First off, I've been remiss in my duty here as a moderator to welcome all of you first-time BirdForum posters. Even though you've obviously joined in response to this one discussion taking place, I do hope you'll explore the rest of the Forum at your leisure and take advantage of the amazing amount of information available.
I was going to let this lie with Ken Schneider's final post, but since he and Pat Snider have publicized this thread on the Arizona-New Mexico birding listserve (possibly elsewhere?) in what amounts to an action alert, some things need to be made clear -- again.
My original post was not made with the intent of starting a "she said/he said" debate over the value of Crest House's contribution to the birding world, whether for birders in general or for scientific research. That was never in question. I found out about the Rosy-Finches first through intermittent discussions on various birding listserves and then from the Schneiders' website when it was referenced in one of those discussions. What I read there made my mouth water. Here was a unique opportunity to see these elusive birds in what sounded like a pretty comfortable setting, something you can't anticipate in the dead of winter, anywhere in the world and regardless of elevation. That visitors might also be able to witness the banding project was a bonus to me, as has already been mentioned. So Crest House's importance and intrinsic value have never been at issue.
What
was and still is in question, as far as I'm concerned, is how management perceives that value to those who make Sandia Crest a destination, especially organized tours. If what Raymond and Ryan said is true, that "The Crest House doesn’t necessarily think that birders contribute that much to their bottom line," that makes it a little more understandable why the management didn't necessarily care whether people had made an effort to pay "his business" a visit that day. I have said from the outset that the manager had every right to refuse us (or anyone else) entry. That doesn't mean it was a
good decision. When you know your business is a birding destination and you have people standing outside at your posted opening time,
and you refuse to answer the phone
and you refuse to come to the door until long after that posted time, something's wrong. Perhaps our group leader didn't make it clear to the manager that he had 9 people standing outside with nowhere else to go (my "shuttle" was still shuttling the two van drivers). Perhaps the manager didn't make it clear to our group leader that he absolutely was
not going to open that day, otherwise I know I for one would have not stood around for another couple hours (after bringing the last of our group up) waiting for nothing, nor would the rest of the group. The other carloads of people who arrived throughout the morning also hung around on the walkways and the upper observation deck; they didn't "see the closed sign" and immediately turn back. So there is obviously some disconnect in what Raymond and Ryan perceive was told us and what we
were told.
I'd like to point out that simply because my letter is the only one to "ever" have been received doesn't mean we are the only people who may have had negative experiences. Conversely, of course, it also doesn't mean there
have been negative experiences. However, for all of those responding to this thread who have had or still have a direct connection to Crest House to say that if the bird feeding and banding activities had been discontinued it would have been
my fault is outrageous. I posted this so that birders contemplating a visit will know that all may not be rosy when going to see the Rosy-Finches at Crest House and in the hopes that the management would amend how it deals with people showing up under similar circumstances.
Which is the real issue here: If the manager that morning had done two things, this entire situation would have never existed: (1) Answered the phone or come to the door by 9:30 and (2) tell us yea or nay on opening that day. That's all that he needed to have done. That he didn't is something
he needs to answer for.
Ken Schneider said:
Top management and owners at Sunwest Silver may not see that the benefits outweigh the risks of the bad publicity engendered by the “Open Letter” and general liability. After all, they are allowing essentially non-paying visitors to enter their for-profit establishment and take up valuable space in the dining area.
You know, this is interesting. Crest House is, what, a privately owned business allowed to operate on public lands under a concession from the US Forest Service, correct? I had to pay a fee to park there, and on my second visit, when the Crest House was open, I bought food inside, as did the other birders who showed up while I was there. In fact, it would not have occurred to me to
not purchase food as this is, after all, a café. If other birders before or since have been so rude as to take up space without purchasing anything, that is yet another management issue and has nothing to do with my group's experience nor with my reasons for writing my Open Letter. Any discussions of nonexistent agreements among attorneys or the USFS or Crest Houses's "top management and owners" are equally irrelevant to how our group was treated and, frankly, no one's business but Crest House's.
Again, the manager is accountable for his actions and for the way he treats the public. If Crest House's ownership doesn't like "bad publicity," it needs to address how it deals with that public through its on-site management.
