JT REYNOLDS INTERVIEW
|  |
Now just who are this legendary "Green blood" park ranger and manager who rose from a Black ghetto in Galveston, Texas to lead an adventurous life in National Parks in America and Africa and later cause problems for the Bush Administration?
Well now, the obvious thing would to ask JT; so let's do just that!
|
JT, WHEN YOU ACCEPTED THE SUPERINTENDENCY OF DEATH VALLEY IN THE AUTUMN OF YOUR CAREER, WERE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO THE RELATIVE PEACE OF A "RETIREMENT PARK" WHERE YOU COULD RELAX A BIT AFTER A STRENUOUS LIFE?
Even today, I am still passionate about the NPS Mission(s) and at the time Director Stanton received my approval to be assigned to DEVA, I was very excited to work at DEVA. My Brother John Reynolds is now my supervisor and my Bro, Big Dick Martin, tall drink of water, was extolling the virtues of The Valley. My Mom's objectives for raising children would never allow me to take an assignment and not do my best. Using DEVA as a retirement park would have been a disservice to so many and detrimental to the park resources. The DEVA assignment was a great challenge. I am blessed to have been able to live and work in some of the world's most beautiful and exciting resources. THE BUSH PLAN FOR THE PARKS UNFOLDED LIKE A GRADE "B" HORROR MOVIE: FIRST, EVERYTHING SEEMS NORMAL, AND THEN THINGS STARTED GETTING WEIRD. WHEN DID YOU FIRST REALIZE THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION WAS UNLIKE ANY PREVIOUS BUNCH? I had a sinking feeling when Bush was elected. As a Texan with many relatives and friends still living in Texas, we are apprised of Texas happenings. Bush's Texas goals left out many folks and some of these folks are very close to me. The Bush hype was interpreted quite a bit differently in places where I grew up and visited. These folks had a different perspective from those who thought he served Texans well. DESCRIBE YOUR FIRST MEETING WITH THE BUSH ECO-THUG, PAUL HOFFMAN? I remember receiving a message that Paul Hoffman was planning a visit to the desert parks, specifically Mojave Preserve, Death Valley and possibly Joshua Tree. I could tell the day he arrived; his visit was going to be interesting. This figure graced my doorway with such arrogance. He is a short man but he wore a big cowboy hat, his boots gave him a bit more height, and he stood with his thumbs tucked on either side of his big belt buckle. We shared small talk, and then we left my office to tour the park and discuss issues. I could tell he was interested in OHV use and the contested Surprise Canyon. We were not on the same side of the issue. I had a clue when I stated that I preferred no motorized use in Surprise Canyon, no OHV use in the park period, and he stated that was the wrong answer. He preferred the continued use of motorized use in Surprise Canyon and based it on past activities, even though "Mother Nature" reclaimed the canyon. After these diametrically opposite opinions, our discussion deteriorated from a dialog to short and meaningless questions and answers. I must say I was disappointed and could not wait until he was on his way to discuss Mojave issues with Mary Martin. I called Mary, advised that Hoffman was on his way, and shared the salient points of my discussions with Hoffman. I later heard that Mary's discussions were probably more difficult than my discussions with Hoffman. WHAT EXACTLY IS A "CANYON CRAWLER"? This vehicle is usually, but not always, a modified 4X4 that allows the driver to scale rocky elevated (extreme angles at times) terrain with more ease than a stock Jeep or other 4X4. Before the Surprise Canyon, some of our staff had observed expensive models getting banged around and being anchored with another vehicle's winch. I also reviewed a VHS tape documenting a trip up Surprise Canyon before the closure. Based on how these vehicles slipped, slid, and banged about the walls of the narrows, one can tell this use is not compatible with a location described as one of the best examples of an oasis in the desert, a riparian zone for vegetation, wildlife, and other living things. THE SURPRISE CANYON INCIDENT WAS A GOOD INDICATION OF THE ADMINISTRATION'S DESIRE TO MAKE MECHANIZED "RECREATION" EQUAL IN LAW TO PRESERVATION, WAS IT NOT? It, at least, informed us that Paul Hoffman would be a worthy foe, and we must try to keep a step ahead of him. I do not believe folks were surprised about many or any of his actions. His reputation preceded him. I was aware of my friend Mike Finley's battles with Hoffman and others. WHAT WAS THE OCCASION OF YOUR NOW FAMOUS QUOTE "THEY ARE CHANGING THE WHOLE NATURE OF WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE HAD BEEN. I HOPE THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS THIS IS A THREAT TO THEIR HERITAGE; IT THREATENS THE PAST, PRESENT, AND THE FUTURE. IT'S PAINFUL TO SEE THIS." The occasion was when Paul Hoffman and others attempted to change our management policies and distort the meaning and Congressional Intent of the Service's Organic Act. The management policies did a good job describing protecting National Park Service resources as our paramount goal and providing for the enjoyment therein will be managed in such a way that these resources will not be impaired, and will be set aside intact for future generations. If Hoffman would have been successful, there would have been even more impairments (threats) to our heritage and possibly remaking the NPS's missions, similar to BLM or Forest Service. Undesirable threats will continue if the Service does not do a better job ensuring park areas' resources are relevant and valued by all citizens. This value must be described as important for scientific research, places of solitude and as outdoor classrooms for educating the masses, especially children. NPS areas are places where the real things are located: our Country's history, natural systems, social sciences, preservation, great recreational pursuits that are compatible with the enabling legislature of sites, and the list goes on. We need a better campaign to market these cultural and natural assets and how beneficial they are to all existing and potential users. WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT OF THE PROPOSED CECIL R. JACKSON OPEN PIT MINE ON THE VIEWSHED OF THE PARK? The Cecil R. Jackson site is proposed to be adjacent to the existing Briggs Mine crater but even closer to DEVA's wilderness boundary. We had a chance to kick some dirt in the area where the exploration is proposed. The techniques required for the exploration is resource impacting: proposed building more roads to get large pieces of equipment on the side of the mountain, etc. The same outfit, Canyon Resources, a Colorado company was fined in Montana for water quality violations. The Inyo County supervisors advise this company is the county's 5th largest taxpayer. You can understand the controversy, jobs or resource protection. Folks also need to understand that this company does not pay royalties for the privilege to degrade resources based on the antiquated 1872 General Mining Act. This site will be just as degrading as any other open pits within the boundary or adjacent to NPS areas. These hard rock mining activities require the tax paying public to spend funds and time mitigating heavy metals in ground water and surface water, air pollution, and other hazards. These sites leave eyesores on the land that can be seen for miles, and the destruction of scenery, and animal and plant habitats. INTERESTING QUESTION! DO YOU BELIEVE WE CAN IMPOSE NPS VALUES ON AREAS OUTSIDE THE PARK? We can impose NPS values relating to protecting resources. We must do this for our kids and our grandkids. Citizens must have as many voices as possible describing how necessary and important it is to save some resources as opposed to using up resources for a few to get wealthy or allow the abuse of resources for a small special interest. With this greed and careless attitude of extracting minerals or participating in resource impairing recreational pursuits as a backdrop, we must share another, more appropriate sustainable opinion of use and why this is better for all for a long period of time. Help save Mother Earth. NPS staff must ensure they have a seat at the table when decisions are being made. This will allow folks to have other viable options to consider. ALTHOUGH DEVA IS PERHAPS THE LARGEST WILD AREA IN THE LOWER 48, IT IS ESSENTIALLY A HEAVY INDUSTRY ZONE (MINING) RECYLED INTO WILDERNESS. DOES THIS PRESENT PROBLEMS? Yes and opportunities... DEVAites have a responsibility to educate visitor about the history of mining in the DEVA region and why the place was set aside. This history's positive benefits and its degradation and safety concerns are shared and placed in context. Most of the citizens receive the information well and some others do not. This is an opportunity to educate folks about mining and other activities occurring on these special NPS units. Our responsibility is to also comply with enabling legislature and other laws that help govern and protect special places. The California Desert Protection Act of 1994 (CDPA), includes elements that allow some non-compatible uses such as low flying (200 feet above ground level) military aircraft in wilderness. However, there is a benefit. The military activity deters most commercial over flights. Military Operating Areas (MOA) have special flight rules and the MOA coordinators try to be good neighbors. Compared to the Grand Canyon, Death Valley's natural quiet is not disturbed nearly as much as the natural quiet at the Canyon. The FAA has not been a good partner for the NPS and the Canyon is still suffering from the non-compliance of the rules. Mojave Preserve will be another test to see how FAA will adjudicate the proposed new airport to be located in the Ivanpah Valley. Back to the mining activity, I will say that the mining interest do not like the negative publicity their activities generate. The hard rock miners need to also educate and take responsibility for the negative as well as the positive impacts of their operations, plus they need to support the need to pay royalties that will be used to mitigate hazards and restore areas. The free ride should be over, and should have been a long time ago. Park staffs must deal with right of way (ROW) issues with county and state officials where we differ and deal with how laws are interpreted differently. Law suits are initiated because of these differences. I think anytime we have uses that are incompatible with mandated goals, this will create problems. It really creates problems for managers and staffs when politics enters into the conversation. When misinformed politicians enter into the fray, one can imagine the pressure these folks can place on employees, especially when employees are not supported by their supervisors or agency "higher ups." DEVA also has 1200 miles of non-paved roads crisscrossing throughout the wilderness backcountry areas, and 250 miles of paved roads. This is beneficial for wilderness and other park users, and a curse for a very short staff of maintenance employees and rangers. DESERT AREAS SEEM TO ATTRACT PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH THINGS FORBIDDEN ELSEWHERE. DO YOU FIND THIS TO BE TRUE? This is true and thank goodness the numbers are small. Some people believe deserts are waste lands set aside for dumping, driving mechanized vehicles off established roadways, used as hide outs for criminals and their activities (glorified in western movies), areas where anything goes, and places where no one would or should visit because of the negative stigma that has been perpetuated for so long. The large tracts of desert give those who believe they can get away from society's rules a false sense they will not be observed or