It has been my custom to welcome ANPR’s new officers in this column at this time. Please see below for election results.

In keeping with our “ranger at heart” goal, we are pleased to add a regular Maintenance column with this issue of Ranger (see “The Professional Ranger” section). With the addition of a regular Administration column a few issues ago, this rounds out regular contributions from the traditional field-level disciplines. We welcome Larry Harris as the regular writer of this column under the “ranger at heart” logo!

Lest anyone is still wondering what effect the proposed removal of U.S. Park Police Chief Teresa Chambers is having on the field, just turn to page 2 of this issue of Ranger. In the next-to-last paragraph you will find that fully half of the 14 superintendents contacted for an ANPR budget discussion had second thoughts since they originally agreed to participate. Not all cited the “Chambers incident” but it certainly was the most prominent signal to superintendents since October of last year. Dig out your winter 1993-1994 issue and compare the degree of candor expressed 10 years ago to that expressed today.

We have taken a few more steps to launch Mission 16. The task directive to the steering committee has been completed and we have informed partners about the initiative. The only partner to provide feedback so far has been the National Parks Conservation Association through our joint participation in the Americans for National Parks (ANP) coalition.

There are tie-ins with the ANP initiative, which is budget specific. Since there is only a finite amount of congressional attention that we can expect to focus on national parks, we need to maintain close coordination with ANP. In contrast to ANP’s budget initiative, Mission 16 will have a longer focus and will address aspects other than the budget.

Mission 16 and ANP will use many of the same strategies, so we can learn and build from each other. Both have public outreach and media strategies, data gathering, storytelling and congressional strategies. Although ANPR has been, and continues to be, quite successful with Congress, we can learn and benefit from the professional expertise of the ANP.

By the summer issue of Ranger we should have a regular column on Mission 16’s progress.

ANPR members have elected these candidates to the ANPR Board of Directors:

Lee Werst — President Elect, to assume office Jan. 1, 2005, for a three-year term

Sean McGuinness — Board Member for Fund Raising Activities, term ends Dec. 31, 2006

Kirsten Talken-Spaulding — Board Member for Membership Services, term ends Dec. 31, 2006