Interior Secretary Zinke isn't high on the National Park Service operating campgrounds, such as this one at Capitol Reef National Park/Kurt Repanshek

What exactly is Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke's vision of the National Park Service in years to come? That's a pertinent question not only in light of the Trump administration's directive that Interior shed $1.5 billion from its budget for the coming fiscal year, and cut nearly 1,250 full-time positions from the Park Service, but also because of the secretary's view of the skill set of Park Service employees.

During an appearance last week before the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association, Secretary Zinke voiced his desire to outsource various aspects of running the National Park System, and the topic of operating campgrounds came up.

"As the secretary, I don't want to be in the business of running campgrounds," the secretary said, according to a story by E&E News. "My folks will never be as good as you are."

Going a step further, Mr. Zinke added that, "We'll be looking at where our employees should be spending their time. ... Yes, cleaning the bathrooms. But actually running services, that's something we should be pushing to somebody who's updated and knows the market better."

Now, the RVIA expertise is not in managing campgrounds, but rather as serving as a trade group for RV manufacturers and parts suppliers. The National Park Service, however, has a long history of managing campgrounds. For the secretary to state that park employees should be cleaning bathrooms while managing campgrounds is outsourced runs counter to that history. 

"The NPS has a long and proud history of managing campgrounds across the country. We have many repeat customers who come to the parks because our rangers and maintenance employees provide quality services and programs that result in an outstanding visitor experience," said Phil Francis, who wrapped up his 41-year Park Service career with eight years as superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway, which has eight campgrounds.

"I have met a number of NPS employees over the years who decided to join the NPS as a result of meeting park rangers while camping and hiking in national parks. It is important that the Service be allowed to continue that traditional service," he continued in an email to the Traveler.

Beyond that, Mr. Francis added that outsourcing management of campgrounds is not a good solution for the Park Service.

"I have had some experience with contracted campgrounds, and have found that the Service is asked to continue much of the maintenance workload, especially capital projects when campgrounds are contracted out, thus allowing private operators to receive a return on investment that they expect," he said. "While we can always strive to improve, my decades of experience tells me that this idea will likely not work."

Also opposed to privately managed campgrounds is the National Parks Conservation Association, where John Garder said past experience has shown it's not a panacea for insufficient Park Service funding.

"While concessions play an important role in our parks, so do the many park rangers who are a central part of the experience for the visitors who value them. And as the Park Service found in both the '80s and '90s when it examined possibilities for privatizing additional services, it's usually not cost-efficient because the private sector needs to make a profit ... unless of course fees are increased to a point that they're likely inappropriately high for public lands Americans collectively own," said Mr. Garder, NPCA's director of budget and appropriations.

What other proposals Mr. Zinke has for seeing that the Park Service provides visitors with a great experience in spite of a significant budget and staffing cut remain to be seen. While the secretary on May 23 told reporters that the president's proposed budget would allow the Park Service "to take care of what we have" across the Interior landscape, he's yet to outline proposals to explain how Interior in general, and the Park Service specifically, will do that if Congress approves the budget.

The secretary's spokeswoman, Heather Swift, when asked by the Traveler how the already straining Park Service will manage such a cut and still provide a quality visitor experience while protecting park resources, replied via email that unspecified innovations and efficiencies would make it possible.

"You're asking the question assuming process and organization remains the same, but it won't be. This administration is committed to improving the way government works by being more innovative and more efficient and by collaborating with local communities and outside partners," Ms. Swift wrote. "Plus, we will look at ways to increase revenue. Last year we made $15 billion LESS from offshore revenues than we did in 2008. That's a lot of money every year, especially when you consider the the NPS maintenance backlog is around $12 billion. The president's budget increased funding for the backlog.

"As the secretary said: 'I'm confident we will find innovative solutions for cost reduction, like public private partnerships, and revenue generation that will improve both sides of the books,'" she added.

Traveler footnote: Offshore royalties earned by the federal government from oil and gas production do not flow directly to the Interior Department or the National Park Service, and so can't be counted on to wipe out the agency's estimated maintenance backlog of roughly $11.3 billion. Nearly a third of the royalties head to the state where the fossil fuels were recovered, $150 million goes directly to the Historic Preservation Fund, up to $900 million flows to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, some goes to the federal agency that manages the area, and the remainder goes to the U.S. Treasury, according to the Interior Department.