Guest guest Posted March 18, 2004 Report Share Posted March 18, 2004 This may seem OT but in fact most veggies I know are also environmentalists and would welcome being aware of this appalling policy of secretly gutting the parks and opening them to mining, hunting, and foresting, etc. " BushGreenwatch " <info *************************************** BUSHGREENWATCH Tracking the Bush Administration's Environmental Misdeeds http://www.bushgreenwatch.org *************************************** March 18, 2004 MEMO ADVISES NATIONAL PARKS OFFICIALS ON HOW TO MISLEAD PUBLIC ON SERVICE CUTS Previously undisclosed plans for cuts in the National Park Service (NPS) were revealed at a press conference yesterday -- along with Park Service documents encouraging NPS employees to mislead the media and public about the reductions. The nonpartisan Coalition of Concerned National Park Service Retirees presented a memo from the NPS Northeast Region suggesting various options for service cuts, and language to help mislead the media. The undisclosed planning for NPS cuts took place late last month even as the Interior Department was announcing a partnership with travel agents to increase the number of visitors to America's national parks.[1, 2] " We have a very clear memo stating that the stewards of our land are supposed to misinform the public about what is going on, " said Laurel Angell, counsel for Campaign to Protect American Lands. " I find this to be a really sad day. " Speakers at the press conference speculated that NPS employees were being advised to avoid mentioning cuts to the media -- and to provide misleading answers when questioned -- due to the " Chambers Effect. " NPS employees wanted to avoid the fate of U.S. Park Police Chief Theresa Chambers, who was removed by the Bush administration after she publicly disclosed cuts in services. " Chambers was forced out by the Bush Administration after revealing similar budget cuts, " said Denny Huffman, spokesperson for the Coalition of Concerned National Park Service Retirees and former superintendent of Dinosaur National Monument. Huffman said the Chambers firing has created a " culture of fear " in the NPS, and park superintendents were told to " make the cuts, keep them quiet and if necessary mislead the media. " Service reductions apply to weekend and holiday activities this summer at various U.S. national parks. Some of the cuts suggested for consideration by Northeast Region park superintendents, for example, include: -Close the visitor center on all federal holidays. -Eliminate life guard service at one of the park's three guarded beaches. -Eliminate all guided ranger tours. -Let manicured grasslands grow all summer. -Turn one of our four campgrounds over to a concession permittee. -Close the park every Sunday and Monday. -Close the visitor center for the months of November, January & February.[2] ### TAKE ACTION Email Bush in support of Chief Chambers, and let him know you don't agree with policies to mislead the media and public about reductions. http://ga3.org/ct/ed1vWMs1FjE7/ ### SOURCES: [1] NPS Midwest Region memo, Mar. 1, 2004, http://ga3.org/ct/3p1vWMs1FjEW/. [2] NPS Northeast Region memo, Feb. 20, 2004, http://ga3.org/ct/e11vWMs1FjEI/. *************************************** :: TELL A FRIEND ABOUT BUSHGREENWATCH http://ga3.org/ct/311vWMs1FjEb/ :: READ BACK ISSUES http://ga3.org/ct/371vWMs1FjEO/ *************************************** BushGreenwatch 1320 18th Street NW 5th Floor Washington, DC 20036 (202) 463-6670 Web site comments: info Copyright © 2003 Environmental Media Services ----------------- If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for BushGreenwatch at: http://ga3.org/bushgreenwatch/join.html?r=Ap1vWMs16BuYE ----------------- If you would like to from BushGreenwatch, you can respond to this email with " REMOVE " as the subject, or you can visit your subscription management page at: http://ga3.org/bushgreenwatch/smp.tcl?nkey=gdwgd8z0jxw7wt *************************************** Powered by GetActive Software, Inc. Member Relationship Management Solutions That Recruit, Engage, and Retain http://www.getactive.com *************************************** To escape the bowl Put your head in a whole --Bu Xan Da, Tenshin Monastery Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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