E-mails to/from NPS Denali Spokesman Kris Fister & Dr. Tom Meier
1-18-06
Hi Kris,
I am currently in southern Utah traveling and photographing and won't be able to attend the meeting. Hopefully, NPS can publish a minutes in regards to this and have it available to those of us who couldn't attend.
One thing that I am somewhat concerned about is whether NPS will ask and/or mandate that both Tour and VTS drivers sell this study to the public. I think this would be a mistake if NPS were to do this, as there is widespread driver opposition and/or suspicion to this study.
Additionally, I think the public will be upset when almost every bear they see is radio collared. It is going to be difficult enough for drivers to deal with this and overcome it, much less try to sell the merits of a study that they may not believe in. Certainly, drivers will have to explain why every bear is radio collared but going much beyond that will be heading towards controversial territory, territory that I personally would not be comfortable with.
I realize that the meeting and future meetings and info is to overcome these suspicions, yet actions taken by NPS has contributed to an erosion of confidence. NPS's planned future development at the old Savage camp, last year's burning of fish oil at Toklat and it consequent bear problems, the rubber bulleting of several bears and paint balling of one wolf by Wildlife Tech Win Stables has contributed to an erosion of confidence in NPS by many drivers. And unfortunately, I believe all of these things taken together, have contributed to drivers questioning the integrity of this study.
NPS needs to take steps to insure that these things do not occur again, including rethinking the development plan slated for the old Savage Camp. Additionally, by having an independent review of this study and its methodogy, would certainly help overcome the belief by many that the results of this study have been predetermined. By doing these things, I think NPS will go along way in recapturing the faith of Denali's drivers and perhaps many others.
Lastly, I would suggest that NPS include comprehensive information on this study in the Alpenglow, its website, and especially brief NPS Toklat interps as to this study.
Sincerely,
Bill Watkins
From: Tom_Meier@nps.gov
To: "Bill Watkins"
CC: Pat_Owen@nps.gov,Carol_McIntyre@nps.gov
Subject: RE: Update on next week's public workshop on Denali Park Road Visitor Study
Date: Wed, 18 Jan 2006 16:23:52 -0900
MIME-Version: 1.0
Received: from np006denver.nps.gov ([165.83.20.80]) by bay0-mc2-f1.bay0.hotmail.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.211); Wed, 18 Jan 2006 17:24:01 -0800
>Bill,
>
>I think that it's obvious that the park service has little control over the
>opinions or actions of the drivers. If we learn that the study is being
>actively undercut by drivers, however, we'll do what we can to protect the
>integrity of the study. I think that it's a mistake to lump this study in
>with every management action to which you take issue. We don't have the
>luxury of holding this study hostage to various changes that we would like
>to make to the status quo. We do intend to present information on the road
>study in all of the venues that you mention. Win didn't paintball a wolf;
>the wolf bit a paintball that Win had left out.
>
>
>Tom Meier
>Wildlife Biologist
>Denali National Park and Preserve
>P. O. Box 9
>Denali Park, AK 99755
>(907) 683-9572
>
1-19-06
Hey Tom,
The examples I used were recent issues that drivers may feel indicate an overall direction that NPS is going in. One that they may believe is detrimental to the park.
I think most of the drivers care very deeply about Denali and due to the many events of last year, may feel distrustful of NPS and this direction. I don't believe drivers will intend to subvert the integrity of the study, but I also don't believe they will be very enthusiastic about it either. At its most basic level, the study will make our jobs more difficult in attempting to interpret the wilderness qualities of the park. Not to mention being asked questions of a controversial nature in relation to the study, answers which could come back through comment forms that hurt the individual driver.
Irregardless, each individual driver will handle this in their own way (hopefully positive), and giving us information as you have been doing will help us to deal with this subject.
In regards to Win, one of our employees reported to me that they examined the picnic table that Win stated he left the paint ball on and they found no evidence of paint residue left on the table. Hence the belief by many, that he shot the wolf with a paint ball.
I was involved in many conversations with drivers listening to them discuss Win through actions they had witnessed at Toklat and also the driver/NPS meeting, and there is little if any respect for Win's actions, attitudes, statements, or knowledge.
The best Wildlife/bear Tech NPS has had in my view was Ed Vorsec. Ed set the standard and did a phenomal job not only with the bears but also with drivers and the public. I would hope that in the future, wildlife techs will try to follow in the footsteps left by Ed.
As for myself, I want to be open to this study and am willing to give it a chance, but admittedly I still have some skepticism. The information that you have given and your openness has helped tremendously in helping to shape my views of this study and I think will help with other drivers has well.
Sincerely,
Bill
1-19-2006
Tom Meiers response
Bill,
Thanks for your honest appraisal of the situation. I get a little
concerned sometimes that peoples feelings about national issues colors
their perception of us government-employee underlings out here on the
ground. I think you're right that we should not expect drivers to bear the
brunt of justifying the road study. We need to prepare our own employees (like you say, at Toklat and elsewhere) and to prepare some literature that will give people the answers they're going to want. I'm really hoping that the temporary nature of the collars, set to fall off in September, will help placate concerns. I never had a chance to work with Ed, but I met him at a wolf conference after he left Denali. We do miss his expertise here.
I think that it's safe to predict that there will be changes in the
wildlife program next summer, and that we'll be responding to some of the
problems that came up last year.
Tom Meier
Wildlife Biologist
Denali National Park and Preserve
P. O. Box 9
Denali Park, AK 99755
(907) 683-9572