It's a busy time for Dusty Shultz. The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore superintendent is working to hire seasonal staff and prepare the Park for the busy season, and it's also the National Parks Service centennial celebration. She took time out to talk park improvements, visitor fees, her potential retirement -- and still left time for a quick tour.

Ticker: Tell us about the park "by the numbers."
Shultz: We have 71,000 acres of land including 64,000 acres of shoreline, including beaches, campgrounds, dunes, rivers, lakes, and more and 366 historic structures. We have 45 permanent employees and an additional 70-100 seasonally. We have a $4.2 million budget plus additional funding from fee revenues.

Ticker: What's the story behind the admission fee hike that's pending?
Shultz: There had been a moratorium on fee increases since 2008, so the National Parks Service has been looking at a new fee structure and had put parks in different groups based on size, amenities, etc. We were in a group that had a proposed increase in the annual pass from $20 to $40, and the weekly pass from $10 to $20. I just personally felt doubling it was way too much way too soon, so we requested an exception. We had some public comment on the issue, and we proposed instead to raise the annual pass to $30 and the weekly to $15. Those are slated for January 1, 2016. It's still an amazing deal.

Ticker: Where do the fees go?
Shultz: Eighty percent of the fee revenue comes back to the park for visitor experience projects.

Ticker: Is there a "wish list" of sorts? Items you'd like to see done around the Park?
Shultz: Oh, sure. The South Manitou [Island] lighthouse keepers' quarters. The tower is in great shape, but the quarters need a lot of work. It hasn't been accessible to the public for years. Another big item is building pathways between the farms for Port Oneida so you don't have to drive between them. We have a list we work on. The management team looks at all the possible projects and we prioritize.

Ticker: What about operationally? How has your budget changed in recent years?
Shultz: Our budget has been steady, but fixed costs are always going up, so we've had to tighten our belts, which is not a bad thing. That could mean fewer seasonal interpreters, sometimes less law enforcement or natural resource staff, less mowing or cleaning around the park. Fortunately we've been very successful in competing for project funds. Recently we secured dollars for new some new roofs and new this year, the Federal Highway Administration will repave every paved surface in the park.

What's the primary environmental threat to the park?
Shultz: Two years ago I would have said aquatic invasives were. But now? Probably the forest insects and diseases....the emerald ash borer, the oak wilt, and others. I'll bet we lost close to 100 ash trees in the past year. 

Ticker: What about wildlife in the Park? What are you seeing?
Shultz: The thing we've really been noticing in recent years is the return of black bears. They were quite rare for a while but we're seeing a lot more of them now.

Ticker: What about your future here? Is retirement on the horizon?
Shultz: I will retire within a year, yes. I've been in this position for thirteen years and with the Parks Service for 40. It will be time.

Ticker: How often do you get out and about in the Park?
Shultz: Not often enough. I'm in the office most of the days. There's lots of bureaucracy, and I'm usually reviewing projects, handling employee concerns, working on the budget. But let me grab my hat and we'll head out for a tour. I was hoping this might be a chance to get out!