San Juan Island Administrative History

CHAPTER 4:
San Juan Island National Historical Park Management

Robert Scott, 1991 to Present

Superintendent Scott arrived at San Juan in 1991 from Craters of the Moon National Monument in Idaho. Scott's first year at the park saw a visitation record: 359,168 visitors. He has continued to maintain and improve the park's community relations through involvement in service clubs and maintaining relationships with outside organizations. He also worked to establish a formal natural resource management program through the creation of a new resource management/law enforcement position, whose job tasks were previously a collateral duty of the chief ranger. Since then, the number of resource management projects identified at the park has increased from 18 to 83. [24]

Scott's first order of business was overseeing building construction and maintenance. The maintenance facility at English Camp was nearing completion and the visitor center at American Camp had to be repaired from winter storm damage, including a new roof and some dry wall, as a result of a falling tree. Scott worked to improve park infrastructure, getting new phone lines installed in Friday Harbor, American Camp, and the maintenance shop at English Camp. Park staff also worked to maintain log barriers placed on South Beach as a method of keeping vehicles off of the beach and prairie. In 1992, the American Camp parking lot, which was small and accessed by one narrow lane, was redesigned. The lot was expanded and the traffic pattern altered for better access. The entrance road was also widened.

Artifacts from the park collection on display in the American Camp exhibit, completed in 1996.

In 1992, exhibits from the English Camp Barracks were moved into the Friday Harbor office. Regional curatorial funds were secured to continue cataloging archaeological artifacts at University of Washington and University of Idaho. In 1993, the park entered into a cooperative agreement with North Cascades National Park's Marblemount facility for storage of the park's historic artifacts. This arrangement became necessary when University of Idaho's storage became unavailable. The park's prehistoric artifact collection continues to be stored at the University of Washington's Burke Museum in Seattle.

At American Camp, the historic parade ground fence was rebuilt. Replacement of the fence was designed as a method of defining the historic landscape of the camp. Monies to purchase supplies came from a cooperating association special projects grant. New exhibits showcasing items from the park's archaeological collection were designed and built by park staff in 1996.

Interpretation has continued to utilize living history demonstrations when feasible. It has relied heavily on self-guided trails at American Camp and guided walks when staff is available. Park staff has continued involvement in the town's annual Memorial Day and 4th of July parades and the Pig War Barbeque. A long-range interpretive plan is scheduled for completion in 1999. The interpretation program received a grant from the National Parks Foundation in 1996 to build a travelling trunk exhibit and educational outreach program. Focusing primarily on school groups, the grant will enable the park to take its interpretive message beyond the park boundaries.

Recent facility planning under Scott includes the installation of three new outdoor toilets, one each at English Camp, South Beach, and 4th of July Beach. These will help accommodate the increasing numbers of visitors. Scott has initiated planning for the adaptive reuse of the Crook House to provide critically needed seasonal housing. In addition, Scott has initiated planning and coordination to complete controlled burns at American Camp and English Camp to aid in the restoration and regeneration of native plant species.

Scott has had to deal with budget cuts and even a budget shortfall during his administration. Normal staffing levels for the park include 6 seasonals for interpretation and 4 in maintenance. But since 1994, the park has typically only had two to three seasonals total, and getting those has been a challenge. In 1997, there were no summer interpretive seasonals, forcing the park to rely on volunteers to handle the summer interpretation programs. The park must continue to rely on volunteer efforts and work to increase the number and variety of non-personnel visitor services.

Superintendent Scott has announced his plans to retire in late 1998. Following the limited staffing of recent summer seasons, the park has been identified as one of several parks in line to possibly receive a future base funding increase. With a new GMP slated for 2000, the replacement of Superintendent Scott, and a potential base funding increase, the park is reaching another time of transition that will greatly shape its next decade.