Second Gentleman Pool Reports of July 14, 2022

SGOTUS Pool Report #1: SGOTUS Visit to Crater Lake National Park

Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff was accompanied by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and National Park Service Director Chuck Sams for a quick tour of Crater Lake National Park Thursday. After meeting with park personnel, including Superintendent Craig Ackerman, in the morning, the group and escorts made the 33-mile drive around Rim Drive. Stops included a short hike at Sun Notch, brief stops at the Phantom Ship and Cloudcap overlooks, lunch at the Whitebark Pine picnic area before meeting with a small press contingent at 2 p.m. at the Diamond Lake overlook.

During the stop, Emhoff, Sams and Brown took turns speaking to a group of five Crater Lake fire crew members. Along with praising them, they gave thanks to co-fire crew members and managers. Jennifer Gibson, the park's chief of Integrated Resources and Fire, discussed aspects of the park's fire management plan, noting that since 2015 fires in the park and elsewhere have become "larger r and scarier."

Ed Waldron, the park's fire management officer, echoed Gibson on the increased number sand sizes of fires, noting that since 2015 new fires have burned 40 to 50 percent of the park. He said the fear of wildfire "keeps me up at night ... The infrastructure bill is a big thing," Waldron said, referring to the Biden-Harris Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill that provides more than $5 billion to address wildfire risk reduction and response,.

In addressing Waldron, Gibson and the fire crew members, Emhoff, Brown and Sams took turns thanking and lauding them. Emhoff said that because he is a Californian and has a brother who is involved in fire fighting, "This is very personal to the vice president," referring to his wife, Vice President Kamela Harris, ... "and to me." He also offered praise for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.

Sams, who visited the park earlier this year, discussed expanding efforts to coordinate fire management resources of various federal agencies, including the National Park Service and Forest Service. He noted his son is involved in fire fighting management. Referring to the Infrastructure Bill and the emphasis on managing forests, Sams insisted, "It's extremely important we make those investments now."

Brown, saying she is "incredibly grateful" for ongoing efforts to create a "healthier landscape" to help prevent wildfires.

After about 20 minutes, the visiting trio and others drove a short distance to The Watchman Overlook, which offers up-close views of Wizard Island and expansive views of the lake and its ragged, rugged caldera. Following a walk through the area known as "the corrals," the three met collectively and, later, individually, with television news teams based in Medford and me, a freelance reporter-photographer for newspapers in Klamath Falls and Medford.

During the interviews the trio largely repeated comments made at the Diamond Lake Viewpoint. Emhoff said he, Brown and Sams had largely talked about fire-related matters during the drive around the lake, talking "in part about fire, not only here but in all national parks all over the United States." He noted unspecified "millions of dollars" from the Infrastructure bill is designated for Crater Lake. "This something that going to be long-term," Emhoff said of channeling funds to prevent and fight fires.

On a personal note, Emhoff said that although this was his first visit to "see this paradise," his parents had visited Crater Lake after they retired with his father remarking the park was among his very favorites. "It doesn't get any better than this," Brown said, referring the view of the lake and island below where she and the others were standing. She expressed concerns about climate change," says, "It's incredibly important we do what we can. Sams, a member of Oregon,s Umatilla Tribe - "I'm so glad to be home" - observed that fires are occurring throughout the year, saying, "There's no longer just a season, it's year-round."

During an informal one-on-one visit, Sams discussed previous visits to Crater Lake but of his first visit, "As a kid I didn't know it was Crater Lake. I knew it as Giwas," the Klamath Tribes' name for Crater Lake.

Likewise, Emhoff said of today's first-ever Crater Lake, "At first when I looked at it I couldn't believe it was real."

Shortly after 3 p.m. the group dispersed.