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An Idea in Trouble: Thoughts about the Future of Traditional National Parks in the United States

May 17th - 10:53am | Anonymous

I seldom agree with Beamis but for once he has a point (in his own ornery way): the run-on text makes these pages unreadable on my screen as well. IIRC the suggested solution was to use a smaller font size. However some of us are more comfortable with a larger font. This was not a problem before the change to the new format.

May 17th - 09:54am | Rick Smith

It doesn't change on mine either, Kurt.

May 17th - 07:49am | Kurt Repanshek

I would say the color change is your browser, Beamis, cuz it's not on our computers and no one else is reporting it. Thanks for the constructive comment.

A New Exhibit at Ellis Island Tells the Story of the Lenape, the People Who Were There First

May 17th - 10:37am | Ken Lonewolf

Greetings islandpaddler,

May 17th - 10:24am | Ken Lonewolf

Bezahn (Greetings),

Public Comment Period on Cape Hatteras Draft ORV Management Plan Ends Tuesday

May 17th - 10:36am | Samsdad

Tell that to the other 18 recreatiobnal areas set aside for just that RECREATION. I am not an ORV'r, but I am a person who can read between the lines and have realized that this is not just about driving on the beaches but limiting access all together!!! My family was not able to even walk over in the areas we chose away from the crowds in front of the villages.

May 15th - 10:39am | Anonymous

For god’s sake will somebody please change all the signs, documents, and web pages to reflect the real name of the Park so they (ORVers) can move on to discusing the Enabling legislation of the park, Organic Act, The General Authorties Act, MBTA. Park Management 2006 and the Executive Orders.

May 13th - 10:39am | Samsdad

If you read this 800 page item you will note they thought of everyone when they tried to upset the general public. My favorites list includes: The possibility of no pets being aloud during the high points of visitation due to Species of Concern.

Will The Long-Desired "Completion" Of Canyonlands National Park Ever Arrive?

May 17th - 03:09am | Anonymous

The reason the federal government owns 60% of Utah, and should own more, is to protect it from local boneheads like you. Go live out your ATV fantasies on an asteroid, and leave the Earth to those of us who have enough sense to protect it.

Naked Hikers Let It All Hang Out On the Summer Solstice

May 17th - 02:09am | Jeff

Speaking for myself, and my wife feels much the same, if there were more places where we could be naked outside, we would take advantage of them. Unfortunately, we are not aware of any near enough our home (in eastern Pennsylvania) to be practical. I really want to be able to take a walk or bike ride on a regular basis without clothes. I just like to feel the air on my skin.

May 15th - 00:17am | Random Walker

"The first thing I did was take off my pants. Naturally." ~Edward Abbey~

May 14th - 21:17pm | Roger Paul

Sorry, but I will have to disagree with comparing most nude hikers to flashers. Flashers purposefully seek out victims and then flash their genitals for sexual gratification (often it is accompnied by sexual behaviour).

On Endangered Species Day, Recognizing the Cost of Oil Spills

May 16th - 18:09pm | Philip Tortora

As this environmental disaster of epic proportions drags on – with the dire consequences yet to be fully determined and realized – the U.S. government needs to take a more urgent and heavy-handed approach to the clean up. And not publicly designate a company already being accused by many as grossly negligent and incompetent as the primary organization responsible for saving the environment.

Bad News for Wild Condor Chick at Pinnacles National Monument

May 16th - 15:15pm | Anonymous

Thank you for the link to a study presented at the 2008 Peregrine Fund Symposium on Lead. As for other sources of lead in the environment, one that I have always found fascinating was from the testimony of Dr. Don Smith of UC Santa Cruz to the California Fish & Game Commission from July of 2007.

May 14th - 22:16pm | Jim Burnett

Anonymous - Thanks for your perspective on one of the studies about lead poisoning in the condors and lead ammo. As I mentioned in the story, the question of lead ammo's impacts on wildlife has been the subject of some controversy.

May 14th - 14:20pm | electriclady281

Today virtually all Earth's species have non-naturally occurring chemicals in their makeup because of one kind of pollution or another, and humans are responsible. I wonder what humans will look like in the future? Maybe we'll be made of plastic.

