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Chris Stein took over Oct. 19, 2008 as Superintendent of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. With years of experience serving in other national park positions, he says in the last 12 months he has come to see how this 92,000 acre park presents managerial and conservation challenges as fluid as the river itself.

As a national park, the St. Croix Scenic Riverway is different from alot of parks in the system. A-- because it's so near to a major metropolitan area and B-- because, as Stein puts it, "...it's just a thin green ribbon" of protected terrain, not much buffer zone is there for cushion as the riverway gets squeezed by civilization's pressures.

Stein explains that the way the riverway has been designated, including Namekagon Lake headwaters to the Namekagon River confluence with the St. Croix near Danbury, Wisconsin, creates special issues.

The federal government only "owns" 25 percent of the park. The national park truly exists because of conservation easements or special contracts between the government and private land owners. Stein explains this riverway contains 25 percent of the entire inventory of scenic easements held in the national parks system. "I am becoming an expert in scenic easements," he adds.

St. Croix Riverway staff number 100-plus in summer months to about 40 average in the wintertime. Five "division chiefs" are responsible for various St. Croix Riverway National Park Service programming, maintenance, enforcement and other tasks.

Stein said he also might find himself spending a work day with "partners" like the St. Croix Valley Scenic Coalition, the St. Croix River Association and the St. Croix Community Foundation, which holds a philanthropic fund designated for the riverway environmental projects.

Stein was pleasantly surprised at the level of community involvement and support for the St. Croix he encountered, when he came here just a year ago from Yosemite in California. He was Chief of Interpretation and Education there.

"It is a community-based park," he has come to realize of the riverway. "Call us and we'll find something for you (volunteers) to do that's meaningful to you."

Some of the superintendent's first year to-do list has been accomplished, including:

~ More controls on camping, which he felt "was out of control" in segments of the river valley. You must now use designated (there's signage) campsites and have a pass for overnight camping should a NPS ranger stop by. He says, "It's working, people are calling ahead."

In the parks' resource protection summary for summer 2009 there were nine violation tickets issued for camping outside a designated site. There were nearly as many (8) issued for no camping permit.

But by far enforcement hours go to alcohol-related offenses. There were 26 minors ticketed over the four months of summer for alcohol possession. Four people were cited for supplying alcohol to minors. An additional 31 "warnings" were given for actions stemming from alcohol use, like glass containers.

There also were 17 warnings for personal watercraft violations. The riverway is off-limits to jet ski type recreation all along its course in Chisago County. PWCs can be used where the river grows wide as it hits Stillwater. (Check website for regulations.)

The website is at nps.gov and search the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. Or, contact headquarters, in St. Croix Falls on Hamilton Street, at 1-715-483-2274.

~ Supt. Stein increased NPS visibility on and around the Stillwater Islands, by concentrating staff there. It's helped to reduce park visitors' destructive behaviors and deterioration of the islands.

~ As superintendent he is "required to comment" on any project "...that has the potential to impact the riverway," including projects outside of park boundaries. He's done this for the proposed LS Power electric station and continues to monitor the project.

~ He is lobbying for more help (funding) to enforce and review scenic easements. There are 1,300 contracts in force and he has one staff member in charge of all the agreements. "The national park service is not living up" to responsibilities and duties under the language that established the wild and scenic riverway, he said. There ought to be about one staff member to every 150 easements.

~ The southern-most 26 miles of the riverway (basically from the boomsite in Stillwater and downstream) is managed by the Wisconsin and Minnesota DNRs. This "state administered zone" is often where controversial issues take shape. Stein said further complicating matters is the fact zoning is controlled by the local communities.

Being superintendent of the St. Croix Riverway requires the personality of a diplomat. "We (NPS staff) are aware that our actions are precedent setting," he commented.

Supt. Stein hails from the eastern part of the U.S. and has 28-plus years with the National Parks Service. He was highlighted in a press release at the time his promotion was announced, as someone who is a consensus builder and who welcomes advocacy and citizen involvement. He has three adult sons. His wife Meryl, the press release stated, was looking forward to using her kayak on the river.

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