I concur with you WB, it may never turn into a National Park, I just mistyped that, but my point is more about the Forest Service as an organization. They should be able to administer this area more effectively. Its not just funding, its the mission, history, and culture of the NFS - quite different than the NPS.
Perhaps the NFS should have more special zone areas like the Whitney Zone where they can charge user fees dedicated to management of that area. A small fee can make a big difference. Its basically how the Park Service operates. They should also do more to team up with volunteer organizations and integrate efforts to make improvements without so much red tape.
I'd rather see a restructuring of the Forest Service than a constant transfer of land over to the Park Service. I realize that's a pipe dream in an era of sequestration and partisan paralysis, but its what really needs to happen.
