Scam America – Redux

- SALES IS AS AMERICAN AS APPLE PIE -

Amid the many concerns about fees, snowmobiles, shooting elk, diminishing budgets, reduced staff, low visitation, and a myriad other issues; there is one constant and nearly silent threat that is relentlessly pushing forward into our national parks.

Privatized Commercialization: the insidious and creeping attack on a system that used to be the model for the world. Attention is given to this attack by the press on slow news days. Activists notice only when their pet ox is about to get gored. The blog sphere finds it useful for an occasional note. And the American public is absolutely oblivious.

Americans are a wonderful target for the slick marketing of advertising; and often-times don’t even know when they are being “SOLD” something.

Such is the case with the “NEW,” “EXCITING,” “CONVENIENT,” and “EFFICIENT,” reservation system touted by the Feds. This brings national resources to the monitor – just click. (I wonder who pays the development costs and hosting fees and maintenance bills?)

As noted by Scott Silver in Wild Wilderness, This “NEW” system was actually founded two decades ago as a software development company.

YEOWEE, girlfriend, did they develop! Now they are the interagency one-stop shop for campground reservations. They are a “Partner” busy selling things that aren’t even theirs. In fact they are the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ stepchild of the TICKETMASTER CORPORATION.

This is as American as it gets! This is also as insidious as it gets! There are eleven governmental agency ‘partners’ that are listed. Bless their hearts, they don’t have to spend money on a reservations staff now.

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These guys are good. The site design is similar to the ‘official’ NPS site, (and other dot gov sites,) the vocabulary is reminiscent of nothing so much as “agency speak” and “park speak,” and the design symbols shriek “MY GOVERNMENT IS HELPING ME!”

This is a convenient site, it has news, and it even has a nice map with dots to click on. It’s easy to excuse this as just one way my government is helping me – - – right into a fully privatized National Park System.

This is tough stuff. This is hard core. This is reminiscent of the case in Yellowstone.

For more than a decade the winter use plan for Yellowstone has focused on “the snowmobile problem” and ignored access for people.

This has allowed the purveyors of tanks and buses and vans to slip into the door with giant fees and diesel engines and the dictation of winter use activities. The unthinking NPS and other AMERICANS have bought it. Good sales. Bad policy.

The National Park Service just loves this kind of ‘partnership.’ They can abrogate their responsibility along with their concern for either the parks or the public.

Magicians and marketeers and entrepreneurs love this slight of hand. Look at the right hand & I’ll do it to you with my left. Soon, there will be a sticky web of deceit that we think is “our government” – but really it’s just a disguised tour business. Will there be ‘overbooking’ like the airlines? Will there be accurate descriptions? Will there be any deceit at all? Of course not, our government agencies are ‘partners.’

This is not new. This is old. The Northern Pacific Railroad did it to begin the infiltration of Yellowstone, and it’s been going on ever since. It happened in the early history of Niagara Falls and continues to the recently added casino. And it will continue to happen. It’s American as apple pie. We just love the convenience. And we’re suckers for slick marketing – just ask Xanterrible.

Interesting Reading:

Commodification of Nature
Make The Parks Profitable ??
Monopoly Reservation Contract
Outsourcing America The Beautiful

Yellowstone Planning – - Perpetual Employment

THEY JUST DON’T GET IT

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The plan is done. The preferred is stated. It stinks, in all ways. I just figured out why there is a continuous planning process about winter use in Yellowstone National Park. It’s a simple thing: if you keep getting it wrong, you’ll have to do it again. The fact that Yellowstone has a history of getting it wrong just bespeaks of a need for guaranteed employment.

The furor over the ’snowmobile issue’ is rattling all cages except the right ones. For a synopsis check the National Parks Traveler: “Yellowstone’s Snowmobile Dreams” and “Worldwide Interest In Yellowstone Snowmobile Issue.” For good coverage of the details check out the New West piece by ‘Scott in Cody,’ and the piece in the Jackson Hole News & Guide.

Well, I guess that ignoring your own research is one way to attract attention. The next round of law suits and clamor will just mean more of my $$$$ wasted and more jobs.

With the continued focus on “THE SNOWMOBILE ISSUE” the more important underlying issue of winter access is being ignored. And, the most sensible approach will be lost to view again.

