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Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Steve Martin Hanging Up His Hat

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After 35 years with the National Park Service, most recently as Grand Canyon superintendent, Steve Martin has decided to retire. NPS handout.

After 35 years with the National Park Service, Steve Martin has decided it's time to hang up his Stetson. The superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park has announced that he'll retire as of January 1.

Mr. Martin's departure opens one of the most-sought superintendencies in the National Park System and closes the career of a man who started out as a ranger and worked his way just about to the very top of the National Park Service. Not too surprisingly, along the way from his first job at the Grand Canyon as a backcountry river ranger to his current position -- with a stint as deputy director of the Park Service and a few superintendent roles in between -- he gathered some controversy.

Some inside the Park Service associate Mr. Martin with the "core ops" budgeting approach wielded by the Intermountain Region, one that many saw as merely a tool to cut both unwanted programs and personnel. Others questioned his appointment of his wife to a newly created "Group Superintendent" role within the region overseeing three other park superintendents.

During Mr. Martin's stint as regional director a case arose around Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site in which the Indian trader was accused -- wrongly, it turned out -- of embezzling from the trading post. After a lengthy, and costly, series of investigations, including one by the Interior Department's Office of Inspector General, Park Service officials determined that Intermountain Region investigators and managers who looked into the business operations at Hubbell Trading exhibited "poor case management" and "poor judgment and performance."

Neither Mr. Martin nor his deputy at the time, Mike Snyder, ever responded to inquiries from the Traveler about how they handled that investigation. (It has now been two years since the Traveler filed a Freedom of Information request with the Interior Department requesting its investigative reports into the matter and not a single page has been turned over.)

A lawsuit filed by the Indian trader, Billy Malone, included both Mr. Martin and Mr. Snyder as defendants, accusing them of misconduct and wrongful seizure of property belonging to Mr. Malone. A judge later removed the Park Service officials from the matter, saying he didn't think a case could be built against them.

Mr. Martin's career included stops as superintendent of Grand Teton, Denali and Gates of Arctic national parks, various roles in Yellowstone and Voyageurs national parks, as well as in the agency's Intermountain Regional Office in Denver where he served as regional director from September 2003 to April 2005, when he moved to Washington, D.C., to serve as deputy director. Two years later he returned to the field as Grand Canyon superintendent.

At Gates of the Arctic, he worked with Alaska Natives on cooperative conservation involving subsistence, wilderness and resource protection, and eco-tourism, according to a Park Service release.

As Grand Canyon superintendent, Mr. Martin advocated for high-flow releases of Lake Powell through the Glen Canyon Dam so that they might revitalize the Colorado River corridor through the park.

“Living and working in some of the most beautiful places on earth, with some of the best people in the world, has been a great privilege and adventure—for me and our family," Mr. Martin said in a prepared statement. "We have great memories of places and people and now look forward to spending more time out and about in national parks and protected places around the world.”

Comments

You know I keep hearing Superintendent Martin was here five years. I am pretty sure it was just three. Three years is the period to qualify at the top of the pay scale(Grand Canyon) that they use to determine retirement income. You sure have created a lot of good will. Never did hear how the Mule Ride went with Ted Turner and your wife to Pipe Creek to catch another raft trip. Hey, you are a good guy. The handicapped have their ramp at Mather.


When I hear comments NPS employees on this issue and I hear them say there has been a culture change, it is THEIR culture that has changed. The great majority of Americans that contribute to this country respect the things that are grounded in history and REAL experiences. Click on the link below and you'll see such a man.

http://archive.library.nau.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=%2Fcpa&CISO...



It occurred to me that as we mention the career accomplishements of Mr. Martin as he retires, perhaps we should mention that it follows closely on the heels of another retirement at Grand Canyon.
Casey Murph spent twenty years on mules on the Bright Angel and South Kaibab trails. To date he has the most trail time on muleback within the Grand Canyon of anyone living.
As manager of mule operations at the south rim for Xanterra, Casey was able to get pushed through considerable pay increases for the mule farriers. He created a system of promotion for trail guides, recognizing that as trail guides gained canyon experience, their responsibility increased. With promotion, trail guides also recieve pay increases, unheard of before Casey's management.
Casey was able to finally get a new set of corrals constructed at the Livery barn in the villiage, a project that had been asked for years before by the former livery manager and ignored.
Casey had many other improvements he was trying to get implemented, unfortunately he was constantly fighting NPS red tape and concessioner frugality. We have been pleased to note that most of these improvements have been implemented since Casey left, the controversy surrounding the mule ride issue forcing NPS to allow for these improvements, and Xanterra to cough up some money.
Casey will be best remembered for being the Manager of mule operations who went head to head with the powerful and connected Steve Martin over the mule ride issue. Casey laid his career on the line in order to try to save the historic mule ride, and ultimately paid the price when the red faced Martin cried for his head. Casey was the last of the old time mule bosses of Grand Canyon. One hundred years of history left that barn with him.