caught. SALINE VALLEY SEEMS TO HAVE MORE THAN IT'S SHARE OF CONTENTION. COULD YOU DESCRIBE THE "CHICKEN STRIP" DISPUTE AND THE NATURIST ACTION COMMITTEE? I was not present during the passage of the CDPA, however, I have had great discussions with former superintendents Ed Rothfus and Dick Martin, plus several staff members who worked at DEVA during these earlier times still live and work in the park. There were other landing areas that were removed due to their unsafe condition. The Chicken Strip survived these closures. Of course eliminating something folks have become used to having available, like more options for landing, can generate complaints, especially from the aviators who enjoy flying into the area. The Chicken Strip or any kind of backcountry strip requires pilots to have special ratings. Because of their primitive conditions and the remote locations where they are located, these strips are unsafe for the untrained pilots. Managers will have to deal with the nudity issue someday. The members of the naturist groups, a small special interest group who believe they are entitled to share their nudity with all. There is no shame, and many believe the world will be better if we all dropped our pants and skirts. I am sure the entitlement attitude is also based on what was allowed before the CDPA was passed. Once those lands were added to DEVA, NPS managers changed how the area would be managed. NPS staffs use regulations that dictate how long a person can stay in parks, controlling litter, and other activities nudists may desire to introduce. The naturist prefers the NPS to leave them alone and allow them to continue previous activities. The NPS management of Saline Valley has been evolving over the years and so have the objectives and enforcement of rules. The tribes prefer these sacred lands to be used a lot different than today's uses. There are citizens who do not desire seeing nudity in areas where they enjoy visiting or staying, especially exposing this scene to their kids. WHAT ARE PRESENTLY THE MAIN THREATS TO DEVA? I believe the over allocated use of water due to irresponsible growth and development is the greatest threat to Death Valley and the surrounding areas. If we are unable to develop a sustainable strategy for how water is used in the desert, many of the springs and seeps will stop flowing, the pupfish will surely be another species that man will cause to go extinct, vegetation in some areas will disappear, and change, and the local businesses will suffer. Other threats will manifest themselves if the NPS does not pay more attention to scientific study and learn more about how and why natural systems work. Some decisions may prove to be incorrect if we do not do a better job educating all employees at all levels. The park's cultural resources like Scotty's Castle Historic District, the many ghost towns, the Wild rose Historic District, and prehistoric sites are deteriorating due to lack of funds to stabilize and conserve. The park's aging infrastructure will create all kinds of problems if not updated to meet present day standards. Some progress has been made but much more needs to be done. ON A LIGHTER NOTE, COULD YOU DECRIBE THE PURPOSE OF THE BREAKFAST CANYON DRUMMERS OF DEVA? I think we all have different reasons for participating in drumming circles. Some of us like to play music, some like the social benefits, some enjoy the settings, some come to observe and listen, and I'm sure I have no clue why some participate. I could also suggest that there is a spiritual element. Just imagine being in a setting like Breakfast Canyon or at Zabriskie Point or on the rim of Grand Canyon or on the Colorado River or wherever drummers desire to play. You have to experience a session to understand. I can also imagine some folks could care less. Have you participated in a drum circle PJ? NO, BUT THE NEXT TIME I AM DEATH VALLEY, I WILL MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE BREAKFAST CANYON DRUMMERS! YOU GREW UP IN THE SEGREGATED SOUTH IN SEMI RURAL GALVESTON COUNTY, TEXAS. THAT WAY OF LIFE IS GONE FOREVER. COULD YOU DESCRIBE SOME OF THE GOOD POINTS AS WELL AS THE OBVIOUS BAD ONES? I was educated in an all African American school system, and community/society. Our teachers cared about us and were committed to ensuring we learned our lessons, respected ourselves and others, plus many of them taught us things about our culture that our required books seemed to gloss over or purposely omit. Any adult in the community could reprimand or discipline kids. As I matured, I realized these adults had our best interest in mind. My mother was one of these teachers and she saw to it that her kids passed through her sixth grade class. She was a counselor and helped students determine what course of study to pursue after high school. I know she had me pegged. She advised me, even though I did not listen initially, that I should pursue having a job that allowed me to be outdoors. There were many downsides of segregation relative to our education and socialization. We were given old outdated textbooks and fewer funds for teachers and school programs. African Americans were treated as a lesser class citizen, often charged more than whites for products and goods. We were discriminated against in all areas of life. There were segregated facilities that had signs for "whites," and "colored." If a person of color used the white facilities, there would be hell to pay. FOURTEEN-YEAR OLD EMMITT TILL WAS LYNCHED IN 1955, WHEN YOU WERE 8 YEARS OLD. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE SURVIVAL SKILLS YOU WERE TAUGHT IN ORDER TO SURVIVE IN THE SOUTH OF THAT TIME? Our parents prepared us for how the racist environment will or not affect us, especially males. They gave us anecdotes for how to deal with many scenarios we would encounter. We kids had escape routes for avoiding danger, primarily from kidnappers. During our early years, the state posted signs, as I have mentioned, colored and white, to mandate the segregation of the races. We eventually learned to determine if a person was or was not a racist, predict motives, and how to deal with them. We often asked our parents and other adults how our country could allow such racism. Growing up in the South in the 50's had dangers no human should have endured in a country that expected its citizens to support and die. Our real history lessons began during our early years, even when our textbooks omitted most of our culture's contributions. YOUR COLLEGE ROOMMATE, SAMMY WILLIAMS TOLD ME THAT YOU WANTED TO BE A NATIONAL PARK RANGER THE DAY YOU STEPPED ONTO THE TEXAS A & M CAMPUS. THIS WAS A VERY UNUSUAL CAREER CHOICE FOR A YOUNG BLACK MAN BACK IN 1965. WHAT WAS THE MOTIVATION FOR THIS CHOICE? My mother helped me determine my strengths and how I should use them. Before I selected a university to attend, I also discovered an article in the Life Magazine about a black park ranger. This kind of profession appealed to me because I was an outdoor kid. I was a boy scout and participated in many outdoor activities. There were some universities with curriculums that could prepare a person for a ranger position. My mother and I discussed mechanical engineering and wildlife sciences. Her question to me was, "Do you want to make a lot of money or do you want to be satisfied." I chose wildlife science and later changed my major to Recreation and Parks Management. This curriculum did not get established until my sophomore year. YOU WERE THE FIRST AFRO-AMERICAN TO PLAY FOOTBALL FOR TEXAS A &M. NOBODY, WHITE OR BLACK, PLAYS FOOTBALL FOR A FOOTBALL POWERHOUSE WITHOUT AN "INVITATION". HOW DID YOU WRANGLE AN INVITATION FROM COACH GENE STALLINGS? I will not say that coach Stallings invited Sammy and me to be members of his team. Coach Stallings believed that including African American players on his team would create disharmony. He inferred that mixing black and white players was not a good idea. When I joined (walk on) the team, and Sammy soon after, we completed time trials and other drills, and we performed much better than many of the "blue chippers." In those days, African American players were not getting the publicity or considered as blue chippers. Black players were playing great football in the all black conferences and going to the pros in great numbers. The Southwest Conference was "lily white." Some players and coaches on our team and other teams did not use politically correct language. I also think Coach Stallings thought Sammy and I would not complete the rigorous drills of his program, and we would quit. Coach Stallings was also one of Coach "Bear" Bryant's "Junction Boys." Coach Bryant would take players to Junction, Texas and drill them until most of the players quit. Coach Stallings advised that when he played for Coach Bryant, they went to Junction in two buses and returned to campus in one bus. He felt the remaining players were the core of his winning teams. Coach Stallings was taught by the master and he did his best to drive away the pretenders. Well the rest is history and we made the team and lettered. Despite Stallings, some of the other coaches and many players supported us and helped us gain credibility. I TAKE IT YOU WERE A BETTER SCHOLAR THAN A FOOTBALL PLAYER? I cannot say I was better at either. I goofed off like many kids who leave home and are on their own for the first time. However, I learned real quickly that I had better be a better student if I wanted to stay in school or play football. Stallings had no problem cutting players if they did not keep up their grades. We lost an all conference offensive lineman because he did not make the grades. He went on to play professional ball with the Chiefs. I will say that my parents impressed upon my siblings and me that an education was the paramount reason for attending college and graduating. My Mom coached championship girls basketball and I do remember her stressing this to her many teams. She also instilled in us to finish anything we started. In those days, we needed all the energy we could muster because managing football and the academic paper chase required practically all of our energy and some. I think those years help me to be the person I am today. HOWEVER, "MAC" McELROY, THE FIRST BLACK A & M STAR ALWAYS INTRODUCES YOU AS THE "PIONEER". IS IT TRUE YOU TALKED HIM INTO GOING OUT FOR FOOTBALL? I may have had something to do with his joining the team. I do not remember the specifics. Sammy and I did use our ethnicity to help recruit guys like Curtis Mills, Edgar Harvey, Mac, and others for the track team. I think Mac felt, and maybe some of the coaches, believed he could help the team. You have to understand that even Coach "Bear" Bryant, Coach Stallings' mentor, was considering recruiting African American players, especially after USC beat his team handily. NOW THE INEVITABLE QUESTION: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LONGHORN OR AGGIE JOKE? A&M has many traditions, from the Corps (ROTC) to special greetings to the 12th Man to the Aggie Ring. We Aggies are, at times, labeled a CULT. I don't think folks will drink the Kool-Aid but we do recognize each other and will find pleasure helping another Aggie. The Aggie Joke, is one of those chapters (traditions?), we tend to brush aside as others being jealous. My Pops purchased the booklet, "1001 Aggie Jokes." One weekend when I went home, he found great pleasure reading and dramatizing a few he thought were pretty funny. I guess the best thing that came out of that spectacle was how much I laughed. He put on a funny show. After the show was over, I thought about charging admission. We could have set him up as a stand up, "slap stick" comedian. I had never seen this side of my Pops. So, my favorite "t-sip" expression/joke is: "...Texas university; where the girls are girls and the boys are too!"
