Friends of
CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK
Volume 8 No. 1 * Summer 2003
Volume 8 No. 1 * Summer 2003
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Friends of
CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK
Volume 8 No. 1 * Summer 2003 |
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FRIENDS OF CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK What: Installation of bear-proof food lockers Where: Lost Creek Campground When: August 22, 23, 24, 2003 Why: Bears at Crater Lake National Park, and elsewhere, quickly find and become addicted to human food. Once this happens, and it often takes only one incident, the bear will continue to attack any human food source. This includes tents, trailers, ice chests, even your dinner on the table while you are sitting there. The conflict almost inevitably leads to the destruction of the bear by park rangers. It is well established that the installation of bear proof food lockers (and garbage containers) along with strict enforcement regarding the use of lockers and garbage containers, is by far the most effective way to keep bears in the woods eating bear food. Crater Lake National Park is in the process of implementing this strategy. The Friends of Crater Lake is partnering with the park to install the first food lockers. We hope to completely convert Lost Creek Campground to this program during this weekend. In addition to the physical work of digging foundation holes, drilling holes in the concrete foundations, and bolting down the food lockers, Friends will be printing signs and posters, installing them and explaining the program to campers. The park Maintenance staff will be working with us using heavy equipment to place the lockers and to provide "technical advice." We will provide dinner on Friday and Saturday nights at Lost Creek Campground (Folks interested in helping at the camp are needed too). Breakfast and lunch on your own. Camping is available. RV's must use Mazama Campground, and others may use Lost Creek. The Friends House may be available on a reservation basis (contact George Buckingham at 541-783-3136 or email to crlaranger@alwaysonnetworks.com). Those wishing to use the lodge and/or other facilities may certainly commute to Lost Creek. Friday evening is a social get-together and board meeting. We will begin work at 9:00 A.M. Saturday morning and work until we are tired. Saturday evening is more food and social time. Work will commence again on Sunday morning until about noon. Please RSVP George Buckingham or a Board Member soon as possible. We need to make reservations for campsites and purchase food.
Mike Piehl is a retired electrical engineer who worked in microprocessor design, computer systems integration, and systems engineering. He even worked at GM's R&D Center on a Hybrid Vehicle Program and has lived and worked in Venezuela, Taiwan, Turkey, Italy, Belgium, and Germany. He is also on the boards of Umpqua Watersheds, a grassroots environmental group and the Steamboaters, a group of North Umpqua River steelhead fly-fishers, and is a member of the Roseburg District BLM Resource Advisory Committee. In his spare time he pursues his hobbies of nature photography and fishing and enjoys backpacking, camping, and bicycling. This summer he wants to spend some time exploring Wizard Island and looking at the Lake from the inside out. John Salinas first worked as a seasonal interpreter at Crater Lake in 1978. He walked the 'visitor's footsteps' for five years on the trails, boats, campground, and rim, before shifting his duty to resource management, on the lake. Five seasons were spent in the early years of lake monitoring and research in the Park with the two Larsons, Doug and now Gary. Presently, 13 years later, he is still involved in lake monitoring as a part of the lake research crew. Salinas has flown to Wizard Island twice to sample the lake during the winter and spring seasons. He will offer help during the four 'trend weeks' this summer also. Recently, he and his wife, Kathleen, have become members of the Ski Patrol. They are trained in Medic First Aid and CPR and ski safety. Most important, John has involved Rogue Community College students in a Crater Lake Field Study for the past 15 years (300 students) studying the ponds, lake, forest, desert and peaks of the Park. This has kept him interested and involved in discovering the wonders of the Park through the years. He is completing a multiyear project on 're-photographing' the Park by repeating historic photos and printing each to be viewed 'side by side' (NHA funded project). Mike and John are looking forward to helping steer the Friends in the coming years. PRESIDENT'S REPORT At our last Board meeting we discussed the need to refocus the Friends from 90% of our efforts directed to the Centennial toward other park needs. We agreed that Tom Dew and I would meet with the park staff and get their views. Tom and I did that. We had a very good meeting. Subsequent to that meeting I met with a number of park staff and a media/promotion company that the park has contracted with to promote Crater Lake license plate sales. I'd like to skip right over that project just now and cover it later in great depth (see Science and Learning Center story by John Salinas). Suffice to say that this is a BIG deal with huge potential to benefit the park and there is a