Editor's note: This update cites another unofficial NPS Twitter feed, and outlines how the NPS Arrowhead logo can be used.
This national park Twitter feed ain't rogue. It might better be viewed as "the resistance."
After a former employee at Badlands National Park in South Dakota fed a short series of climate-change related tweets that were quickly taken down, a collection of active National Park Service employees has banded together to launch AltUSNatParkService (@AltNatParkSer) on Twitter, a feed those behind it bill as, "The Unofficial 'Resistance' team of U.S. National Park Service. Not taxpayer subsidised! Come for rugged scenery, fossil beds, 89 million acres of landscape."
Among the initial tweets were:
Can't wait for President Trump to call us FAKE NEWS. You can take our official twitter, but you'll never take our free time!
All Americans should review .@NASA's Images of Change to see how climate change is affecting our planet http://climate.nasa.gov/images-of-change?id=594#594-three-gorges-dam-bri... …
We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We'll fight climate change denial
This account should not have to exist & we are sorry for any problems we are causing our colleagues. But we didn't start this. #resist
These four tweets were quickly removed from Badlands National Park's twitter feed on Tuesday.
The account quickly gained more than 440,000 followers.
As to the Badlands situation, that park's Twitter feed on Tuesday contained three climate-change related tweets and one noting the Park Service's mandate to preserve landscapes and their natural resources.
"Several tweets posted on the Badlands National Park's Twitter account today were posted by a former employee who was not currently authorized to use the park's account. The park was not told to remove the tweets but chose to do so when they realized that their account had been compromised," a Park Service official said. "At this time, National Park Service social media managers are encouraged to continue the use of Twitter to post information relating to public safety and park information, with the exception of content related to national policy issues."
Another Twitter channel with a similar bent, NatlParksUnderground (@NatParkUndrgrnd) also has surfaced. Among its initial tweets was one that said, "We encourage all agencies under the gag order of the Trump administration to go #underground, get the info out, and resist, resist, #resist."
National Park Service officials in Washington declined to comment on the two sites. However, the first might run into trouble for its use of the NPS Arrowhead logo.
Agency regulations specific that, "(U)nder no circumstances is the Arrowhead symbol to be employed in any manner which would malign or denigrate the NPS or its employees. No reproduction of the symbol is permitted which in any way changes the wording or design elements found therein. The use of the symbol on souvenirs or other items or merchandise presented for sale to the public by private enterprise operating either within or outside of areas of the National Park System will not be authorized. The symbol will not be authorized for use in a manner that would imply endorsement by the Service of a product, service, or enterprise which the Service has no authority to endorse."
Comments
Which is the point. They are using the official NPS logo and are not the "official NPS" account. They can tweet anything they want, but I am not going to condone their misappropriation of the logo.
hurrah! I have resisted responding to any comments on any threads on this site because of ecbuck. But, now I just donr care if he picks on me. And, I also want to say that I am a big fan of Lee Dalton. I admire all of the articles he has written for this publication. Let the tr and freedoms ring.
Really, you good people are starting to sound ridiculous. Life is more than a protest march. In World War II, the "resistance" meant people who died for their beliefs. I hardly think President Trump is asking any of you to die for yours. But yes, it's hard to forget all of that marching, now to equate Donald Trump with the college president. Call to arms! We're marching on the Administration Building! Bring doughnuts and cut class.
On the national parks, President Trump is with you, if not totally convinced of climate change. But here is another eye-opener for you. Among the 50 "shovel-ready" projects he seeks to fund, he includes the Fort Mojave Solar Power Plant in Arizona. Not that I believe everything I read in the newspapers, but here is a link to that: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article1...
It's but five days into the administration, and you think you "know" Donald Trump. I don't know him; I thought he was against wind and solar. Obviously, he is more concerned with putting Americans back to work, and yes, will fund some wind and solar projects to accomplish that. Resistance? What are you resisting? He's doing exactly what you want, that is, if you happen to believe that climate change justifies wind and solar at any cost.
"We'll fight climate change denial!" Well, it doesn't look like denial to me. It rather looks like more of the same--another giveaway to corporations, if this time hedged by the insistence that American workers must benefit, too. We'll see.
Al - at this point, after the past few months, you no longer have the professorial authority or altitude you left behind in the late 80's in academia. You are just, denials aside, another enabler and apologist for Trump. You don't know my life; don't tell me what or not to fear or trust. It really doesn't help when you minimize the millions of marchers world wide united in their opposition to Trump. Pat them on the head, compare them to a sophmoric sit-in - they will bring Lysistrata to life for you
"In accordance with 36 CFR Part 11, no entity outside the Service may use the Arrowhead without approval from the Director or the Director's delegated representative."
https://www.nps.gov/policy/DOrders/DO-52D--45-day.pdf
Thanks, Sara! How about just flipping it upside down, like the flag, as a symbol of distress?
A couple of previously crucified NPS employees, Rob Danno and Teresa Chambers, offer excellent advice for those brave souls behind this resistance:
"Remember, the Agency holds all the cards in personnel situations and rarely are they interested in learning, improving and changing direction due to the conflict you are highlighting. In fact, the substance of your complaint will often fade and be overtaken by the process of them securing your demise. Don't allow yourself to gain a false sense of security, which may come from knowing you are in the right. It simply doesn't matter to a corrupt and vindictive manager; it's about winning and exercising control."
http://www.workingnet.com/thunderbear/302.html
(scroll to the blue highlights)
Say again, Rick? Don't tell you what to fear or trust? Well, you're telling the rest of us to fear and mistrust our president. How about taking your own advice?
Tahoma is right. There are ways of quietly resisting without getting fired. We do, however, need people with courage to stand up to Drumpf. Just be careful that you don't sacrifice your career and your family's security.
We will need you to begin leading the parks again in four years.
Thunderbear where are you??!! {{{{Hey! I missed the link to Tbear in Tahoma's post. Somehow I missed reading that issue. Thanks, Tahoma.}}}}}
And Pedergraham, thanks for the generous compliment. Please never be afraid to exercise your right to be heard. I'll bet you have many good and interesting things to add to this site. Please don't allow yourself to be bullied. Ignore them and forge on. We have one in the White House and it will be very important for patriotic Americans to stand up and be heard if necessary.