** Park rangers exposed as virus spreads
------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
A Grand Canyon sunset shows the crowds rangers engage with on a daily basis | National Park Service, Michael Quinn ([link removed])

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the country, the Interior Department has delayed closing high-risk areas in national parks. Employees with knowledge of the situation say that the delay is due to decision-making in the upper tiers of the department ([link removed]) .

The delay is causing unrest on the front lines of the National Park Service (NPS), where rangers engage with the public on a daily basis, often in the context of bustling visitor centers and main attractions. While national park superintendents have been eager to make significant closures to protect employees and the public, they have been hamstrung by their superiors ([link removed]) .

The Trump administration has a history of avoiding bad news: during the 2019 government shut-down national parks were kept open, resulting in significant damage ([link removed]) . Now, an organization representing Park Service retirees has called for closing of additional facilities ([link removed]) .

According to a former NPS director and labor management experts, the current situation displays a lack of leadership and unacceptable deficiencies ([link removed]) . The Park Service has not had a Senate-confirmed director ([link removed]) for three years, demonstrating the consequences of President Trump's efforts to avoid senate-confirmed leaders.
Quick hits


** Pandemic shutters National Park Service sites and visitor centers
Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed]) | KLAS ([link removed]) | San Francisco Chronicle ([link removed]) | Fresno Bee ([link removed]) | National Parks Traveler ([link removed]) | Daily Mail ([link removed]) | E&E News ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------


** As people head for parks, communities raise virus concerns
------------------------------------------------------------
Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed]) | St. George News ([link removed]) | Sacramento Bee ([link removed])


** Park rangers exposed as virus spreads
------------------------------------------------------------

Mashable ([link removed]) | National Parks Traveler ([link removed])


** Interior Department downplays coronavirus two days before praising ‘decisive’ response
------------------------------------------------------------

Los Angeles Times ([link removed])


** Poll shows Montana hunters disapprove of acting BLM Director Pendley
------------------------------------------------------------

Public News Service ([link removed])


** Colorado town looks to exchange fossil fuel industry for fossils
------------------------------------------------------------

Colorado Public Radio ([link removed])


** Opinion: Bargain basement oil and gas leasing exacts huge toll across the West
------------------------------------------------------------

S ([link removed]) alt Lake Tribune ([link removed])


** Opinion: Energy dominance agenda fails Utah’s outdoor recreation economy
------------------------------------------------------------

Salt Lake Tribune ([link removed])
Quote of the day
[The poll respondants] know who's getting the raw end of the deal with these practices. And it's not oil and gas executives. It's Montana public lands users, and it's Montana communities."

— Aubrey Bertram, eastern Montana field director for the Montana Wilderness Association
P ([link removed]) ublic News Service ([link removed])
Picture this


** @C ([link removed]) apitolReefNPS ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
#leavenotrace ([link removed]) – Travel & Camp on Durable Surfaces. The knobby black or brown crusty soil is actually teeming with life! It prevents erosion, fixes nitrogen, & retains moisture, all of which help plants grow. Don’t bust the crust! Stay on trails, and hike in washes & on slickrock.

============================================================
** Twitter ([link removed])
** Facebook ([link removed])
** Medium ([link removed])
Copyright © 2020 Center for Western Priorities, All rights reserved.
You've signed up to receive Look West updates.

Center for Western Priorities
1999 Broadway
Suite 520
Denver, CO 80202
USA
** View this on the web ([link removed])

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])