I Am Dustin Stone. I walked out of my job at the National Park Service in Alaska yesterday because the agency is botching the COVID-19 response nationwide and putting us all in danger. Ask Me Anything!

Are you excited for Gizz making new music?

EDIT: Check OP's post history before you downvote me dumbasses

Best silver lining of the lockdown! The boys have a lot of time to record! On a side note, I have not left my town since October. Gizz at Red Rocks in May was the thing I was looking forward to most in my life.

I had tickets to philly and NYC, I feel your pain brother. I wonder how many albums we will get this year though

At least 30, for sure.

To anyone downvoting: I created a new account to try to blow this whistle. I needed karma to make that easier and asked r/KGATLW to give me the karma love I needed, knowing they were a tight knit community. They did not disappoint! Thanks Gizz-Heads!

What makes you an expert?

Never claimed to be. I am an elected official in my town that has been receiving CDC and White House briefings, etc. But mostly I am a concerned citizen that saw a problem and am asking people with more power and knowledge than me to stand up and fix it.

Do you fellas in North America have internet, or cellphone reception ? Are you aware of the thing called "news", do you get that up there ?

LOOK AT THE FUCKING ITALY AND DO THE MATH! Stop fucking around like nothing is gonna happen and stop "discussing" shit and get the hammers out, you need drastic measures right now ! US is firmly sitting on their asses with hospitals slowly but surely getting fucked, and you Canadians haven't yet passed a nationwide law against any sort of public gatherings/crowds ? Seriously, get your shit together.

This is a rant, and it's not directed towards OP who has made a rational, sensible and selfless decision. If everyone thought like this, we'd be in final stages of epidemy now.

Let's be friends. You're smart.

What's your favorite movie?

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is right near the top... or maybe AKIRA... or maybe... damn... this is the hardest question I've gotten so far.

Who the fuck is still going to parks? Regardless of what NPS is doing, people don’t have to be dumbasses. We can actually think for ourselves if needed hopefully.

People who are listening to the messaging from above saying it's safe. They should stay home, yes, but I blame the system encouraging them to come out more.

I respect your brave act but we’re there other paths you could have taken to keep your job at NPS? Are you unionized employees and could have filed a grievance for unsafe working conditions? Could you have asked for a LOA of 30 days? Could you have filed a formal complaint with HR and applied for whistle blower protection? Could you have called in sick? I suspect the parks will be closed within days as the government is always slower than the rest!

No union here, that I'm aware of. Also, bureaucracy takes time that we don't have. I argued up the ladder for days when hours matter and finally got pissed. I love the Park Service mission but, honestly, hated constantly being used as a political cog. I refuse to work for any employer that does not take the safety of its employees and visitors seriously.

Also, I was HR.

EDIT: I'm also in an isolated town with limited options. I have a degree in journalism, but getting stories to break nationally as a freelancer is hard. This was the fastest way I could think of to elevate the conversation to a national, even international level. I've also been interviewing with some national media outlets today. Just trying to blow the whistle as loud as I can friend, and I thank you all for helping me do it.

Has anyone been offered Admin Leave?

I work for the DOD at a Naval Shipyard in Washington. The most vulnerable have been sent home on admin, but I was at work today and will be at work tomorrow.

They need to send us all home.

The at-risk population at my park, and from what I hear, a few other superintendents have rebelled or finagled it. Needs to be service-wide and from the top though.

I really don't have a question but wanted to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for doing the right thing and for bringing light to this issue. I guess top level comments require a question, so... How are you holding up?

I'm feeling a lot better now that I'm not losing sleep over not standing up for my colleagues and visitors.

I don't have a question, but as a Canadian who is envious of the US's park system this is very disappointing. Props for putting it all on the line, I hope it works out for you. My comment was deleted for not including a question, so what is your favourite animal?

Manatee! Life ambitions...

What is your favorite color?

Black. Just like my favorite metal, coffee and hearts.

Were you in a senior leadership position? Were they not listening to CDC guidance?

I was a lowly HR drone. My leaders are currently arguing with Washington leadership, but are being cuffed by bureaucratic nonsense and politics.

I rebelled, but not everybody can. My town is small and entirely reliant on cruise ships that are not coming. It's hard to ask people to give up literally everything when the economy of your town is collapsing.

The business my wife and run is closed. We're now a zero-income household, but have enough in savings to get through summer. Winter is going to be hard, but we have a great community and will make it. We also have no kids, no mortgage, relatively low living costs, etc.

Are you planning on turning down that $1200 check that’s coming in a few weeks?

That doesn't come until October... I think. My wife does the filing. And I think my morals are going to stop at that check by then. I'm an imperfect being...

Would you run for office?

