So cash-starved are some units of the national park system that they're resorting to leasing out their facilities for private parties. One of the latest bashes, at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston earlier this week, didn't lack for alcohol, reportedly involved one arrest, and generally impeded the public in places.
Yet officials at Boston National Historical Park, of which the Navy Yard is part of, are focusing on the bottom line, which, in this case, are the fees they collect for renting out the facilities.
The affair, which BNHP spokesman Sean Hennessey told me represented "a more entrepreneurial way of managing, providing revenue streams over and above what is provided to us in our operating allocations," was hosted by McKesson Corporation, a health-care company. The guest list, Mr. Hennessey told me, numbered 3,500.
Now, in the past the Navy Yard has hosted some pretty big affairs, like the Tall Ships celebration in 2000, and the bicentennial salute to the USS Constitution in 1997. However, unlike the McKesson bash, those were public events, open to the public. Access to the McKesson party was controlled, I understand, by wristbands, there were "Private Event" signs, and the many tents they set up impeded public access to parts of the Navy Yard.
While my conversation with Mr. Hennessey led me to believe this was going to be a somewhat low-key affair lasting only two evening hours or so, I understand it took crews three days to set up all the tents and run electrical cables across the Navy Yard. Some of the cables ran in front of gang planks leading to some of the ships, including the USS Cassin Young. The party itself apparently didn't wind down until 1 a.m.
Throughout the day of the event delivery trucks were seen cruising up and down Pier 1. As you can see from the accompanying photo, some of the deliveries involved quite a bit of alcohol. I understand that one of the attendees possibly imbibed a bit too much, got into an argument with an interpretive ranger and even the park's chief of interpretation, and later was seen being escorted off the grounds in handcuffs.
While Mr. Hennessey told me none of the grounds, outside of the tents set up for McKesson, would be off-limits to other park visitors, I understand that at one point there was an effort to block non-McKesson visitors from accessing the USS Cassin Young. In the end, though, a decision was made that if the ship was going to be open for McKesson's guests, it had to be open for everyone in the park.
To help arrange these types of affairs, Boston National Historical Park officials a few years ago retained Amelia Occasions, a company that specializes in special events and wedding planning. Amelia's agreement with the park is similar to the concessionaire contracts parks like Yosemite, Yellowstone and Grand Canyon have in that they require the company to pour a certain amount of money back into the park.
According to Mr. Hennessey, who didn't know how much McKesson was charged for using the Navy Yard, Amelia spent $30,000 last year on roof repairs to the commandant's house at the Navy Yard, and some funds were also spent on plumbing repairs.
"It’s that kind of contingency uses of the funds that are being encouraged through this kind of arrangement," he told me. They "provide a revenue stream to help us with the upkeep, maintenance, education programs. That kind of thing. It augments what is provided to us.”
Is the National Park Service so broke that $30,000 is a reasonable amount to allow a private company to take over a unit of the national park system, bring in truckloads of alcohol, and close off sections to the general public?
National Park Service Director Mary Bomar has promised to operate the agency "more like a business," but I question whether this sort of affair, and the one earlier this month at Alcatraz, while helping the NPS pay its bills, is an appropriate business use for the national park system.
Is it appropriate when there's drunkenness involved, as supposedly was the case at both events, and drug use, as allegedly took place at the Alcatraz event?
I would say not.
Comments
Craptacular,
Re Star Wars quotes, you're confusing humour with philosophy... You also seem to confuse the term "government" with "the current administration". The vast majority of government employees are there year in, year out, doing their jobs at lower than job market rates, regardless of who's in charge for four or eight years.
I am curious though about the reference to "illegally snatched". Is there any form of government that would meet your criteria? Do you see any reason for the existence of government at all? And if not, why bother complaining about the National Park Service which represents an eency weency fractional percentage of the federal budget? You seem to have much bigger issues than could ever be addressed here.
-- Jon
Really? Are we going to get into a pissing contest over Star Wars philosophy? Since when did making reference to pop-culture on a blog become a point of ridicule? Frankly, I thought it was an appropriate and somewhat amusing response to earlier comments. Let's not get too wrapped up in this that we can't laugh a little. Thanks Jon.
re: NPS vs Private - Our government is supposed to be fair, that's the point of a Democracy. Each of us is a first-class citizen. My one vote has the same weight as any other eligible voter. We choose our representatives in government. Whether or not the whole government is actually fair has been a point of debate argued for ages. It's a huge subject, too big for this website. I choose to focus my concern on this site with a single point in our government, the agency which manages our national parks. Private operations have no obligation to act 'fair'. I hear you Bemis, that the free-market manages 'fair' just fine, but I've had experiences at Monticello that run counter to this argument.