WHILE AT TEXAS A&M YOU WORKED AS A SEASONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT RANGER AT EVERGLADES DOING ALLIGATOR POACHING PATROLS. WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR ADVENTURES? One of my most downbeat but favorite stories dealt with how the NPS trained staff and developed techniques to mitigate the poaching of alligators during 1968. I will not share the names of our supervisors and trainers because, as my Mom often stated, "The good Lord takes care of fools and babies and you guys are not babies." She feared my carrying a weapon without much experience or training. My Pops did not worry as much. During those early years, seasonals were issued a .38 caliber, 4-inch revolver, a citation book, badge, brief firearms training, a lecture or two, and a patrol vehicle. On one full moon night, my seasonal partner and I were asked to stake out a certain turnout and observe any vehicles passing by. Once the vehicle passes and is a certain distance, we would pull in behind the suspect vehicle with our lights off and follow the suspects to their destination. Our supervisor advised that we would use certain signals and codes to communicate how we would operate. Well, he broke one of the more important signals. We were to advise him of all of our locations. That night, as usual, there was a low hanging mist/fog over the land and we did not see or hear our supervisor pass by our location. Unfortunately, we soon located him and his vehicle. I still remember the scene and can visualize the silhouette or profile of his patrol vehicle materializing before my eyes like an eerie monster that we were about to contact. We hit him with such force that my glasses flew off my face and smashed into the dash. Fortunately they did not break. My partner tried to gain control of our vehicle but could not keep it from careening off the road and stopping several feet in the shallow water of the glades adjacent to the road that connected Pine Island to Flamingo. Since I was not driving either vehicle, I seemed to be calmer than others. After I surveyed our vehicle's damaged front with steam hissing from all open spaces, I recommended calling for a tow truck. My partner and I waded from the water and approached our supervisor's vehicle to help him survey his damaged vehicle with its rear end smashed into the rear wheels and it too was unable to move and would require a tow truck. The supervisor was a bit freaked out and requested our help to pry the rear panels from the rear tires. No matter what we attempted, we did not free the rear wheels. To our supervisor's chagrined, we finally requested two tow trucks. I am sure those rangers who patrolled during this era and maybe those who patrol today will identify with the "lights off" technique. Our chief ranger called us in to debrief and he was not real pleased. NOW IS THE TIME TO INTRODUCE THE EXCEPTIONAL OLIVIA "DOT" DOTSON. HOW DID YOU TWO MEET? Dot's Mom tells the story that we met at birth in a hospital in Galveston. Our birthdays are 30 and 31 October 1946. I am 15 hours older. The scenario Dot's Mom shared dealt with feeding time. She stated that mothers stayed in the hospital for several days after giving birth and nurses would take the babies from the mothers and place them in the nursery so the mothers could get some rest. During feeding, the nurses would bring the babies to their mothers. Mrs. Dotson stated that the nurses made a mistake and brought her a baby boy. She looked down at this baby who was feeding and she asked the nurse to bring her baby. She later shared that baby boy was myself. I guess I imprinted with the Dotson family early. Maybe this is from where the expression, "...love at first bite" originated. Dot and I did not date until our senior year in high school. BEING A PARK SERVICE SPOUSE SOUNDS LIKE A ROMANTIC IDEA ON PAPER, BUT DUE TO ISOLATION, CAREER CHANGES, AND ADULTERY, THE NPS HAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST DIVORCE RATES IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. HOW DID YOU TWO MANAGE SUCH A SUCCESSFUL 40-YEAR MARRIAGE? First of all, we are best friends. Our marriage, like many others is tested often. We are very different when it comes to hobbies, to keeping house, to managing money, communicating, and such. We disagree about how to do many things and have to compromise. We just try to keep communicating and being honest, and not allow "cop outs." We take "time out" and do not discuss differences if we are not in the mood. We have to get back engaged and resolve the differences eventually. We realize it is good to have more than one way to solve issues. We develop solutions with which we both can tolerate. Dot is "Mrs. Clean." She desires a house without clutter. I grew up in a house that really looked lived in, stuff here and there. Dot believes things should be in their identified places. I have learned this is best, to a degree, because I can locate items when I need them. I still struggle with this so we comprise to keep common areas void of clutter (Dot's standards which I violate often), and my space can be cluttered based on my standards. I am an outdoors, camping, hiking, team sports fanatic, and like adventure/action movies. I also like the Discovery Channel and National Geographic productions. She is a theater, opera, shopping mall visitor, and desires movies about gangsters, kind of person. She would rather see old black and white movies on the TV and soap operas. These are some of our differences and have helped us understand that men are really from Mars, and women are from Venus. I am still trying to understand the opposite sex. I guess we humans will take a lifetime to understand, and then some. What about you PJ? Help me out here before I put my foot in my mouth deeper. SAME AS YOU, JT! JOAN AND I ARE TOTALLY OPPOSITE IN PERSONALITY BUT WE SHARE SIMILAR VALUES. YOUR FIRST PERMANENT NPS ASSIGNMENT, NATCHEZ TRACE PARKWAY, LASTED ONLY TWO MONTHS. WHAT CAUSED THE TERMINATION? This is another time I remember clearly. The head of the Recreation and Parks Department Dr. Leslie Reid, helped many of his students get jobs after graduation. Jack Pound of the NPS was on a recruiting assignment and came to A&M to collect his new recruits, co-op education program. The Trace was my first permanent assignment. I do not remember how we were selected to go to which place but I do remember being jealous when some classmates were assigned to national parks in the west. Walt Dabney was one of these students. During my years at A&M, the Viet Nam war was still in progress and we had a lottery draft system. If you recall, African Americans were represented at a much higher percentage in our military (combat assignments), than our white brothers. I was not too happy about this and felt a bit unlucky. Some of my brothers who were white "hawks" were receiving deferments, and I considered myself a black "dove." These happenings reminded me of the days before and during the Civil War when men like J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Philip Armour, Jay Gould, James Mellon, just to name a few, could escape military service by paying $300 to a substitute. My lottery number was 17 and I had no one to serve as my substitute. Low numbers were the winners. Uncle Sugar needed a lot of troops for the armed services, so I knew eventually I would receive a message. Well, on one bright sunny day in the spring of 1970, I went to the mailbox and retrieved two letters. One letter invited me to Albright Training Center to attend Intro to Park Operations, a 12-week course, often referred to getting one's "green and grey" injection. The other letter invited me to return to Texas, do not stop and collect anything, just go to Houston for my induction physical. After being checked out by a doctor, and hoping my left knee injury from football would send me home, I received orders to report to Ft Polk Louisiana to receive another kind of injection, jungle green camo. What an ordeal! That is another story. FORTUNATELY, YOUR ASSIGNMENT WAS GERMANY, NOT VIET NAM. DID YOU GET A CHANCE TO SEE ANY OF THE EUROPEAN PARKS AND PRESERVES? My military assignment in Frankfurt allowed me to visit a few areas, especially the Black Forest region and Wiesbaden (closer to Frankfurt). Our R and R adventures allowed us to experience thermal mineral springs, hikes in the hills, visiting towns that make cuckoo clocks, eating ham on rye bread and drinking beer and schnapps. Of course the cultural landscapes proved educational and overwhelming. UPON YOUR RETURN, THE NPS GAVE YOU A CHALLENGING ASSIGNMENT. DESCRIBE ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION IN THE TOUGH BLACK ANACOSTIA DISTRICT OF WASHINGTON, DC. It was challenging and rewarding. Martha Aikens and I worked together sharing EE concepts with teachers and students. I enjoyed taking city youth to places like Rock Creek Park, Ft Washington, and other places where we could experience nature and camp with the youth and share the outdoors. We ensured our lessons could also be used in the classrooms, especially the science classes. These were rewarding assignments. The challenge and disappointment came when we had to advise the principal that we could no longer share EE because the good Ol' NPS was ordered to stop teaching EE. The principal lectured us about these kinds of programs getting started, getting the students all excited and engaged, and then being pulled away. He even, warned us when we first arrived at his school selling EE that he was not interested in the program if it was going to be short lived. We assured him that EE was here to stay. We were not politically savvy and did not know the ways of the government and its practice of starting initiatives, then changing and focusing on something else, flavors of the month. He looked like he wanted to punch me out as we left with our "tails between our legs." Even though EE was dead, I still set up day camps at Ft Dupont Park with the support of Ben Brown and Chet Hines, men who were from the area and worked with kids during their days off. Chet developed a youth drumming corps, which proved to be a positive effort for these kids from low-income neighborhoods. This was another option of recreation and engagement, and a source of pride and self-respect. A YEAR LATER YOU FINALLY GOT THAT LETTER TO REPORT TO THE HORACE ALBRIGHT ACADEMY. WHAT WAS YOUR CLASS AND WHO WERE SOME OF YOUR CLASSMATES? Our class was the 39th session of Introduction to Park Operations, the fall of 1972. Some of my classmates were Bill Lester, Louise Driscoll, Anne Castellina, Betty McSwain, Martha Aikens, Ed Wood, Bob Patton, Jan Dick, Jim Burnett, Fred