Inside our parks Dan Foster is the new superintendent for Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area and Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail. Currently the superintendent at Niobrara National Scenic River in Nebraska, Foster will report for his new assignment at Grand Coulee in February.
“I am humbled by the selection to serve as superintendent of Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area and Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail,” Foster said in a prepared statement. “I look forward to working closely with park staff, partners and visitors in our stewardship to care for and enjoy these phenomenal resources.”
Foster’s National Park Service experience during the last 20 years includes positions as a resource management specialist at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah and chief of resource management at Nez Perce National Historical Park in Idaho and Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. He has been superintendent at Niobrara in north-central Nebraska since 2008. Prior joining the Park Service, Foster was a wildlife biologist and geologist for the Utah Department of Natural Resources for 11 years.
He has been awarded both the National Park Service Director’s and Pacific West Region’s awards for resource management in a small park while at Nez Perce. He has authored numerous publications and environmental papers on topics ranging from coal production and oil and gas monitoring to vegetation distribution, geographic information systems and automated mapping.
“Dan’s strong background in managing resources, developing partnerships, and creating innovative programs is ideal,” Pacific West Regional Director Chris Lehnertz said in a prepared statement. “His depth of experience working with neighboring communities, multiple agencies, tribal governments, military branches and the public will serve him well in this new assignment.”
Foster received a bachelor of science degree in wildlife and range management from Brigham Young University in Utah. He and his wife, Trena, have three children. Among other pursuits, Foster is an avid fly fisherman.
FREE DAY AT PARKS
Visitors to state and national parks will not have to pay entrance fees on Jan. 21 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
The Discover Pass will not be required to visit state parks that day. National parks, such as Mount Rainier and Olympic, will not charge admission fees. Admission to the Nisqually National Wildlife refuge, operated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, also will be free Jan. 21. The U.S. Forest Service will not charge admission fees that day as well.
ROAD SCHEDULE
The schedule for the road from Longmire to Paradise changes today. Through Feb. 19, the gate at Longmire will be closed to uphill traffic at 5:30 p.m. and closed to downhill traffic at 6:30 p.m.
Road opening and closing times might change daily because of weather and road conditions.
The road is open to public travel Thursdays-Mondays.
For more information, go to nps.gov/mora.
New digs for superintendent
Here is a quick look at Dan Foster’s new responsibilities.
Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area: Consists of much of the reservoir behind Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River with small land areas adjacent to the lake. It encompasses varied resources, ranging from historic Fort Spokane to numerous native fish and other wildlife, and even submerged cultural resources beneath the lake’s surface. The park was established in 1946 after the completion of the dam. In 2012, there were more than 1.78 million recreational visits. Learn more at nps.gov/laro.
Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail: Was created less than a decade ago, and cuts across Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. The 500-mile auto tour highlights the geologic features created by the massive floods that scoured the landscape of the interior Columbia Basin at the end of the last ice age. Learn more at nps.gov/iceagefloods or iceagefloodsinstitute.org.
