PROVINCETOWN — When Brian Carlstrom became superintendent of the Cape Cod National Seashore in April 2018, he told the Cape Cod Times that he wanted to continue “a lot of the good work of George Price” and that he was “wide open to see what the community needs are.”
Five years later, Carlstrom is leaving Cape Cod to become deputy regional director of the Intermountain Region of the National Park Service, which includes 85 national park units in eight Western states. His posting in Denver, Colo. begins Oct. 8.
Carlstrom is also leaving the Dune Shacks Historic District Preservation and Use Plan, which Supt. George Price negotiated with community representatives from 2009 to 2011, as a plan in name only. The public meetings and community outreach that Price conducted to inform the Use Plan have been cited by Carlstrom in defense of the Park Service’s current leasing of the dune shacks, a move that has generated intense local criticism — especially for the option to bid an unlimited amount of rent.
Carlstrom’s new assignment was confirmed by Rich Delaney, executive director of the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown and former chair of the Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission.
Delaney is also Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland’s nominee to chair the newly reauthorized Advisory Commission, which will begin meeting again once all its nominated members have gone through a formal vetting process.
A half-dozen other people also told the Independent they were aware of Carlstrom’s promotion, including members of the Provincetown Select Board, staff at the Center for Coastal Studies, and leaders of nonprofits that deal with the National Seashore.
It was also mentioned by two people in public comments at the select board’s meeting on Monday, Aug. 28, where Carlstrom made a presentation and took questions from the board.
Nonetheless, Carlstrom himself would not confirm his new posting after the meeting, saying that all requests for interviews had to be emailed to the National Park Service.
In response to a written inquiry the next day, an NPS spokesperson would neither confirm nor deny the move, writing only that the agency had “no personnel announcements at this time.”
Questions Without Answers
Carlstrom’s presentation at the select board was preceded by almost an hour of public comments dominated by dune shack dwellers lodging complaints over the Seashore’s handling of the public leasing process.
Mildred Champlin, 92, said that many people who submitted applications for a dune shack lease would not be prepared for the way winter storms can endanger the shacks.
“These people are being bamboozled,” Champlin said. “When my brother-in-law died, we didn’t get to go to his funeral because we were putting in snow fencing” after a November storm. “You don’t get to wait until June when the weather is nice — you go right then.”
“In my view, the only way to repair this critically important relationship between stakeholders and Seashore administrators and staff is to explain how the RFP was drafted,” said Josiah Mayo, a caretaker of the Braaten shack. “Why allow higher rents to be offered? These questions must be answered.”
Select board members had specific questions for Carlstrom about the dune shacks — but he refused to answer most of them.
“I’d like to hear from you how you believe that the current RFP process follows the 2012 management plan,” board member Austin Miller asked Carlstrom.
“The RFP process is underway, and I really can’t speak to it because it is currently underway,” Carlstrom said. “A lot of work has gone into it. We want to maintain the integrity of that work, and I can’t speak to any specifics on it right now.”
Board member Leslie Sandberg asked about the letter the select board sent two weeks ago asking Carlstrom to accept a mediated conversation with the dune shack community, to be organized by the Interior Dept.’s Office of Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution.
“We’ve received that letter, and we’re going to get back in touch with you soon,” Carlstrom said.
Sandberg said that mediation would be a “very good path” and that people deserved the chance to talk directly to the “powers that be.”
“I appreciate your perspective, Leslie, but we’ve received your letter and we’ll be back in touch with you very soon,” Carlstrom said.
Board member Erik Borg asked how the selection criteria for lease applicants would be weighted and whether ability to perform maintenance might be weighted over other factors.
“All the criteria are in the RFP,” Carlstrom said.
Sandberg asked if the Park Service would reimburse dune dwellers for the cost of closing up their shacks this October if they did not win a lease.
“It’s a very fair question, and we would work to determine how to ensure the integrity of the shacks,” Carlstrom said.
“It’s an easy yes or no,” Sandberg said.
“I understand; it’s a totally fair question, and we would work with them to determine the appropriate way to go forward,” Carlstrom said.
“Let me put it this way,” Sandberg persisted. “I would hope that if there’s a cost burden put on them, and they’re not awarded shacks, that they’d be reimbursed. And whoever you need to talk to for that, I think it’s an important thing to do. Would you do that for us?”
“Absolutely,” Carlstrom said.
At that point, the select board members decided they had no further questions.
According to correspondence sent to the dune shack leaseholders, the Park Service plans to notify winners of the current leasing contest by Sept. 29. Carlstrom will begin work in Colorado 10 days later.