Fagergren, Bill Wellman, Bruce Bessken, Dan Allen, Johnny Neal, Dan Taylor, Jerry Rumburg, Skip Prange, Norm Hellmers, Phil Brueck, Joe Wegener, James Peters, Dan Brown, Floyd Gunderson, John Kenoyer and many more. We had over 50 intakes. The Albright staff included Lon Garrison, Don Brown, Stu Croll, Deny Galvin, Larry Zollar, Dale Thompson, Ginger Bice, Anne Baugh, and Mike Whatley. YOSEMITE'S CHIEF RANGER, JACK MOREHEAD PICKED YOU AS PATROL SUPERVISOR FOR BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN YOSEMITE VALLEY. I BELIEVE THERE WERE SOME CHALLENGES? I was the supervisory park ranger of the Mall Patrol. During those years, only a short time after the Yosemite Riots, Jack's plan to relate to the non-traditional park visitor was in full swing. The Valley Shuttle Bus Program was in its genesis and the ranger's goals of determining how to manage and schedule routes, identify loading stations, identify the use of double-decker buses or the single level with attachments, etc. The non-traditional, drug abusing, underage drinking, partying until you drop crowd, identified the Valley as the place to go. We had to develop strategies and tactics for managing their behavior. We still had those visitors who appropriately behaved in such a way that families did not fear their enjoyment and safety were compromised. There were many evenings when we used undercover rangers to identify the "evil doers," inform when the double-decker would arrive at a stop, then we Mall Patrollers would engage, and arrest. There were many times we had to get in the dirt with characters to arrest. We pumped a lot of adrenaline and used the appropriate techniques to complete the arrest. Sometimes Kellites, elbows, knees, and whatever available comes-along, pressure point or leverage was used, many times in combination. There were times we looked as if we played a game of tackle football in our uniforms. ANY PRESENT DAY THOUGHTS ON HOW TO DE-INDUSTRIALIZE YOSEMITE VALLEY? I'm not sure this is possible. The Valley is a Historic District that has been added to and modernized. The plan to move quite a bit of the development out of the Valley was discussed during the 1970s when I served in this wonderful resource. During this time I first met John Reynolds, a member of the planning team. The beat and law suits continue today. The desire to get a piece of this park is the typical disease most NPS areas have. Albright and Mather ensured this legacy became a part of the NPS story, its marketing campaign. I think we will have to accept this and research ways to create a sustainable resource for future generations. IN 1975, YOU BECAME ASSISTANT BACKCOUNTRY RANGER IN YOSEMITE. YOU HAD TO LEARN A BEWILDERING NUMBER OF MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS SKILLS COMPLETELY FOREIGN TO SOMEONE GROWING UP ON GULF COAST TEXAS, IN A VERY SHORT TIME. WAS IT DIFFICULT? My many years, growing up in Texas and serving in the Army prepared me for surviving in the great outdoors. We kids played in the woods daily and I have been hunting, fishing the Gulf of Mexico and several rivers near home and at scout camps, and camping since I was eight. My grandfather had "coon" hunting dogs, and my father gave me an air rifle and a single shot bolt-action 22-caliber rifle at the ripe age of ten. I started scouting at ten, attained the rank of Eagle Scout and remained in scouting throughout high school. However, I have to admit, my first real up close and personal encounter with big granite walled monoliths and mountains did not occur until I was assigned to Yosemite. I also had two years of experience working in the Valley, serving on SAR Teams, was a Crew Boss, and took advantage of exploring Yosemite during the summer and winter. Yosemite is a great park for "buck" rangers. Sooo, serving as the assistant backcountry supervisor with Ron Mackie was a piece of cake. Before the assistant backcountry job, I completed several horseback patrols with Roger Rudolph, then backcountry supervisor, acquiring the name "Black Country Ranger." Rudolph gave me this name and I'm sure he has a way of telling the story. No one else could do it justice. ANOTHER INEVITABLE QUESTION; WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE BEAR STORY? Man, there were many. We were blessed to work in an area where we could observe these magnificent creatures. Some stories were sad, however most were just fun. My minor was wildlife science and bears became my favorite critter, especially grizzlies, although I never met a grizzly until the Alaska Task Force assignment. I'll share the unbelievable strange one that no one will believe, except Rick Smith. You might ask, "Why Rick?" I was his partner this late summer night in Tuolumne Meadows. If we were not staking out the campground, waiting on a problem bear to cash in on camper food, we would not have observed a UFO. This is the part of the story when folks begin looking at you weird. The object Rick and I saw streaked across the sky from the west and traveled east at a good rate of speed. It made a 90-degree turn (north) without slowing and disappeared in the distance. Even today I still can't logically determine what kind of human invention can make that maneuver. Rick and I discussed satellites, planes, and military missiles with out coming up with an answer. If I recall, the bear was a "no show". SOME HAVE CALLED YOU THE FIRST BLACK BACKCOUNTRY RANGER. HOWEVER, YOU DEFER TO YOUR PREDECESSORS. WHO WERE SOME OF THESE BLACK FRONTIERSMEN? I did some research while working in Yosemite. The park's archivist, Jack Gyer, helped me locate some folks of color who looked like me. The Buffalo Soldiers receive quite a bit of press today (interpreter programs did not share these stories during this time) but there were many others who were systematically overlooked or excluded from the predominant history for all kinds of reasons. Some information was simply wrong. John James Audubon, the son of a French sea captain and a Haitian woman is not known for the African blood racing through his veins because the promoters of his time thought audiences would be repelled. Arizona Joe, the partner of Texas Jack, a cowboy during the "cattle kingdom" years and beyond is another character. Dred Scott, Ben York, Isom Dart, Edwin Atwood, James Moss, Mary Fields, Jim Beckworth and Captain Charles Young, one of the first superintendents of Sequoia National Park are some others. As one can see, our contributions and American History is very rich. DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS OR SUGGESTIONS TO RE-WEAVE THE STORY OF WILDERNESS OR FRONTIER BLACKS BACK INTO THE FABRIC OF OUR HISTORY? The first sane act school districts across the country could do is approving books that tell the whole story about our American History. These books should describe the contributions all cultures play in our country's history. There are also examples of existing programs that teach the rest of the story in addition to getting kids into the outdoors that can be duplicated by NPS units, school districts, and city recreation and parks departments. Our Men against Destruction Defending Against Drugs and social-Disorder (MADDADS) organization of Denver, partnered with the Jim Beckworth Society, the Colorado Historical Society and the NPS develop programs that brought the story of Black Mountain Men, Native Americans, and Hispanics to the attention of kids of color, plus introduced them to the woods. AFTER A YEAR AS ASSISTANT WAWONA DISTRICT RANGER, YOU WENT TO FLORIDA WEARING TWO HATS: FLAMINGO DISTRICT RANGER AND MEMBER OF THE ALASKA TASK FORCE. CAN YOU COMPARE AND CONTRAST THIS ASSIGNMENT? Contrasting my two assignments primarily dealt with the areas' geography and climate. The Everglades, located at the southern tip of Florida, southeast U.S.A., and Alaska, northwest offered some challenges with moving about terrain. We were all selected because we had experience in meeting task force objectives. I was already prepared for the mosquitoes, and our past and current training prepared us for the kind of criminal activities we would encounter. Most of us, if not all, had experience managing public meetings dealing with management plans, security, and managing controversial or contentious situations. HOW WAS DOT COPING WITH ALL THIS WILDERNESS ADVENTURE? Dot is a city lady who is always game for an adventure and she coped fairly well. She desires city kind of activities. She enjoys hikes but could care less for overnight camping trips that last longer than one night. We lived in park housing which is usually an hour or more from grocery stores or other places to get needed resources at a reasonable price. We are quite different in terms of hobbies and recreation activities like outdoor adventures. When I need to get my outdoor fix, which is often, she usually tells me to go and get out of her hair. YOUR NEXT ASSIGNMENT WAS TRAINING MANAGER FOR RANGERS AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SPECIALISTS AT ALBRIGHT. DO YOU BELIEVE THE ABOLITION OF THE ALBRIGHT RANGER ACADEMY TRAINING COURSE TO BE ANOTHER NEFARIOUS BUSH PLOT? I am unaware if the Bush Administration had anything to do with abolishing the Ranger Skills Sessions. The NPS has a way of placing priorities out of sync, that is, counter to my personal list of priorities. Training has never received the high priority it deserves. The NPS must do a better job at succession training; preparing future managers and leaders to take the place of transferring and retiring employees. The NPS Training program has been broken for some time due to leadership voids and available funding. I hope future decisions will place more effective training higher in priority. WHILE AT THE CANYON, YOU LEARNED WHITE WATER BOAT HANDLING AND WENT ON PATROLS ON THE 277 MILE STRETCH OF THE COLORADO. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS? Kim Crumbo, Kimmie Johnson, Ruth Ann Murray, and Becca Lawton, some of my first instructors, taught me how to read the river and handle a raft during my assignment as a training manager. I continued to row after that and when I returned as the deputy superintendent, I tried to get on the river as much as Superintendent Arnberger would tolerate. The highlight of rowing the Colorado River has a lot to do with its route through the Canyon, one of the most outstanding resources a person can experience. When a person is at the helm and managing the oars, you get the full effect of running the rapids. It is a neat achievement to row a boat through some of the more difficult rapids in our country. Anyone who rows vessels through the Canyon will usually view "E-Ticket" rides at amusement parks differently.
