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President's Column: Acadia is Already Privatized
As part of a government overhaul,
federal agencies must consider transferring
jobs to the private sector. The
object is to save money. But outsourcing
National Park Service jobs is problematic
because park-level deficits are already
eliminating uniformed employees. Moreover,
units such as Acadia are heavily privatized
and there's not much left to outsource.
In 2004, 62% of Acadia's 335 full-time-equivalent
jobs (FTEs) were done by private
contractors, concessions, nonprofit organizations,
or volunteers. (One FTE equals one
person working a full year, or two people
working a half year, etc.) Only 38% of jobs
(126 FTEs) belong to Park Service employees.
Private services are appropriate in many
cases. But because of past and continuing cuts
in uniformed positions, more outsourcing
would damage Acadia's fundamental
character and functions. Last year, for example,
the number of interpretive programs
declined 29%, from 110 to 78 a week, denying
educational experiences to 65,000 visitors.
Park-goers encountered fewer uniformed
employees, called "flat hats" in NPS jargon.
As flat hats continue to disappear, volunteerism
will diminish too. Why would anyone
donate time to make someone else a profit?
Volunteers (6% of all FTEs) love the agency
and respect the civil servants who execute its
mission at wages ranging from unexceptional
at the low end to unspectacular at the high end.
If parks become overly privatized, some essence
of their spirit will be lost, including the idea
embodied in the name National Park Service.
Several Acadia summer positions were cut
for budget reasons in 2004. Many restrooms
were closed last winter, inconveniencing cold-weather
recreationists and creating sanitation
problems. Eight permanent jobs are vacant
and won't be filled. More seasonal slots will
disappear this summer. The president's 2006
budget contains an increase for Park Service
operations nationwide, and we thank him.
However, in many cases the money won't
reach the parks themselves. Mr. Bush may be
unaware of this business snag.
 Take the 2005 park budget increase, for
which Congress and the Interior Department
also deserve credit. Mandated employee raises,
agency internal assessments, retirement
system changes, terrorism alerts, and emergency
expenditures consume the new money,
producing shortfalls. It's not clear whether
Congress understands the paradox: its well
intentioned funding increases are resulting in
service reductions at the park level.
Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, and
Reps. Tom Allen and Mike Michaud have made
salutary efforts to remedy the problem at Acadia,
but the full Congress is hard to budge. Each
Maine delegation member was justly given the
National Park Conservation Association's Friend
of the National Parks award.
Charitable grants from Friends of Acadia
make possible about 115 non-operational jobs
(an estimated 50 FTEs). Pressure is mounting
on philanthropies to fund park operating
shortfalls. A recent Park Service review in a
western national park stated that its supporting
nonprofit "should first and foremost raise
funds for the [park] superintendent's priorities
be they a capital improvement project or
for operations."
Let's be clear: philanthropy's role is to add
value, including for select improvements and
programs; but a charity must never subsidize
government operating losses or bankroll private
businesses. Federal operations are a government
duty, period. Park Service Director
Fran Mainella, whose tenure has emphasized
nonprofit partnerships, vigorously supports
that philosophy. The agency needs to make
sure its employees understand it.
In the words of David Rockefeller, Jr., whose
family's gifts helped establish Acadia and other
national parks, Americans "need to have assurances
that their private dollars will not be used
to offset public responsibilities...I refer to this
distinction as the bright line'."
President Bush has a great deal of business
acumen. We urge him to apply the proper
management fix to the cash delivery malfunction.
This would honor the bright line,
expand charitable giving, favor a prudent mix
of public and private jobs, and ultimately
reverse park-level deficits. The president can
accomplish this by proposing, and ensuring
that Congress appropriates, an annual funding
margin that exceeds the exactions that will
otherwise eliminate it.
- W. Kent Olson, President
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