Lake Roosevelt Administrative History

Public Relations/Community Relations

The Park Service and other agencies, including those involved with the Problem No. 26 committee, recognized by the early 1940s that an advisory committee would be helpful in recreational planning for Lake Roosevelt. As things heated up during the controversy over regulations, the Park Service resurrected the idea. National Park Service Director Drury opposed holding public hearings on the proposed rules in 1949 but favored a committee of local citizens to work with Superintendent Greider on the regulations and, as a corollary, "build support for Service objectives." [119] Regional Director Owen A. Tomlinson disagreed with the idea of an advisory group, however, since he believed that Park Service opponents would have a place on such a committee. "They would be even more difficult to deal with through such an organization," he noted. [120]

By 1952, the Park Service once again began supporting an advisory committee for LARO, similar to ones found at other NRAs like Millerton Lake. Greider agreed that a committee could be "an effective means of squashing unwarranted criticism of the Park Service," such as that leveled by the Grand Coulee Dam Yacht Club. [121] He preferred a committee of non-agency people known for honesty and integrity. In addition, he insisted that Reclamation not be allowed a voice in the selection of members and that Frank A. Banks, in particular, be disqualified from membership due to his past opposition to the Park Service over regulations. Regional Director Herbert Maier suggested that including "at least one prominent woman" might be advisable, and Greider suggested that Mrs. Frank Laughbon of Davenport was "of sufficient importance" to warrant inclusion. [122] Just as the advisory committee was nearing reality, the Park Service shelved the idea in 1953 because of additional criticism leveled against the agency over administration of the Equalizing Reservoir. It resurfaced a year later, however, when the Park Service came up with a list of recommended members. Perhaps bowing to criticism, the agency allowed the Columbia Basin Commission to appoint the first advisory committee in 1955. Superintendent Hugh Peyton reported that it was "a most valuable organization" that was providing guidance on development issues. [123]

Park Service float at the Western Festival, Grand Coulee, 1955. Photo courtesy of National Park Service, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (LARO.FS).

Public relations for LARO had improved by the mid-1950s under Superintendent Peyton, who enlisted local people to help the agency with development of minor areas. He noted in 1955 that this cooperation had improved public relations with the nearby communities and had won the approval of the visiting public. In the decades since, the Park Service has taken part in the life of surrounding towns in a variety of ways, from participating in parades and giving talks to hosting Easter egg hunts and cross-country track meets. In 1964, Chief Ranger Charles Woodbury represented the NRA as a guest caller at a square dance sponsored by the Spokane Boat Club. That same year, two other LARO rangers served as judges for the best-looking motorcycle and the best-dressed riders at the Northwest Harley Davidson dealers meet at Spring Canyon. LARO sponsored an Old Fashioned Community Christmas Celebration for several years during the 1980s, bringing in as many as six hundred visitors. Tight budgets and changing priorities brought an end to this popular event around 1988. [124]

The Park Service expanded its outreach under Director George B. Hartzog, Jr., opening offices in many urban areas to provide information and environmental education and serve as a congressional liaison. LARO opened such an office in Spokane in the early 1970s in response to plans for Expo 74, a world's fair with an environmental theme. At the time, the Park Service was considering the possibility of operating a major environmental education center at the site after the close of the fair. While this never happened, Arthur Hathaway, the interpretive specialist at the Spokane field office, was actively involved with a group that promoted the potential center. In addition, Hathaway developed environmental programs in cooperation with area colleges. He also maintained regular contacts with the Spokane representatives of Washington's congressional delegation. More routine business included answering phone calls, handing out brochures, mailing information, and selling Golden Age and Golden Eagle passes. In addition, the office served as a sales outlet for the Pacific Northwest National Parks Association, raising money for LARO and other regional parks. Although the Park Service planned to discontinue the office after the World's Fair ended, it decided to keep it running in a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, like similar joint agency offices in Seattle and Portland. The agency closed the Spokane field office in January 1982, about the same time it terminated the Portland office. [125]

Relations with Counties and Congress

LARO has signed numerous cooperative agreements with surrounding counties over the years to cover issues like road maintenance, law enforcement, fire protection, and weed control. County governments became increasingly interested in management issues at LARO during the late 1980s when they formed a new organization, Upper Columbia River Counties (UCRC), to lobby for change. Most issues revolved around the 1990 Special Park Use Management Plan and the 1991 Concessions Management Plan, both of which limited and directed development on Lake Roosevelt. UCRC believed these limits would scare new investors away from the lake as well as devalue properties adjacent to the lake, thus reducing the tax base. Some officials also believed that the NRA negatively impacted the counties by increasing their budgets for road maintenance, law enforcement, and solid waste disposal. They resented being left out of the management process and asked to be included. The Park Service temporarily held back the Concessions Management Plan in 1988 to allow for additional public hearings, even though elected officials and the public had been involved from the outset. The UCRC also asked that the Multi-Party Agreement not be approved until the counties were included, but parties to the agreement did not accept this request since the counties neither owned nor managed any lands at Lake Roosevelt. [126]