IN 1987 YOU WERE DETAILED TO THE AFRICAN COUNTRY OF MALAWI TO ASSIST IN TRAINING THE RANGERS AT LAKE MALAWI NATIONAL PARK. WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR IMPRESSIONS? The people of Malawi are a very friendly group and they were gracious in welcoming Dave McLean and me to their country. We worked with the Peace Corps and they helped us with all of our logistics. They were helpful in identifying folks who helped with translating for those non English-speaking students, rangers and local fishermen. Our tasks were to train park rangers how to perform preventive maintenance on boats, teach SCUBA, and first aid and CPR. When we arrived, we discovered most of the rangers could not swim. We had to delay the SCUBA training and replaced it with swimming lessons. We were also asked to teach swimming to some of the fishermen from the local village.
I WAS STRUCK BY THE NEED TO TEACH EVERYONE HOW TO SWIM, INCLUDING THE RANGERS, THE LOCAL CHILDREN, AND EVEN THE FISHERMEN. DID THIS SURPRISE YOU? Yes it surprised us because no one told us that these rangers could not swim. We continued to teach CPR and first aid plus preventive maintenance for vessels and engines. McLean helped them with several options for engine repair. We had to improvise quite a bit because there were no parts stores near. The Peace Corps did order and get some parts but we rigged and made parts by salvaging from other motors. I must admit we were surprised when we made another model's parts fit. We watched the rangers swim and realized we needed to help improve the techniques of some while others needed to start basics. The "dog paddle" was not going to be sufficient for SCUBA training. What amazed us was how quick these guys learned several swimming techniques - breaststroke, sidestroke, and the crawl. We set up a course and tested their abilities daily, which also included stamina and strength training. We taught all of them to swim more effectively in a couple of weeks and helped the better swimmers with techniques to train others. We used the children as students for these new instructors. We soon learned from the local chief that several of his tribal members drowned in boat overloading incidents. We helped them realize that boats have safe capacities and they could not treat boats as they overloaded trucks. There were only a few vehicles in the area and when one was being used to go someplace, many folks would prefer to ride in the back of the truck rather than walk, major overloading. We took one of our revamped vessels to an outpost up river deep into the bush. We encountered quite a few hippos but did not get capsized. The motor worked perfectly. While we were staying at the outpost, the rangers shared stories about some of their colleagues' untimely deaths from the bullets of poachers. We added another block of training and helped the rangers with some tactics for dealing with elephant poachers. I believe we left the area in better shape than we found it. 1987 WAS NOT A BORING YEAR. IN ADDITION TO MALAWI, YOU WERE DETAILED TO TRAIN RANGERS IN THE INDIAN OCEAN ISLANDS OF THE SEYCHELLES AND WERE PROMOTED TO THE CHIEF OF RANGER ACTIVITIES AND NATURAL RESOURCE FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC REGION. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THE SEYCHELLE ISLAND RANGERS FACE? The objectives for the Seychelles Ranger's training dealt with inventory and monitoring terrestrial and ocean resources, plus developing effective techniques to approach poachers. The poachers were harvesting sea turtles, fish, and plant materials. Third World Countries do not have the resources to meet the needs of the resources they are mandated to protect. They are also understaffed and usually out gunned. I met with the chief of police and asked them to use some of their resources to help the rangers. They "blew smoke up my shorts," and did not help. So, we had to do our best to give them options to ensure their safety. We also completed some outstanding night dives with some scientists who were studying lobsters. ONE OF YOUR DUTIES AS NORTH ATLANTIC CHIEF RANGER WAS REGIONAL INTERNAL AFFAIRS INVESTIGATOR AS WELL AS EVALUATOR OF PARK OPERATIONS. THESE POSITIONS CAN MAKE ONE THE LEAST POPULAR PERSON IN THE ORGANIZATION. HOW DID YOU AVOID THIS FATE? There were times when my staff and I caused some to dislike us and even label us (Blackman and Robin) or used other inappropriate expressions. However, folks who were negatively affected by these suspects' behavior appreciated our actions. We also had one of our upper level supervisors try to intervene and stop one of our key investigations. Of course the US Attorney's Office determines what information he needed and we collected the information. My appraisal was affected negatively but I appealed to a higher authority and received a fair assessment. All supported most of our investigations and even the folks being investigated felt we treated them fairly. The operations evaluation program was designed to review park programs and determine how to improve. The manual included the standards by which we based our assessments. So, I guess it is how you treat the employees who provide the information that allowed us to complete our tasks. I am sure there were some who did not appreciate what and how we did our work. IN ADDITION TO ALL YOUR OTHER DUTIES, YOU WERE ASKED TO ASSIST THE MANJIRO SOCIETY. COULD YOU DESCRIBE THE MANJIRO SOCIETY AND YOUR CONTRIBUTION? The Manjiro-Whitfield Society is a grassroots organization established to bring U.S. and Japanese folks together. It was founded based on an incident that occurred when the Japanese country was still closed to outsiders. Several young Japanese fishermen became stranded on an island and were rescued by an American sea captain who anchored near this island to re-provision his ship. Captain Whitfield attempted to return the citizens but was turned away because the Japanese leaders did not trust the intentions of the American Captain. Whitfield took young Manjiro back to America and raised him as his own son, which included supporting his higher education. To fast forward a bit, Manjiro eventually returned to his country and was instrumental in opening Japan to the outside world. Descendants of Whitfield and Manjiro cultivated their relationship and developed the exchange idea, a summit. I was contacted by the organization and asked to participate based on one of their themes - feature resource protection ideas. I recruited NPS employees who were resource management specialist, scientist, education and protection rangers, maintenance staff, and park managers. We were sponsored and traveled to Japan and when the summit came to the US, we sponsored the Japanese. Some other professions represented were the US Postal Service, dairy industry, health care, transportation, and education. IN 1989, YOU TRANSFERRED TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGIONAL OFFICE AS CHIEF OF RANGER ACTIVITIES AND RISK MANAGEMENT. YOU SERVED UNDER THREE OF THE MOST COLORFUL NPS PERSONALITIES: HOMER ROUSE, LORRAINE MINTZMEYER, AND JOHN COOK. DO YOU HAVE SOME STORIES ABOUT THESE THREE? Homer was one of my favorite supervisors. He declared himself as the grandpa of our kids. He had a great sense of humor and he was fair and firm. He and his secretary used to keep us in stitches when they did not take themselves too serious and shared short and blond stories about themselves. He kept the stress levels down to a minimum. Lorraine proved to be one of the better communicators, especially using the written word. Lorraine knew shorthand and used this expertise to develop and share summaries almost immediately after her meetings. She also saved quite a bit of time when she, rather than forming a committee, developed the regional priorities for how money was distributed to parks. John was the God Father and he thought and spoke often of other past NPS characters. I'm guessing he studied their styles of management and formed his own style. Some folks agreed with his style while others did not. IN 1995, YOU BECAME COLORADO PLATEAU SUPPORT OFFICE SUPERINTENDENT, A SORT OF MINI-REGIONAL OFFICE EMBRACING GRAND CANYON, ZION, CANYONLANDS AND OTHER PARKS IN THE COLORADO DRAINAGE. ALTHOUGH THESE AREAS ARE "REMOTE", YOU DECIDED TO REACH OUT TO BLACKS AND HISPANICS IN SOME OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS OUTREACH PROGRAMS IN NPS HISTORY. COULD YOU DESCRIBE? The MADDADS organization recruited kids from the "Five Points" area, and this was only one part of our efforts to help inner city youth. MADDADS saw a need to intervene in the lives of young males between the ages of 6-13 because the gangs used these kids for criminal activities. We acted as their surrogate dads. We went to their schools, met with the principals and teachers, and requested to help students with homework and other assignments. We also developed and implemented after school programs, one of which was a "Rights of Passage" program. We took these kids camping and fishing and Rocky Mountain National Park was one of these venues. Bill Gwaltney, Gillian Bowser, and I were partners in developing the "Old Stories New Voices:" Intercultural Youth for Heritage Preservation program, another part of our efforts. Gillian recognized a need to help small units develop and implement resource management projects. Bill was the superintendent of Fort Laramie and Gillian was a regional office resource management specialist when "Old Stories" was developed. Gillian identified solutions, especially when units did not receive funds during the priority setting process, to complete projects when funds were scarce. Because Ft. Laramie's history recognized the contributions of African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics, and Anglos, we used this venue for a native vegetation restoration project using youth from all of the represented cultures to help develop the plan and then complete the project. We used kids from the MADDADS program, from the Jim Beckworth group, from Hispanic organizations, and support from John Cook and the Colorado Historical Society. We later took kids to Great Sand Dunes. The use of the "StayÐIn ÐSchool" program to recruit inner city youth proved very effective. We have several examples of NPS employees of color who are still working for the Agency and doing well. All of these employees were recruited while they were in high school and went on to complete college degrees. Some of these employees are working for other organizations and I believe they appreciate their NPS beginnings. YOU TRANSFERRED TO YOUR "RETIREMENT PARK IN 2001, AND THROUGH NO FAULT OF YOUR OWN, BECAME THE MOST POLITICALLY RADIOACTIVE SUPERINTENDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE PARK SERVICE. ONE SUPERINTENDENT TOLD ME SHE FELT THAT THE" BRASS OF THE NPS HID BEHIND JT'S BROAD SHOULDERS RATHER THAN CHALLENGE THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION. DO YOU FEEL YOU HAD TO "PUNCH BEYOND YOUR WEIGHT" TO SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT? I must set the record straight regarding my