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2018
February 14 2018 Erika Clements, UPS driver, spots a young wolf standing on a snowbank along the South Road. As she drove around a corner she saw what appeared to be a dog digging in the snow. The wolf jumped down from the snowbank and walked around her delivery truck before jumping onto the snow on the other side of the road. It is presumed the wolf must have been young, given it was so curious about her truck. Erika snapped a photo of the wolf that appeared in the H/News KFalls – Sunday, February 18, 2018.
March 18 2018 Rangers and EMTs respond to a 71- year old heart attack victim in the Rim Village parking lot. Two ambulances, two emergency park vehicles, and a helicopter out of Ashalnd responded. After nearly two hours of a very valiant effort, CPR did restore his pulse, but it was decided to send the helicopter back and to transport by land so that CPR could be maintained. The patient’s daughter was a RN and had begun CPR immediately.
April 5 2018 A new concessionaire will take over visitor services at Crater Lake National Park and Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve effective Nov. 1. The National Park Service announced Tuesday the selection of Crater Lake Hospitality LLC, a subsidiary of Aramark, to operate visitor services at both of the popular facilities. The new concessioner will operate lodging, including Crater Lake Lodge, Mazma campground, boat tours, food service and retail operations at Crater Lake. At Oregon Caves, it will operate the Chateau, along with food services and retail operations.
Crater Lake Hospitality replaces Xanterra Parks and Resorts, which has managed concession services at Crater Lake for 15 years, and Oregon Caves Outfitters, which has managed Oregon Caves services for 17 years. Aramark is a major concession operator that manages several national parks, including Yosemite. (MMT)
April 7 2018 H&N reports: Acting superintendent Denniston reports that Crater Lake appeared on its way to eclipsing the record 756,000 people who visited the park in 2016 until two fires, the Spruce Lake and Blanket Creek, began in late July. Smoke from the fires obscured lake views, forced the cancellation of many boat tours, and resulted in evacuation warnings, but no actual evacuations. Even with the fires and other problems created by ongoing road construction and events that forced the park to import water for two months, Denniston said unofficial figures indicate Crater Lake had 712,000 visitors last year, the second highest figure in park history. In 2016, economic studies indicate visitors spent $65.3 million in nearby communities, supported 1,100 jobs and generated a cumulative benefit to the regional economy of $89.4 million. The average winter snowfall is 524 inches. As of late last week, the seasonal snow total was about 300 inches, or two-thirds of average. In 2017, when a snowy winter dumped 578 inches, opening of the North Entrance Road, which often is cleared by Memorial Day, was delayed. The Crater Lake license plate program has generated about $5.3 million, with much of those funds used to support the Classroom at Crater Lake program. More than 400,000 Crater Lake license plates have been sold since the program began in 2002.
May 1 2018 Single-vehicle entrance fee would climb from $15 to $25 for a seven-day pass, while the park’s annual pass would be upped from $30 to $50. The current rate of $10 per individual and $10 per motorcycle would increase to $12 for an individual and $20 for a motorcycle. (Mail Tribune)
America the Beautiful Passes, which are honored at all federally managed land units, would not be affected by the proposed fee increase and will remain at $80 for the regular pass, $80 for the lifetime Senior Pass (or $20 for an annual Senior Pass) and free for the Access and Military passes. Individual entrance fees are not charged for people younger than 16 or holders of any of the listed passes.
Planned this year are several trail projects, including accessibility improvements to the Godfrey Glen Trail, replacement of pavement markings for visitor safety, work toward replacing the failed Cleetwood Cove bulkhead, and replacement of the historic entrance signs at the western and southern park boundaries.
Superintendent Ackerman noted the park “is a strong economic engine for the region and local communities.” In 2016, more than 756,343 park visitors contributed $65.3 million to the regional economy and supported 1,101 tourism-related jobs. He said previous fee increases have not negatively affected visitation levels. Time cost has been increased from $20 to $30.
May 2018 Based on a new National Park Service report, the nearly 712,000 people who visited Crater Lake in 2017 spent $59.9 million. The study says that spending supported 981 jobs in regional communities and had a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $80.6 million. (H/News)
May 25 2018 The West Rim Drive and North Entrance roads open just in time for the Memorial Day weekend. The unsually early road opening was made possible because of the warm spring weather and an unsually low snowpack.
July 2018 A Grants Pass man, Evan Metz, is fined more than $60,000 for driving more than 3 miles off road on the Pumic Desert. 90% of the plants in the area were killed, including 15 of the 16 native species that grow in the Pumice Desert. He drove in circles as a friend took pictures, creating a disturbance that reached a foot deep.
“It’s certainly discouraging and concerning because it’s our job to protect those resources,” said Marsha McCabe. “And those resources are delicate and fragile anyway, and so to have unnecessary damage occur to them is certainly makes us sad.”
