I'm in a situation where I may be facing personal retaliation from state park employees, and I'd appreciate some advice from anyone who's dealt with this situation before.
The essence is that I'm a frequent visitor to a superb state park which I've come to deeply love. Unfortunately law enforcement is nonexistent; the park is weakly staffed and they focus their attention on the campground and nearby parking lots, ignoring the many miles of trails which extend across most of the park property. The employees are poorly trained and profoundly ignorant of the park environment, and they have no interest in addressing vandalism and other abuses, much less ecological issues. I've expressed my concerns to the park management, in person and in writing, and I've also written several letters to the editor over the past few years. Nothing has changed--in fact, the neglect and abandonment have become worse than ever--and at this point I have a strong sense that the park management is gunning for me. I'm not sure what form the retaliation will take, but recent exchanges have not been positive, and some of their comments could be taken as veiled threats. I've kept a detailed record of the park's slow degradation, as well as interactions with park staff, but I sincerely doubt that simply documenting facts will make much difference here. The employees managing the park are favored in the state bureaucracy, and I'll find no help at higher levels. So I'd like to ask if anyone has had experience dealing with similar circumstances, and what other avenues I might pursue. Please contact me off-list with any advice or similar experiences, and I'll offer my thanks in advance. - J. A.