May 14th - 13:10pm | Anonymous

The reference link above linked to the statement "...Research (that) has established that the principle source of lead exposure to condors is lead ammunition..." refers to a study, Church et al (2006).

Blind Hiker Trevor Thomas Tackles Pacific Crest Trail One Step At A Time

May 15th - 19:13pm | nathan

i met him just yesterday at deep creek hot springs, my friends and i were talking with this group of PCT hikers, and i had mentioned i would love to meet the blind hiker i keep hearing about and one of the hikers in the group said hi thats me, and belive me when i say you wont meet a nicer guy or a nicer group of people. good luck on your journey

Best National Parks for Admiring "Rock Art"

May 15th - 18:13pm | Random Walker

Then there are the ones in the Pate Valley, Yosemite National Park..

May 15th - 16:04pm | tahoma

I think the 'best' rock art is sometimes that which you stumble onto without guidance. There are far, far more than a 'handfull' of sites. Keep alert near any water source in the Southwest. My personal favorite was a petroglyph panel recording a successful hunt in a remote small slot canyon.

May 15th - 13:52pm | Rick Smith

We should also not discount the mysterious pictographs at Amistad NRA. Here's a quote from the park's website:

May 15th - 12:24pm | Bogator

Let us not forget the petroglyphs in Capital Reef National Park. While they can't compare to the rock art in the Great Gallery, they are very easy to get to, being right off of Utah 24.

May 14th - 10:50am | Gaelyn

Mesa Verde also has several easy to get to displays of rock art, some in cliff dwellings and a nice size panel on trail.

May 14th - 05:00am | MRC

Canyon de Chelly National Monument is missing in this list. There are some totally amazing Rock Art panels in the two main canyons. Unfortunately visitors can't really see them, because the National Monument is on Navajo land and access is limited to tours - that do not cover Rock Art - or you need a guide for an individual tour and have it approved by the NPS.

Beach Driving Ban Brings Fort Matanzas National Monument into Compliance, But Angers Matanzas Beach Users

May 15th - 10:23am | Dave

This is sad. That particular area of the Matanzas beach was by far the nicest place I've been to in the entire state of Florida. The entire experience of driving down the beach, around the inlet, parking by the water so you just step right out onto the beach, you could watch the sun set on the intracoastal side, watch all kinds of wild life from Birds to Manatees to Dolphins.

Spring Nesting Season at Cape Hatteras National Seashore Breeds Vandalism

May 15th - 07:37am | Anonymous

It is worse than that here. Feral cats have been dumped in the vicinity of breeding birds in the Park. Raccoons have been transplanted to Ocracoke Island to start a population where they have not been before. A fox suspiciously appeared in the morning in the middle of Cape Point surround by ORVs.

Mark Your Calendars: North Cascades National Park Primer, Introductions May 26

May 14th - 22:46pm | Alex C

yeah, the north cascades are my favorite national park in washington by far. a very epic place of coolness. if i could, i would live in the cascades.

Is There Good News, Or Bad News, To Relate Concerning the Florida Panther?

May 14th - 17:04pm | Anonymous

As a young boy I camped with the Boy Scouts in the Everglades. This would have been in the very early 1960's. We slept in Jungle Hammocks and could barely see out the mesh windows for the mosquitoes. What I remember most was the cry of the Florida Panther at night. While it was a wail that was scary, none of us were particularly scared.

What's the Solution For Cape Hatteras National Seashore?

May 14th - 15:42pm | CRina

One should read the minutes of the case that resulted in the Consent Decree. Judge Doyle threaten to close the beaches entirely unless all the parties involved agree to his decree. I don't call that arbitration, I call it extortion. Judge Doyle should be impeached!

Yosemite Nature Notes: The Tuolumne River

May 14th - 14:32pm | electriclady281

As beautiful as Yosemite is now, it is nothing compared to what it was when I first visited it as a child. I was captivated by the beauty of Tuolumne Meadows; indeed, by all I saw in Yosemite!

