Refocus on protecting our national parks

I applaud Rep. Frank Pallone's demand that the National Park Service explain why it is desperately hanging on to an apparently floundering so-called developer at Sandy Hook.

Hopefully, his frustration may end the NPS' exasperating arrogance and incompetence, as well as avoid setting a dangerous precedent that threatens our national parks with commercial development.

NPS officials, supposedly the protectors of our national resources, have been less than honest as they press to privatize and commercialize Fort Hancock. It wants business offices, bars, restaurants and what-not in the park - ostensibly to repair old Army buildings it has mismanaged.

I share Rep. Pallone's exasperation. He once arranged a meeting between the NPS and a critical citizens group, Save Sandy Hook, but in an attempted "fait accompli," the NPS announced the day before that it signed a "contract" with the developer.

An astonished Rep. Pallone promptly canceled his meeting. Later another NPS official admitted the contract was just an "agreement to agree." The NPS ploy was to avoid discussing serious alternate solutions to its commercialization plan.

The NPS' latest bit of perfidy, giving the developer an eighth extension to raise the money he should have lined up in 1999, was summed up nicely in a local newspaper's incredulous editorial, "They've got to be kidding!" But the NPS isn't kidding, even though its actions are a joke. It wants its commercial profit center at all costs - even if it alienates a congressman.

I'm pleased Rep. Pallone is holding the NPS' feet to the fire, but he must use the full powers the electorate has given him to protect Sandy Hook and our national parks. In addition to demanding an investigation by the Department of the Interior's inspector general, he must also ask the independent General Accounting Office to investigate. The DOI can't be trusted.

In addition, I hope he, Rep. Rush Holt, and our Washington delegation, including Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez, act to save our national parks.

First, the appropriate Congressional committees must investigate NPS actions at both Sandy Hook and at other national parks, since the NPS' attempt to use preservation as a wedge to commercialize Fort Hancock has been described by development advocates as a template for commercializing other parks. Congress must not allow our parks to be manipulated for development.

Secondly, Congress must tighten the 1966 legislation that authorized the NPS and other agencies to lease buildings that they didn't need. While intuitively a common-sense idea, the NPS has shown little sensitivity in differentiating between clusters of old military warehouses and an Historic District that is integral to a national park.

Third, Congress must reaffirm the objectives of our national parks. We cannot allow misguided NPS managers to embrace the recent national mania of privatizing traditional government functions (we even hire mercenaries these days). Congress must restore the conservation policies that have served us so well.

Finally, Congress must increase funding for our national parks. The decay and erosion must stop.

Millions of Americans enjoy our national parks each year. Our elected federal officials must act on our behalf to investigate - and invest - now.

George Moffatt

Oceanport