During this time of uneasy Park Service-county relations, LARO and Lincoln County worked together on a new launch ramp at the end of a county road, at the site of the old Lincoln mill. The county secured a grant in 1989 from the Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation in Olympia for $150,000, matched by $127,000 from the county, $22,500 from LARO, with the remaining $37,000 raised from donations. The ramp opened in July 1991, filling a need expressed by many county residents. The mood soon turned sour, however, when the Park Service began charging county residents a launch fee. (Such fees had been implemented nationwide in an effort to have users pay for services.) Lincoln County commissioners believed that local residents should be able to use the ramp at no charge since the county had helped pay for its construction. The two sides finally reached agreement in 1995 when Superintendent Tays offered to allow Lincoln County residents to have free use for ten years, terminating at the end of 2005. [127]

Superintendent Gerald Tays worked on easing tensions between regional counties and the Park Service. He and Assistant Superintendent Kelly Cash recognized the potential for a confrontation along the lines of Catron County, New Mexico, where county commissioners passed ordinances designed to get local control over federal resources. The movement had spread to the Pacific Northwest and was reflected in the local counties' interest in helping manage federal resources at Lake Roosevelt. Tays negotiated a Memorandum of Understanding with the Stevens County commissioners in September 1994 as a way to improve communication on issues of mutual concern. The Park Service promised the county early notification and an opportunity for input on agency actions and land use issues that might affect county residents. In return, the county agreed to inform the Park Service and allow agency input on any county plans that might affect federal resources. Both agreed to work on resolution of policy and management differences as soon as possible. The Park Service signed a similar MOU with Lincoln County in 1995. Tays pursued agreements with the other three counties but none were signed. He noted that while the MOUs did not resolve all issues, they at least ensured communication. "That's a giant first step," he said. [128] Ironically, Tays' role as a peacemaker on the issue of the Lincoln boat ramp and with the MOUs seems to have gone unnoticed as some county officials pursued a vendetta against the Park Service in the mid-1990s, ultimately causing Tays' transfer from LARO in 1996.

On a national level, the Park Service lost both political and financial support during the 1980s. In addition, the agency found itself responding to increasing Congressional oversight and several investigations by the General Accounting Office. Members of Congress were less interested in broad agency issues than in specific management questions, however. This manifested itself locally at Lake Roosevelt through numerous inquiries directed to the park on behalf of constituents. In the first three months of 1991, LARO staff had to answer twenty-one letters to Rep. Tom Foley, twenty-one to Sen. Brock Adams, and four to Rep. Sid Morrison, all concerning issues surrounding the Special Park Use Management Plan. [129]

By 1992, Sen. Slade Gorton was voicing concerns about the recently approved Multi-Party Agreement. He believed that the agreement should include Washington State to represent "local, non-Indian populations" and give them an equal voice in management. [130] The Park Service responded that while neither the state nor the counties had any management authority on federal lands, the agency allowed them input and considered their concerns during the planning process. Furthermore, the Park Service was mandated by law to manage the NRA as a unit of the National Park System, and it could not support inclusion of the state with equal status. [131]

Gorton continued to pursue this issue, joining forces with Sen. Brock Adams. Both men sat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, which directed the Lake Roosevelt Coordinating Committee to identify and address concerns from those who were not represented on the committee. The LRCC and the Lake Roosevelt Forum then sponsored a series of regional meetings to hear concerns of local citizens. Many people addressed the clash between public and private use of federal lands, as well as opposition to federal and/or tribal management. Others identified needs such as additional funds for infrastructure, improved communication, economic impact studies, youth programs, and citizen involvement. The LRCC submitted its report to the Park Service regional office in January 1993. By September of that year, Gorton had recommended the addition of language to the FY1993 Interior Appropriations bill to make both the state and counties equal partners in managing Lake Roosevelt. In addition, he stipulated that LARO reconsider its Special Park Use Management Plan within a year. These recommendations never became law. [132]

One result of this conflict with counties and Congress was the revision of the park's General Management Plan (GMP). Although LARO was not quite due for a new GMP, the time seemed right for updating the plan because the planning effort could draw in county governments and encourage public participation. LARO staff discussed this as early as 1994, but the process was not set in motion until Vaughn Baker replaced Gerald Tays as Superintendent in 1996. In October, Baker notified county commissioners of the upcoming GMP process and explained that while the plan pertained to land and waters managed by the Park Service, the agency did not want to prepare such a document without input from counties and other interested parties. The counties did participate and much of the dissatisfaction has died away. LARO continues to deal with them on a government-to-government basis as needed. [133]

Lake Roosevelt Forum

Another group, the Lake Roosevelt Forum, eventually became an ally for LARO. The Forum formed about 1988 at a time when the Park Service was negotiating the Multi-Party Agreement and the Concessions Management Plan, as well as dealing with neighboring counties and property owners who disagreed with management decisions. With multiple managers and users, it became clear to many people that they needed to find ways to cooperate on issues concerning the lake. The people pushing the Forum concept came from the Partnership for Rural Improvement and the Washington State University (WSU) Cooperative Extension Service. With assistance from Terry Knapton, then CCT Executive Director, and other interested parties, the Forum was refined. The Park Service has been involved closely from the start, and other members include county commissioners, tribal representatives, federal and state agency personnel, concessionaires, adjacent property owners, and user groups. The goal of the Forum was to encourage a "dialogue based on trust and respect for all views" by finding ways to protect environmental quality and enhance the quality of life in relation to both the lake and the regional economy. [134]

