| A Proven Leader? The Yosemite Valley Plan (YVP) has been challenged and found
deficient in Federal Court on multiple occasions for almost a decade
primarily due to the Park Service's failure to comply with setting a
user capacity for the Yosemite Valley and the Merced River Corridor.
This has resulted in millions of dollars unspent, and it is a wonder
why Congress has not yet asked for that money in return. There is a
common denominator during these years of failure, and he is running
for District 4 Supervisor.
Over more than a decade, Deputy Superintendent Kevin Cann appears to
be the management spokesperson on almost every media release related
to a variety of Yosemite events – from the Ferguson Rockslide to
Hazel Green to the Yosemite Valley Plan. One must wonder if the park
currently has a Superintendent at all, as you seldom hear from Mike
Tollefson.
In fact, Mr. Cann first appeared in the New York Times and on the PBS
McNeil/Lehrer Report in 1997 as the primary person responsible for
putting Yosemite back together. At that time, he was Chief of
Maintenance, he then switched positions to Chief of Flood Recovery,
finally quickly becoming an internally controversial selection for
Deputy Superintendent.
A few weeks ago, Jay Watson, former head of the Wilderness Society
and who also appeared in that 1997 PBS report, lauded park staff in
an editorial to the Gazette for their past efforts regarding the YVP,
singling out a few who left and became Superintendents of other NPS
areas. Since I worked with those individuals and alongside many of
those whom they supervised – those who worked in the background
actually planning for and writing the plan - I can tell you that the
overwhelming majority are indeed vocationally dedicated,
professional, smart people who wanted nothing more than to do their
jobs to the best of their abilities.
That said, these now superintendents and many of those in the
background left for a reason: some were discontent with their
workplace and what they were being asked – or told by park managers –
to do. Many of these people understood the need to comply not only
with legal mandates to set a user carrying capacity but also with the
NPS mission in order to protect the resources of the valley.
Unfortunately, sometimes, it is just best to move on and try to do
good elsewhere.
What are we left with now? That is the question.
Kevin Cann is the constant throughout the flood recovery endeavor.
He also has been primarily responsible for hiring choices in
management positions relating to flood recovery, administration, and
other areas of implementation - including several organizational
realignments of the planning and compliance function whereby the foxy
golfing buddies of Cann guard the hen house.
In short, I think Mr. Watson and others need to recognize that these
remaining management officials, many who have been involved in the
YVP for more than a decade, are the true problem in obtaining a
satisfactory outcome to flood recovery in the Yosemite Valley,
regardless of who is the disinterested Superintendent du jour.
So, aside from the ethical considerations of running for public
office while keeping his park management position, of having the
park's Chief of Administration as his Campaign Treasurer (this month
that Treasurer is promoted to Acting Deputy Superintendent in Cann's
absence while he campaigns for the June primary), and for using a
temporary park employee who is in need of a permanent job for
contracted political yard signs, Kevin Cann is the common denominator
for the colossal failure of the Yosemite Valley Plan and the wasting
of millions of dollars. He has been and still is directly
responsible for the oversight of the planning and implementation of
the YVP effort.
Ask yourself: Is this truly proven leadership that Mariposa County
wants and deserves?
Chris Zinda
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