Thank you for the wonderful article “Old but
Faithful,” about the Coalition of National Park Service
Retirees.
I agree with this group’s fight against
commercialization, too many fees, and fees that are too high in our
national parks. I cannot for the life of me understand how Holly
Fretwell, of the Libertarian-oriented Property and Environment
Research Center, can advocate higher fees when park attendance is
dropping and surveys show that minorities and those with little
money are not coming to our national parks. Why High Country News
did not properly identify the organization that Ms. Fretwell works
for I don’t know. Reporters should clearly identify those
they quote so readers are aware of their political leanings.
One issue not mentioned in the article is that many Park
Service employees who approve of commercialization and private
exploitation of our park system have been placed in positions of
authority. In many parts of the agency, people of this persuasion
are now in charge.
One can only hope those employees who
want to protect the parks “unimpaired for the enjoyment of
future generations” win the battle for the soul of the
National Park Service.
Brandt
Mannchen
Chair, Big Thicket Committee Lone Star
Chapter, Sierra Club Houston, Texas
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Winning hearts and minds — in the National Park Service.
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