Refocusing Our Efforts

This Sunday, September 29 at 5:00 PM the Friends of Devil’s Lake State Park will be holding their annual meeting. You can get details right here. At this event, the organization will be holding a picnic and electing new board members. This could also be an opportune time for members to discuss their concerns for the future of the park and focus on fresh solutions.

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“We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” – Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac

This is an interesting time for anyone who is a fan of the park. Just this season we’ve seen a push for a new interpretive building that has been defined in various ways, a “surprise” parking lot being added for even more cars, (while cars are still parked on the grass as well!) and increasing commercial boat tours. It’s no surprise many park lovers are concerned about “over-tourism”. It’s a fair discussion and an important one.

Concern For The Future

IMO, I think what’s making some park lovers uncomfortable is simply that they are not seeing a balance. How can you add parking for hundreds of more cars and not add other infrastructure for the people inside the cars? If you want to add more visitors and continue to grow tourism, how do you maintain the park experience while protecting and enhancing the environment? How are are you protecting wildlife and preserving quality habitat? While some solid improvements are being made in some areas, the priority seems to be on increasing the crowds without a matching plan to protect the environment in response to the impact that increased use will have.

The good news is that Devil’s Lake State Park will be reviewing and updating it’s “Master Plan” over the next year. Now is absolutely the best time to get involved, ask questions and be heard! Whether your interest is wildlife, water quality, trash, trail conditions, overcrowding or even how to make money, your ideas and suggestions will be important in this process. By joining the Friends group you can keep informed as the process goes along.

Over-Tourism

As anyone familiar with the outdoor industry knows, over-tourism isn’t simply a Devil’s Lake issue, it’s the same at many national parks as well. And just like the national parks, we need to be working on a plan. I’ve certainly written about aspects of this many times.

The photo above shows one of the most common signs you’ll see at popular national parks these days. You’ll not find them at Devil’s Lake, however. (A few paper signs have mostly blown away.) Elsewhere around the country, there is an almost desperate push to protect the environment and keep folks on the trails in busy day-use areas. Everywhere overcrowding and unlearned land ethics are resulting in large areas of damage. From Glacier NP to Yellowstone to Zion and Mr. Rainier you’ll see variations on the “Don’t Walk Here!” signs and often rope barriers protecting recovery plantings. Just like Devil’s Lake, these national parks are under-budgeted and outnumbered, but somehow they are still getting it done! This is something I’ve advocated for at Devil’s Lake for years now. Protecting the land, after all, is the most basic requirement of any park.

Volunteers Need Support

Various volunteer groups have been trying to do something at the park. I applaud their efforts, (I have put in countless volunteer hours myself.) but they are constrained as well. Volunteers can only do so much. Often, when it comes to damage from overcrowding, all they can do is block unofficial trails with brush. But in areas like the East Bluff Trail below Elephant Rock and all around Devil’s Doorway the damaged areas are simply too large. Here the park has to actively engage with and support the volunteer’s efforts. There needs to be investment, dedication, and support from admins to approve and provide barriers, pay for (Or ask others to pay for) official signs and develop restoration programs. Protecting the land and maintaining trails is vital to a good visitor experience and preserving the park for future generations.

Refocusing Our Efforts

My point is this; We can’t simply keep parking more cars, building more buildings and approving more commercial endeavors without a plan to protect and enhance the park in concert with those increased numbers. Look at the national park system, cautionary tales are everywhere! Growth is too easy, conservation is hard! Once the damage is done, it’s even harder to go back. This is where I hope the Friends group can really make a difference. They are well placed to be the voice of balance here, working first and foremost toward the protection and conservation of everything that makes a park like Devil’s Lake so special. Ultimately, nature’s beauty is what people come for. Everything else is just cake or distraction.

As just one unimportant member of the Friends group, let me suggest that we take a fresh perspective into 2020 and as we think about growth, a new interpretive center, and a new master plan, Let’s think about matching and mitigating any growth with regular and sustained protection, education and conservation efforts. I believe we can do both.