Paradise telemetry - NWAC Funding?

www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snotel/snotel.pl?sitenum=679&state=wa

Provides summary data for Paradise. As does:

www.met.utah.edu/cgi-bin/droman/meso_base.cgi?stn=AFSW1

I was told by the Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Supervisors Office that people should contact NWAC program supporters to express their concern.<br><br>The Supervisors Office in working on a list on these contacts and it should be available soon.

I am consolidating the two threads on this topic into one. The posts below are from the second thread, which I will delete. I'm also going to "sticky" this thread for now so that it stays at the top.<br><br>Charles<br><br>*****************************<br>*****************************<br><br>silaswild<br><br>Paradise telemetry no longer funded?<br>Ç on: 10/15/05 at 10:28pm È<br>

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<br>Checking Paradise telemetry gives this: <br>Ê<br>10-15-2005 <br>Ê Ê ÊNorthwest Weather and Avalanche Center <br>Ê Ê ÊParadise, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington <br>Ê Ê Ê <br>Ê Ê ÊData not available due to lack of financial support from Mt Rainier National Park <br>Ê<br>Ê Ê Ê0 <br>Ê<br>How long will this situation persist? ÊGuess maintaining the equipment is too expensive to be covered by our $30 annual fees? <br>Ê<br>======================================<br>Jeff Huber<br><br>Re: Paradise telemetry no longer funded?<br>Ç Reply #1 on: 10/15/05 at 10:33pm È<br>

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<br>Hey Silas, see this thread. <br>Ê<br>Lets go skiing soon! <br><br>======================================<br>silaswild<br> Ê Ê Ê<br>Re: Paradise telemetry no longer funded?<br>Ç Reply #2 on: 10/16/05 at 10:21am È<br>

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<br>As usual, I'm one of the last to hear. ÊThanks for the info Jeff. Ê Hey Charles, can you change the Paradise telemetry link to www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snotel/snotel.pl?sitenum=679&state=wa Ê
until the NPS pays their dues to NWAC?

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skip

Re: Paradise telemetry no longer funded?
Ç Reply #3 on: 10/16/05 at 5:46pm È

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<br>I spoke to a ranger about it. ÊIt was recommended that, if this is an issue that I find important, I should write the superintendent. ÊIt seems sound advice. <br>Ê<br>Park Superintendent <br>Mount Rainier National Park <br>Tahoma Woods Star Route <br>Ashford, WA 98304 <br>Ê<br>======================================<br>khyak<br><br>Re: Paradise telemetry no longer funded?<br>Ç Reply #4 on: 10/16/05 at 7:43pm È<br>

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<br>Thanks for the link Silas, but I think in support of NWAC we should not change Charle's link. ÊThe dead end link may inspire the membership to complain to the park service! <br><br>======================================<br>Jeff Huber<br><br>Re: Paradise telemetry no longer funded?<br>Ç Reply #5 on: 10/16/05 at 8:42pm È<br>

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<br>Maybe NWAC could change the message displayed on the telemetry to contain the Superintendent's address and a recommondations to write them. Ê<br>Ê<br>Crater Lake's Telemetry was also turned off. They should be written as well. <br><br>======================================

I called this morning to try to get some "official" park info about what is going on. When I spoke to Todd at the Longmire number (360-569-2211 x3314), he said that he doesn't know what the statement ("Data not available due to lack of financial support from Mt Rainier National Park") on the Paradise and Sunrise telemetry pages means - it was the first he had heard about this.<br><br>Todd directed me to a person whom he said should know (Dave Ash, acting chief ranger), but that person was out of the office for the morning. I will try to contact him again this afternoon.<br><br>I agree that it would be good to figure out who to contact about this to make the most impact from our efforts. I guess it would be good to have a list of "talking points" (although I hate that phrase). Just off the top of my head (some of these are guesses or need more info to be complete):<br><br>(1) These telemetry stations (especially Paradise) are very important to the NWAC forecasters in preparing accurate avalanche forecasts.<br><br>(2) Accurate avalanche forecasts are of benefit to a variety of user groups (snomobilers, skiers, snowshoers, hikers, climbers) and have been shown to be cost effective (eg. compared to rescues [needs references]).<br><br>(3) The Park's contribution of $ (amount) to the NWAC is a very very small fraction of the Park budget.<br><br>(4) The Park's contribution of $ (amount) to the NWAC is a very very small fraction of the amount spent for projects (insert your favorite) which do not enhance the safety of Park visitors.<br><br>(5) The Park's contribution of $ (amount) to the NWAC could be recouped by short delays in spring plowing of non-essential roads to let nature do more of the work. <br><br>There are bound to be additional points - please feel free to add your own.

I got a call back from Dave Ash. Here is the essence of what I learned:<br>-- the Park has been contributing $9000/year to the NWAC;<br>-- every year for the past few years the federal government has cut the Park's budget by 10%;<br>-- this year (fiscal 2006, started Oct. 1) another 10% cut;<br>-- last week the Park was told that budget was going to be cut by additional x% (didn't get the number, maybe less than 1%) and those funds would go to hurricane Katrina relief budget;<br>-- the Park's budget is $9.2 million for 2006;<br>-- there are 30 vacant positions in the Park because they don't have the $ to fill;<br>-- the Park superintendent has told staff to make cuts which will "not affect visitors";<br>-- superintendent's main goal is to keep Paradise open all year;<br>-- two years ago a committee was formed to decide how to deal with budget cuts, and the recommendation was to "stop all spending outside the Park boundary";<br>-- the Park has already delayed spring plowing to save money (protests from towns on highway 410 corridor);<br>-- both the Paradise and Sunrise telemetry stations are functioning and transmitting data;<br>-- Crater Lake NP stopped providing any NWAC funding about three years ago (had been contributing $4000/year);<br>-- Olympic NP is in last year of committment to provide funding - $9000 - and will stop next year;<br><br>My take is that what this really comes down to is the current federal government's continued drive to cut domestic spending. This, of course, does not mean that the federal government is cutting overall spending - quite the opposite with hundreds of billions of dollars spent to "improve" the lives of people in the Middle East, as well as "stimulate" the economy with trickle-down tax cuts.<br><br>We can, of course, protest this tiny $9000 cut in the Park's budget by writing to the Park management. That, however, would seem be missing the real cause of this problem, which is the continued overall attack by the current federal government on spending which benefits all of us, as citizens of this country. If nothing changes in the federal government, I think this little problem will seem like nothing in a few years.<br><br>If it is true that the Paradise and Sunrise telemetry stations are still functioning, then it should be true that the NWAC forecasters will still have the data for use in preparing their forecasts. That is less important to me, though, than myself having access to the data from the stations so that I can form my own timely opinions.<br><br>So...I think that Phil's comment, "But it kind of sounds like this action is retribution for not getting money from the parks," is pretty accurate. It looks like a protest statement at this point.<br><br>

Thank you Charles. Good info.