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September 15, 2003Supervisor loves the uniqueness of her parkToo much time behind a desk is the only gripeByRecord-Eagle staff writer EMPIRE - Dusty Shultz works in a place many would envy. But the superintendent of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore still has one regret.
Shultz has spent the greater part of her life looking after some of the nation's most honored landmarks - Andrew Johnson National Historic Site, Moose Creek National Battlefield and Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial. It all began 30 years ago when Shultz, still in high school, began working summers and after school at the Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site and the Johnstown Flood National Memorial near her hometown in Pennsylvania. "It was my introduction to the National Park Service and a job that I just fell in love with," she said. "Being a public servant had a lot of meaning for me and protecting these special places in our country." Although Shultz is reluctant to name a favorite post, her face brightens from under the brim of her "Smokey Bear" hat as she thinks about the first time she saw Sleeping Bear. "It just knocked my socks off how beautiful the place is," she said. The park, which boasts almost 60,000 acres, 350 historic buildings and more than 1 million visitors each year, is unique for park service personnel. "Having the natural resources, cultural and recreation opportunities all combined is pretty special," Shultz said. But when she arrived two years ago, Shultz found herself at the center of a controversy over a general management plan. The process wasn't new to her, but the intense public scrutiny and outcry was. "The people really care so much about this park," she said. "That's why they're so outspoken about it. It's an honor to serve that." Shultz hoped to explore the concerns, most notably over park access, and find some common ground. But the U.S. Department of the Interior pulled the plan before the two sides could reach a compromise. "We could have come up with something that I think would have been more favorably received had we had the chance," she said. "And let people know 'yes, we have listened to you.' " Although a general management plan has been set aside, Shultz is sure it will resurface. Until it does, she will focus on a new plan to prevent and fight forest fires at the park and maintain its historic resources. "There are about 360 historic structures in the park," she said. "So that's an ongoing and never-ending process." Aside from routine maintenance, Shultz said a number of sites also need to be stabilized, restored and preserved. "One item we're anxious to get done is the preservation of the lighthouse on South Manitou Island," she said. The project is expected to begin in 2008. Shultz also hopes to focus on the Port Oneida Historic District and bringing Glen Haven "back to life." The park service also is looking at buying 105 acres of property owned by The Homestead. A U.S. Senate committee heard testimony last week on a bill that would authorize the park to spend $8.5 million for property along the Crystal River. "It would be a wonderful opportunity to continue the preservation of that wonderful natural resource," Shultz said of the property the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service calls "globally rare." The Energy and Natural Resources Committee must approve the bill before it can move to the Senate floor. It also must be passed by the House. In the meantime, Shultz says she looks forward to managing the park as it is. "I can't imagine doing anything else," she said. "It's been very satisfying and it just keeps getting better and better."
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