retirement park. When I transferred to Death Valley National Park in 2001, one of my goals was to improve upon what previous managers achieved. Another goal was to develop new starts; some we will complete and some will be finished by our successors. Regarding folks hiding behind my decision to share the rest of the NPS lack of funds story and speak out against the clandestine act of Hoffman to change the management policies. I know one manager (Jarvis) who opposed the management policy change and he too took a bit of heat for his 40-page rebuttal. Jon and Randy Jones "flew cover" for me when Hoffman wanted my scalp. Fran and several others decided to support the "talking points," as she described as the President's wishes. This was a weak "cop out." All NPS units have legislation that describes how we will manage and protect. The NPS is no different than the military. We have a mission(s) and we are expected to do our best to comply. So, all that we DEVAites were doing was complying with our job descriptions. I will also share that many other superintendents would have continued to place resource protection ahead of inappropriate use and abuse if Hoffman would have been successful. FRAN MAINELLA'S DIRECTORSHIP OF THE NPS CAN CHARITABLY BE DECRIBED AS "NOT ENTIRELY SUCCESSFUL". HOW CAN THE NPS AVOID SUCH POLITICALIZATION OF AN ESSENTIALLY APOLITICAL AGENCY? That depends on the goals of the administration in power. We must hope that any future administration "loves their children too," to take a line from one of Sting's songs. The NPS has a very noble mission and we should hope that the majority of our citizens support the NPS. The NPS has to do its part to demonstrate worthiness. There are times the NPS employees do not help the Agency. NOW THAT THE DUST HAS SETTLED, WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? The dust is still settling for me. I am adjusting to retirement but my passion is still about participating in activities that support getting youth outdoors and helping them become more acquainted with "Mother Earth." We have to believe they will do a better job protecting the environment than my generation. IS YOUR SON, JAMOL, INTERESTED IN AN NPS OR LAND MANAGEMENT CAREER? I think the economic downturn has made federal employment very attractive. Jamol is satisfied with his choices, at this time. His wife is a professor at TWU's School of Nursing in Denton, Texas. Jamol and Bruna will remain where they are until something comes along that offers them a better deal. YOU'VE COME A LONG WAY FROM GALVESTON ISLAND. ANY REGRETS? I have been blessed and I would not change a thing. This journey taught me a lot about people, the human race, about myself and what is important about life. MR. REYNOLDS, IT HAS BEEN A DISTINCT HONOR AND A PLEASURE TALKING WITH YOU. One great lesson we all should adopt and return the favor of good fortune. We all had some folks who helped us along the way. We should do our best to help others, especially kids. |
THE MANY USES OF NATIONAL PARKS
Until the rather tardy nomination of the much esteemed Jon Jarvis of the Pacific Northwest Region, the search for a Director was going slower than Universal Health Care.
The leisurely, laid back selection process, if there is any process, might indicate a lack of need for the office of Director (After all, the Ranger-Anarchist, Edward Abbey, once remarked pithily that "Grown-ups don't need Leaders.") If this is the case, then the Director's Office can be abolished and the $500,000 in salary, benefits and support can be used to support the Junior Ranger program.
One reason for the delay might be lack of interest on the part of the President. President Obama is definitely not a Black Theodore Roosevelt. Although Barack Obama grew up in sunny outdoorsy Hawaii, he quickly morphed into a windy indoorsy Chicago Pol.
Now being Urban does not necessarily mean you are against the Environment. Indeed, according to the League of Conservation Voters, the Congressional Black Caucus is almost exclusively urban, yet its membership consistently votes for clean air, water and forest preservation and all the rest of the John Muir-Steve Mather package.
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus traditionally score in the high 90' s on the League of Conservation Voters scorecard. With one exception: That would be Barack Obama. He scored a 75. Not a bad score compared with Republican Neanderthals from the Southern and Western states, but still the lowest score of anyone in the Black Caucus, the bedrock of the environmental vote.
Does this mean that Obama is anti-environment? Of course not! Being pro-environment to a greater or lesser degree is part of the DNA of a Democrat, but the question is to what degree?
Studying Obama, it does not take long to see that he would far more enjoy playing a fast game of basketball than taking a solitary hike in Olympic National Park. Nothing wrong with that; he is an urban chap with urban interests. This is fine as cities are where most of us live.
However, National Parks have their uses, and such uses are not just aesthetic.
One such use would be as a venue for diplomacy and statecraft.
To the best of my reckoning, this has never been done since the time of Theodore Roosevelt. He was the last president to actually ride a horse into the backcountry of a national park, sit around a campfire in said park and sleep on the ground.
Now it is true that a number of presidents, notably FDR and Bill Clinton have used National Parks as a prop or background for a speech or a policy announcement, but they were never more than a hundred feet from an asphalt road and an automobile.
It would be interesting if President Obama took various world leaders on wilderness horse pack or rafting trips, accompanied by top-flight naturalists and scientists.
Impossible! You say. Something might happen.
That's the point. Something will happen. That is the beauty of the Outdoors.
For one thing it might rain. They will get wet like mere mortals.
(One can visualize Rohm Emmanuel, The President's gnarly, abrasive Chief of Staff, glowering at a park superintendent and saying "IT'S RAINING! WHY IS IT RAINING?)
Or the raft carrying President Obama and Russia's Vladimir Putin might flip in Lava Falls Rapid in Grand Canyon. No matter, if they are wearing their life jackets, they will bob around a bit and be picked up no worse for wear (Though Emanuel will be apoplectic!)
One of the interesting things about wilderness travel is that it cannot be entirely scripted.
The wilderness guides, equipment, and support staff will be the best available, but there will always be variables that will enrich the experience.
Naturally, the Forest Service will want in on the action, or it will get petulant. Therefore the President will have to schedule a sea kayaking trip through Misty Fjords National Monument or a horse-packing trip through the Pecos Wilderness for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the French President.
Now that may be all well and good for democratically elected leaders, but what about the others? The Cuban American community might object to Raul Castro getting a canoe camping trip in Everglades National Park with the President. Well now, that's the point of diplomacy; you might not like or even trust someone, but you talk to them. One need not approve of Hugo Chavez or Robert Mugabe to believe that some time in a national park might do them good.
But what about leaders that are certifiably crazy; such as the "Dear Leader" of North Korea, Kim Jong Il or the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmahdinejad?
Actually, there is some evidence that Nature and Wilderness have a benign effect on the mentally disturbed; at the very least, wilderness can offer a distraction.
For example, the "Dear Leader", during one "show and tell" speech offered as how he would soon have a guided missile and accompanying atom bomb that could reach the President's birth place, Honolulu.
Rather than dwelling on this, President Obama could suggest what they really needed to do was the creation of the "Yellowstone of Korea", the DMZ International Peace Park, along with a treaty formally ending the Korean War and a guarantee that no one wants to invade North Korea and take it away from the "Dear Leader".
The Korean DMZ is one of the world's great de facto nature reserves. It stretches 155 miles across the Korean peninsula from sea to sea and is 2.5 miles wide (plus an additional 3-12 mile buffer on the South Korean side) and constitutes about 5% of Korea's land area.
It is a remarkable testimonial to the resilience of Nature. In just 56 years of being left alone, the environment has made a remarkable recovery from thousands of years of intensive agriculture and deforestation. The Forest is back and with it over 1,100 plant species and 50 mammal species including black bear, lynx, leopards, wild sheep, and, possibly, tigers.
Now does anyone think the establishment of a DMZ International Peace Park would be a good idea?
Well, yes. Among the many supporters are the eminent American biologist, Dr. E.O. Wilson of Harvard, and the beloved Nelson Mandela of South Africa.
Interestingly enough, one of the ardent supporters of the DMZ Peace Park is the billionaire media mogul and environmentalist, Ted Turner.
This is where Mike Finley would come in. Finley is President of the Turner Foundation and is Turner's right hand man. In another life, he was superintendent of Yellowstone National Park. He would have no problem in guiding "The Dear Leader" or his heir apparent around Yellowstone National Park and discussing the apocryphal "Yellowstone creation campfire" (Didn't happen, but should have) and helping to arrange the real DMZ creation campfire on the banks of a river in the DMZ with the Presidents of North and South Korea, and the United States in attendance.
Now would there be any problem in our President meeting with other heads of state in the Wilderness rather than hotels or government buildings?
Well, Yes. Such a move on President Obama's part might cause a "parks race" very much like the present "arms race" in which each country would try to outdo the other in the creation or preservation of bigger and better national parks to showcase their country.
Not a bad step for Mankind.
THE DOGS OF FORT CAROLINE
Now neighbors, when Congress establishes a national historical site to preserve and interpret a vital aspect of American history, this does not necessarily mean that all the park users have an interest in the history being preserved and protected.
This is one of the paradoxes of historical site management.
You see, when the historic event or battle occurred, or the historic fort or structure was built, it was out in the countryside, which had a population of a few hundred thousand, counting the Indians.
Now, 200 or more years later, the historic site is in suburbia and the population is 300 million and counting.
Most historic sites became historic because they were strategic; that is they were at the junctures of river or trails or bay entrances. "Strategic" is also a good place for a future city.