I did last October, on a small scale. I won. I'm an assemblyman now and my parents are so proud.

Might have been a worse idea than quitting my job... Seriously though, I love that I'm in a position to help my community now.

What do you think of a compromise like they did here in Canada? Parks Canada and SEPAQ (provincial parks) have decided to remain open, but have cancelled all non-essential services.

"Visitors may access front country, backcountry and accessible green spaces. All events, group and interpretive activities have been cancelled. Facilities such as washrooms and visitor centres are closed. Overnight accommodations and camping facilities, including backcountry camping, are closed. Entry fee collection is suspended during this temporary closure in order to reduce health and safety risks for Parks Canada employees."

Basically we can access the parks, but we are responsible for our own safety and absolutely no services are offered except entering the parks and using the trails.

Come on man, you guys make fun of Americans everyday. We need laws to make us wear seatbelts and warnings on cups that say coffee is hot. You think we can really trust all of us to use National Parks without adult supervision?

Wow, Skagway is isolated. You did the right thing, thanks for the AMA!

Do you have to go through Canada if someone needs to be evacuated? And would they accept you even though borders are shut down?

Best of luck!

Whitehorse, Yukon territory is the closest city. About 100 miles through a mountain pass. It had 3 ventilators last I heard and the border is closing. I think they're going to worry a lot about their own people before they can help ours.

Ambulances here are MedEvac planes and Coast Guard helicopters. The first one is super weather dependent.

I lost a comment somewhere about how I don't know the difference between a National Park and a national monument, etc... and how all parks are wilderness spaces... not that many of them, etc. It was actually partially correct. I should have been using the term "Park Unit" this whole time.

Just gonna leave this here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_United_States_National_Park_System_official_units

Have any of your coworkers tested positive or gotten sick yet? Anyone they know?

Thanks for coming forward with this. I hope some media get in touch with you soon. I know it's a hassle, but write to every news organization you can, many even read Reddit, but it doesn't hurt. Email or even Twitter (linking here). Let me know if you want a list or a hand sending messages out.

Not yet, but it's coming to town with the influx of seasonal workers that are already showing up despite no work. Or it's already here. Best we can do is slow it by being responsible members of the community.

What is your Venmo?

Don't have one. But I've also got some savings. I'm good homie. Donate that shit to a food bank.

What color is your toothbrush?

I'm Alaskan, we don't have toothbrushes. We use spruce branches.

Fair enough, what color is your spruce branch?

Plaque spattered

You expect perfection from OUR government? C'MON MAN! You are better off protecting yourself, being logical, and NOT listening to what our alleged leaders are prescribing.

That's why I walked out and am doing my best to protect my community and my fellow humans. Screw the federal government.

What do you say to the people that are more worried about the economy than they are human lives?

I just voluntarily closed my business and quit my job. I am now in a zero-income household. My town is 95% cruise ship tourism based and our economy is collapsing. People are losing everything here and we're still trying to do what is right.

How can I be as fearless as you?

First you gotta get real dumb. Like reeeaaaaallllll dumb.

You should follow orders and not be afraid. I find your actions cowardly. Why can't you do your job?

I know... I'm the absolute worst.

How old are you? Why do you trust the CDC? Have they saved you before? Are you scared that you may get it? Or are you concerned for others? Do you think the cdc knows more than everyone else? What comparisons are you using for the response measurement: SARS, H1N1, or what?

How did walking out benefit you or the others you may be concerned about? What changed with you gone vs you there?

I am 35.

I am not concerned for myself, I am concerned for my highly at risk community. We Are isolated (look up Skagway, Alaska). We have no doctor and one ventilator for hundreds of miles. I can name 30 people off the top of my head in my community that have compromised immunes systems or are in the high-risk age group.

I don't have to trust the CDC to have common sense. Come live in my town during flu-season and watch how quickly we infect each other.

EDIT: The unnecessary loss of even one member of my community, or any human life, if preventable by basic social-distancing measures is unacceptable. Yes, there will be death, but there will be more if we act like selfish assholes. Let's listen to what Italians are screaming at us.

EDIT 2: As for what's different? It's not much yet, but look how much bigger this conversation is now.

You fucking soy pussy. There’s min wage workers in grocery stores packed full of people working hard, you can’t stand outside in a fucking park? I wish we lived back in the day where soy beta losers like you would be punished. Instead you have “protections” and these loser reddit people who work office jobs cheering you on.

You’re a fucking disgusting human being and should never be referred to as a man ever again. Get back out to the field bitch.

I work in a small office homie. I salute the grocery store workers on the front line. They're doing hero work while your sad little troll ass sits in your mom's basement and whacks off to futunari porn. When this is over, visit a park. The outside is a wonderful place.