Update on Malone ranger station and or dock.

[tinman]

Johnhens alluded to a possible closing of Malone ranger station; any further news or confirmation? Is the dock to remain?

[Tom]

The dock will remain, and I'll presume that the Voyageur II will also continue to drop off and pick up there, just like the ranger-less McCargoe and Chippewa docks. The 'closing of the station' was in regards to not staffing it this summer as part of the park's submitted plan due to sequester. Since additional funding hasn't been allocated, I'll assume that the NPS is 'carrying out the plan' at the moment, which is scheduled to be fewer seasonal staff (including the aformentioned rangers) this year. Hard to say what next year will bring.
Maybe when someone does the math of what the fuel cost is to have a ranger boat patrol around from another station, vs just keeping someone there, they'll elect to restation next year. Hard to say.

[Gimp]

The dock will remain, and I'll presume that the Voyageur II will also continue to drop off and pick up there, just like the ranger-less McCargoe and Chippewa docks. The 'closing of the station' was in regards to not staffing it this summer as part of the park's submitted plan due to sequester. Since additional funding hasn't been allocated, I'll assume that the NPS is 'carrying out the plan' at the moment, which is scheduled to be fewer seasonal staff (including the aformentioned rangers) this year. Hard to say what next year will bring.
Maybe when someone does the math of what the fuel cost is to have a ranger boat patrol around from another station, vs just keeping someone there, they'll elect to restation next year. Hard to say.

I've been watching the Department of Defense back away from the severity of the personnel cuts that were initially projected and suspect other federal agencies will also. First projections were probably made in a hurry and under pressure, possibly even with an intentional desire for pain and drama in some cases. Given more time anyone should be able to go back and fine tune the cuts to something less painful. Essentially the difference between a meat cleaver and a surgical knife.

Your comment on the cost of a patrol boat is a very good point. Anyone with a boat knows that the cost of a gallon of fuel is more when you get it dockside than it is at a gas station a mile away. The 'delivered cost' of fuel to Isle Royale makes that gallon of gas far, far more expensive due to the distance and transport costs to such a remote site. Add in the man hours of a couple of Rangers out and back, and I don't think you're going to be saving much. A boat patrol out of Rock Harbor to Todd Harbor, and all the stops in between would be even more expensive.

[Tom]

Given more time anyone should be able to go back and fine tune the cuts to something less painful.

I certainly would hope this to be the case, but I fear that for one, the decision point for seasonal workers/hiring cycle has already lapsed; and for two, that the DOD is concerned about 'real defense issues' and so has become realistic/cautious about cuts, whereas the NPS will remain in it's desire to 'show the public impact' of the budget loss.

With everything, though, it's always good to evaluate and make changes, and sometimes things like this force your hand it doing so. Maybe they'll find staffing the ranger stations was unnecessary. Maybe not. Maybe they'll discover another area for efficiency.

I recently was in Washington DC and had the opportunity to meet with some leaders of the Smithsonian Institution (which is 60% Federally funded, 40% private fundraising sources) so I asked them how sequester was impacting them. Interestingly, they noted that what they kept all cuts from impacting the visitor's experience, since "These are the public's museums and they deserve to see them. The security staff that open our doors would be the last thing to go." - So, no cuts to hours, exhibits open, etc. I would hope the NPS would eventually come around to the same perspective, doing whatever they can to ensure a positive, safe visitor experience, trying to keep the cuts from being publically visible as possible.. (A guy can dream, right?!?)