(There are exceptions: The Anasazi landscape architects who planned and built the Mesa Verde complex, certainly exceeded the Denver Service Center in tasteful park planning in a permanent wilderness environment.)
However, Mesa Verde is one of the exceptions and not the rule for historic sites, most of which are within pistol shot of thriving metropolitan areas.
This means that a significant portion of a historic park's visitation is not what Congress had in mind when they created the park
Open space, that is, wilderness, which was a pretty terrifying concept back in the 17th and 18th centuries (a favorite descriptive was "horrid") is now at a premium for suburbanites.
The developers who created the subdivisions that filled in the "country" that the suburbanites thought they were going to enjoy, were more interested in making money than leaving open space.
Thus, it fell to the National Historical Sites of the NPS to provide recreation as well as historical insight in many suburban areas
Now it would be churlish to suspect that the well-heeled "locals" who jog or walk their dogs on the trails of, say Valley Forge or Manassas have no particular interest in the plight of Washington's troops or the struggles of the Blue and the Gray. The "locals" have, after all, paid their taxes and their admission fee. If they prefer to jog or dog walk, that is their prerogative.
It is not dogs per se that causes problems for the NPS. Rather it is dogs off leash and out of control that bothers the NPS. Now the Park Service has the law on its side, a CFR that makes it a federal offense, punishable by a fine for having a dog off leash.
The unleashed dog owner, however, doesn't see things quite this way.
Veteran park rangers will tell their subordinates that the quickest way to get a dread "Congressional" (That is, an inquiry from a Congressman concerning a complaint from one of his/her constituents) is to mess with somebody's dog.
Beginning rangers do not realize that these taxpayers often love their four legged friends far more than their two legged relatives. Such persons will readily admit that their in-law is vicious, but woe betide any ranger that implies the same of Rover.
Now "Rover" might be a growling, glowering, slavering beast right out of the Book of the Apocalypse and personally recommended by Michael Vick, but to its human owner, it is "Lassie" personified, overflowing with the milk of doggie kindness; suggestions that "Rover" should be leashed or otherwise controlled in a National Park is viewed as an attack on the Canine Bill of Rights.
Getting dogs on leash without irritating their tax paying owners is one of the challenges of a suburban national park unit.
Here is how they met the challenge at Fort Caroline National Historic Site.
For those of you who are more interested in history than dogs, Fort Caroline is one of a string of four forts on the coasts of northern Florida and southern Georgia, where France, Britain and Spain jockeyed for control of this portion of North America during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. They are Fort Matanzas NHS, Castillo San Marcos NHS, Fort Caroline NHS, and Fort Fredericka NHS. Their stories are filled with larger than life characters such as James Oglethorpe, founder of Georgia and, rather improbably, John Wesley, founder of Methodism.
However, for now we will talk about dogs. Joan and I had stopped by Fort Caroline to check out the 16th century Great Power struggles. As we walked down the trail to the ruins of Fort Caroline, we came upon what looked like a brown billboard. The billboard was covered with scores of snapshots of dogs of every conceivable size, color and breed, including mutt. There was a message on the back of the billboard stating that the rangers would be delighted to photograph your beloved companion and add the photo to the collection, and, oh yes, there was a polite reminder that the dog should be on a leash.
I did not know it at the time, but I was looking at the famous "dog wall" of Fort Caroline.
I was interested enough to e-mail Superintendent Barbara Goodman who graciously said they had had a dog problem but that it had been solved by the park's Ranger, Craig Morris.
Ranger Craig said "On most weekends, 50% of the park visitors were coming here to walk their dogs. Some 25% of them did not have their dogs on leash. This led to dogs getting into fights, scaring small children and damaging resources. Threats of citations seemed to be counterproductive. The situation was turning into a real problem." What to do?
"I began to remember the dogs' names better than their owners! It occurred to me that the park is special and loved by people and their dogs. Dogs love the park.
The idea came to me as a no-brainer. Why not dedicate a bulletin board to the dogs? We could take their pictures, on a leash of course and, place the photos with the dog's name on the bulletin board. On the bulletin board we have the following statements:
"Is your pet photogenic? Please let us know if you would like to have your pet's picture taken and place on the bulletin board. Just ask the attendant in the visitor center and we'll snap a picture of your favorite furry hiking partner."
"Fort Caroline loves its four-legged friends!"
"All pets must be kept on a leash at all times while in the park. Thank you for your cooperation."
According to Ranger Craig," We learned something very quickly: People who had dogs loved seeing pictures of their pet on a bulletin board. Within a month of putting up the bulletin board, there were almost 50 pictures on it, and amazingly, the percent of dogs off leash dropped to almost zero!
Fort Caroline National Memorial is an urban National Park site within a 15 minute drive of over a quarter of a million people. Over 60% of our visitation comes from repeat visitors who return to enjoy the quiet, safety, and beauty of our nature trails. Of these visitors, at least two out of three bring their dogs along with them.
The bulletin board dedicated to the dogs is very popular and now has over 70 pictures currently on it. It has become a fun feature for visitors and park staff alike; who could eve have foreseen that this simple idea would almost eliminate visitors letting their dogs off leash."
Who indeed! Ranger Craig and Superintendent Barbara are to be commended for this thinking-outside-the- box solution to a common problem!
BOOK REVIEW
Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America's Class War, by Joe Bageant, Three Rivers Press, New York. $13.95 (paperback)
Joe Bageant's DEER HUNTING WITH JESUS helps to answer the interesting question of why America's White rural poor often vote against their own best interests.
Often called "Rednecks" (Even by themselves) Bageant's White Rural Poor (Whom we shall call "WRP" for this review) are America's largest poverty stricken racial or ethnic group, nosing out African Americans or Hispanics for the title.
They are mainly (though not exclusively) of Scotch-Irish ethnic stock, overwhelmingly fundamentalist Protestant in religion and Conservative in politics; their devotion to Hunting, The Flag, The Second Amendment, Country Western Music, Stock car racing, and Alcohol, is legendary and approaches that of a second religion.
Their "Homeland" is the Appalachian Mountains and the rural South. However, there are large enclaves of the WRP throughout the United States, even "Liberal" California. If you stray inland from San Francisco to say, Redlands or Taft, California you will encounter people who are decidedly not Obama supporters.
Even in Liberal left Montgomery County, Maryland, where your esteemed editor and all those godless Democrat policy makers live, there are WRP insurgents: Stopping by a roofing supply house to pick up some shingles, I parked beside what looked like an Independent Contractor; he had an old Dodge Ram pick up. If Dodge had built a pick up truck with custom dents and rust spots, this would be the model. The truck was ladened with the tools of the roofers trade, ladders, buckets and so on, all heavily used. Clearly this Son of Toil could benefit from a Stimulus Package. He was unlikely to want one.
On the few unrusted, indented surface of the truck, there was a faded "Bush-Cheney" Decal, an "I'm a Member of the NRA and I vote" and a Confederate flag decal.
These are the people described in Joe Bageant's "Deer hunting with Jesus"; hard working, loyal, patriotic folks who consistently vote and act against their own best interests.
Now you might ask why as an NPS or other Federal Land Manager, you need be concerned about America's hidden persecuted minority, the WRP?
Well, now neighbors, it boils down to a matter of geography and demographics. Most NPS units (The natural ones at least) and the National Forests are located in areas politely known as "pockets of poverty" in the days of LBJ; they are areas of great natural beauty and poor job opportunity, work usually seasonal in nature supplemented (thinly) by unemployment benefits.
Now one would expect such areas to be hot beds of socialism, with the voters routinely sending fire-breathing radicals to Congress and the State House to demand reform. One might expect, but such is not the case. The voters in these rural poverty districts regularly elect rulers to the right of Tamurlane.
This would be of no moment to the NPS or other Federal land managers except that these representatives are, almost without exception, anti-environmentalist and anti-intellectual. It might be amusing to debate Evolution or Noah and The Flood; it is less amusing to debate whether wolves should be shot on sight, concealed weapons be allowed in National Parks, or mountain tops blasted off and dumped in the valleys to get at the coal; these are issues dear to the WRP and their elected representatives.
The plight of the WRP is further compounded by the fact that even though they are exploited and even persecuted, the WRP are not an approved, suffering minority by America's liberal elite: THE NEW YORK TIMES publishes snarky, condescending articles about them and there are no "Redneck Studies Departments" at Harvard or the University of California at Berkeley.
Instead, the WRP are somewhat feared and loathed by Liberals for their support of conservative causes and politicians. Liberals are continually amazed and dumbstartled by WRP support for Sarah Palin who does gross things like shooting and field dressing a moose and failing to attend an Ivy League University.
Joe Bageant, author of "Deer Hunting with Jesus" can explain the WRP, because he is one of them. He grew up in the little Virginia piedmont town of Winchester. His Scotch-Irish forbearers had settled in the Winchester area around 250 years ago. His were among the "First Families of Virginia" very much like the Tidewater Virginia gentry, but without the money and the slaves.
That became the norm for the following 250 years. You see, the Scotch-Irish was a warrior tribe; they were Scottish clansmen that eked out a living on the border of Scotland and England. Most of the "Eking" consisted of cattle theft from both sides of the border. The English crown found a use for these turbulent people by offering them land in the Irish province of Ulster if they would fight the Catholic Irish to hold it. It was a devil's bargain, but the fiercely protestant borderers held Ulster for the Crown and became the storied Scotch-Irish.
