Park Service Official, at Odds With Hodel Over Public Use, Quits

Disturbed by current U.S. Interior Department policies that emphasize increased public use of the nation’s parks rather than protection of the natural environment, the National Park Service’s western regional director said Monday that he is resigning, effective May 2.

Howard Chapman, 61, who has spent 40 years as a ranger, park manager and regional director, has been at odds with Interior Secretary Donald P. Hodel over several of the secretary’s decisions, including the continuation of tourist aircraft flights through Grand Canyon National Park, despite National Park Service objections to the noise and safety issues.

Sees No Change

“I can see that the department is not going to change its stand on aircraft in the Grand Canyon,” Chapman said. “The secretary is not on the side of the Park Service. . . . He will not protect that solitude (in the Grand Canyon).”

“I’m doing this on my own,” Chapman said Monday in a telephone interview.

He said that “sooner or later,” Hodel would have found some way to remove him.

“I could have stayed and fought this out, but I’ve seen Hodel operate. . . . It’s more appropriate to go out when I could pick the time. . . ,” he said.

“Maybe I can be more effective on the outside,” Chapman added, indicating that he is considering speaking out in opposition to the Reagan Administration’s national park policies.

Chapman’s opposition to the changes ordered by Hodel caused William P. Horn, assistant secretary of Interior for fish, wildlife and parks, to intercede directly in Chapman’s yearly performance evaluation. Department memos show that Horn ordered National Parks Director William Penn Mott to give Chapman a below-average rating and to transfer him or force him into early retirement.

Chapman fought back by “going public,” testifying before House and Senate oversight committees, explaining how his above-average performance rating by Mott had been altered by Horn. Horn has reorganized the top layers of the Park Service administration by moving professional rangers out of top decision-making jobs.

Horn was not available for comment Monday, but he had told The Times earlier that the administrative changes being made were nothing more than a “realignment” of the administration. Horn would not comment on why he had given Chapman a low performance rating.

Mott, who also could not be reached Monday, earlier said that Chapman’s performance has always been above average and that he disagreed with Horn’s evaluation, eventually getting Horn to compromise by raising it to an “average” category.

News of Chapman’s resignation caught environmentalists by surprise. They thought that he had protected his position during congressional hearings by revealing that the Interior Department was attempting to reorganize the top echelons of the Park Service and replace professional rangers like Chapman with political appointees.

“Howard has certainly served as a lightning rod to expose the sort of manipulation that the Administration has been pursuing with Park Service professionals, intimidating them or removing them,” said Destry Jarvis, executive director of the influential National Parks and Conservation Assn.

Chapman, who began his career as a seasonal ranger in Yellowstone National Park, has spent the past 15 years as western regional director, managing 44 park units in Arizona, Nevada, California, Hawaii and the Pacific Trust Territories.