The road from Mammoth to Silver Gate is passable with wheeled vehicles all year, (with some intermittent interruptions.) The road from West Yellowstone to Big Sky travels through the park and is a year round road. Why do the planners demand that the road from West Yellowstone to Old Faithful be reserved for their pet concessionaires who have perpetuated the myth that over-the-snow travel is best? Jobs, of course – they don’t want to solve the problem – they want to preserve their jobs.

As long as inefficient vehicular modes of transportation, (snowmobiles, snowcoaches, snow vans, and snow buses,) are used; pollution levels will never come down to optimum levels – AND access will be limited to the wealthy. Is this really what the NPS wants? Is this what the thinking public wants? Or, is this what the loudest cheerleaders want?

The simple and sensible solution is to plow the road. Perhaps the anticipation of warmer climates, less snow, and public outcry will eventually convince the planners to do the right thing. I doubt it! Because then what would they have to do? Something productive?

ASK HIM WHY. They shoot snowmobilers – don’t they?

NPS PHOTO

Yellowstone’s Invisible Smog

IT’S A SMALL, SMALL WORLD

Well, I’m not going to get a cold day for a baseline check against the pre-season calibration curve. So a first final approximation was run on the models. [Blogging will be brief for a time as the computer cranks away and I try to make some sense of the numbers.]

Trace elements from various combustion processes are the key to the corridor models and the variations are small – the compounds are too – relatively.

Results from the first final approximation confirm some hypotheses, deny none, and suggest further testing and measurement for others.

With this year’s small increase in snowmobile traffic I now have a basis for comparison to previous “slack year” results. The continued increase in bus, van, coach, and other mass conveyances is also showing some interesting spikes in the trace element analysis.

Without going into great detail, (or stretching the data – yet,) I have some observations to share. These are as far as my contractual stipulations will let me go at this time.

1.} Overall compound, elemental, and particulate densities have risen in the diesel and conventional spectra.

2.} Unburned hydrocarbon and visible spectra indicators are down a significant amount.

3.} The emission levels of diesel combustion byproducts are significant, increasing, and invisible. They include: (excluding the volatile air products such as formaldehyde and acetaldehyde: most of the compounds of diesel combustion are found in the gas phase rather than the particulate phase and are) – benzene, formaldehyde, naphthalene, chlorolbenzene, hexavalent chromium, and traces of various mercury – zinc – and lead compounds that exist as singular or multivalent ephemerals.

4.} The gasoline combustion byproducts are, as expected, higher with the increase in additional hours and duration of gasoline engines.

5.} The combined byproduct curves of invisible particulates and volatile air gases are within the predicted ’significant’ range for daily minimums of toxicity and both adsorption and absorption for pathological results on the coronary artery.

Although research is slim in this area the increase suggests that the combination of diesel and gasoline in winter usage may have significant health affects for park visitors.

6.} Most of the identified compounds are produced in engines, (both diesel & gasoline,) operating outside their optimal, or design parameters, (for you car nuts this means high RPM inefficiency and low RPM inefficiency; “Over revving,” or “Lugging.”)

This result points to the inappropriate use of automotive engines for conversion vehicles in over-the-snow travel. Although remedies for this are outside the scope of this study at this time, the need for efficient and appropriate winter vehicles is a consideration that has been ignored in the BAT regulations.

The use of contemporary modern vehicle engines designed for automotive vehicles does reduce the suite of emissions under ideal test conditions. Yet, there is neither an engine nor catalytic conversion system that is efficient in the observed results of this study during actual winter travel conditions.

7.} The siting of the fixed monitoring stations is a key element in the spurious results of diminished pollutant levels. The transportation corridors are, in effect, linear micro climates that are both produced by, and modified by engine operating conditions; and the time spent by engines in inefficient operation contributes to the particulate and volatile air components of the pollution. In simple terms this means that starting and stopping frequently is a major contributor to the pollution.

The final analysis will be ready in about six weeks – maybe a bit more. I can not be more specific at this time because of contractual agreements. One thing is clear, however; the road to a cleaner Yellowstone area in winter is going to be very, very long if continued use of conventional vehicles modified for over-the-snow travel is the standard. These vehicles are, by their nature – (converted to over-the-snow conveyances,) inefficient – and the pollution will increase as their numbers increase. The same holds true for the Bombardier Snow Bus. The inefficient 1930’s track system can only be improved marginally by the addition of modern gasoline engines.

The simplistic approach to pollution that requires visibility as a standard is wrong. As annoying as the smoke of two cycle combustion is – - – it’s not the most dangerous element in the region adjacent to Yellowstone.