significant role for the Friends to be a part of this effort. We are staffing the Community House two days per week to promote the Crater Lake License plate. Friends have stepped forward, for which I am very grateful. July and August are covered, but we still need help in September. Give me a call or send e-mail. Following is a summation of our meeting concerning park needs. You will note that working on the license plate sales is near the top of the list. However, this list does not put projects into a priority order, but rather arranges them into "bands," to use Chief Ranger Dave B.'s phraseology. At the brainstorming session that Tom and I attended we made no attempt to put anything into priority order. This list is the park staff's attempt to give some idea of what may be more urgent and /or important than other projects. This is not to say that if someone is anxious to take on a project in the second band that either we or the park will discourage them. This just means that we will concentrate our efforts on the first band, projects we have ongoing that are successful and new ones the park is most interested in. Of course, the park must be in a position to adequately supervise and manage the program. If the park can't do that, then we may have to shift the focus elsewhere. Another desperate need we have is people to coordinate or "champion" some of these projects. Many languish just because no one is "pushing" them. And this is a task that can be accomplished right from your home. With today's communication tools (I'm thinking computers and the Internet) you could be making a major contribution without ever visiting the park. I am NOT discouraging anyone from that wonderful experience! My purpose here is to demonstrate the breadth and depth of park needs upon which the Friends have an opportunity to make a positive impact. The Board cannot do this alone, nor can just a few individuals. We need lots of help. There are lots of people out there who would be eager to participate if they just knew how to go about doing it. Your job is to find them and offer the opportunity to join the Friends of Crater Lake. George E. Buckingham | ||||
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MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS We would like to thank all of you who mailed in checks for your yearly dues. If you laid the reminder aside, please take a moment to fill out the renewal form enclosed and mail it in with your check. You can find your renewal date on your address label. Reminders are sent out to individuals only once a year in the late spring and it will be the only one you will receive. However, we do remind people in each of our newsletters. Keep up-to-date in order to stay on our mailing list and receive newsletters. For those of you who have them, we find e-mail addresses very helpful. We tried something new this year. We sent dues reminders by e-mail to those people whose addresses we have. That included about 42 of you. Thanks for responding. One person suggested we try electronic payments also. We consulted several banks and all of them said that it would cost the person wanting to pay their dues anywhere from $3 to $5 per transaction. We would also have to make our bank account number available. At this point, we are not sure anyone would want to do it with this type of cost involved. Judy Buckingham FRIENDS RECEIVE DONATION Pendleton Woolen Mills, Inc. is celebrating its 140th anniversary this year. As part of that celebration, between September 1, 2003 and December 31, 2003, they are donating a portion of each sale of their Crater Lake blanket to the Friends of Crater Lake. Crater Lake is featured in their 2003-2004 Home catalog. If you have an opportunity, give your personal thanks to the Pendleton Company. FIRE LOOKOUT VOLUNTEER A few years ago, Friends volunteered to staff fire lookouts. The program was temporarily discontinued for reconstruction. This was a very popular program and is now being revived. A few even spent a night or two in the lookouts. Training is given by the park fire staff so you need not worry about what you should or should not do. Radios are, of course, provided. Both fire lookouts (Mt. Scott and The Watchman) are popular destinations for hikers so lookouts are usually busy talking with visitors when not scanning for smokes. This is an ideal location to discuss the role of fire in the ecosystem. The park contact is Todd Jensen at 541-594-3066 or
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ANNUAL MEETING Mark your calendars. The Friends of Crater Lake National Park will celebrate ten years supporting the park at its annual meeting on October 4, 2003. The purpose of the meeting is to review accomplishments of the past year, to chart a course for the next year(s) and elect new members of the Board. Registration begins at 9:30 A.M. at the Community Building in Munson Valley (Steel Circle) with coffee and a snack. Seminars will be offered at 10:00 A.M.. Lunch will be at the Lodge dining room, order off the menu. We will meet in the Community House at 1:30 P.M. for the formal meeting. Those interested in serving as board members or in nominating someone, please contact a board member. Questions, suggestions for the agenda, etc. should be referred to Board President George Buckingham (crlaranger@alwaysonnetworks.com)
