Refuge Notebook
Peninsula Clarion Article
Dated
18 May 2001
 What
Happened to My Campground?
by Bill Kent
When this piece was
written and published last spring, I was surprised at the number of folks who
stopped me in town, or took time to call, to express their agreement. I think
the message remains valid, for all public and private facilities on the Kenai
Peninsula, and deserves another perusal. Also, I want to thank all those who have
called to provide information regarding vandalism or other violations they have
witnessed... Remember, without your assistance vandals will continue to practice
the behavior which may deny you the complete use of the facilities your tax dollars
have paid for.
This is the time of year when the acts of a very few visitors
to Kenai Refuge come into sharper focus for me. Perhaps the spring weather makes
my aging eyes a little sharper, or maybe its just because I am outside more...
who knows? What becomes more evident as the snow melts is the destruction of,
and total disregard for the facilities and resources (public and private) of the
entire Kenai Peninsula practiced by a small but active segment of the population.
They seem to think the campgrounds, signs, toilets, trails, sheds, mailboxes,
fences, and other structures are erected with the intended purpose of being shot,
burned, torn apart, stolen, or generally defaced.
Please understand, I
was born and raised in Georgia where, as in most of the South, destructive vandalism
is a way of life learned at an early age by many. So, this behavior is not unfamiliar
to me. Nor is it limited to the South; I have seen similar situations in every
part of the country where I have worked and lived. But, those examples pale in
comparison to the magnitude of the havoc wreaked throughout Alaska, not only on
the Kenai Peninsula. Do I notice the vandalism more because I live here? Of course
I do; my family made a decision to make Alaska our home, and it seems a thoughtless
few are trying to tear it apart or burn it down, and I don't like it.
As
a test, consider any single mile of the Sterling Highway (outside the limits of
Soldotna, Cooper Landing, or Sterling) where signs have been punctured or defaced
with various caliber bullets, shotgun pellets, or spray paint; or where trash
(sometimes entire bags) is strewn along the roadside.
I would like for
you to understand the monetary cost of this destruction. Many of our signs are
made of wood, with routed lettering. If you've done any construction work around
the house, you know that lumber and paint are expensive. Our carpenter who makes
these signs is paid a fair hourly wage for his skills. The total cost of a 3ft
by 4ft sign is about $400. Repairing gunshot wooden signs is time consuming and
not inexpensive. We also use aluminum signs which, depending on the size and lettering,
may cost anywhere from $10 to $500, or more. Replacing these signs after they
are shot or otherwise vandalized is a serious drain on our budget each year, and
many signs cannot be repaired.
Besides the time and tax dollars spent replacing
signs, there is a real image problem portrayed to the Kenai Peninsula visitor.
And even more important, sign shooting is done with total disregard for public
safety. When you shoot along a road, it is only a matter of time before some motorist,
bicyclist or pedestrian gets injured or killed.
Occasionally someone thinks
burning wooden outhouses and picnic tables is great fun, or takes a picnic table
out to the middle of a lake during ice-fishing season. This is why we have been
replacing our wooden outhouses and picnic tables with ones made of concrete. Every
once in awhile there may be a little justice: a couple of years ago someone shot
up the inside of one of our new concrete outhouses. I can't imagine that this
person had too much fun immediately after pulling the trigger from inside four
concrete walls.
"Well," you might say, "Why don't you catch
them?" That is a desire of everyone on our staff, no doubt. The biggest barrier
to catching someone vandalizing a campground or shooting a sign is being in the
right place at the right time. Our best help comes from people who witness something
happening and provide information about vehicles or descriptions of the vandals.
We cannot be everywhere at once, and are grateful when someone concerned about
their Refuge provides information which we can use to bring charges against those
who destroy facilities that belong to all of us.
If you would like more
information about the vandalism problem or would like to provide us with information
about vandalism that you have witnessed, give me a call at Refuge Headquarters
(262-7021). You can also phone in anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers in Kenai at
283-8477, or to Wildlife Safeguard at 800-478-3347.
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Bill Kent has been the Supervisory Park Ranger at Kenai National Wildlife
Refuge since 1991. His wife Lisa is a pre-school teacher, and their daughter Riley
attends SOHI. Previous Refuge Notebook articles can be viewed on the internet
at http://kenai.fws.gov
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