We had these remote parks with no outside contacts. I think we needed to go beyond the superintendent, and in some ways Rotary isn’t sufficient, but it was at least a first step. A good way to get those contacts going.
In some areas it is easier to connect with the outside than others. Take the superintendent at Olympic, for example. He can just swing into that mode real easy. Here at North Cascades it is relatively simple. I was able to bring John Reynolds in and introduce him, so it wasn’t long before he was active (31). I also got Bill Paleck involved in Rotary here (32). It pays dividends. When it comes to public support why, hey, the public can feel warmer toward you. Another advantage is that we’re not dropping our plan on them cold turkey like we used to do when we made the decisions in-house. We are communicating what our mutual needs are on a regular basis in trying to work together. It’s much easier to get them to help you when you are friends, at least acquaintances.
Was there any thought about a friends group at Crater Lake while you were superintendent?
The first I heard of “friends” or something like this, was while I was at Crater Lake. But this was something that was initiated at Santa Monica Mountains in California, where it was probably resulted from budget constraints. At least that is where I first heard of such a thing. They felt they needed more money to do some of the projects that they wanted to get done. I think they initiated a catalog where people could donate so much money for a particular cause and it would be used for that purpose. Some of us looked at it with some skepticism, going out to the private sector. It seemed to catch on at the Golden Gate, but we didn’t really see much of it in this region until a little later. I know they have a friends group at Crater Lake now and it is probably working very well. This is something that came of age. While I was there, there were people who I made a special effect to contact because of their known interest and past support of Crater Lake. It wasn’t for any particular funding but just to gain their support and keep them informed. They expressed many years of interest and concern- – but not as an organization body, the climate wasn’t quite right yet. As far as external bodies, there was just the NHA board.
I’d like to back up to when you were appointed superintendent of Crater Lake in 1978. What were the circumstances behind that?
Okay! Well, I think we have covered a little bit of the background with the group office in Klamath Falls. During that period, of course, there was the water system fiasco that got national attention. Out of that grew some special project and funding for improved water and sewage utilities at Crater Lake. We gained a water treatment specialist for testing the water system. We also acquired a water lab which you probably still have going. We even gained a full time nurse on the staff.