THE FRIENDS' STONE HOUSE Well it's not really our house. But we love it like it is ours. It actually belongs to Crater Lake National Park. However, Superintendent Chuck Lundy made a decision to assign the house to the Friends for the summer of 2003. The purpose is to facilitate the efforts of the Friends in providing volunteers to support the various projects in which the Friends are engaged. These projects are identified by the park as high priority in terms of meeting critical park goals and needs. Currently volunteers staffing the Crater Lake License Plate Project, Adopt-a-Trail/Boundary and the Fire Lookout programs are using and/or signed up to use the house. Friends are finding that having a place to cook, eat and sleep right in the park makes volunteering much, much easier and more enjoyable. This house is one of the historic Cascadian architecture homes that has been completely modernized on the inside. We are finding it quite comfortable. It is both comfortable and charming, making for a very special experience. If you have been reluctant to volunteer due to the distance from your home to the park, this may be an answer for you. Of course, reservations must be made in advance. As mentioned above, the house is used primarily for high priority projects. But, even if you are not working on such a project, it doesn't hurt to ask. There just might be room. Contact George Buckingham at crlaranger@alwaysonnetworks.com. | |||
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Friends of Crater Lake Ongoing volunteer opportunities or new projects of higher priority Protect resources, provide visitor information and assistance, maintain trails and protect park boundary integrity by participating in Adopt-a-Trail and Adopt-a-Boundary program. Help spread awareness and support for the Science and Learning Center by providing staffing at Crater Lake Science and Learning Center information / license plate sale's table (Community House). Increase opportunities to assist visitors, contact visitors and disseminate park information by providing roving visitor services on the rim and throughout the park (possibly combine with roving interpretation). Coordinate park alumni's information: maintain alumni's database; capture interest and energy of alumni from Centennial year and use it to increase interest in Friends, volunteer opportunities and future reunions. Increase parks' educational and interpretive presence by providing roving summer interpretation/visitor information at rim overlooks. Provide information and assistance to visitors by staffing winter rim information desk. Assist fire management staff with wild land fire detection and monitoring, and provide visitor information and assistance, by staffing fire lookouts. Expand Adopt a Highway concept into the park and/or assist with a periodic litter cleanup at Rim Village. Provide information and assistance to visitors as host of Lost Creek Campground. Assist with removal of mud rooms from historic 20 series houses to restore their historic appearance and character. Collect seeds from native plants for use in park re-vegetation projects. Participate in re-vegetation of disturbed sites by providing labor to help with re-vegetation of larger sites or by "adopting" smaller sites and taking ownership for successful re-vegetation. Removing exotic plant species from the park, such as annual roadside hand pulling of exotic species. New volunteer opportunities Design and produce brochures on resource and visitor protection programs and on "silent witness" program. Coordinate recruitment and efforts of volunteers from other interested organizations by serving as a clearinghouse or broker for potential volunteers; provide information to interested persons and match potential volunteers with opportunities. Assist NPS rangers in helping educate local Boy Scout and Girl Scout groups on the park mission, their role in stewardship, leave no trace techniques and visitor safety. Continue work, started by Kevin Bacher, on electronic photo database. Contribute new digital photos needed to complete collection; digitize existing photos; create databases; create electronically accessible files of photos. Continue the project, started by John Salinas, of re-taking historic photographs to provide historical vs. modern park conditions and facilities. Increase quality of interpretive programs presented to visitors by inventorying, overhauling and organizing park's collection of 35mm slide files used by interpretive rangers. Provide ongoing support to the park library. Assist with long-term monitoring of natural resources. Assist with special event management and staffing; e.g., ski race, rim run. Assist with parks' recycling program. THE CRATER LAKE SCIENCE AND LEARNING CENTER A major reconstruction at Crater Lake National Park under present consideration is the Crater Lake Science and Learning Center. Its physical facilities, as well as its staff, will someday help to coordinate and support visiting scientists, educators and artists. As long ago as the mid 1980's the need to help visiting scientists was known. Long term ecological monitoring projects as well as projects of shorter duration required that visiting scientists have some place to stay in the park as well as some place to prepare projects and to preserve and protect samples for traveling. Actually, the second part of this was accomplished in the late 1980's with