Summer 2009 Arrowhead Newsletter
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Arrowhead • Summer 2009 1 Arrowhead Summer 2009 • Vol. 16 • No. 3 The Newsletter of the Employees & Alumni Association of the National Park Service Published By Eastern National Zion NP Observes 100-Year Fee parks as free parks? Anniversary of Park’s Establishment ast spring, the National Park LService, with support and n July 31, approximately 300 visi- encouragement from Interior Secre- Otors and invited guests gathered at tary Ken Salazar, decided to adopt the old Grotto Museum building in Zion three fee-free weekends in the sum- Canyon to observe the 100th anniver- mer of 2009. We began on Father’s sary of Zion NP, which dates its origin Day weekend and concluded with from its establishment as Mukuntuweap the August 15-16 weekend during NM on July 31, 1909. Zion NP Supt. which President Obama and his Jock Whitworth served as the master of family visited Yellowstone and ceremonies, and speakers included Laura Grand Canyon national parks. Joss, acting Intermountain Region The fee-free weekends were a deputy regional director; J.L. Crawford, gift of the Park Service to America’s a 95-year-old former Zion NP ranger, people in troubled times. We know and state and local officials. well how national park experiences The event included recognition of the benefit physical and mental health; recent designation of 84 percent of the we understand that a park visit can park as the Zion Wilderness and designa- lift spirits as it fills minds. We knew tion of the Virgin River and many of its our plan could potentially trim tributaries as a Wild and Scenic River—the entry-fee revenues nationally by a NPS million dollars a day, but we decid- GUESTS LISTEN TO SPEAKERS at the Zion NP centennial ceremony on July 31. continued on page 9 ed to accept that loss as a suitable price for “Doing the right thing.” Media response to the fee-free weekends began, literally, minutes after we sent out the first news Centennial Anniversary of Oregon release. A few stories were critical of the decision, but there was a groundswell of positive stories Caves National Monument Celebrated from both large and small media markets. We stopped counting when the number of supportive he words first proclaimed in 1909 by stories surged past 200. TPresident William Howard Taft were read aloud by Oregon Caves NM Lead Did fee-free weekends and relat- ed media coverage motivate peo- Park Guide Dave Thompson as Supt. ple to visit national parks this Vicki Snitzler officially opened the centen- summer? The answer is that fee- nial celebration on July 12 at Oregon free weekends didn’t hurt, but also Caves NM—“Whereas ... the Oregon weren’t the only explanation for a Caves…, are of unusual scientific interest three percent visitation increase, and importance, and it appears the public year-to-date, over 2008. interest will be promoted by reserving Helping drive the growth: the these caves with as much land as necessary price of gas was $2.50 a gallon, not for the proper protection thereof, as a the $4.50 a gallon of last summer; national monument….” The weekend’s the administration’s stimulus pack- coinciding festivities also included the age, approved by Congress, gener- 75th anniversary opening of the monu- ated a lot of much-needed work in ment’s hotel/chateau, the beginning of the parks and attention brought on future restoration projects and the ongo- by that work; the president took his ing celebration of the State of Oregon’s Derek Marohn own family on vacation in national 150th anniversary. CELEBRATING OREGON CAVES NM’S CENTENNIAL are (pictured left to right): Supt. parks; a significant buzz preceded Cutting the ribbon for the chateau the Ken Burns national parks series Vicki Snitzler, Acting Pacific West Regional Director George Turnbull and rangers Chelsea restoration project was Oregon’s First Cavin, Roger Thomas, Dave Thompson, Matthew Klozik, Derek Neis and Sandra Gladish. now running on PBS; and we Lady, Mary Oberst, who was accompa- marked centennials for Zion Nation- nied by her husband, Ted Kulongoski, Caves and Chateau. Many other active organized by Park Ranger/Centennial al Park and Oregon Caves National the governor of Oregon. Leading the Coordinator Matthew Klozik, were Monument and the 75th anniversary supporters of the monument joined in on of the always popular Great Smoky restoration launch was Sue Densmore, the activities of the weekend. treated to anniversary cake, ice cream Mountains National Park. president of the Friends of the Oregon Visitors present for the two-day event, continued on page 10 The Ken Burns series returns in February, timely for late-winter vacation planning. Congress shares credit for our bright future. Mem- bers love national parks, even in President Nominates Jonathan Jarvis as difficult budget times, because they and their constituents believe the work we do and the places we keep Director of the National Park Service remain America’s Best