Don't understand praise for superintendent Sholly

Dear editor:

Community leaders and tourism industry executives have nothing but praise for retiring Yellowstone Superintendent, Cam Sholly. I’m not sure why.   

In 2023, Sholly shaved days off the summer season, moving the closing date to Oct. 31 from the first Monday in November.

I don’t see why locals who frequent the park, or those who realize sales and/or revenue from the park agree with the closure.

Superintendent Mike Finley (1994-2001) first shrunk the summer season moving the opening date from long standing May 1 to the first Friday in May.

Superintendent Suzanne Lewis (2002-2010) worked to permanently close Sylvan Pass in winter.  Quite the tussle that was with Dick Cheney weighing in and Park County Travel Council ponying up $200,000 for avalanche mitigation. 

Superintendent Dan Wenk, (2011-2018), conjured up a Let-it-Melt policy for spring plowing due to President Obama’s March 1, 2013 sequestration, meaning supposedly no money for plowing the road, meaning Sheridan Avenue in Cody can just starve and he didn’t care, meaning WYDOT snowplows to the rescue within the park, largely funded by Cody businesses.   

Those predecessors were all involved in developing and/or implementing the Winter Use Plan, dramatically limiting public access.

Along comes Sholly (2018-2026) establishing his shrinking access, which is actually incremental conditioning for the inevitable Summer Use Plan — bussing. 

During the construction conversion of the Old Gardiner Road from dirt to two-lane paved after the 2022 flood, Close-it Cam closed the road to the general public, but left it open for park employees and tour groups in king-like fashion.

Close-it Cam continued the traditional exclusive perk granted to park employees allowing them to recreate behind locked gates in the pre and post summer season, locking the public out. Public land is public! Got that Mr./Ms. New Superintendent?

Cam clear-cut forests adjacent to existing developed areas within the park for NPS employee housing — housing that will fall into disrepair due to the systemic policy of neglect. Of course Clear-Cut Cam’s use of a kinder, gentler, chainsaw was OK because employees protect the park from visitors who “love the park to death." Weird!

Environmental groups, eager to stop logging operations everywhere, have nothing but praise for Sholly. Double weird!

Under Sholly, 2026 marked the first year the continually shrinking “Visitor Guide” handed out at entrance stations did not include on the front page a linguistically universal illustration of a buffalo tossing a person, nor is there a warning of “speed kills” on the front page.  

Noticeably absent during the Sholly reign was the bright yellow insert warning speed kills and buffalo bonk on the front and back. Before Sholly, in the 2016 issue, that insert was twice the normal size. Cutting back on the use of paper, Clear-cut Cam compromised safety in order to save trees. Triple weird!

While there has been improvement in compliance of federal law requiring Wyoming vehicle registration for park residents and businesses, Sholly still allowed the law to be widely ignored, taking Wyoming for a ride regarding much needed revenue. 

The smiles and applause for the new superintendent at the annual Cody luncheon will continue as will shrinking public access.

Xanterra Parks and Resorts general manager, Mike Keller, and Quin Blair, candidate for House District 24 (Wapiti and Mammoth) are members of Park County Travel Council working hard generating revenue for Wyoming.  

Yo, Mike, your PCTC efforts are counter productive when you let your employees skate on vehicle registration.

Yo, Quin, I trust you will diligently work to end the representation without taxation in HD-24 and lead Xanterra, residents and employees to full compliance with 36 CFR 4.2(a).

Steve Torrey

Cody