USA NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: SO WHAT TURF/SOIL MISMANAGEMENT II

AFTER 5 YEARS, 'writing', around nine hundred posts,  some argue I can't, do know how, I say fine. However, the photos are worthy a 1,000 words, unless one is a blind hog,  an no one with a little respect to themselves will dispute what they represent.  I this case, a total lack of interest in our patrimony.  A mean attitude of one's responsibilities and commitment.

Today, I had the bitter/sour experience of going to San Cristobal, to inquire about who is in charge of this NPS site and the one mile away San Juan Historical Site.  The NPS employee, a dark skinned, handsome, not so bright female, sent me to El Polvorin, the header photo of Sociedad Horticultural Bouret.

I started the stroll and fifteen minutes later, F. Rovira, a chief mason, comes out of the off limits to the public office and kindly informs me that Walter J. Chavez is the superintendent. I tell him with all my charm about the erosion, compacted soil, ridiculous amount of scalped soil, consequence of the tractor/stiff deck used to mow and trimmers.  Thanking him, adding that as a mason he is innocent of the charges.

Once I got his info, I returned to the original San Cristobal NPS site, thanking the not so bright cashier, telling her Walter J. Chavez is the person I want to talk to.  Feeling somewhat foolish, she starts arguing about what she understood and what I meant...So I decided to speak English to avoid any more annoying confusion. She did not have the email address of the superintendent and there is no directory in their computer system, at least that was the response.

There is something fishy, sinister, about National Parks Service. If in doubt, try to find the email address of any of the big shots in the Department of the Interior or National Parks Service, such as picturesque Jonathan Jarvis.  Send them an email...and watch what happens. NOTHING. No juan seems to mind the store.

As I kept the intense pressure, she decides to call Mr. Chavez office to find out if he could see me. He was going to a meeting and could see me for five minutes.  I had to write down the directions from this cashier, finding the unidentified bunker, under a five centuries old ramp, with electrical access, a five minutes walk through a maze of tunnels.

I got there, pressed a button and the sinister electrical gate opened...Then one receptionist, seconds later another one, announced me and finally I got to meet the chubby, hanging jowls, 
dark skinned, non Spanish speaker from one of those territories USA stole from Mexico.

Yours truly, with a certificate in Commercial Horticulture Landscape Management, from the NY Botanical Garden, 18 hours of turf management and 16 of soil sciences,  expected some theoretical/praxis, scholarly argument/defense when I stated my mission.

Instead, Mr. Chavez, jowls swinging left to right stated: "There is erosion, there are projects" as If I would believe  there is any intention to fix permanently the problem.....from a non Spanish speaking foreigner, disconnected with his responsibility, salary and benefits.

When I mentioned the mowing tractors with a flat unyielding deck used in this San Juan Historic Site, mostly used in flat terrain or highways,
"Have you seen them"?  Responded the imported superintendent.  I tell Mr. Chavez, Tex-Mex, that I can tell from the cut if trimmer or tractors/mowers with unbalanced blades are used in non flat terrain observing the tip of the grass blade, not to get into the huge areas of scalped turf.

In brief, I told this good mannered gentleman, who had the courtesy of offering his card and the address to Jonathan Jarvis, the character chief of National Parks, that perhaps my training in the New York Botanical Garden, my certificate in Landscape Management was a scam, that his views, practices/theories and management of National Parks is right, correct, that I am wrong.

In which case, his boss with the somewhat hilarious hat, Jonathan Jarvis will certainly agree, defend, back up,  his lack of expertise, concern, intellectual performance,  regarding soil/turf management according to the photographical evidence provided.

That is that.