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Air pollution used to be defined as something you could see and smell. But as air quality standards have tightened, the air over most localities has gradually cleared. Nevertheless, invisible toxic agents such as ethyl benzene, butadiene and styrene continue to pose risks to public health. These small and invisible agents are increasing in the Yellowstone region.

Much of the data collected for this study is based on the UV detectors developed in England. The system consists of a transmitter that projects a UV (ultraviolet) beam generated by a deuterium lamp across an open path of between 10 – 200 meters to a receiver.

Based on the principle that gases have characteristic “spectral fingerprints,” or in other words absorption lines in the 200 – 300 nanometer UV range. The system uses a patented fourier transform spectrometer to scan the beam for up to 20 toxic and environmentally harmful gases in low parts per billion levels. Although the majority of applications are for fixed installations, the system used here is mobile and can detect transverse as well as linear data. Just aim it like a big radar gun.

Well, it’s late and I’m just plain pooped. More with be forthcoming as time permits.

Are You 30,000

THANKS FOR VISITING

After 6 months I noticed that the blog is about to hit 30,000 visitors. That’s big for a local fact sheet – very small for the real blogs, though.

The Target Shooting pages get twice as many hits as the Yellowstone pages, the Yellowstone pages are about equal with Girl Stuff and Fly Fishing. The visitors per day continue to grow, and the page views have gone through the roof.

The staff find it annoying, others seem to find something useful. There are some more Yellowstone pages and some Hunter Class Benchrest pages. I’ve just not progressed enough in the photography department to post, and I’ve removed that section and tags.

….. Luv’ya, skyblu

Static & Iconic Yellowstone

LETS FREEZE TIME
AND
‘OLD FAITHFUL’ WHILE WE’RE AT IT !

A delightful little post in National Parks Traveler gives, (at least me,) insight into the enduring values of some key players in the Grizzly Bear delisting drama.

Deputy Interior Secretary Lynn Scarlet is quoted as saying:

“The grizzly’s remarkable comeback is the result of years of intensive cooperative recovery efforts between federal and state agencies, conservation groups, and individuals. There is simply no way to overstate what an amazing accomplishment this is.”

On the other hand, Louisa Willcox, who directs the NRDC’s Wild Bears Project, is quoted as saying:

“Grizzlies are part of the natural heritage that is shared by all Americans. Yellowstone and its wildlife have a special place in our history and in the hearts and minds of millions of people. If the grizzlies die out, it would be like Old Faithful running dry. Healthy bear populations mean that the land is healthy. It means that remaining pieces of wilderness will be here for our children and our grandchildren.”

Now there’s a pair to draw to. I prefer a more realistic view of our universe and the small bits of it that we call “National Parks.” It is certainly good to try and maintain a diversity of species. And my values suggest that a grizzly is a very important thing to try and preserve.

Dear, dear, Louisa: I would celebrate the occasion of “Old Faithful Running Dry.” I promise you that it will. Is that so tragic?

And if it’s here for your grandchildren, it most assuredly will be different than you remember it. Is that also a tragedy?

The problem with an icon is that it’s static. I don’t like the idea of a static Yellowstone. That would not be the way that I understand how the universe works. I shudder to think that the NRDC wants it that way. Now, that is a tragedy.

Dear, dear Louisa: try to celebrate change, dynamism, interrelationships, complexity, and the joy of the unexpected. If that’s too hard; go see “Yellowstone” at the Imax Theater. Old Faithful is the same every time at the movies. It does not run dry.

Dear, dear Louisa; losing the grizzly would be far more tragic that the drying up of Old Faithful. We can do something about the one, and should do nothing about the other.

My fear is not that Old faithful will run dry, (for it surely will,) rather it’s that the NPS will rapidly install plumbing to “RESTORE” it to it’s once natural splendor. I will rant against that. Many cheerleaders will want the plumbing. Go figure.

NPS PHOTO OF THE DRY CONE OF OLD FAITHFUL

Watch Wolves Watch You

A “NATURAL” WONDER OF YELLOWSTONE

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Full Disclosure: I’m glad that there are wolves in Yellowstone.

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‘I just love nature.’ Look at the wild animals.’ Where are the wolves today?” Mommy, I got to pee!’ These and other exclamations are a regular part of Yellowstone’s landscape. And, it’s true, we’re all part of ‘nature.’