Idea. We may soon equal or exceed the ecretary of the Interior Ken Salazar be invaluable as we seek to reinvigorate in 2002, Jarvis spent three years as the record of 287 million national park Spraised President Obama’s decision to and improve our National Park System in superintendent of Mount Rainier NP, visits. This will happen because nominate Jonathan Jarvis to be director time for its 100th anniversary in 2016.” where he managed the 235,000-acre national parks and their varied fea- of the National Park Service. Jarvis, a 30- As regional director of the Pacific West national park with a staff of 300 and a tures and attractions are increasingly year veteran of the NPS, is the Pacific Region, Jarvis is responsible for the 54 $14 million budget. part of office and family conversa- West regional director. units of the National Park System in “President Obama has made a com- tions everywhere. Don’t expect that “President Obama has made an out- Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, mitment to bring new life into our trend to change anytime soon. standing choice for director of the Nevada, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands of National Park System, and Jon Jarvis National Park Service,” Secretary Salazar Guam, Saipan and American Samoa. He has proven he is the right person to —Jeffrey Olson, said. “There is no substitute for experi- oversees 3,000 employees with a $350 make sure that happens,” Secretary WASO Public Affairs ence, and Jon Jarvis has three decades of million annual budget. Salazar said. hands-on experience in our parks that will Prior to becoming regional director continued on page 9 2 A rrowhead • Summer 2009 Focus on the Parks • In celebration of island homesteaders way a mixture of pears, cherries, apples, and agricultural history, San Juan Island apricots and wild plums came into harvest NHP is rehabilitating an orchard planted sequentially.” To recreate the orchard, Patrol Bicycles Donated 130 years ago by a pioneer family. Plant- saplings were propagated by cuttings from ed in the mid-1870s by Isaac Sandwith, the surviving Sandwith trees and pear and the one-acre orchard is located on plum trees in other areas of the park. to Gettysburg NMP West Valley Road just north of the park’s In order to produce accurate clones of south boundary. the old fruit trees, the new trees were Ten years ago, the park invited Susan grown in a nursery for two years before Dolan, historical landscape architect from they were planted in the orchard. On the NPS regional office in Seattle, to March 14, 23 trees—11 pear, four apple, inspect an ancient pear tree in the orchard five apricot and three plum—were plant- (one of the oldest in the country). She ed. They will begin to bear fruit in 10 was hooked as soon as she blazed the trail years and will be full grown in about 20. through chest-high Nootka rose bushes • The Colonel Barrett House and Farm and snowberry vines to what remained of have been incorporated into Minute the old orchard. Thus began a project Man NHP. On April 19, 1775, the that would eventually involve taking cut- opening day of the American Revolution, tings from nine surviving trees, tracing Colonel James Barrett’s farm was a key the varieties and grafting the cuttings to target of the British expedition to seize healthy young seedlings of similar stock. arms and ammunition in Concord. The grafted trees would be planted to Colonel Barrett also gave the orders on recreate a representative sample of the that day to advance to North Bridge and landscape as it existed at the end of the challenge the British soldiers, which joint military occupation. resulted in the battle known as “the shot Susan believes the Sandwith orchard is heard round the world.” Gettysburg NMP photo by Katie Lawhon particularly significant in island history The addition came with the passage of because the multiple varieties reveal it as a the Omnibus Public Land Management GETTYSBURG NMP LAW ENFORCEMENT RANGERS test out new donated homestead garden. “It was typical of Act of 2009. Once funding becomes patrol bicycles in front of the Pennsylvania Memorial. Pictured left to right: rangers homesteaders to plant orchards with a available, the NPS can acquire the historic John Sherman, Maria Brady and Doug Murphy. variety of species to have food for the table structure and incorporate the story and By Katie Lawhon, Public Affairs a car/trunk bicycle carrier. Steve throughout the seasons,” she said. “This historic landscape of Barrett’s Farm into Specialist, Gettysburg NMP Silsley of Holmes Cycling and Fitness Minute Man NHP. n March 24, Holmes Cycling made the presentation of the three • More than 5,000 people, including Oand Fitness, of Camp Hill, Pa., bicycles to park rangers Maria Brady, 2,000 schoolchildren, joined scientists at and Giant Bicycles presented law Doug Murphy and John Sherman at a Arrowhead Indiana Dunes NL for this year’s enforcement rangers at Gettysburg brief event held at the Pennsylvania Bioblitz.