The board members for Friends of Moran are finding it hard to be upbeat right now. Because it’s that time of year when membership renewal is due and donations are collected to continue supporting projects and staff in the state park. But two staff positions have been cut in the last 6 months while two more staff displaced because of seniority and statewide field staff cuts.
Friends of Moran support park staff in a number of ways, such as organizing the annual spring cleanup (April 14) and fishing derby (April 28). We also support the park by paying for emergency phones, fish hatchery components, operating the Summit Gift Shop and creating live exhibits for the Summit History and Science Center.
This year, we watch the livelihood of three park staff hang in the balance and we’ve done all that we can. We’ve written letter after letter questioning field staff cuts and encouraging others to do the same.
The days will proceed, the calendar will advance and the visitors will come. Despite the cuts and bumps our park is absorbing, we can still support our park and staff.
Our park is still open, we have three rangers, one maintenance staff; and, seasonal help along with camp hosts scheduled to arrive in June. That’s the bright side.
We hope you will support Friends of Moran and our state park. We hope you’ll come volunteer with us. Opportunities and information online www.friendsofmoran.com
Friends of Moran State Park Board
This is very sad. I thought that the Discovery Pass was going to pay for the parks?
It is important to note that two out of the three ranger positions that are currently left at Moran are suffering from the RIF process. Two rangers will be displaced by personnel with a higher seniority ranking from other parks off island. Yesterday these folks were proud park rangers at the most beautiful spot in the system, and today they no longer have a job. New, as yet unknown, rangers will somewhat grudgingly move to the island and fill those two vacant spots. In the meantime, in the past few years Moran has absorbed two other ranger position cuts which will not ever be filled.
Starting this week one construction maintenance position is also now gone. As of today, that maintenance person is out of the job he truly loved. The cuts represent a change in over half the Moran staff and it is heartbreaking to see people who are top notch co-workers lose a career in a nanosecond. The responsibility to oversee a 5000 acre active park and all of its of visitors has not gone away even though the majority of its staff is gone.
You should be appalled by these cuts and write to your senators, legislators, representatives, and the park commission.