During the mid-1960s the National Park Service adopted administrative policies based on management-by-objective standards. In September 1964 park management at Crater Lake prepared management objectives to achieve and implement the overall NPS management objectives. The park objectives, which may be seen in Appendix E, were approved in December and served as the basis for park administrative policy and strategy for the next decade. [77]
The issue of establishing a year-round park headquarters again became a topic of considerable discussion during the late 1950s and early 1960s. Sites under consideration included Medford, the south entrance, and Fort Klamath. For years the superintendent’s office had been maintained at Medford year-round with the superintendent and his secretary moving to park headquarters generally from mid-June to mid-October. By 1959 the dual headquarters arrangement had become “burdensome and inefficient.” Duplication of effort occurred frequently and travel and communication costs were increasing constantly. These factors led NPS Associate Director Eivind Scoyen on March 17, 1959, to issue a field decision that the Medford and park headquarters offices be consolidated into year-round administrative headquarters at Munson Valley.
During the next several years various discussions were held and studies conducted to assess the cost feasibility of the projected move and determine its impact on park operations and facilities. On July 27, 1961, Superintendent Yeager submitted his analysis of the move, concluding that the office consolidation should take place. In his analysis Yeager addressed the issue of employee morale amid winter hiving conditions:
In general I find very little opposition to winter hiving conditions in the park. This is especially true of those families living in the new two-story multiple unit quarters where the living area is on the second floor. In most all cases where resentment of winter living exists, it is due to crowded substandard residences. Even so, employee and employee family morale is as high as it has been in other parks where I have lived. I do not believe the winter snow condition adversely affects morale any more here than the continued desert temperatures or continual overcast weather affects the morale in Lake Mead, Mount Rainier, or Glacier. It does depress a few individuals but not the group as a whole.
Yeager continued his analysis by listing five reasons why he supported the consolidation:
- Munson Valley was by far the best location from an operational standpoint since more than one-third of the permanent park staff would have to be kept there in any event.
- It was established policy to keep the park road to the rim open for winter visitors and winter visitation was increasing.
- Office consolidation would make park operations more efficient since the park administrative officer and personnel assistant kept their offices in Medford year-round, thus depriving the superintendent of their services and assistance during the season of highest park activity.
- Consolidation would result in reduced operations costs.
- The park organization was small and could best be operated from one point with essential protection facilities dispersed where necessary.
