Joan Anzelmo, who last year ended a 35-year career with the National Park Service, has been honored by the National Parks Conservation Association with its Stephen T. Mather Award for her commitment to preserving the integrity and open access of the park for all visitors.
Shortly after Joan Anzelmo took over the public affairs office at Yellowstone National Park back in the 1980s, I was cautioned that she could be brusque and difficult to work with.
At the time I ran the Wyoming office of The Associated Press, and that sort of head's up was concerning, as good relations with the park was certainly important to running the news operation in a state where a park such as Yellowstone was most decidedly a main news attraction.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Ms. Anzelmo, while certainly professional and often in a rush, as you might expect for a two-person public affairs office in a park the stature of Yellowstone, was anything but difficult to work with. She wasn't always ready to shoot the breeze, but she tracked down whatever information was needed as promptly as possible.
And if more information or details were needed, she ran it down and provided it.
The summer of 1988, when wildfires seared a good portion of Yellowstone and brought media from across the country to her doorstep, was particularly trying for Ms. Anzelmo. So many media knocked on her door for permission to access the park to cover the fires that she resorted to a standard form stating:
To Whom it May Concern:
Please consider this as authorization for (fill in the blank) to have administrative travel and access to fire areas for media coverage.
The next line contained a blank for the reporter's name and their media affiliation, and below that Ms. Anzelmo's name, title, and space for her signature.
I still have mine, a momento, if you will, of that hot smoky summer.
Over the ensuing years our careers continued to overlap as her hats changed: she served stints as chief of public affairs for Grand Teton National Park, the entire National Park Service out of its Washington, D.C., office, and finally as superintendent of Colorado National Monument.
She endured more than her share of challenges and continually came out on top.
One of those challenges reared up last year when she had to fend off political pressure to open the monument to a professional bike race. In denying the permit request, Ms. Anzelo cited the logistics involved, which included closing Rim Rock Drive through the monument for 12 hours, feed zones, support vehicles, and overheard air support.
At one point, U.S. Sen. Mark Udall and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper maintained that running a stage of the 2012 Quiznos Pro Challenge through the monument "can significantly add to the stature and profile of the effort to designate the Monument as a National Park."
Never mind that it was within the senator's purview, bike race or not, to simply introduce legislation for the name change.
In light of the backbone she displayed in that matter, the National Parks Conservation Association last week awarded Ms. Anzelmo the Stephen T. Mather Award, endowed by Booz Allen Hamilton, for her commitment to preserving the integrity and open access of the park for all visitors.
“Joan is a true champion of the parks and she has spent her career upholding the key tenets of our national parks, that they remain equally accessible to all people and that everything possible is done to preserve them for our children and grandchildren,” said NPCA Southwest Regional Office Senior Director David Nimkin.
“Throughout her career, from Yellowstone and Grand Teton to her time spent in Washington, DC, she has exemplified the spirit of Stephen Mather. Her actions in the last year at Colorado National Monument, in preventing the overt commercialization of the park by a privately-sponsored competition, despite personal attacks and political maneuvering, are merely the latest examples of her dedication to the principles the National Parks System is built upon.”
NPCA Senior Vice President for Government Affairs Craig Obey presented the prestigious award at the annual Association of National Park Rangers Conference in Williamsburg, Virginia, this past Friday.
“Joan is exactly the type of person we want in charge of our national treasures,” Mr. Obey said. “Her determination and dedication to our parks cannot be swayed, and she has had the courage to stand up to pressure from powerful, connected interests. Throughout her career she remained focused on the proven policies and science that she knows are needed to retain the character and spirit of the National Park System for the future.”
Retired Yellowstone Superintendent Bob Barbee, whom Ms. Anzelmo served under during her time in that park, praised her for the commitment she showed toward the park system throughout her career.
"In a career spanning 42 years, it is rare to work with someone whose caliber matches Joan Anzelmo,” Mr. Barbee said. “She is a top flight professional who conducted her career with honesty, wit, aplomb and resolve. Her principled dedication to the values embodied in the national parks is unrivaled — and when faced with pressures to compromise those values, Joan can be counted on to hold the line."
Following the leadership she showed during the 1988 Yellowstone fires, Ms. Anzelmo became a nationally acknowledged expert in crisis communications and subsequently was dispatched to some of the country’s most complex wild land fire situations and other national emergencies.
