Outsourcing. Privatization. A-76. Commercialization. Unless you have been living in one of our many caves for the past year, you have heard of one or more of these terms. Whatever you know this initiative by, you have also heard that there is a lot of concern about it. True! Too true. What you may not realize is that there is nothing about this initiative that is strategic; it is all about reducing the number of federal government employees.

This initiative has the potential to forever change the National Park Service. In many respects, it has the potential to greatly weaken the “service” part of our agency’s heritage. In so doing, service may be lost from our approach to fulfilling the NPS mission and from many of our activities.

Think for a minute about your park and what it would be like if any or all of the following were replaced by contractors (it could happen!): fee collectors, maintenance workers, archeologists, firefighters, biological technicians, visitor use assistants, education specialists and administrative personnel.

They could be replaced by contractors and contract employees, no longer motivated by public service, a desire to fulfill the NPS mission or our resource stewardship ideals. These folks are motivated by service to their company, meeting contract language and profit incentives. So, we won’t have NPS employees who aspire to a career in the conservation of protected landscapes; who are willing to be part of the park “team” and contribute beyond the terms of their PDs; or who show up at potlucks and volleyball games. Instead, parks will have contractors who work their shift, owe their loyalty to some off-site company and have little desire or motivation to learn about the Service’s traditions, values and mission. We lose the flexibility to assign workers to help out in special circumstances, and our social interaction, already limited in some areas, is further curtailed. In fact, due to limits on liability, these contract employees may be prohibited from helping with windstorm, snowstorm or flash flood cleanup, or search and medical emergencies, much less structural or wildland fire response.

Sound familiar? It will to many who work in areas that already have contractors. What can you do about this? Quite a lot, actually!

• First, share this message with every NPS employee you contact. Also give them copies of the President’s Message from the last issue of Ranger (Spring 2003). When they get concerned, encourage them to join ANPR and our efforts to make a difference. There is strength in numbers! We need a united voice.

• Second, share your stories and encourage others to do the same. How has privatization affected you, your park or your program(s)? Stories of NPS employees going the extra mile to make the NPS team work — to get the total job done. Send stories to ANPR’s Executive Director Jeff McFarland at ANPRexdir@comcast.net.

• Third, keep talking, sharing and working hard on the NPS team. Talk to others whenever and wherever NPS employees are gathered. Share your concerns; hone your knowledge of this initiative and its potential impacts. Most importantly, continue to show the public that public service is indeed best done by National Park Service employees.

• Fourth, contribute to ANPR’s Talking Points and alternatives to outsourcing (found on our website under the Action Alert tab.

• Fifth, don’t set this aside and forget it. Do something now.