The issue of off-road drivers is on the rise, according to park officials. In 2019, seven off-road incidents have been reported. Five of the drivers have been cited. (Medford Mail Tribune)
July 30 2018 Timber Crater 6 fire has burned 3126 acres and Timber Crater 10 fire has burned 193 acres burning into the Desert Creek Nataural area in the NE corner of the Park.
In mid-July, a lightning storm passed through southern Oregon, igniting multiple fires in the drought-stressed forest in and around Crater Lake National Park. Firefighters quickly contained most of these fires but several grew together and became the Timber Crater 6 Fire.
It was projected to grow as large as 20,000 acres. Instead, fuels treatments in Crater Lake National Park and on the Fremont-Winema National Forest were used to contain the fire in less than three weeks at just 3,126 acres. Ultimately, these treated areas were critical in keeping the wildfire shorter in duration, less costly, safer for firefighters, less threatening to private property, and with fewer smoke and economic impacts to local communities. https://vimeo.com/287892212
September 16 2018 H&N – The number of summer visitors to Crater Lake National Park has dropped for the second consecutive year because of smoke from wildfires. Park Superintendent Craig Ackerman says wildfires inside and outside of the park kept people away during July and August, traditionally the park’s two busiest months.
The Bend Bulletin reports that visitation in July dropped by 22 percent from the prior July. Visitation in August was down nearly 17 percent compared to the previous August.
Ackerman says there were days when the smoke reached levels considered hazardous to breathe and made it hard for visitors to see the iconic lake.
October 30 2018 Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Park concessionier since 2002, bows out of their concession contract with Crater Lake National Park.
October 29 2018 Following a Sunday night storm that deposited about 5 inches of snow at Crater Lake’s visitor center, park officials decided Monday to close Rim Drive and the North Entrance Road, which were scheduled to be closed for the winter beginning Thursday. (MMT)
November 12018 Crater Lake Hospitality, LLC, a subsidiary of Aramark, to operate visitor services at both National Park Service units. The concessioner will operate lodging, including the Crater Lake Lodge, a campground, boat tours, food service and retail operations at Crater Lake. At Oregon Caves, it will operate the Chateau along with food services and retail operations.
Crater Lake Hospitality replaces Xanterra Parks and Resorts, which has managed concession services at Crater Lake for 15 years, and Oregon Caves Outfitters, which has provided services at Oregon Caves for 17 years. Aramark is a major concession operator that manages several national parks, including Yosemite. (Herald and News)
November 6 2018 An employee at Crater Lake National Park is suing the National Park Service, alleging his co-workers have repeatedly used slurs demeaning his Native American heritage and supervisors failed to respond to his complaints. Jamie Summers, in his defamation lawsuit recently filed in federal court in Portland, is seeking $2 million in damages and a court order barring the defendants from allowing the hostile work environment to ensue. Summers, who has worked at Crater Lake since October 2012 as an engineering equipment operator, does snow removal and road maintenance at the popular tourist destination. He says he was fearful for his safety because of his co-workers’ constant barrage of disparaging remarks, and the habitual harassment caused him health problems. Despite his complaints, his supervisors never initiated any investigations and failed to curb the discriminatory behavior, leading Summers to become so stressed he couldn’t come to work at times, the suit says. (Oregonian Live)
December22 2018 Due to the lapse in federal appropriations, the Steel Visitor Center and all government facilities and services at the park are closed. Highway 62 remains open through the park. The road to park headquarters is currently open and is being plowed periodically. Conditions are subject to change quickly at Crater Lake, so closures are possible during this period.
The road from Park Headquarters to Rim Village is not being plowed. The road to Rim Village is open, but it will be closed as soon as driving conditions become unsafe due to snow accumulation.(CLNP website)
Winter season 2018 For the first time in Crater Lake’s history the Park will begin charging entrance fees year-round at the Annie Springts Entrance station. The park entrance fee will be reduced from $25 to its winter fee of $15 per car or motorcycle and $10 per person. Fees will be collected at the Annie Creek Entrance Station or at park headquarters. Annual passes, good for one year from the date of purchase, can be purchased for $50. Passes are good both for Crater Lake and Lava Beds National Monument. Lava Beds passes are also accepted at Crater Lake. The cost for an America the Beautiful Pass, good for entrance to all national parks for one year from time of purchase, is $80.
Season 2018 Park entrance fees increased from $15 to $20. The entrance fee will eventually be increased to $25 at an undetermined date. (H/N)
Seaon 2018 Annual visitation: 720,659
Season 2018 Annual Budget: $5,547,00
Total spending was around $20 million for overall obligations counting special projects, repairs, construction, donations, etc.
Total FTE employees is 74, just as it was in 1994. That’s permanent positions (46) plus fractions for either term and seasonal appointments. The sequestration of 2013 effectively led to trimming back the staff to previous levels, except that in the end Maintenance lost positions and natural resources gained them. The same for 2017 and 2019 apparently.
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