A managerial era is ending at Yellowstone National Park, and not all Park Service employees are happy about that/Bob Pahre file

Editor's note: The following letter is from a current employee of the National Park Service who asked for anonymity out of fear of retribution.

Interior Secretary Zinke,

We, your staff, across the National Park Service, are appalled at the way Superintendent Dan Wenk and other SES managers are being treated and dismissed. Hundreds of us have had the pleasure and honor of working for Dan Wenk. After 43 years of dedicated service to this country and to the National Park System, and to the American public, this is how you treat him? Is this what we can all expect?  Dan has done nothing but stick up for what is right, treat employees well and fairly, and ensured that places like Yellowstone endure for future generations to come. He performed as a leader!

It is time you hear from the “troops.” First of all, we are not your “troops”! No matter what our discipline or grade level or where we work in the system, you will be hard-pressed to find employees that are not passionately dedicated to the National Park Service mission and the Organic Act. And we are like this no matter what the flavor of the Administration. Stop saying disparaging things about us. We would like some of that respect and support that you supposedly learned about in the Navy as a leader.

We are not in your army. We are not in the Armed Forces. Again, we are not “troops” in the field.  We are generally trained professionals in the American public’s national parks who know how to do our jobs better than anyone. Why do you think we are respected by not only the American public, but around the world? And how did we get this way? From having real leaders like the Dan Wenks of the Service. 

And how do you think that anonymous person in the hallways of the Main Interior building who witnessed the Acting Director perform a lewd act feels?  Do you understand that the message you just sent to the field is that there is a “no tolerance policy” (that both you and the Acting Director wrote and committed to) for everyone but your friends who you have put in senior positions?  Not only did he admit he conducted this act, but also has little integrity as a senior leader for his previous illegal actions as proven with the illegal removal of trees to pander to a friend at the Ohio and Chesapeake Canal. If this is your idea of a senior leader to an entire National Park Service, you are sorely mistaken. How about prove that you care about your message in regards to no tolerance for a hostile work environment and remove him immediately so we can all raise our heads a little bit higher and try to regain some of the pride we are rapidly losing? 

Dan Wenk never conducted himself in this manner, nor any of the other SES managers. How about as our “leader” you lead like they have. Show them the respect they deserve? How about when you visit the parks, you try to build up staff instead of trying to tear us down? And stop trying to undo all the hard and good work that employees have been working on for years…not just in the last Administration but even well before that. If you want to be respected as a leader, start treating us all as the dedicated professionals we are and practice what you preach in regards to a hostile work environment starting at the top in NPS. 

And of course, this is anonymous. Retaliation, obviously, is real and alive and healthy, especially at Main Interior.