the incorporation of the field water lab into the design and reconstruction of the Canfield Building. If one was to look at the blueprint for the building, there were thoughts of kitchens and dormitories upstairs that never took form. Instead the old superintendents house (House 19) was used until two years ago to house visiting researchers during their short stays in the park. Today, House 19 is uninhabitable and House 20, the old Chief of Interpretation's house, is being used to house visiting researchers. This leaves the park open for creative thought on how to handle this important benefit for visiting scientists in the future. The Crater Lake Science and Learning Center is a plan of action to accomplish several important goals in the park. First, it would be a place for scientists to live and study in the park. This would be a shared area with educators planning and implementing instruction for local elementary, secondary, college and adults through continuing educational opportunities. Secondly, the Science and Learning Center would be a focus for the organization of scientific research coordinated by a science advisor. This advisor would be an NPS employee working to coordinate research in the park. Coupled to this science advisor would be an education coordinator, a second NPS employee, who would likewise coordinate the efforts of creative educational efforts…planning and implementation. Third, the Science and Learning Center would begin with the renovation of both Houses 19 and 20 to provide offices for the park staff to carry out these goals and provide space for scientists and educators to work and live. Is this plan possible? The park administration is planning on using money from many sources to make the dream a reality. Funding sources include fee collection receipts, park base budget, grants, donations and the Crater Lake license plate sales (actually a donation). Most discussed are the proceeds from the Crater Lake Centennial commemorative license plate. This is projected to, hopefully, bring in about two million dollars. Grants from private organizations have helped get the process started and today amount to almost 1.3 million dollars. Reconstruction of Houses 19 and 20 is scheduled to begin in 2004. The missing piece is the operations budget of the Science and Learning Center. The plan is to use the license plate sales, which are administered through the National Park Foundation and the Crater Lake Trust (www.nationalparks.org/craterlake), to establish an endowment fund. Proceeds from that endowment fund will provide the operating budget for the Science and Learning Center. Can we make this Crater Lake dream a reality? Remember our park's founding father's (William Steel) time of perseverance. If we work together, shoulder to shoulder, dreams can be realized and great accomplishments can happen. This piece of the future of Crater Lake National Park ranks right up there with why this area was made a National Park in the first place. Here is a bit of that legislation: "An Act Reserving from the public lands in the State of Oregon, as a public park for the benefit of the people of the United States, and for the protection and preservation of the game, fish, timber, and all other natural objects therein, a tract of land herein described, and so forth, approved May 22, 1902 (32 Stat. 202). … dedicated and set apart forever as a public park or pleasure ground for the benefit of the people of the United States, to be known as "Crater Lake National Park." …That said reservation shall be open, under such regulations as the Secretary of the Interior may prescribe, to all scientists, excursionists, and pleasure seekers…" I hope to see you selling those license plates! THE FRIENDS AND CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK SIGN AGREEMENT For the first time in its ten-year history, the Friends of Crater Lake National Park have a formal agreement with Crater Lake National Park. The document is called a "General Agreement" and was signed by the park Superintendent and the President of the Board on June 28, 2003. The agreement "is for the purpose of providing a basis for agreement, cooperation and assistance between these organizations in the creation, perpetuation and operation of the programs and activities mutually agreed upon." The National Park Service "recognizes the Friends as a partner organization suited to provide financial and voluntary assistance for the benefit of the park." It also agrees to provide assistance to the Friends in pursuit of projects and programs, which are in the interest of the Service. The Friends agree to develop a volunteer recruitment and donation program and to coordinate with the park in planning and execution of projects. All volunteers will complete Volunteer-in-Parks agreements.
General Agreement Between Crater Lake National Park ande Friends of Crater Lake National Park | ||||
George Buckingham, Chiloquin (President)
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World Wide Web http://www.drizzle.com/~rdpayne/foclnp.html http://www.nps.gov/crla/foclnp.htm
Our Address Crater Lake Web Cam http://www.craterlakelodges.com/cratercam.htm In This Issue
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Friends of CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK * Volume 8 No. 1 * Summer 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
