Despite the optimism expressed by Leavitt wartime restrictions took an increasing toll on park operations. Crater Lake was closed during the winter months from 1942-45, and the war years witnessed a drastic curtailment of travel cutbacks in park appropriations, personnel, and visitor services, and difficulty in securing personnel for construction and maintenance work. All snow removal equipment was transferred to the U.S. Army, and the park found it increasingly difficult to secure parts, materials, supplies, gasoline, tires, and fuel oil required for normal operations. The chief ranger and park naturalist undertook the major responsibility for trail repairs and other maintenance work and furnished crews or individual employees to assist the park carpenter, plumber, road foreman, and engineer in their duties. The only unskilled labor the park was able to hire consisted of “a few young boys just old enough to qualify under the age regulations, and a few old men.”
For the first time since 1935 virtually all park employees, except for a minimum number of administrative and protective personnel to secure government property, were moved out of the park when it closed for the winter on November 23, 1942. Many of the personnel were transferred temporarily to Olympic National Park and other western national parks. Equipment and machinery from the park garage were moved to Lava Beds for overhaul and repair by the park mechanic, who was transferred there for the winter. [65]
As the months passed the war had an increasing impact on park operations and administration. During the summer of 1943 Superintendent Leavitt commented on the situation:
Crater Lake was just beginning to realize the returns from seven years of year-around operation. The administrative, protection, construction and maintenance forces were built up to a point where an efficient organization for summer operation was assured, which served as a nucleus around which to build the seasonal summer force. With the closing of the park for the winter, the protective and maintenance divisions have been so greatly reduced in numbers that we are now facing the difficult task of protection of the park with a very limited force of trained and efficient personnel . As war conditions have brought this about, we face our problems cheerfully, determined to do the best we can with what we have. [66]
In May 1944 Acting Superintendent Richard J. Smith elaborated further on the effects of the war on park operations:
1. Instead of an all-year park as in prior years, snow removal operations have been discontinued and the park permitted to become blocked by snow during the winter season from approximately November 1 to June 15. Our snow removal equipment was loaned to the U.S. Army.
2. Park travel declined from 273,564 visitors during 1941 to 100,079 in 1942, and to 27,656 in 1943. Of the 27,656 visitors in 1943, 6,392 were members of the armed forces.
3. The park permanent staff has been reduced from 25 to 9 permanent employees, including the complete abolishment of the interpretative division for the war s duration, and administrative, protective, maintenance, repair and operation services curtailed to a minimum basis. The entire park organization is devoted primarily to protection of the park from fire during the summer months.
4. Surplus trucks, tools, equipment and supplies were transferred to war agencies.
5. For the duration of the war the park concessioner has suspended all public service operations in the park–transportation, lodging, meals, boat service, etc.
6. Special courtesy and consideration has been given to the men and women of the armed forces who find it possible to visit the park.