In May 2010 she was assigned to the Unified Area Command for the National Park Service in response to the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Ms. Anzelmo is the recipient of numerous awards including two of the Department of the Interior’s highest honors, the Superior Service and Meritorious Service awards, and has been honored in Congressional Record and White House commendatory documents.
"I am deeply humbled to receive the National Parks Conservation Association’s Stephen Tyng Mather Award,” said Ms. Anzelmo. “This award, named after the first director of the National Park Service and the agency whose work I devoted my life to, is the honor of a lifetime. I am so grateful to have the National Parks Conservation Association as a steadfast partner and leader in helping to protect our nation's most precious natural and cultural resources and serve the vast visiting public to America's national parks."
During the quarter-century that Joan and I have worked together from time to time, we've certainly had a number of differences, but they were always handled professionally and resolved amicably. She never did prove to be difficult to work with over all those years.
Rather, Joan was a professional of, and for, the National Park Service, gave her professional life to the organization, and likely bleeds green when cut.
Her award is well-deserved.
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Comments
I know from experience the joy of working with public affairs peeps who bring pride and excellence to their work. It makes our jobs as reports so much easier. Kudos to Anzelmo on her impressive career, the Park system needs more advocates like her.
To be rewarded for denying a bike race, and "the backbone she displayed in that matter," is a too bad.
The race would have been a great thing for the National Park Service, the Monument and Grand Junction. Remember, part of the mission of the NPS is to promote the use of the parks; Shame on Anzelmo for a lack of vision, courage or both.
I find the awarding of Ms. Anzelmo the Mather Award appauling. The major reason cited was her closing the monument to a proffesional bike race, even though this route was used for over 10 years in the 70-80's for a proffesional bike race.
That proffesional bike mentioned was the biggest public event Colorado has seen in over two decades. The majority of the population of Grand Junction where the monument is located wanted the event. Her attitude was one of complete disregard to the general public and their sentiment. The local group that was proposing bringing the event to the area was willing to work through any detail or restriction and she flat out denied it. She was unwilling to work with her local community and displayed no concern for those people.
In 2011 there were 11 communities in Colorado that welcomed the race with open arms and reeped the marketing benefits it brought. In 2012 there are estimated to be 40+ communities that want the race to come to them. Grand Junction is lobbying to bring the race to their community, but cannot propose this historic course because of closed minded power hungry people like Ms. Anzelmo.
Very Dissapointed,
Glen
The DENIED Bike Race Example is the fascist element promoted within NPS Law Enforcement
ranks whether it be harassing amateur photographers, killing predators as a media event, or any
NPS Management behavior to demonstrate "Command/Control" to earn future promotional
perks & points. Imagine defending her decision to keep those dirty bikers outside the public park.
Similar NPS Management illogical Denial attempts have been contemplated at Crater Lake NP
regarding the traditional Rim Run Marathon. It is this management nonsense. This decision-
making is destroying the total numbers of public constituents for the National Park System.
We fear ultimately that this will allow THESE SPECIAL PLACES to be sold off as
Private Reserve Retreats for the exclusive use of the super-wealthy GOP funders who will
eagerly DENY ACCESS to all publics except, of course, the "select few" with Club Memberships.
So, Denying the Park's neighbors temporary daily activity permits only facilitates the
time when an America, as Debtor Nation will be unable to fund public national parks.
The GOP practices this strategy very well: Hey, don't worry if the legislation passes; we'll then
act to DENY public Funding: They call it, "Starve the Beast"
Meanwhile, of course, these retired upper management level officials
enjoy the good life of a tax-payer funded upper-level graded NPS Pension, like USA's
greedy bankers laughing inside the Bank.
So, is this Why, there are calls for a $1,000,000,000 Endowment Fund for national parks ?
I am disappointed to see that the negative commenters on Joan's award are hiding behind anonymity. The professional bike race was clearly contrary to National Park Service policy and in violation of Title 36 of the Code of Federal regulations. Joan made the only decision she could make and still maintain her integrity. I am proud of her.
I am not quite sure how that morphs into facist decision-making by NPS law enforcement. Maybe our anonymous friends will fill us in on that.
Rick Smith
"Occupy" might be a better pen name for your anonymous friend, Rick.
