It’s been a busy year at the Flagstaff Area National Monuments. Since the departure of Kayci Cook, there have been a series of acting superintendents, including Kris Butcher who will be leaving in mid-January.
A new superintendent will be announced soon. After a few years of hard work, the Wupatki Backcountry Management Plan is now available for review. Covid precautions are still in place. This means park staff interacts with the public outdoors as much as possible, museum displays are still closed and limits for indoor visitation remain in place. Despite the wary times, the public continues to enjoy parks and the outdoors in ever-increasing numbers.
Download Environmental Assessment Public Review for Wupatki National Monument Backcountry Management Plan – (PDF 5 Mbs)
It was an unusually gray morning when I met student intern Caleb Okrucky at the Walnut Canyon overlook. A tall young man from Tucson, he is earnest in his desire to learn more about the natural and cultural resources of the area. He started his internship back in September, since then he has finished his first semester at NAU and created a field resource for park staff to use to identify invasive species.
He works the visitor center desk, roves the trails interacting with park visitors, and assists resource management. He told me he wants to be a wildlife biologist and is currently pursuing a degree in Environmental Science with a certificate in ecology and wildlife management.
Due to covid, the past two years have been hard, he said. His last year of high school was spent exclusively online and though his university classes have been in person the social isolation has been great. When I spoke with him about the importance of his internship, he remarked that it has created a social gateway with staff and visitors. More importantly, the internship is creating a stepping stone to a career path and experience he can get nowhere else.
Staffing levels have declined but visitation to National Park service sites has never been greater. Student interns provide a valuable presence at visitor centers, on trails, and on resource projects. Since January 2020, Friends of Flagstaff National Monuments has funded 23 interns at a cost of $6,325. We rely on your financial support to continue to fund this work.
The covid pandemic relief measure from 2020 was extended through 2021. This means that a married couple can deduct $600 or a single person $300 until 12/31/21. This deduction is allowed even if the taxpayer does not itemize, and the standard deduction is taken.
Your donation to Friends of Flagstaff National Monuments will directly help us support the Flagstaff Area National Monuments student intern program.
Wishing you all the best in 2022. Happy New Year!
Mary Blasing
Chair, Friends of Flagstaff National Monuments
