Babbitt OKs Overhaul of Park Service

WASHINGTON —  Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt has approved a plan to reorganize the National Park Service, downsize the Washington headquarters and place more employees in the field.

Babbitt, Assistant Secretary George T. Frampton Jr. and National Park Service Director Roger G. Kennedy announced the decision to go forward with the reorganization during a conference call with regional offices and the major parks last week, Frampton said.

“The secretary made a point of saying that he was committed to holding the Park Service harmless as possible for FTE reductions,” Frampton said, referring to “full-time equivalent,” the budget measurement used to count personnel.

“Any FTEs saved from Washington and regional office reductions will be positions that will be available in the parks.”

Instead of a work force reduction of about 1,400 employees, Frampton said, the plan approved by Babbitt would reduce the cut to 450 to 500 employees.

To help ease the cutback, the Park Service will offer “buyouts” of up to $25,000 to employees who volunteer by Friday to resign or take early retirement between Oct. 15 and Jan. 3.

Frampton said payroll savings from the job reduction should help offset the costs of the reorganization, estimated at $30 million over two years.

He said the department will proceed with the reorganization plan, which was written by a group of Park Service employees, as soon as Congress gives its approval.