With all the information surfacing involving NPS meetings and statements made that don't seem to be acknowledged or even an admission that they took place concerning the Stock Use Proposals, I wouldn't be surprised if there was an investigation into improprieties. The Concessionaire, Xanterra, an expansive hotel management company, has been very quiet and was completely absent when the dialogue was going on involving stock use in the Canyon. The North Rim operation, separate from Xanterra, runs a very highly respected operation, fought to lessen the damage inflicted by Martin. Xanterra was completely absent in the conversation. I might draw a laugh but I would say the Xanterra MBA's in Denver lack the character, commitment and the trust to support the mule operation leaving the opportunity open for Superintendent Martin to pursue his agenda. The top two Xanterra managers certainly aren't going to say or do anything that might bring attention to themselves no matter how many committed and stellar employees they have to fire. That is the scenario that many see both in NPS and Xanterra employees and contributes greatly to the cloud that many have to work under as Xanterra employees. Martin has taken full advantage of this and instead of working in areas that would support the arguably BEST ride in one of the most remarkable places in the world, he has sought to degrade it out of existance but so far has come close to his goal if not for the token he's had to leave. I really hope and pray that all involved in this issue can redeem themselves because it would bring great hope to those that have lost it in these dealings.


I am thinking, what's wrong with this picture when a career NPS employee wants to pursue politics in retirement. Of course I am referring to Mr. Martin's retirement. Throughout the Stock Use EA I attempted to bring to the forefront the perspective of the public's benefit from the Ride. Their arguments seem overly weighted toward the mantra of saving the resource FROM the public when it's more ideological than reality. It reminds me of the political divide that is ongoing in Washington where Mr. Martin wants to return to.

I keep returning to this letter to remind myself of what this Canyon is all about to my riders and to myself. It's from a single mother of twins that blessed my ride to Phantom Ranch three years ago.

Rich
I've been thinking a lot about our experience with the canyon. I know it was incredible for both my kids, but perhaps especially for Noah. Last year this time, Noah was experiencing severe anxiety, was pulled out of school, and had become nearly suicidal. I know that sounds unbelievable for a then 11 year-old, but it was very intense and very scary. We got help for him (medical and otherwise), and he is making progress by leaps and bounds. I tell you this to let you know how huge it was for Noah to be able to do this. He was awake at 4 a.m. that morning of the mule ride, sure that he, or one of us, was fated to die that day on those mules. He was sobbing nearly hysterically and I began to doubt whether this was going to be possible and if I was doing the right thing. I helped him get back to sleep and by later that morning, the worst of it was gone, but by no means completely disappeared. I can't thank you enough for helping him (and me!) through that. It was a real breakthrough for him, one we'll never forget and one that has and will continue to make a lasting difference in his life. How incredible to get these things at the age of 12! Thank you again.

I've been reflecting on my own experience with the canyon too. What an amazing 30 hours, from Thursday morning to Friday afternoon. The canyon itself has become a powerful metaphor for me. Something happened to me over that day and a half. Something like a crevice opened up for me, and I was somehow inside of it and yet an observer of it, all at the same time. Like what I saw looking out over the canyon, the space I saw and felt within myself was deep, vast, and huge. At the bottom was the groundedness of the river - solid and strong, and at the top was the etherealness of the sky - weightless and fleeting. That heightened sense of awareness that the canyon blessed me with, combined with many of the things you said and did, and just your presence itself - gave me a perspective I hadn't had before. In any case, the result of all this was that I saw things differently - things about my childhood, my marriage, and myself. Somehow, the canyon and you achieved, seemingly without effort, what many hours of psychotherapy, books and occasionally medication, could not. Some of what I saw was painful, some of it was bittersweet, but it came with such an exhilarating and almost intoxicating sense of clarity. And I've decided I'll take clarity, even if it's painful, over ambiguity any day. It was that kind of clarity that seems to set the truth right smack in front of you, gives you wings and says "go now, you're free". I have you, and the canyon, to thank for that. Words really are inadequate to express my gratitude - but you and the canyon have been on my mind and I appreciate this opportunity to express some of it to you with this letter. It comes from my heart. I have no doubt that, while you love your work and feel blessed to be there, you are also providing something for people that is truly breathtaking and spectacular (and I don't just mean the views of the canyon). You are part of something that can make a valuable difference for peope. I hope you never lose sight of that. Well, I've probably rambled on longer than I should. Wish we were there.
Thanks for listening, Jill

This was one of the payoffs for me as a Mule Guide on both the North and South Rims. Being in the company of exposed, humble individuals of all ages seeing the reality of the mules and the Canyon and returning better people.



I also have come to the previous conclusion about Martin's motivations and I've had many interactions with him on the trail and in his office. He certainly has followed the money trail setting himself up for even higher rewards in retirement, politics/conservation. Even with the Intermountain Region receiving $200 million of borrowed Chinese money Martin couldn't find the money to preserve the 103 year old mule ride . We all knew from early on what Martin has proved that his personal wishes were anti-mule and heck with everyone. He couldn't defend ANY of his reasons factually or in a way that didn't reveal his prejudice. Political speak it was.

Yes, politics is an option for Steve but what historic retiring Park
Service employee goes off to spend more time with, politics? What's
wrong with that picture?


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