New temp. ENPS Superintendent

[Ted]

Meet the new temp. superintendent who started on Monday.

http://www.nps.gov/ever/parknews/new-acting-supt-krumenaker.htm

[vivian]

Why are they having such a hard time finding a permanent replacement?

[yakmaster]

It's not that they are having a hard time. It's just  a long selection process.

All of these actings, are just that, acting until they find the person they want to put in. The acting Supers aren't (necessarily) trying for the job. They're just filling the seat for a couple of months. Some might want the permanent gig, some might not.

For example, Pedro Ramos the super over at Big Cypress, just finished a stint as acting over at great smokey. he wasn't trying for the job, he was just filling the seat.

That said, Dan was an acting for about a year, and then they said he was the guy.

So, don't be surprised if the next super is one of the actings along the way, just don't look at the chain of replacements as, "gee they can't get it right".

These folks are supposed to come & go...

[Swamp Hunter]

I dont know if its true but I heard many Park Service personnel do not want to work in South Florida swamps in the summer and are waiting for a chance to get out so we have this constant turnover..

[yakmaster]

Dan was there for over 6 years. I wouldn't call that constant turnover.

 

What we do have in South Florida is a lot of seasonals & temps. Staffing is high in winter, but there isn't much for them to do in the summer. Some come back every season & some get a permanent gig in between & go elsewhere.

[Swamp Hunter]

Where is Dan going or is he staying here?  I noticed many seasonal workers from Colorado. Like you say, they are supposed to come and go. They have the best of both worlds.

[yakmaster]

As you may know, Dan was a hydrologist by training. So, Dan is now heading up the Tucson Field Office of the South Florida Bush Paddlers Association. His current project is to find water. Once he does that, we're going to see if he can grow mangroves or sawgrass, so that he can establish an environment that is suitable for visitation.

 

All kidding aside, he & Kit boogied to the Southwest several months ago, before the heat & rain kicked in, hence the stream of actings...

[Swamp Hunter]

I guess you have to really love it to work here in the Everglades in the summertime, with all the other beautiful National Parks in the country.. 

[yakmaster]

Hell, I went down to 9 mile yesterday. They didn't even have someone at the gate collecting fees!

 

BTW, excellent paddle! Skeets weren't bad at all.

[vivian]

Charlie, I did not know Dan was a hydrologist. Did you ever pick his brain regarding the hydrology of the Cape? All the new dams to plug up the man made canals. Leaving the biggest man made canals unplugged (East Cape and Middle Cape) the natural creeks will grow wider flowing water in and out of the prairies. What is the final intent for that area? Just wondering.....

[yakmaster]

They were trying to draw the line a bit inland. I think the consensus was that the big flows were too big to shut down from a technical, cost, political and  environmental point of view.

Blocking those canals is a MUCH bigger project than the two plugs they did, 250'-380' vs 50' wide each, and deeper and faster moving.

The users are used to an "open" lake Ingraham and so is the wildlife. Lake Ingraham has already converted to saline, converting it back may not be environmentally practical.

The new plugs were replacing old failed plugs, fixing, not modifying the hydrology, hence less of a NEPA assessment (environmental assessment) challenge.

Besides, Washington is convinced that all of this will be bay bottom soon, so getting the $$$ is a challenge. It's a minor miracle he pulled it off. This was only possible because it was "shovel ready" when the feds funded ARRA (2009 stimulus). Hell, we might of gotten a new Flamingo if it had been shovel ready.

[vivian]

Thanks Charlie, I kind of figured that was the plan, but could not understand the reason behind it.  Unfortunately, it's complicated dealing with government funded projects. It will be interesting to see how much larger the natural creeks get next season....time to plan another recon.   Next time, YOU are going all the way there :-)

[yakmaster]

Viv

Got Money to look at "your" issue:

​Everglades News Release

EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA

The National Park Service cares for special places saved by the American people so that all may experience our heritage.

 

For Immediate Release
Date: September 2, 2014
Contact: General Park Information, 305-242-7700
Park Media Inquiries: Linda Friar, 305-242-7714 or Mary Plumb, 305-242-7017

 

Everglades Foundation Partners With National Park Service 

to Restore Cape Sable

 

HOMESTEAD, Florida - Today the Everglades Foundation announced a $143,000 grant to the National Park Service which will pay for 50 percent of the cost of an environmental assessment of canals that are harming the ecosystem of Cape Sable.

 

In the 1920s, several canals were dredged to drain the cape’s interior marshes for agriculture and development. Today, salt water from tidal flow enters the fresh water marshes resulting in their complete collapse. As these marshes are destroyed, the nutrients stored in the soil are released and threaten to trigger algae blooms in Florida Bay. Algae blooms destroy bay habitats that are important to threatened species, recreational fish, and other plants and animals that depend on the bay for survival.

 

Harm to fish populations damages Florida’s economy by significantly reducing commercial and recreational fishing, tourism, and related businesses. Environmental destruction in Cape Sable contributes to ecosystem damage in Florida Bay and the Florida Keys. Part of the remedy is plugging the canals to prevent the inflow of salt water and the outflow of freshwater.

 

The Park Service is moving forward to address the damage to the ecosystem caused by the canals. Everglades Foundation scientists are providing expertise in addition to the Foundation’s financial contribution.

 

“Nearly 100 years ago, the decision was made to destroy much of Florida’s natural ecosystem by dredging. Cape Sable has suffered enormously and the damage threatens Florida Bay. We are grateful that the National Park Service is taking the lead in the effort to restore this vital part of America’s Everglades, and protect Florida Bay which is so important to the economy of south Florida,” said Eric Eikenberg, Everglades Foundation CEO.

 

"Restoring a functioning freshwater ecosystem on Cape Sable will not only improve the water quality in Florida Bay, but will also improve the Everglades' resilience against sea level rise," said Everglades National Park Acting Superintendent Bob Krumenaker. "We are grateful to the Everglades Foundation for the grant that allows this important project to move forward."

 

The environmental assessment is expected to be completed in about 18 months.

 

This and other park news releases are available at http://www.nps.gov/ever/parknews/newsreleases.htm

 

For more information about the Everglades Foundation:

http://www.evergladesfoundation.org

Media Contact: Brian E. Crowley, ImMEDIAcy Public Relations

Office: 561.776.7659, Cell: 561.568.5709

vivian said:

Thanks Charlie, I kind of figured that was the plan, but could not understand the reason behind it.  Unfortunately, it's complicated dealing with government funded projects. It will be interesting to see how much larger the natural creeks get next season....time to plan another recon.   Next time, YOU are going all the way there :-)