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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2016
Park Service seeks minorities’
support as it marks 100 years
Parks want
more diversity
By FELICIA FONSECA
and BEATRIZ COSTA-
LIMA
Associated Press
GRAND
CANYON
NATIONAL PARK, Ariz.
— When Asha Jones and
other Grand Canyon interns
arrived for their summer at the
national park, they were struck
by its sheer immensity, beauty
and world-class hiking trails.
Soon, they noticed something
else.
“It is time for a change here,
speciically, at Grand Canyon
and in the National Park Ser-
vice in general, to get peo-
ple who look like me to your
parks,” said Jones, a 19-year-
old black student at Atlanta’s
Spelman College.
The National Park Service,
which oversees more than
131,000 square miles of parks,
monuments, battleields and
other landmarks, thinks it’s
time for a change, too.
As it celebrates its 100th
birthday Thursday, the agency
is facing some key challenges
ahead. Among them is reach-
ing out to minority communi-
ties in an increasingly diverse
nation and getting them to visit
and become invested in pre-
serving the national parks.
“If public lands aren’t tell-
AP Photo/Brennan Linsley
Hikers descend a ridge inside Rocky Mountain National
Park, near Estes Park, Colo. The National Park Service cel-
ebrates its 100th birthday Thursday.
ing their story, and they don’t
see themselves relected in
these beautiful places, they
may not support them,” Inte-
rior Secretary Sally Jewell
said. “They may not recog-
nize that these are their assets
and protect them for future
generations.”
The National Park Ser-
vice doesn’t track the makeup
of its visitors, but commis-
sioned studies have shown
about three-quarters are white.
The agency’s workforce is less
diverse, at 83 percent white, a
igure that can luctuate with
temporary employees.
Minorities are expected
to eclipse the country’s white
population before 2050.
The problem of lack of
minority engagement is long-
standing and complex but can
be tied to two main factors,
said Myron F. Floyd, a leading
scholar on race and ethnicity
in outdoor recreation at North
Carolina State University.
The irst relates to cultural
traditions. Outings to national
parks generally aren’t passed
down through generations in
minority communities, he said,
and few minorities grow up
with an appreciation for such
sites. Also, for many years, Afri-
can-Americans were excluded
from national parks and other
public resources, he said.
Barriers to visiting national
parks also can be as simple as
not knowing they exist, or not
having a way to get to them or
enough money for entry fees
and gear, said Jose Gonzales,
Latino Outdoors founder.
Asian-Americans, mean-
while, can be reluctant to travel
outside their ethnic circles, and
they might ind few billboards
or brochures in their language
at national parks, said Mark
Masaoka of the Asian Paciic
Policy and Planning Council.
“It may not seem welcom-
ing or as inviting to go to a
place where there are hardly
any visitor centers, few signs,
and you’re left to igure it out,”
Masaoka said.
The Park Service has made
some changes to address these
issues, including recruiting
minority interns and produc-
ing videos and brochures for
Spanish-speaking audiences.
Its employees spend time in
schools with large minority
populations to encourage chil-
dren to visit the outdoors.
The agency also has pushed
to designate more sites that
highlight the history and con-
tributions of minorities. Some
of its newest locations include
the Cesar A. Chavez National
Monument, established in
2012, and New York’s Stone-
wall Inn, the irst national mon-
ument to gay rights, in June.
National parks need more
support than ever because years
of tight budgets have left them
with a lengthy and growing
backlog of maintenance proj-
ects, oficials say. The list of
needed repairs totaled almost
$12 billion as of last year.
Coast Guard plucks two men from
sinking boat on Columbia River
The Daily Astorian
The U.S. Coast Guard res-
cued two men from the Colum-
bia River after their 14-foot
boat ran aground near Desde-
mona Sands and began taking
on water Tuesday afternoon.
A 29-foot response boat
crew from Station Cape Dis-
appointment in Ilwaco, Wash-
ington, pulled the two men
from their sinking boat min-
utes before it capsized using an
emergency heaving line to pull
the men aboard. The men were
taken to the Skipanon Marina
in Warrenton with no reported
injuries.
A concerned mariner called
911 and was relayed to the Coast
Guard just after 1 p.m., saying a
small Smoker Craft ishing boat
with two people on board had
run aground and needed assis-
tance. The boat crew approached
the troubled mariners, who were
wearing life jackets, but had to
stay 20 to 30 feet back to avoid
shoal water.
“Life jackets were an
essential part of this res-
cue,” said Petty Officer
First Class Mike McQuade,
coxswain for the case. “If
the men had not been wear-
ing them, we probably
would not have been able to
save them before their boat
sank.”
Shortman takes a second shot at Gearhart mayor
County GOP
chairman runs
for top spot
By R.J. MARX
The Daily Astorian
GEARHART — Bob Short-
man came close — very close
— to winning the 2012 Gear-
hart mayoral election. He lost
to Dianne Widdop by only ive
votes. In November, Shortman
is giving it a second try. He’ll
be facing Matt Brown, a golf
pro who announced his intent
to run early this month.
“So many people have
asked me to run again that I
feel it’s my civic duty to do
so,” Shortman said. “Gear-
hart is one of the most desir-
able places to live. Even the
elk have moved in. My goal
is to keep the small-town feel-
ing we have while managing
growth.”
A general contractor since
1980, Shortman, 63, also
worked as a union carpenter, a
tree trimmer and a commercial
isherman. A full-time Clatsop
County resident since 1979, he much. It’s not like we’re there’s a problem. As mayor,
is semi-retired and manages going to have a Walmart in I’d like to review it.”
long-term rental properties. Gearhart.”
Shortman said he had
His wife, Lynn, is a semi-re-
Shortman said he would already contacted short-term
tired teacher. Their three chil- miss a grocery store if the rental owners about the new
dren were raised in Gearhart Gearhart Grocery transitioned rules and “would like to hear
and attended Gear-
to a brew pub, “but what they have to say.”
hart
Elementary
somebody has to
He said the city should
School.
produce income in a talk about things before
A former chair-
business.”
“throwing down laws.”
man of the Gear-
Short-term rental
If a new firehouse or
hart budget com-
owners should have other facility is sought, he
mittee, Shortman
been better noti- said he would like to see it
continues to serve
ied of the city’s brought in on budget and on
on the inance panel.
intention for reg- time.
He also served as
ulation, Shortman
Shortman, the chairman
chairman for the
said. “They got of Clatsop County Republi-
Bob Shortman
Neacoxie
Water-
notices, but I don’t cans, said he did not intend
shed Committee as
think the city ever to inject national poli-
chairman.
communicated with tics into the role of mayor.
“My goals are to have our these people personally — it “The city mayor’s nonparti-
city business transparent, open was sprayed with a ire hose. san,” he said. “I don’t want
and friendly,” he said.
When they talk about commu- to inject any politics in the
Shortman said his strengths nication, I see a lack of it. And mayor’s position. I see it as
are dealing with people and when the people that are run- a business and management
listening to them.
ning hardly seem to notice position. I feel it’s outside
Future goals include sup- there’s a problem. But when the scope of some mayors to
porting the police and ire 100 people show up mad, inject bigger agendas.”
departments, keeping beach
access open and bringing
groups together, he said.
“We have to support our
businesses here,” he said.
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Doggie Fashion Show
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Afternoon?
Q:
A benefi t for Clatsop Animal
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949 Excha n ge St.
Asto ria
503-325-3211
A :
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