A man who has been employed with the National Park Service for more than 35 years is the new superintendent of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area in Colorado.
Stuart West, who succeeds Deanna Greco, began his new position Feb. 27. He will also supervise the superintendent of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, a Feb. 22 news release said.
“We are excited to have Stuart in this role,” National Park Service Acting Regional Director Lisa Carrico said in the release. “His experience overseeing multiple parks will lend itself well to managing the diverse resources and issues at these two parks.”
West was, for the last three years, “the superintendent of the High Plains Group of parks, which includes Bent’s Old Fort, Sand Creek Massacre and Amache national historic sites and Capulin Volcano National Monument,” the release said. He began with the National Park Service as an interpretive ranger at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
“From there, he worked in the Arkansas Ozarks at Buffalo National River as a district interpreter. Midway during his nine years on the river he became a law enforcement range,” the release said.
He then worked in Prince William Forest Park, where we worked his way up to chief ranger, according to the release. He was hired as the branch chief of remote area in Acadia National Park three years before before becoming its chief ranger.
“I am honored to be selected as the next superintendent of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and Curecanti National Recreation Area and am eager to meet the staff, explore the parks and get to know the partners and communities,” West said in the release. “I've wanted to work at these parks ever since I first visited them nearly 30 years ago. This is a dream come true for me and a pinnacle in my career.”
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison offers a variety of activities for visitors to enjoy, from hiking to wildlife watching, according to the National Park Service website. You can also enjoy fishing and night sky viewing opportunities.
The Curecanti National Recreation Area is known for its salmon and trout fishing opportunities, as well as hiking and other outdoor activities, the National Park Service reported. It is comprised of three reservoirs along the once wild Gunnison River.
