Waterhole Cabin- destroyed by ONP

The Park is unable to locate the Categorical Exemption paperwork - the checklist and decision memo - so doesn't know who proposed removal of Waterhole, who inspected it, who decided it was unsafe or a liability, or why. It isn't in Planning, Facilities or Sup't Offices, they are now searching Park Archives.

NPS Directors Order 12.3.7 Public Involvement
No specific public involvement steps are required when you are categorically excluding an action from further NEPA analysis and documentation. However, CEQ requires agencies to always make a “diligent” effort to involve any interested and affected public that exist (1506.6). You should include an internal scoping step to brainstorm whether any interested or affected public exist, and discuss the best method to involve them if they do.

So let me see if I've got this straight:  Park Management doesn't know when or how or by whom this decision was made, but they're OK with it for reasons they'd rather not explain?  Seems a bit arbitrary that they're not required to tell us in advance because transparency is "categorically excluded"!

I'm old and busted up and had plenty of chances to enjoy both Olympic & Rainier over many winters, but I feel sorry for future generations of "interested and affected public..." who love our winter National Parks.  Rainier management would close Paradise on winter weekdays if they thought they could get away with it and have been working incrementally toward that goal for twenty years.

Lest we forget:  www.kitsapsun.com/news/2013/feb/11/seabu...rhole/#axzz2KhFFyM2o

Interesting comments from Eric Burr, former Olympic National Park ranger:

“We who do ski, especially those of us who ski tour — the kind of skiing most appropriate for wildlife restoration — bear the burden of educating our beleaguered national park managers.

“Constant pressure, constantly applied, is unfortunately necessary. They simply lack the required experience to make good decisions, on their own, about winter use of all kinds"

www.kitsapsun.com/news/2013/feb/25/seabu...lace-in-backcountry/

"Longtime former Hurricane Ridge Ranger Jack Hughes headlines the March Second Saturday series at 7 p.m. at Wine on the Waterfront, located at 115 Railroad Avenue, Port Angeles. A $5 donation is requested.

Hughes’ park service career spanned more than 40 years, the majority as the head ranger at Hurricane Ridge. Hughes had a goal to ski 1,000 miles every winter, and continued that streak until very recently. He was the ranger in charge when the Waterhole Hut was established in 1968, which was so popular a "lottery was conducted every year to determine its use. Hughes will speak about the history of the Hut, winter operations, and other entertaining stories from his long career in the National Park Service."

www.kitsapsun.com/news/2013/mar/04/forme...ines-outdoor-series/