U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today expressed her disappointment with the National Park Service’s (NPS) decision to select a non-Alaskan as superintendent at Sitka National Historical Park.

“I am extremely disappointed by today’s announcement of yet another hiring of a non-Alaskan for a high-level position within the Alaska NPS Region, particularly at Sitka,” said Murkowski. “It does not appear that serious consideration was given to hiring local candidates for the superintendent position, despite input from the local community. The Park Service has given lip service to the importance of local hiring lately, but they need to start putting these plans into action. 

“The Park Service is celebrating its 100th anniversary this August, and it saddens me to continue seeing reports of employee misconduct, mismanagement, and ethics violations—including the Director himself—coming out of the agency. Alaskans, and all Americans, love our National Parks. I will continue to work to ensure that their ethics and management issues, including these hiring practices in Alaska, do not continue as a cloud over the agency as it enters its next century.”