It was said there was even more land to be had in British North America. There was, but the Native North Americans held it. All the Scotch Irish had to do was agree to settle on the frontier and some of that land could be theirs; another Devil's Bargain.
Although slave owning was not particularly common among the small farmers or WRP, the Scotch-Irish joined the defense of slavery in the Civil War by enlisting in the Confederate cause by the tens of thousands. The logic was not so much slavery as the idea of some " strangers from Ôup North' tellin' us what to do."
However, once reunited, the Scotch-Irish became the reliable backbone of the U.S. Military; the names McCain and Patton resonate; as does that of the new US commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal.
All considered, the Scotch-Irish have not done half bad in the US; some 14 Presidents have been Scotch Irish, including such hearty parties as Andrew Jackson, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton.
So how did this tribe of truculent individualists wind up supporting cynical conservatives who saw no irony or harm in shipping the jobs of these people overseas?
The author of "Deer Hunting with Jesus" believes it is default on the part of Big City Liberals who become very ill at ease talking about God, guns, hunting, The Second Amendment, The Second Coming, Patriotism and other big-ticket items in the lives of these people.
It makes Bageant crush his beer can in rage and frustration that Republicans are much better at "talking the talk and walking the walk" than Democrats when it comes to relating to WRP, causing them to vote against their own best interests (and, usually, that of the Environment.)
Bageant describes how the Bad Guys do it in chapter after hilarious chapter (Did I mention the author is Mark Twain funny in much of his analysis of the problems of "His People", The WRP?)
Although he is an avowed socialist, he makes a logical and principled defense of the Second Amendment, which will surprise the stray Conservative who reads the book, (and who didn't think Liberals had it in them).
Like I say, if you enjoy Mark Twain, or even PJ O'Rourke, I think you will enjoy "Deer Hunting with Jesus". If you don't, tell me about it and we'll argue about it in THUNDERBEAR.
THE SAFETY MESSAGE
Ah! You have found it! The all-important Safety Message! The sole reason you have been scrolling through this meretricious, occasionally anti-administration trash! You can now honestly tell the Agency Guardian of Internet purity that as Park Safety Officer (or prospective park safety officer) that your sole interest in accessing THUNDERBEAR was The Safety Message, found somewhere in every issue of THUNDERBEAR.
This issue's topic will be the prevention of MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureaus). Most of you have heard of Hospital Acquired MRSA through horror stories about "Flesh Eating Bacteria Stalking the Nation's Hospitals" spread by Supermarket tabloids (Actually all Staph are potentially flesh eating: that is sort of their job description.)
Nor is it particularly unusual that MRSA would be prevalent in hospitals. If you were an ambitious, up and coming bacteria that is where you want to go to advance your career. Hospitals have an unending supply of sick people as well as myriad different antibiotics to test your bacterial genetics (Nietzsche's "That which does not kill us, makes us stronger" is an apt motto for Staph.) If you think about it, getting into a hospital for a Staph is like getting a scholarship to Yale would be for us.
Recently, MRSA took a different path. This was something called Community Acquired MRSA. This is an even more virulent form of MRSA, and as the name implies, you don't have to go to a hospital in order to catch it; you can pick it up in the community and this is exactly how your friendly editor acquired his case of MRSA down in Old Mexico.
Is MRSA serious? Not as serious as some ailments, but it will do until a rabid raccoon bites you. According to the Mayo Clinic, it causes far more deaths than the much more famous AIDS virus, and, so far, many times more fatalities than Swine Flu.
My case began as a small, localized abscess on the left calf that would not heal. The abscess increased in size, as did the swelling and inflammation surrounding it. Any touch to the area felt like a hot iron and the accompanying fever could be used to heat a small room economically. We went to a Mexican physician, who prescribed several antibiotics, including the famous CIPRO, often used in the treatment of anthrax.
However, the MRSA was figuring a way around the antibiotics and launched a very impressive counterattack on my right calf in the form of not one but two lesions. Lab reports confirmed staph.
Fortunately, it was time to go home. My Mexican doctor suggested that I check in at the first stateside hospital that I encountered. I didn't need much encouragement in that direction.
That would be Jacksonville, Florida, where we were scheduled to visit Deidre Heyser, a biologist and friend, who often works as a VIP for the National Park Service. Deidre is to be given full marks for hospitality and courage above and beyond the call of friendship as MRSA is far more contagious than leprosy and can be just as disfiguring. My presence in her apartment would mean that she would have to disinfect everything I touched, from bedding to cutlery. My overnight presence would be necessary as Joan and I had arrived in Jacksonville on Friday night. Friday night is not a good time to go to a hospital emergency room. You will be auditioning for attention with folks who have been on the losing side of a knife fight, spouting blood in a theatric manner.
So the next morning, we inventoried hospitals. It seems that Jacksonville, a city of around 250,000, had a sufficient number, but one stood out; the Mayo Clinic.
Now neighbors, if you grew up in the Midwest as I did, The Mayo Clinic of Rochester, Minnesota was sort of like Lourdes; it's where Garrison Keilor would go if he got sick. Its fame grew beyond the Midwest. Soon Arab Sheiks and Hollywood stars were checking in.
In America, success means expansion, and the Mayo Clinic branched out. One of the branches was, fortunately, in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Mayo Clinic Emergency Room was unlike emergency rooms portrayed in television life. (Or Charity Hospital in New Orleans in real life.) No one was yelling, screaming or bleeding. There was no stern authority figure refereeing Triage.
In fact, I was the only prospective patient in the Emergency Room, which resembled a discreet art gallery than an ER. The affable admissions person inquired if he could be of assistance.
I stated that I had just returned from Southern Mexico and was increasingly being covered with suppurating wounds that would not heal and defied available antibiotics, including Cipro.
This information was tonic to the staff that had visions of putting exotic wisdom acquired in courses on weird tropical ailments to good use. Perhaps Saturday would not be boring after all. Blood Pressure and pulse were taken. Solemn professional concern exhibited. Did I feel faint? Light headed? It seems both blood pressure and pulse were more in keeping with a hibernating Grizzly bear than a live human.
Did I recall being bitten or stung by anything unusual? Spiders, scorpions, that sort of thing. No, can't say I recalled any bites. Bot flies, or Mexico's version of the Brown Recluse spider, and the celebrated "Durango Killer" scorpion were suspected and dismissed.
I was immediately admitted to the hospital. Tests were taken. The Mexican diagnosis of Staph was confirmed. Community Acquired MRSA, to be exact.
At this point, everybody changed into moon suits and treated me cordially, but gingerly. I was given a rather palatial private room in a biohazard secure wing of the hospital.
An intravenous stream of antibiotics was started that finally knocked the MRSA down, though not without a game fight on the part of the Staph bacteria.
At discharge, I asked how Community Acquired MRSA could be prevented. This is not an idle question as CA-MRSA is increasing like home foreclosures and has a yearly mortality rate greater than AIDS. (Lung tissue is like cotton candy to this thing, and if it takes up residence in that area, you are guaranteed a personal interview with Jesus Christ sooner than you had expected.)
Surprisingly, the Mayo people told me there was no magic bullet other than persistent hand washing.
It seems that Staph is common as dirt. We are covered with Staph to a varying degree, which, until recently was not too big of a problem as our own immune system could easily whip it. For the few cases where Staph broke through, Penicillin or some other common antibiotic arrived like the U.S. Cavalry and saved the day.
"Common" turned out to be the problem. Everybody began dishing out antibiotics for anything that ailed you, no matter how trivial. Antibiotics were and are included in livestock feed, particularly for animals in overcrowded, factory farm conditions. The bacteria that survived became tougher and tougher with each generation.
By 2009, common old Staph (now MRSA) was so tough that the Mayo doctors had only a half handful of carefully husbanded antibiotics to treat my case. If they failed, I would have had to rely on Our Lady of Guadalupe or the Reverend Ike.
On the bright side MRSA is exquisitely vulnerable to plain old soap and water, as well as alcohol or Hydrogen Peroxide.
Now hand washing is something you were taught in Kindergarten or by parents. According to the Mayo people, a surprisingly large number of Americans skip this easy defense even after using the toilet (unpleasant thought).
Others flunk Hand washing 101 by not doing it right:
Here, according to Mayo clinic is how to do it:
- Wet your hands with warm running water or use clean bar soap. (The Mayo folks suggest that you NOT use "antibacterial" soap, that plain old soap does the job, and the antibacterial stuff can make the critters tougher)
- Rub your hands vigorously for about 20 seconds or about the time it takes to recite the alphabet (Your editor suggest doing it silently) scrub all surfaces, including the back of the hands, between your fingers and your fingernails.
- Rinse thoroughly and dry with a disposable towel.
- (Next is the less obvious part that often defeats your sanitary actions if you fail to perform it) Use your disposable towel to shut off the faucet and open the door of the restroom (remember all those millions of Americans, who don't wash but need to open that door).
- At this point your friendly NPS or other toilet provider that has installed those electric blow dryers and deprived you of the paper necessary to open the door in a sanitary manner may undo you.
- The lack of paper toweling can be overcome by carrying pocket-sized bottles of alcohol based hand purifier with you. (The Mayo people warn that the hand purifier must contain at least 60% alcohol to be effective.)
- Another good idea, according to the Mayo folks, is keeping a bottle of hydrogen peroxide handy in a daypack or glove compartment to immediately swab minor cuts and abrasions. Thanks to MRSA, "minor" are now a relative term. If you lead a reasonably active life, you are going to get moderately banged up, so disinfect those small cuts before the "flesh eaters" can respond!
Take care and be safe!