The joys of nature extolled by cheerleaders for nature, however, are not available on the roads of Yellowstone. They must be enjoyed away from the developed population centers and away from habituated wildlife. They are as rare in Yellowstone as anywhere, and getting more rare by the year.

Even the wolves, wild as we like to believe that they are, are now developing behaviors that take civilization in to account. They are becoming habituated to crowds. Soon they will become habituated to individuals. Soon they will enjoy the seemingly docile habituated elk at Mammoth. Soon people will be feeding them. The ‘guides’ have not stopped this problem. They get their nature lovers as close to the wolves as possible. Can they be counted on to show restraint? Can nature lovers and cheerleaders?

The wolves have collars; the better to track them. They have immunity; the better to save them. They have cheerleaders and fans; the better to attract dollars to Yellowstone’s parasitic guide industry. They have developed an increased awareness of humans; the better to watch you.

Let’s see now, we’re going to watch wild wolves. How do we find them? Easy, just pay some money to a guide that has the right connections and he/she/it will take us there. Or, just stop and join the crowd with the biggest lenses.

Wow the excitement of discovery! We will drive to the right spot, set up our tripods, attach our hunk of fancy glass and enjoy nature. Did you bring your chair? I’m glad the road’s here – that way we don’t have to stand in the snow.

We can watch wolves in their natural habitat. Why aren’t they eating the elk that they killed? Are we too many? Are we too close? Why are they just laying there and not hunting? What’s wrong with them? Can’t they kill something? By the time they decide to eat, the ravens and eagles will have all the best parts. Wow this is raw nature. Look, they are all looking at us. Do you think they know we’re here? Maybe they’ll kill something else.

Oh look, the nice rangers moved the dead elk away from the road. Now maybe they’ll eat it. I just love the pictures of big wolves with blood all over their faces. Maybe I can sell some to National Geographic. Maybe they’ll kill something else.

This is soooo exhilarating. The quiet of the vastness of Yellowstone; the sublime joys of walking in the woods; the thrill of seeing wild animals in their natural surroundings; the rejuvenation of a truly wild place; this is what our parks should be. I wish there were fewer cars on this road – can’t they do something about that? Are you coming over for dinner tonight? We can have roast beef and a big salad. Don’t forget the wine. They’re just laying there – still – what’s wrong? Maybe they’ll kill something else.

Let me use your cell phone, I want to hear about the joys of Yellowstone from that sweet little girl ranger – she’s just so adorable. Can we get the little lectures at home? What are the wolves doing now? Maybe they’ll kill something else.

I just love nature!

DON’T BELIEVE IT’S TRUE? CLICK HERE!

NOT CONVINCED? CLICK THIS ONE!

Of Wolves, Bison, Elk, Iraq, & Yellowstone

AN EXIT STRATEGY IS MANDATORY

Just because a thing can be done, does not mean it should be done. The pertinence of history and historic example is more poignant today in Yellowstone than it has ever been.

Just because the National Park Service could eliminate predators to save the “good” animals, doesn’t mean that they should have. But they did. They did it, and the unintended result was the proliferation of critters that ate up the park. They had no “EXIT STRATEGY.” They did not plan the end game.

A contemporary parallel is the war in Iraq. We don’t know when we’ve won, because we didn’t plan the end game. The end game defines the winner. Another case in point with a lingering consequence is the sad way the United States has treated the Native Americans. Neither side has won. Outcomes can include ‘both sides winning,’ but it must be planned for in order for success to be achieved.

Americans and the National Park Service are still dealing with the removal of predators because the consequences have lingered.

It’s time to define the end game! The introduction by the USFWS of wolves has had a fairly well defined end game. It is being played out today. The recalcitrant minds in Wyoming should have started their lawsuits 10 years ago – they knew then the end game and the final move. They refused.

Part of the elk problem in Yellowstone has been solved by the wolf reintroduction. But the end game of this result has not been planned. Will the National Park Service continue to encourage the habituation of elk in the Mammoth Parade Grounds? If so, there will be wolf-human interactions in the slum that the NPS calls headquarters. Have they written this part of the end game? Have they even thought about it? How will the ‘planners’ define an end game that allows elk, wolves, tourists, and, most importantly, Yellowstone, to win? What is the exit strategy?

