Slug: 06-03-10 craters administrator
The vast and desolate landscape known as the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve east of Arco is a long way from just about anywhere.
The same can be said for the chain of volcanic islands that make up American Samoa, which is located about 2,600 miles southwest of the Hawaiian Islands.
So, what do these widely disparate locations—one located in the midst of the American West and the other deep in the South Pacific—have in common besides volcanic origins and thousands of miles of deep-blue Pacific Ocean between?
Seemingly, not all that much, unless you ask longtime National Park Service employee Doug Neighbor, who only just a month ago arrived at Craters of the Moon after a lengthy flight from the island of Tutuila in American Samoa.
Neighbor, a 15-year veteran of the Park Service, was recently named as the new superintendent of Craters of the Moon. He replaced Jim Morris, who retired last May. Before his arrival in Idaho on Feb. 6, Neighbor was superintendent for the National Park of American Samoa for three years.
Authorized by Congress in 1988, the National Park of American Samoa was officially established in 1993 when a 50-year lease was signed with the local villages that control the islands of Tutuila, Ofu and Tau, where the park's 9,000 acres are located. The park preserves lush tropical rainforests, which are the habitat of rare flying foxes (actually a fruit-eating bat with wingspans up to 3 feet wide), as well as a diverse collection of offshore coral reefs.
America's 50th designated national park, the National Park of American Samoa is also the only U.S. park located south of the equator. The seven islands that make up American Samoa are also quite remote—only two flights per week reach this distant U.S. territory.
Because lands in American Samoa are communally owned, the Park Service maintains a unique relationship with locals in comparison to parks elsewhere, Neighbor said.
While most parks are essentially designated in perpetuity, the National Park of American Samoa is not, he said. Ensuring the long-term existence of the park, then, requires excellent communication with local villages, he said.
"The park could be quite ephemeral," Neighbor said.
Neighbor now brings his management skills to Craters of the Moon, where the Park Service is in the final stages of completing a new management plan for the park, whose size was greatly expanded in 2000.
Neighbor looks forward to the challenges involved with implementing the new management plan once the Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management sign off on it. The two agencies co-manage the approximately 750,000-acre park.
Neighbor is also looking forward to the change of scenery that Craters of the Moon will provide him. "I like the wide-open country and the four seasons," he said.
Due to the heavy blanket of snow still covering Craters of the Moon, Neighbor has yet to see much of the monument. "We're definitely in the white phase," he said. "Perhaps in a few months I'll see the black phase of Craters of the Moon."
The beauty of Craters of the Moon is a subtle one, Neighbor said. "I think that's what draws a certain type of visitor to this landscape."
Look back at the timeline of Neighbor's career with the Park Service and one thing quickly becomes clear: Rural landscapes are a draw for him.
"I like natural areas. The cities aren't for me."
Neighbor's first position with the Park Service was in southern Texas at Big Bend National Park in the Chihuahuan Desert. From there, Neighbor moved on to Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah and Big Thicket National Preserve back in Texas.
The transitory lifestyle Neighbor has lived over the years appeals to this son of an U.S. Air Force dad. As a child, Neighbor's family moved from place to place throughout the country following his father's Air Force career.
"I've been a gypsy all my life," he said.
Longtime National Park Service employee Doug Neighbor was recently named as the new superintendent of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve east of Arco. Neighbor's most recent position with the Park Service was at the National Park of American Samoa in the South Pacific, where he was superintendent for three years.
Express photo by Jason Kauffman