The Partnership and the WSU Cooperative Extension Service sponsored the first forums. Then the organization got a boost with a three-year grant of $250,000 from the Northwest Area Foundation in 1989. The funds were used to hire an executive director, pay for meeting facilities, and publish a newsletter. The Park Service contributed office space and furnishings in 1990 as part of the in-kind match for the grant. After a second grant ran out, primary funding was taken over by member organizations; both Reclamation and the Park Service contributed $10,000 in 1998. In addition to quarterly meetings, open to the public, the Forum has active committees that work on issues such as water quality. It also sponsors educational initiatives, such as the Floating Classroom and the Lake Roosevelt Water Festival. After declining in the late 1990s, the Forum has revived and continues its educational outreach. [135]

Over the years, Forum members have disagreed on the organization's role, causing occasional friction. Some county commissioners, adjacent landowners, and liaisons from WSU initially wanted the Forum to participate in the decision-making process at Lake Roosevelt, reaching consensus on management of areas within tribal and Park Service jurisdiction. At meetings, Wendell George, a CCT employee, and LARO Assistant Superintendent Cash routinely explained that the Forum could not legally make such decisions. They used such meetings to educate Forum members about management roles and jurisdictional issues at Lake Roosevelt. [136]

Cooperating Association

During the 1920s, cooperating associations formed to help individual national parks raise additional money to fund extra projects. They specialized in publication of maps and a variety of books to enrich visitors' appreciation of the park. LARO's Natural History Association formed in September 1962 to assist the park. One of its first projects was raising money to acquire a small strip of land next to one of the Park Service houses in Coulee Dam, enabling better access to the property; the Association then donated the land to the government. It began publication of a free park newspaper, the Lake Roosevelt Mirror, in 1979 and maintained this service until recent years when the Government Printing Office took over printing. Sales of Association materials were sluggish in the early 1980s following closure of the Spokane field office, but they picked up after 1984 with the establishment of a sales outlet at the Bureau of Reclamation's Visitor Arrival Center (VAC) at Grand Coulee Dam. Increased park visitation contributed to a rapid increase in sales in the early 1990s; profits totaled over $34,000 in 1991, up from just $8,000 two years earlier. A new outlet at the Dry Falls Interpretive Center in 1992 caused sales to double, and they continued to rise to a high of $112,000 in 1994. The next year, however, sales dropped to $94,000 when the outlet at the VAC closed. They fell further the next year due to lower visitation and fewer operating days at Dry Falls. The LARO cooperating association became part of the Pacific Northwest National Parks Association, now known as the Northwest Interpretive Association. [137]

Lake Roosevelt Coordinating Committee

The 1990 Cooperative Management Agreement established a committee with a representative from each party to coordinate management of the Lake Roosevelt Management Area (LRMA). The committee was to review and coordinate management plans, policies, regulations, and permits; incorporate plans developed by other parties "to provide to the extent practicable uniform management"; monitor compliance with the agreement; receive comments from individuals, groups, and governmental entities concerning activities related to management of the LRMA; and coordinate budgets. One of the key provisions of this committee was the establishment of a dispute resolution process through which parties could mediate disagreements. [138]

When Superintendent Gerry Tays arrived in 1993, he found the Lake Roosevelt Coordinating Committee working "extremely well." Composed of the senior officials of all five signatory parties, "it truly was an opportunity to sit down in a room around a table . . . and talk about our problems." At that time, the Park Service had leadership of the committee and Tays served as chairman. Leadership then rotated to another party, and Tays remembered that the number of meetings began to drop off until the LRCC essentially ended. "Most of the issues that we talked about at the table had to do with the Park Service one way or another," Tays said. "It clearly was in the Park Service's interest to keep this thing going. And when we weren't the driving force, it just kind of petered out." [139] Vaughn Baker found that the committee had pretty well disintegrated by the time he was appointed Superintendent in 1996. For a while, the committee tried to meet in conjunction with meetings of the Lake Roosevelt Forum, but Baker noted that the Park Service and Reclamation were the only parties represented at such gatherings. He soon recognized that the STI preferred to do business on a government-to-government basis, and that remains the foundation for LARO-tribal relations today. [140]

Conclusion

While the LRCC is no longer active, the staff at LARO continues to work with groups and individuals who raise a wide variety of issues concerning the park. Sometimes the interests of these groups parallel those of the Park Service while at other times they clash. This has been true from the beginning of the park when the superintendent and his small staff dealt with supporters and occasional detractors as they worked to build facilities and establish regulations. Through the years the LARO staff has been challenged with short-term issues, like boundary adjustments, as well as continuing ones, like floating debris on Lake Roosevelt. Their actions and decisions have helped shape the park as it is today.