A few months ago I asked this list for advice on helping turn around a
dismal situation at a heavily used and abused state park. Unfortunately the
situation has not improved, and at this point I could use some advice again.
Two months ago I sent a letter to the state parks director detailing my
strong concerns. I received a bland reply with some vague paper promises,
superficially addressing a handful of my points but with no timeline and no
specifics, much less any mechanism for true accountability.
The director's letter contained a number of statements which are
stupendously false, and which must have been provided to him by park staff.
The staff were entirely aware these statements were false, and equally certain
that the director wouldn't know any better. The director himself ignored my
sincere invitation to walk the trails and see the situation in person.
As I expected, two months later not a single one of the director's promises
have been even attempted, much less fulfilled, and the situation is worse than
ever. The people who abuse the park are secure in the knowledge that nothing
will ever be done, and the state park staff are perfectly aware that they will
never be held accountable for their gross inaction.
At this point I'm not sure what to do. No one cares. My only other public
option is to write a letter to the state's governor, who has been known to
respond to letters concerning this park in the past. But I have no experience
writing effective letters to governors, and I would want to present a full
account, backed up with as much information as possible, rather than simply
send a letter which could be easily ignored.
So my request is twofold: I could use advice from anyone with experience
developing supporting materials for citizen projects--and I could use
suggestions on what else to try. At this point I'm the only person willing to
speak out, but I don't know how to raise my concerns effectively.
- J. A.
