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July 5, 2011

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Dear Supporter:

Few are nostalgic for the George W. Bush era but at least Bush generally left national parks unmolested (with a few exceptions such as the abandoned effort by a Dick Cheney crony to rewrite all National Park Service (NPS) National Management Policies).

So, we have been distressed to see a stream of Obama-era NPS decisions that are deleterious to the lands, wildlife and integrity of our national park system. These actions are, in some cases, far worse than anything attempted by Bush officials and, in other cases, reverse protections erected under the Bush-NPS.

New destructive uses of national park lands are being proposed--let me give you some examples:

In perhaps the most outrageous case, 40,000 acres of wilderness eligible lands in Big Cypress Preserve, the heart of dwindling Florida panther habitat, are being thrown open to off-road vehicle trails and hunting from swamp buggies;
National parks want to carve motor-cross-style high speed, single-track mountain bike trails out of the backcountry in parks such as Big Bend; and
Millions of acres of potential wilderness lands are threatened by loosening policies and a complete indifference to the system’s huge unrealized wilderness legacy.

Besides the Obama decision to allow loaded firearms in national parks (the first statutory rollback of park resource protections in U.S. history), park wildlife has been disserved by –

The decision to run away from a proposed ban on lead ammo and tackle in national parks;
Reversal of policies requiring hunting restrictions to protect wildlife in places such as Mojave National Preserve and perhaps another 40 park units which allow hunting without any NPS safeguards; and
Even park plants are no longer safe. The NPS Director is pushing to allow wholesale removal of plants by certain groups and approved corporate bio-prospecting of park flora.

Not surprisingly, the integrity of Park Service management has also suffered:

Crude manipulation of official assessments is being allowed or encouraged;
Cover-ups of law enforcement corruption are perpetrated; and
The NPS Director tells his subordinates to avoid candor with the public in order to quell controversy.

Tellingly, “The Honest Chief” Teresa Chambers was restored as Chief of the U.S. Park Police earlier this year over the continuing objection of the Obama NPS.

NPS leaders bask in the afterglow of the Ken Burns documentary series on national parks as “America’s Best Idea” but that does not mean this great idea cannot be screwed up. NPS is suffering from inbred and uninspired leadership that undermines both its resources and its underlying principles of conservation, which make our parks the envy of the world. Help PEER complete our work putting America’s national parks back on the right path.

Sincerely,

Jeff Ruch
Executive Director

P.S. A small door of transparency is opening to federal public servants, who will soon be able to assume leadership positions in scientific societies and other professional associations without fear of criminal prosecution.

P.P.S. As one door opens, another stays shut. NOAA has refused to lift its ban on “advocacy” by marine researchers who receive Sea Grant funds. Of course only advocates for conservation need worry as proponents of offshore drilling and other coastal development are free from NOAA sanctions under this backward, hypocritical and likely unconstitutional gag policy.

P.P.P.S. Tell a friend about PEER and help our light shine out from under the bushel of babel.