote, Board of Directors “Earth and sky, woods and fields, lakes Officers President Erika Jostad, DENA and rivers, the mountain and the sea, Secretary Colleen Derber, WASO are excellent schoolmasters, and teach Treasurer Tom Banks, XNPS us more than we can ever learn from Immediate Past President Stacy Allen, SHIL books.” We are transported as parks Board Members Education & Training Katlyn Grubb, GOGA become a time machine and move us to Fundraising Activities Seth Tinkham, WASO experience a deeper sense of place and Internal Communications Cadence Cook, GAAR time. Membership Services Kate Sargeant, USPP A snowcoach makes its way through Swan Ranger Professional Issues Ken Bigley, MANA/PWRI In this issue of , we explore Lake Flats in Yellowstone National Park. Seasonal Perspectives Lauren Kopplin, GLAC some of the unexpected modes of NPS Photo (Neal Herbert) Special Concerns Wendy Lauritzen, TAPR transportation in our parks. Russ Cash Strategic Planning Scott Warner, RETI studies a true time tunnel in “Lighting Task Groups In fact, we had too many transpor- the tunnel.” Christina Mills and Wade International Affairs Blanca Stransky, PEVI tation stories to tell in one issue. Tales World Ranger Congress Bob Krumenaker, APIS Vagias travel a bumpy road to consensus about USPP motor fleets, Death Valley Staff in “Making inroads in Yellowstone.” Ed auto testing, parking meters on the Membership Services Alison Steiner, PORE Dodds explains in “How to become a National Mall and the interstate system Ranger Magazine tram mechanic” why an unusual trans- had to take a back seat on this trip. In Editor/Publisher Ann Dee Allen portation mode like the Arch’s tram Editorial Adviser Kendell Thompson, LIBO a future issue, they get to ride shotgun. needs special attention. Former missileer Graphic Design Sherry Albrecht For this issue though, sit back and enjoy Jim Boensch takes us on a ride with an Professional Ranger Section the ride. Administration Michelle Torok, SAGU ICBM in “Missileers traveled Plains in Protection Kevin Moses, BUFF wind and weather.” LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Workforce bill benefits NPS Laura Gonzales, Fort Union National Monument seasonal Erika Jostad, Denali National Park and Preserve, President ANPR employee, in period clothing. ach year the National Park Service career staff who develop skills and experi- uation in both directions to assess if there (NPS) utilizes thousands of tem- ence during their time in temporary ap- is a good long-term fit. porary and term-appointed staff to pointments. Unfortunately, many of these For several years the Association of Na- Econduct the business of the agency. These employees leave the agency because there tional Park Rangers (ANPR) has actively employees carry out much of the visitor is no clear pathway to a career positon that supported the various iterations of the education, trail and campground mainte- accounts for their temporary service. This Land Management Workforce Flexibility nance, emergency response and field re- temporary service often goes on for years. Act (LMWFA). The LMWFA is a biparti- search accomplished by the NPS. They are A great number of permanent em- san bill that would give temporary seasonal often referred to as the “backbone” of the ployees begin their careers working in employees at land management agencies a agency and their service is critical to meet- temporary positions. This is the time when leg up when applying for permanent posi- ing the NPS mission. They are the future we come to identify with the work of the tions, by allowing them to be eligible for National Park Service. It is a time for eval- internal merit promotions. This bill would benefit roughly 10,000 employees. ANPR continues to be a strong and active supporter of the bill, which was introduced into the current session of ANPR Congress as H.R. 1531. As Ranger goes to CALENDAR press, the LMWFA has made it through committee and is poised for passage in this Congress. ANPR is working with our part- ners, including the National Federation of Federal Employees, to advocate for the ANNUAL PROFESSIONAL bill and will keep tabs on its progress. We WORLD RANGER will post occasional updates on the ANPR CONFERENCE AND CONGRESS Facebook page and website. You can follow RANGER RENDEZVOUS May 21-27, 2016 the popularity and progress of the Land October 21-25, 2015 Management Workforce Flexibility Act Estes Park, Colorado Asheville, North Carolina (H.R. 1531) at https://www.popvox. com/bills/us/114/hr1531. ANPR has a strong commitment to the The fall 2015 and captions for All in the Family and future of the NPS and part of this includes Ranger theme is all items for ANPR Actions & News, identifying a pathway to career positions ANPR Reports and book review ideas that credits temporary service. As with Parks and the City on an ongoing basis (regardless of the most organizations, at NPS the greatest deadline) to Ranger Editor Ann Dee number of employee positions is at the Please send your Ranger feature Allen at [email protected]. entry level. There will not always be career article ideas for the winter issue to Please send fully completed content for positions for temporary staff to move into. [email protected] and/or these departments for the fall issue by However, we feel strongly that this Act is [email protected] August 21. Questions? both good for employees and important by August 31. Kindly email or call Ann at for recruiting the best employees for the Please send letters to the editor, (414) 778-0026 Central time. agency. completed announcements, photos Photo: NPS.gov Photo: