VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK- An alleged tasing incident involving an Ash River houseboat rental operator and reports of overzealous law enforcement here by the park’s protection rangers have area business operators concerned that those actions are creating an atmosphere that will drive away future customers unless something is done quickly to remedy the situation.
That was the message nearly two dozen Crane Lake resort owners, associated businesspeople and citizens had for VNP Superintendent Bob DeGross last week at a July 21 public forum at the Crane Lake Chapel, the last in a series of four such meetings hosted by DeGross to gather input from people in gateway communities on flood operations and other issues related to the park.
After hearing opening statements from DeGross about the flood situation, it was clear that the Crane Lake meeting attendees were far more concerned with “other issues.”
“I want to address the elephant in the room,” said former resort owner Jim Janssen. “My question is what has changed, because it seems as though there appears to be a lot of friction with the ranger staff and guests in particular. There are lots of reports where officers are not treating the guests with respect. They’re kind of derogatory. Aren’t they supposed to be the ambassadors of the park? Why are we harassing guests? I understand the need to stop boats and I understand the need to do safety checks, but don’t rangers want to be treated with respect? That seems to be a real problem.”
Janssen said he had been stopped himself a few weeks ago.
“I got pulled over on Namakan. That’s the first time in 30 years that I’ve been pulled over, not that I should have been. I wasn’t doing anything, they just stopped me. But my question is, is the change the head ranger? Because this didn’t (used to) happen at all.”
The “head ranger” referenced by Janssen is Chief Ranger Josh Wentz, who came to VNP last November with 14 years of NPS experience at eight national parks and recreation areas under his belt. Wentz had attended earlier public meetings, but DeGross said he was unable to be present for the Crane Lake meeting due to a personal issue.
Attendees were civil with their remarks, but their emotional intensity was apparent as they took turns registering their frustrations and concerns with VNP law enforcement activities. A sampling of issues raised during the hour-long meeting included:
A culture of unwarranted and excessive stops, based on guest reports.
Guests who have been stopped multiple times in their boats by rangers during short visits to the lake.
Rangers acting rudely or in a demeaning or belligerent manner to guests.
Fear of retaliation among guests and businesspeople should someone register a formal complaint about being stopped or the conduct of rangers.
Concern that Wentz is responsible for reviewing complaints about law enforcement rather than having an independent committee including community representatives do so.
A lack of transparency from park officials about law enforcement activities, particularly with regard to the tasing incident.
Creating a hazard by placing three bouys in a navigable channel in non-park waters.
Rangers interfering with resort personnel when they are trying to handle a situation involving their guests and boats.
Guests who may not return.
The park is in danger of developing a negative reputation for excessive law enforcement activity that will negatively impact businesses.
“We know Crane Lake is on board for a visitor center, and I’ve got to be honest, there are some people in town who are saying we don’t want them here if that’s the way they’re going to treat guests.” Janssen said.
As the hour-long litany of concerns, complaints, and suggestions for improvements unfolded, DeGross declined to comment on any specific incidents or personnel but actively responded to the general concerns expressed by the group.
“Primarily, we’re going to be talking about high level things here and feedback like that are the things that I want to hear,” DeGross said. “And I will be working with the staff, because the objective is that all of the staff work in a professional, respectful manner with the visitors and businesses. We’ve heard it at the other meetings as well, and obviously that means we have to be looking at what we’re doing and what we can improve.”
Drake Dill told DeGross that the responsibility for fixing the conditions attendees described lies with him.
“You have a whole generation of hard feelings that have lived in this community and Ash River and in all the neighboring communities that have finally warmed up to the idea that this (VNP) is going to work,” Dill said. “Visitorship is up, people are happy. It’s great. But your enforcement actions come straight from you. You’ve got families out enjoying your park and you tased an innocent man. This has to stop. This is garbage. We can do better than that.”
Taser incident
What most of those at the meeting know about the taser incident, and what the rest of public knows as well, has had to come through word of mouth. VNP officials have kept a tight lid on any official information about the encounter earlier this season with Ebel Houseboat’s owner Justin Ebel. No statement or press release has been issued, and no details were forthcoming from DeGross at the meeting. Multiple subsequent requests by the Timberjay were met with the message to contact the Minnesota U.S. Attorney’s Office.
But there was one person at the meeting who would know as much as anyone might, Katy Ebel, Justin’s mother. As the meeting was about to wrap up, Ebel made a final statement that included some details.
“I have been at every single meeting that has been put on in each one of the gateway communities. Many of you know who I am. I am Justin Ebel’s mother,” she said. “He was the person that was tased not once but twice. He was taking a boat off the rocks in the wind, and he was trying to get that boat into Sullivan Bay or back to our base to be checked for any holes in the pontoons. He was stopped and told that they were boarding the boat. He told them that he wanted to do safety first. He wanted his customers back into at least Sullivan Bay if not back at the dock because he checks each and every boat that goes onto a rock for whether or not it has been damaged. This boat had damage. Now this boat they wanted to board. They never did.”
“Justin is a good kid” Ebel continued. “He’s met personally with you, Bob in the wintertime, and has said that he wants to meet the rangers. He also has met with you and Josh Wentz at a houseboat operators meeting and asked to meet the rangers. Now guess what? Justin met the rangers. That’s all I have to say.”
But earlier in the meeting, others had things to say about it, including Rob Scott. He questioned the lack of transparency about the incident and the steps the park has taken to address it, saying that the lack of information has created a serious problem with peoples’ perception of the park.
“You have law enforcement as kind of a banner in Voyageurs National Park right now, and it shouldn’t even be on the flagpole,” Scott said. “What the **** is this enforcement stuff? You don’t have a bunch of folks from Chicago from the mafia hiding out here. You’ve got tourists, people with kids and whatever. I’m assuming, because I haven’t seen anything different, that that individual who did the tasing is still meaningfully employed, not on leave of absence, not in jail, just doing his assigned job in the park. That says to the outside people looking at it that he didn’t do anything wrong. The action of the tasing is not a normal thing.”
Scott said the situation is giving the park a bad name. “That negative perception makes people who want to come to the park to escape all of the challenges with law enforcement issues in the Twin Cities or other urban areas think twice about coming. This whole thing is a systemic extension of law enforcement in Minnesota, disguised under a national park uniform, and you’ve got to take care of that perception. In my years in the military, if anything like that happened, the first thing that you do is you put that up on the marquee that you’re on top of it, that you’re handling the situation,” Scott added. “I haven’t seen anything in the press, I haven’t seen any emails as far as that level of action. I’m talking about a park ranger that tasers an individual twice. You can’t say ‘We can’t talk about it.’”
Steve Bergerson piggybacked on Scott’s remarks.
“People used to come up here and they go to the park to relax, like you said, get away from … whatever city,” he said. “This year, for the first time, it seems like people are going into the park walking on eggshells, right or wrong. Something’s got to be done to fix that perception.”
Follow up
DeGross re-emphasized that the feedback from all four meetings would be considered thoughtfully and that he would issue a follow-up summary around Aug. 15 that also includes corrective action plans the park would try to implement. But he also said he’s been working with staff after each meeting to review the feedback received and talk about what they can do to make changes.
“I feel like the meetings have gone well,” DeGross said after the meeting. “Obviously there’s frustration out there and that frustration is probably compounded because of some recent incidents, and also the stress that people are under from dealing with the flooding incident and two years of COVID. I hope that residents, visitors and business owners know that they can reach out to us at the park to discuss those frustrations and hopefully find a path forward to resolving any issues that might be identified through this.”