I happen to disagree with Bemis and craptacular, but I enjoy reading the dissenting opinion because it enriches my understanding of the issue. There are times I think the Park Service has done a poor job managing our park resources, but there are plenty of other times I think they've done a great job. At this point, I'm of the opinion that the NPS is still the best one for the job.
re: Government and Grocery Stores - The FDA provides oversight of food, a role that should not be understated. If you believe you've got free-will when it comes to choices that have been presented to you in the grocery store, think again. Government's role in food production/distribution/oversight has probably been debated more on the Hill than any issue involving parks ever will.
Kurt is putting the finishing touches on an article that should appear in the next few days that continues this thread; are private parties at our public parks worth all the virtual print we've spent on them? Stay tuned for the discussion.
If you believe the FDA makes food safer I've got a surplus Navy Yard in Boston I'd love to sell you. The same goes for the USDA "inspections". How did we ever get along before all of these regulators sprang up to save us from the predations of the free market?
I'm not sure what happened on your trip to Monticello but I can assure you that it is a better run site than most NPS battlefields, historic houses or national memoriasl I've ever visited. I was an NPS ranger for ten years, I pay attention to the details. For the most part the NPS run sites, compared to private and non-profit ones, are generally more shabby, outdated and poorly funded. It is sort like the difference between a Target and a K-Mart, if y'all can stomach private enterprise comparisons.
Good discussion Jeremy. I'm glad you are happy to disagree. We've only just begun.
"I am curious though about the reference to "illegally snatched". Is there any form of government that would meet your criteria?"
How about what is specifically articulated in the U.S. Constitution? Nothing more, nothing less.
Before FDA and USDA and other agencies like it, what were people's life expectancies? I'm not saying they're solely responsible for the increase but they've made their impact. Before government intervention, all the land in this country was generally viewed as lumber and ore and water for harvesting. Every redwood and sequoia would be classified as "history" rather than "nature" if it weren't for our government (with pressure from the people). Does government sometimes screw things up? I'm sure we can all agree to that. It will always ALWAYS be a work in progress. My opinion -- when one gives up on it, one becomes part of the problem. Also my opinion -- all too often business sees the government as a way to gain unfair advantage or make a profit. And all too often otherwise noble people in government fall prey to the relentless lures of greed and power. A little humility would go a long way, but we generally don't teach our children values like that any more. Every man for himself, and all that...
Ask 10 people about what's specifically articulated in the Constitution and you'll get 10 people who disagree.
-- Jon
I guess 100 above ground nuclear tests blanketing the country in deadly radiation was a noble effort by a benign and caring government. One which has yet to admit publicly that it did so knowingly and with the knowledge that it would be not be held accountable for the preventable death, disease, birth defects and retardation of countless thousands. I won't even go into the other areas of death and destruction caused by unlawful war and the use of such wonderful substances like Agent Orange and the spent uranium being used today in the shells raining down on Iraq. A work in progress. Your love of Big Brother is truly astounding.
I'm glad you believe in an earthly saviour. I mayself have serious doubts.
And to think, someday that nuclear test zone will be a National Historical Park where we'll all learn from our past mistakes (how's that for finally getting back to the subject of this website?) The history of the world is replete of examples where people and governments (especially when viewed with 20/20 hindsight) did the wrong thing. It gives the rest of us a little perspective and the chance to NOT let history repeat itself.
I'm taking my son to Minuteman Missile NHS later this summer to teach him about those sorts of things so hopefully he can contribute to a wiser generation in the future. He's also visited the beaches of Normandy, numerous Civil War and Revolutionary War sites, and he'll be able to see for himself what human beings are capable of. Yes, a work in progress.
I'd be interested to hear if you can point to any elected leaders of the 20th century that you admire and respect. I fear the answer might be no.
-- Jon
I'll stick to H.L. Mencken's observation that "Every election is a sort of advance auction sale of stolen goods."
He also said "Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." I couldn't agree more.
You are quite correct that I have very little respect for politicians of any kind, especially ones from a century that produced 200 million deaths by central governments. The bloodiest century in human history had no political heroes, whether elected or not, that I could possibly admire.
But hey I'd like to end on a lighter note. Mencken also said "Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage." Again I couldn't put it any better if I tried.
Good debate. See you at the circus.