Florida parks chief to serve another Bush

By CRAIG PITTMAN

© St. Petersburg Times,
published June 5, 2001

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK -- Two years ago, the governor of another state tried to hire Fran Mainella away from her post as head of the Florida park system. But state Department of Environmental Protection Secretary David Struhs persuaded her to stay.

That same governor came to Florida on Monday to tap Mainella for another job, and this time Struhs could not do anything about it.

"I had no resistance against the president," Struhs said, laughing.

President Bush nominated the 54-year-old Mainella to be director of the National Park Service during a visit Monday to Everglades National Park. The selection requires Senate confirmation.

Mainella, who has been director of the state Parks and Recreation Department since 1989, said she will miss Florida but sounded downright giddy discussing her new post.

"I have the best job in Florida," she said, but said she is looking forward to the "fun opportunity" of running the nation's park system. When Bush mentioned during his speech that she will need political support from Florida's two Democratic senators, Mainella, who was standing next to him, threw Sens. Bob Graham and Bill Nelson a mock salute and then grinned at them.

Mainella is a Connecticut native whose first job was as a playground counselor there. She taught physical education for seven years before she moved to Florida in 1977 because her husband, a radio broadcaster, got a job in television. Mainella was married for 28 years to Lee Mainella, who died in 1999.

Bush's selection drew plaudits from politicians of both parties and environmental activists, who praised her as a good steward of public land who has made Florida's park system the country's best.

"I think we're going to have the best National Park Service director we have had in a long time," said Charles Lee, senior vice president of Audubon of Florida. "As strongly protective as Fran is of the natural values in the Florida park system, I'm sure she'll do a great job."

Mainella apparently would be the first woman to lead the park service.

She succeeds Robert Stanton, a Clinton appointee who was the first African-American to hold the job.

Another Floridian, Mel Martinez of Orlando, heads the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Lee and Struhs said that having a Floridian running the park service will help push the $8-billion Everglades restoration plan Congress approved last year.

Mainella was the first state official to speak against plans by an affiliate of paving giant Anderson Columbia to build a cement plant near Ichetucknee Springs State Park. Mainella wrote a letter to Suwannee County commissioners, pleading with them to reject the plant because of how it would affect the area's pristine springs and rivers.

Such conflicts were rare during her tenure, however, said Florida Wildlife Federation president Manley Fuller III, because of Mainella's great skill for compromise.

In taking charge of the park system, Mainella will face a number of thorny issues, including how much access recreational vehicles and personal watercraft should be allowed. She said Monday she is not ready to answer questions of how she will deal with those issues before her confirmation hearings.

However, it helps that the president has made increased money for the park system a central issue in his environmental program. He has pledged to spend almost $5-billion over five years to repair roads and buildings in the nation's parks.

"Obviously it's exciting to have the president be so supportive," she said. "It shows a strong commitment."

Fran Mainella

AGE: 54

POSITION: Director of the Division of Recreation and Parks. Directed Florida's park system since 1989, serving under Govs. Bob Martinez, Lawton Chiles and Jeb Bush. Changed her party registration from Democrat to Republican in 1999.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The National Sporting Goods Association's award as the nation's best park system. Mainella has served as president of the National Association of State Park Directors.

PARK FACTS: Florida parks have more than 500,000 acres in 155 separate facilities, with an annual budget in excess of $118-million. Florida parks had 16.7-million visitors in 1999-2000. In the national park system, there are 57 national parks and 327 natural and historic sites, covering 83-million acres. The national parks attract more than 287-million visitors per year.

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