Latest news with #KevinHeatley
Washington Post
a day ago
- General
- Washington Post
Superintendent of Oregon's Crater Lake National Park resigns, citing staffing cuts
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — The superintendent of Crater Lake National Park in Oregon has resigned after just months in the role, citing staffing cuts that he called unsustainable and damaging. Kevin Heatley resigned Friday from the position he had held since January, Portland TV station KGW reported . He told the outlet the decision was difficult but that policies undertaken by the Trump administration had impacted the ability of the National Park Service to function. 'I did not want to be empowering the current administration to cause that kind of impact on the people that I'm responsible for,' Heatley said. 'And I also did not want to participate in the dismantlement — effectively a dismantlement — of the National Park Service.' 'We're being told, for instance, when people leave, they only want to replace 25% of those permanent positions,' he said. 'You can't run an organization like that.' A message seeking comment was sent Wednesday to the agency's communications office. Heatley said a seasonal increase in staffing of about 60 to 65 workers to help with summer crowds isn't sufficient to preserve park infrastructure or sustain its longterm needs. A number of the park's eight ranger positions — full-time positions tasked with maintaining park roads, buildings and trails — are unfilled, he said. Heatley's previous experience includes planning and management roles with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. He said he felt conflicted staying in a role where he saw the system as being undermined. Crater Lake National Park is home to the deepest lake in the U.S. and the deepest lake in the world formed by volcanic activity.
The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
Superintendent of Oregon's Crater Lake National Park resigns, citing staffing cuts
The superintendent of Crater Lake National Park in Oregon has resigned after just months in the role, citing staffing cuts that he called unsustainable and damaging. Kevin Heatley resigned Friday from the position he had held since January, Portland TV station KGW reported. He told the outlet the decision was difficult but that policies undertaken by the Trump administration had impacted the ability of the National Park Service to function. 'I did not want to be empowering the current administration to cause that kind of impact on the people that I'm responsible for,' Heatley said. 'And I also did not want to participate in the dismantlement — effectively a dismantlement — of the National Park Service.' 'We're being told, for instance, when people leave, they only want to replace 25% of those permanent positions,' he said. 'You can't run an organization like that.' A message seeking comment was sent Wednesday to the agency's communications office. Heatley said a seasonal increase in staffing of about 60 to 65 workers to help with summer crowds isn't sufficient to preserve park infrastructure or sustain its longterm needs. A number of the park's eight ranger positions — full-time positions tasked with maintaining park roads, buildings and trails — are unfilled, he said. Heatley's previous experience includes planning and management roles with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. He said he felt conflicted staying in a role where he saw the system as being undermined. Crater Lake National Park is home to the deepest lake in the U.S. and the deepest lake in the world formed by volcanic activity.
Associated Press
a day ago
- General
- Associated Press
Superintendent of Oregon's Crater Lake National Park resigns, citing staffing cuts
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) — The superintendent of Crater Lake National Park in Oregon has resigned after just months in the role, citing staffing cuts that he called unsustainable and damaging. Kevin Heatley resigned Friday from the position he had held since January, Portland TV station KGW reported. He told the outlet the decision was difficult but that policies undertaken by the Trump administration had impacted the ability of the National Park Service to function. 'I did not want to be empowering the current administration to cause that kind of impact on the people that I'm responsible for,' Heatley said. 'And I also did not want to participate in the dismantlement — effectively a dismantlement — of the National Park Service.' 'We're being told, for instance, when people leave, they only want to replace 25% of those permanent positions,' he said. 'You can't run an organization like that.' A message seeking comment was sent Wednesday to the agency's communications office. Heatley said a seasonal increase in staffing of about 60 to 65 workers to help with summer crowds isn't sufficient to preserve park infrastructure or sustain its longterm needs. A number of the park's eight ranger positions — full-time positions tasked with maintaining park roads, buildings and trails — are unfilled, he said. Heatley's previous experience includes planning and management roles with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. He said he felt conflicted staying in a role where he saw the system as being undermined. Crater Lake National Park is home to the deepest lake in the U.S. and the deepest lake in the world formed by volcanic activity.
Washington Post
4 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
National park superintendent resigns as Park Service staffing plunges
When Kevin Heatley took over as superintendent of Crater Lake National Park in January, he was excited to oversee one of Oregon's most iconic sites, whose stunning vistas and volcanic formations attract roughly half a million visitors each year. But after less than five months on the job, Heatley hung up his ranger's uniform Friday, citing the Trump administration's staffing cuts at the National Park Service as a major reason for his decision to take a buyout offer.