Bison are on the front burner right now. Come winter it will be snowmobiles again. Why don’t these people learn? There are already “unexpected” consequences from the poor planning with over-the-snow travel. Park fees are increased to $100/day. Diesel fumes are proliferating. Visitors are fed canned information from the “PARK BIBLE.” Buses are getting bigger. Crowds accumulate at the ‘regular’ pull-outs. Yellowstone is spending a fortune retrofitting old Bombardier tanks that should have been scrapped years ago. And many more “unanticipated consequences” loom on the very near horizon. There is no exit strategy. There is no plan for an end game.

What is the end game for bison? Ask any member of the highly vaunted Buffalo Field Campaign what it would take to put them out of business in the Yellowstone region. Is there a strategy that allows Yellowstone to win? The BFC to win? Montana to win? The bison to win? Idaho to win? Wyoming to win? The American People to win? I wager that no one has thought about the end game – save perhaps Governor Schweitzer, who has thought about it and sees a tough road toward resolution.

Unlike the single-minded cheerleaders from other competing perspectives, Montana’s Governor understands that there are no simple answers. Face it now or face the consequences in the future. Reducing snowmobiles in winter has reduced some pollution problems in Yellowstone. It has increased many others.

The Washington D.C. hearings have shown the colors of simple-minded approaches. There is no talk of an exit strategy. There is no talk of an end game. There is no concern for consequences.

Hell, current politicians aren’t going to be around when park fees hit $300/day, and the landscape is denuded by the grazers. They won’t be around when the NPS requests money to feed the gross overpopulation of hoof-footed beasties.

 

They will have asserted their ego, gotten a few headlines, encouraged some cheerleaders, and retired when the end game and exit strategy has to be addressed. Shame on them.

And, shame on the BFC for not telling us what it will take to put them out of business. Are they concerned with a bison solution? Or, are they concerned with self perpetuation – just like politicians? Time will tell. And, Yellowstone will most probably suffer.

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You don’t believe it? Read these:

National Parks Traveler

Clark Fork Chronicle

Charles Kay on Bison in Yellowstone

New West On Wolves

Yellowstone Newspaper – See all entries for the last few days 

More to come, I’ve got to check the pollution with only ‘administrative travel’ going on. There is not a time in Yellowstone without vehicular pollution. Is this an intended consequence?

I Found A Fly – No, Two!

BLESSED ESCAPE

The West Yellowstone sled show took over town last weekend and I left our village. They call it EXPO.

I went up to Big Sky, and then tried some fishing. (Funny thing, we go “UP” to Big Sky and “Down” to Bozeman – same road, same direction, and both are lower than West Yellowstone ???) I’m rusty, and I scared most of the fish. But I did find a fly that works. Actually found two flies that work.

My friends in Big Sky fish and ski. Or, they ski and fish. One of them, John, tied me some flies that are from a very old pattern. He said it works everywhere. Well it works on the Madison River by Hebgen Dam, and it works on the Gallatin River by the willows at the end of the road, anyway. The other is a novelty fly that wobbles. The wobbler is hard to cast and got caught in the willows.

The wobbler works to scare fish, the old fly works to catch fish. I guess that’s fair. John found a picture of the wobbler on a web site that sells them – I’m not using it any more. The old fly is pretty easy to tie, and it’s going to be the first fly I practice on when I get the time, (if I get the time.)

Boy there are a lot of fly fishing sites on the web. I spent some time with John looking at many kinds of sites, and different things. There are a lot of blogs, and retail has expanded all over the place. One site that we looked at was “Tour Canada – a clean, spacious, scenic, fun place to visit!” It opens with a few loud bars from “Oh Canada.” They had a good picture of the old fly that John showed me. It’s hard to find so click on this LINK to get right to it.

I used the old fly, it’s kind of big, a size 6. Sunday I went to the river by Campfire Lodge and fished right by the restaurant. It’s not open yet but there were some nice folks from town, (also avoiding the snowmobiles,) and they showed me where to cast. I caught a little fish, about as big as the handle on my rod. And, I caught a big fish, about as big as the handle and the reel. It was a sunny day and there was not a breath of wind. The water is just about as cold as the snow. I fished from the bank and my feet got cold. I guess it’s about time for the fish to spawn, and staying out of the water avoids smashing the eggs.

I’ve got run now; the streets are almost all clear of snow and it’s a warm 36 degrees. I’m going to take a ride on my new bicycle. The west entrance of the park is open to bicycles, and it’s a good way to get to the instruments. Oh, Here’s a picture of the fly that works to catch fish – not scare them..