Some out-of-town journalists visited my hometown this past August to check on some old friends who were doing volunteer work at the Shoshone National Forest above Lander.
Bill Lee and Del Nelson were the featured folks in a Washington Post piece about how local people are volunteering to do work that is getting un-done because of government cutbacks
Both are retired school employees who have spent their summers over the decades working in their beloved Wind River Mountains overlooking Lander Valley in the huge Shoshone National Forest. The forest is the oldest in the world and contains 2.4 million acres. Their small part of this giant piece of real estate is the southern end.
Bill And Del
Bill and Del deserve this publicity for their generosity. The Post article by Hannah Natanson captured these guys volunteer spirits:
“Bill Lee slowed his truck by the spot where a sign should have stood, warning drivers on the mountain road about the sharp curve ahead
“He remembered erecting it five years earlier, one morning out in the forest alongside Del Nelson, who had become his best friend during a half-century working together for the U.S. Forest Service, even though they disagreed on politics. Now that he and Del were retired, President Donald Trump’s cuts to government meant there was no one to cover their old jobs, and the sign lay askew in the dirt.
“On that sunny Friday in late August, Bill felt like the only one left in the Shoshone National Forest to stand the sign back up again. It won’t help, he told himself.
“Since the start of the year, the Forest Service has lost nearly 6,000 staffers through firings, resignations, and retirements encouraged by the Trump administration, according to internal figures obtained by The Washington Post”
Different Political Views
Bill and Del perhaps make an odd couple. Bill ,73, is tall and lanky and Del, 81, is somewhat shorter. Bill has always been progressive Democrat while Del is a Trump-supporting Republican. Bill’s true passion is search and rescue. He is a legend in that field saving lives of folks lost in the mountains.
Bill raised a nice family with son Ian serving as a national TV reporter and daughter Ari selling a chocolate product that benefits humble farmers in central America. Another son is a chef.
Del was divorced from his first wife and then buried his second one. He is active in hunting sports but was severely injured a few years ago when an elderly hunter accidentally ran over him. Del retired from teaching some years ago but has continued his work for the forest for a half century.
More Repairs
The very lengthy story continues:
“Bill looked from the sign to Del, wondering how many thousands of repair jobs they must have done together. They had raised families, seen their children have children. Bill bade farewell to seven dogs. Del’s hair turned white, Bill’s gray.
“The men first signed up with the Forest Service in the 1970s. They were both school teachers, looking to earn a buck and spend time outside in the summers. Most jobs they did together. It never mattered that Bill was liberal and Del conservative.
“They had grown old with their forest, and felt ready to retire. But now, it seemed they were the only ones left to care. Near the end of his drive down the mountain, Bill — unable to stop himself — halted the truck again to repair a sign.”
Another Retiree - Barb
“(Bill) pulled into the circular driveway of a squat brown building with a large American flag out front: the Forest Service office.
“Barb Gustin wasn’t supposed to be working either. She had spent nearly two decades with the Forest Service: sitting at this exact desk, doling out woodcutting permits, park passes, and answers to probably millions of questions.
“She’d retired in October of last year, at 68, ready to spend lazy mornings sitting in her backyard, staring up at the Wind River mountains with her corgi, Jazzy.
“The first time she drove past and saw the sign saying ‘closed until further notice,’ she pulled the car over, walked into the office and up to her old boss. She asked if she could come back as a volunteer — like Bill and Del. In mid-August, the height of the summer season, Barb was working 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Unpaid.
These are dedicated folks trying to keep things going. Folks in Lander appreciate them but most are probably not totally aware of how this is all happening.
The national story was timely and we appreciate both the work being done and some recognition being given to these dedicated folks.
Bill Sniffin can be reached at bill@cowboystatedaily.com