Rick, I'm sure we could just follow the money. These people probably had some dollars to gain from it and are sore because their wallets didn't get any fatter.
We had "professional" bike race in the city where I live and it was a collossal mess. Traffic was completely tied up for hours. Businesseses that were along the route literally had to close down.
Some of us around here have vowed that next time, we will try to gather crowds of angry citizens in the middle of streets to be used by the race and see if we can disrupt it as fully as the race disrupted the city.
So, what is there here specifically in writing that an NPS Superintendent cannot allow ? or modify
for a short-term activity to promote interest in defending the values and integrity of public lands.
Title 36: Parks, Forests, and Public Property
CHAPTER I: NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
PART 4: VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC SAFETY
4.30 - Bicycles.(a) The use of a bicycle is prohibited except on park roads, in parking areas and on routes designated for bicycle use; provided, however, the superintendent may close any park road or parking area to bicycle use pursuant to the criteria and procedures of ?? 1.5 and 1.7 of this chapter. Routes may only be designated for bicycle use based on a written determination that such use is consistent with the protection of a park area's natural, scenic and aesthetic values, safety considerations and management objectives and will not disturb wildlife or park resources.
(b) Except for routes designated in developed areas and special use zones, routes designated for bicycle use shall be promulgated as special regulations.
(c) A person operating a bicycle is subject to all sections of this part that apply to an operator of a motor vehicle, except ?? 4.4, 4.10, 4.11 and 4.14.
(d) The following are prohibited:
(1) Possessing a bicycle in a wilderness area established by Federal statute.
(2) Operating a bicycle during periods of low visibility, or while traveling through a tunnel, or between sunset and sunrise, without exhibiting on the operator or bicycle a white light or reflector that is visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front and with a red light or reflector visible from at least 200 feet to the rear.
(3) Operating a bicycle abreast of another bicycle except where authorized by the superintendent.
(4) Operating a bicycle while consuming an alcoholic beverage or carrying in hand an open container of an alcoholic beverage.
Additional reference to this discussion:
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/03/17/17greenwire-nps-pressured-to-bend-rules-for-colo-monument-35344.html?pagewanted=all
Here is a link to the letter signed by Supt. Anzelmo denying permission for the race. It was found by Googling "nps special use colorado national monument." Anyone questioning the rationale for denying the race should read it carefully. It spells out in specific detail the reasons for denial.
http://www.eenews.net/assets/2011/03/17/document_ll_02.pdf
After experiencing the almost complete paralysis of an entire city by a similar race, I wish our city fathers had been as courageous as Supt. Anzelmo and had denied that race from happening. But in this case, money counted for more than inconvenience and hardship imposed on citizens.
One more thing:
The decision was not about prohibiting bicycles in Colorado National Monument. Bikes are welcome in Colorado National Monument and in all U.S. national parks. The decision was about not permitting a professional bike race that featured chase cars, helicopters, tv cameras, prize money and all the trappings of a pro race like this. National Park Service policies and laws prohibit professional races because they would negatively impact fragile park resources (wildlife, historic resources, native vegetation, etc.) and would require closure of the park road to the visiting public. Despite what the various anons say, this isn't what national park areas are about.
Rick Smith
However, Golden Gate NRA issues a permit for the annual Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon every year. There's a pro category with prize money, although most of the pros make their living off of sponsorships. They have parts of the run and bike portions on NPS land, although the swim part no longer starts directly on Alcatraz (it's now from a boat just off Alcatraz). If I'm not mistaken, the transition areas are on NPS land. The video I see here definitely shows large groups running through narrow paths on NPS land, as well as large crowds congregating on the beach.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpkL8zAsnQc
I remember the discussion about the Colorado race, and the proposal from the organizers did seem to create problems that would have meant serious issues (ingress and egress) given the park layout.
Actually I think i would be against a private group using one of the National Parks as their private venue-- where would it stop?? How about a Nathan's hot dog eating contest in Yosemite??? LOL
You'd be surprised what's allowed to go on under NPS regulations. There's the Badwater Ultramarathon, which used to go from Badwater in Death Valley NP to Mt Whitney, which straddles Sequoia NP and Inyo National Forest. Apparently they now stop shy of entering the John Muir Wilderness in Inyo NF because the Forest Service doesn't allow it. It's probably also a nightmare with permits and cooperation with government agencies.
http://www.badwater.com/info.html