Comments on: Fiscal Cliff Threatens Grand Teton, Yellowstone http://thegoat.backcountry.com/2012/12/20/fiscal-cliff-threatens-grand-teton-yellowstone/ A Daily Bleatdown Tue, 21 May 2013 14:27:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5 By: T http://thegoat.backcountry.com/2012/12/20/fiscal-cliff-threatens-grand-teton-yellowstone/#comment-660620 T Fri, 28 Dec 2012 14:50:33 +0000 http://thegoat.backcountry.com/?p=22635#comment-660620 Matt – speaking as a former park ranger, the first and foremost concern for
Superintendents and Chief Rangers is visitor safety. If the trails are unable to be maintained (the cut in trail crews and maintenance) and there are not enough rescue staff then a hard decision has to be made about whether or not trails (backcountry) can be opened to the public. Allowing visitors to adventure out without the possibility of medical help/rescue is not even an option – if something were to happen the public outcry, the chewing-out from regional staff and then to not mention Congress would be out of this world.

A great real world example, when government shutdowns are threatened or when they actually happen like during the Clinton-Shutdown. Even though the parks are closed to the public, LERs (law enforcement rangers) are still mandated to report for duty to protect life and property; even if that means a visitor illegally enters the park and then requires medical help or SAR. The same goes for natural disasters; parks are shut due to visitor safety concerns, LERs report to duty just in case something happens even though they may not be paid, rather, I should phrase it, “paid on time.” Visitor safety is always #1, even if it seems contradictory or like the onus should be on the visitor, the responsibility always rest on the Superintendent and Chief Ranger for their visitors and staff to be safe.

Sorry for the long post. Not exactly an easy answer since it all situational based on budgets, etc.

]]> By: jay http://thegoat.backcountry.com/2012/12/20/fiscal-cliff-threatens-grand-teton-yellowstone/#comment-660541 jay Thu, 27 Dec 2012 17:28:37 +0000 http://thegoat.backcountry.com/?p=22635#comment-660541 was the switch to a truncated rss feed intentional? I liked getting the full article, the way it was a few days ago!

Thanks!!

]]> By: matt http://thegoat.backcountry.com/2012/12/20/fiscal-cliff-threatens-grand-teton-yellowstone/#comment-659892 matt Fri, 21 Dec 2012 07:52:30 +0000 http://thegoat.backcountry.com/?p=22635#comment-659892 Maybe I’m missing something, but how will the loss of seasonal employees lead to back country areas being shut down? I understand a lot of the SAR and guides are seasonal and would be lost, but that shouldn’t prevent people from going into the back country, it just means the consequences of an accident are higher because there’ll be fewer resources available.

]]>