Brains!

The National Parks America's Best Idea airs tomorrow night. As someone who has spent the better part of a year total, doing work for NPS, I'm extremely excited to watch this. Never mind that is also a Ken Burns documentary.

Today was my last real day at the Santa Monica National Recreation Area. When I arrived to drop off various equipment, books and work everyone in the visitor center was a buzz with excitement. They had a little table display with books, the documentary's sound track, and pamphlets. Everyone was so excited. They were even passing out the PBS book marks that apparently if you plant them turn into wildflowers. Of course we discussed this fantastically bad idea, laughing because there is nothing left to do. The whole you know invasive species thing...but apparently PBS didn't really think of that.

Characteristic of my entire experience at NPS, no one really knew who I was, I've had to explain myself 90% of the time I go, since starting. Phil was again late again, today has been one massive reflection and criticism of whats wrong with the park service. Yes on a grand scale, its the 'best idea', but in minute detail, the parks need a massive overhaul. In a time where real estate is the only way to make money, land needs to be preserved and saved quickly. However the parks are bogged down in so much bureaucracy, paper work, and lack of funding as well as staffing, it's virtually impossible to get anything done, let alone preserve more land. And like I said in small scale, there are so many significant problems that add up to massive ones, here are a few:
1) Out dated equipment.
2) Paper work. Federal government = paperwork. Simple as that.
3) Firing. It's virtually impossible to fire anyone, my supervisor being one of them. Maybe back before he was morbidly obese, he might have actually done some work. Currently he works 2/7 days at home because he is too 'ill' to come in. He's the most disorganized employee in the messy head quarters. He should have retired 5 years ago, someone with more energy, updated computer skills, should have taken his place. Part of the reason my internship and resulting part-time employment was a terrible experience, is because he could not supervise the volunteers, interns and temps he had working for him. Half the time he had no idea where anything was on his own desk, never mind his computer.
4) Hiring. Today he shared with spoke about their finally getting to hire a second cultural resources position. Meaning there are 30 biologists at the park, and only one (him) cultural resources employee to do all the work for the park. Two people I've worked with are going for the job, but if a veteran applies (even with a library sciences degree, anthropology degree or any other related work) they have to hire that veteran. Which is absolute nonsense. He told me that when they had a temporary employee position 6 months ago, a virtually illiterate alcoholic veteran was given the job based on these details. AND all of this hiring depends entirely on what the regional office decides, and if there is even any money given to the NPS from the Department of the Interior all the way in Washington.
5) Conflicting State and Federal laws. These are federal lands, within a state, you don't even want to go there.

And these are only a few things that really hinder the National Parks mission.

As far as my own personal experience. It's an extremely mixed one. I could have had the time of my life, but it all relied upon my supervisor. There were no chances to work with other departments in the park, hence the reason no one ever knew who I was. Any time me or any of the other volunteers, interns or part-timers had ideas for projects, they either never got started, or were forgotten by my supervisors memory.
Or there were paper work deadlines always needing to be met, leaving no room for starting new projects, and I was left to do nothing but scan and transcribe my limited hours away. The best times I had were those in the field, the Solstice Canyon tour with Lisa Roberts, and interviewing Charlie Cooke in Acton.

SO as you can see, if this is the situation at parks across the USA, I can't imagine what work could be getting done for parks and is not. What important and brilliant ideas can't get funded. What employees are being hired...who can't get fired. It leaves me with a great fear for the National Park Service. I can't really see it improving, even with Obama in the White House.

But land is land, and if we leave it to itself it will do what it needs to do. Truly the NPS should be considered a steward, and not a conquering controlling force. However with increased population growth, and land grabbing, and invasive species, and stolen water and all the rest, the land is in trouble.