Superintendent Sparrow committed the efforts of the park staff to enforcement of these regulations. In his annual report for 1917 Sparrow discussed park resource management highlights for the year. He observed that wild animals were becoming more numerous in the park. He stated further:
The park abounds in black and brown bear, black-tailed deer, cougar, lynx, timber wolves, coyotes, pine marten, fisher, several varieties of squirrels, ringtail grouse, the common pheasant, Clark crow, and numerous varieties of birds common to the country at large.
There are no fish in any of the waters of the park except the lake itself and Anna Creek, below the falls. Crater Lake is abundantly supplied with a fine quality of rainbow trout. . . . The fish are large and the flesh is firm. A few have been taken 25 to 28 inches long, weighing from 6 to 7 pounds.
One small forest fire occurred in the park this season, but it was brought under control before any damage was done. There were many fires outside and at some distance from the park, particularly to the southwest. At times the view of the lake was entirely obliterated by the dense clouds of smoke that rolled in from these fires, but an east wind for a few hours always cleared the atmosphere.
Sparrow observed “that a very few wild flowers” had been observed in the park. There had been no wild flowers in the park since 1902, “the sheep that ranged over this region before the creation of the park having utterly destroyed the wild-flower growth.” [2]
The commitment to restore the flora of the park brought park management into conflict with regional wool growers. In May 1917 area sheepherders sought a permit to graze 7,000 head of sheep in the park. The request was denied promptly by the Park Service. In responding to the sheepherders, Acting NPS Director Horace M. Albright stated:
In reply, I would advise you that we are considering plans for opening Crater Lake Park to the grazing of cattle and horses, and will undoubtedly be prepared to issue permits covering the privilege of grazing these animals within a short time.We can not, however, under any circumstances, act favorably upon applications for the grazing of sheep in the park. Sheep are not only very obnoxious to tourists, but they absolutely destroy wild flowers and shrubs which we are particularly anxious to preserve in the parks. [3]
Later that year Mather vigorously defended the Park Service policy of disallowing sheep grazing and restoring the flora in the park:
Many years ago, before the creation of this park, the lower slopes of ancient Mount Mazama and the entire area now reserved and dedicated for park purposes were utilized for the grazing of sheep with the result that the flora of the region was practically destroyed. After the lapse of a quarter century flowers are still exceedingly rare, and it will require the expenditure of much time and money to restore even a small portion of its lost species of plant life. Few places accessible to the public today illustrate more forcibly the destructive action of sheep grazing on high mountain lands than does Crater Lake Park. [4]
By the early 1920s the park wildflowers had been largely restored as a result of Park Service policy. It was reported in 1921 that the park wildflowers presented “such a temptation to wild flower loving visitors that it was necessary to post signs to prevent the depletion of some species.” [5] Two years later Superintendent Thomson reported that wildflowers were on the increase in the park, “miles of our roadway being fairly banked with colorful blossoms and the forest glens carpeted with literally hundreds of acres of wild flowers.” [6]
In 1918 Sparrow initiated a program to exterminate certain predators in the park as a means of encouraging the growth of the deer and small mammal populations. Cougar, lynx, timber wolves, and coyotes were the objects of the extermination program. That year Sparrow was pleased to announce that deer and bear were growing in numbers and becoming “quite tame.”