Some Denali National Park Wolves Are Capable Anglers for Salmon

May 14th - 13:06pm | Ken

I grew up on a salmon hatchery in Oregon. In the mid 60's I spent a couple of summers working as a biologist aid taking chinook salmon samples for study. During this time I was told not to allow dogs near the

Shenandoah National Park Ranger Roy Sullivan Set the World Record for Being Hit by Lightning

May 14th - 12:52pm | Anonymous

I think it was God

Is There A Need to Have the Government Promote National Parks?

May 14th - 12:33pm | Marq Lipton

Do we want our national parks to be kept as a private reserve for those elite and in-the-know folks, or do we have the responsibility to make sure that we continue to connect the public to our national parks.

May 14th - 08:26am | Audrey Peterman

This past Wednesday our friend, a prominent Baptist minister, Ph.D, and his wife called me from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was his birthday, and as a result of our book (Legacy on the Land) he'd asked me which of the national parks I'd recommend for him to have his first experience.

May 14th - 07:18am | NP Camper

this is a tricky subject IMO. commenters make good points about how you can market something to death by promoting it, but i think, based on my experiences with natural areas in Arizona in particular -- year of destruction of AZ State Parks : ( -- that we need to promote many other places or people aren't even aware they exist.

May 13th - 18:53pm | Randi Minetor

I see that a portion of your issue is not whether or not we promote the parks, but whether the federal government should pay for this promotion. This feels like a case of, "If not me, who?" The fact is that of the 392 national park sites and all the affiliates, only a handful have such steep visitation figures that they require crowd control.

National Park Mystery Photo 22: Where Do You Need To Travel For This Shot?

May 13th - 20:40pm | Dr. Jer

Clearly it is Apostles Island.

The Way We Used To Describe And Enjoy National Parks

May 13th - 19:58pm | Kari Quaas

Extremely fun article to read. Your posts about the parks are always interesting and educational. Thanks!

Trails I've Hiked: Acadia National Park's South Ridge of Cadillac Mountain

May 13th - 18:56pm | Barky

First hike I ever did in a National Park System unit. Did 11 miles that day, a long loop across much of the park including Cadillac Mountain. :-)

May 13th - 13:21pm | Anonymous

One of my favorite hike of all time. It's not a hard hike... Highly recommended.

May 13th - 10:02am | dennis g.

Camping at Blackwoods, my wife and I hiked to the summit of Cadillac Mt. on an overcast and misty September morning. Just as we reached the top, Mother Nature decided to empty her clouds of all their water and it rained for the balance of the day. It spoiled our views, but it was still a nice hike 'in the woods.'

Hiker Falls to Her Death In Zion National Park

May 13th - 18:53pm | Kolby

From what I can find online, this was the ninth fatality on Angel's Landing. One site suggests that this number is only from 1983 to the present. I can only imagine that there have been many, many more fatal falls since the trail was carved into the incised meander in 1926. Probably even more before that as well, but I don't see the statistics online.

NPCA Wants FAA, National Park Service to Consider Banning Mount Rainier National Park Overflights

May 13th - 11:18am | Gaelyn

I am So glad to see this conversation come to the table. Soundscape is such a huge part of the national park experience. I hear visitors comment here at Grand Canyon about the wonders of nature's sounds which they can actually hear.

Hazing of Yellowstone National Park Bison, A Controversial Rite of Spring

May 13th - 11:18am | jsmacdonald

I just wrote this firsthand account of the bison haze that I witnessed on Tuesday. You can read it at http://www.eclecticworld.org/2010/05/buffalo-torture-2010-firsthand-witn...

Last Dam Summer Party Scheduled For Olympic National Park

May 13th - 11:14am | Gaelyn

It's about time this dam went away. The celebration menu sounds delish, wish I could make it. I look forward to a future hike along the Elwha.

May 13th - 10:09am | Random Walker

Sounds like a fancy feast! My nephew and I will be dining on freeze dry and gorp as we backpack a few days up the Elwha during this time, on a shakedown adventure before he heads out with a group of his peers later this summer. I highly recommend this film for anyone interested:

Non-Profit Yellowstone Association Can Enhance Your Visit to Yellowstone National Park

May 13th - 11:10am | Gaelyn

Non-profs are a savior for our national parks. Here where I work, Grand Canyon Association and the Field Institute provide services and experiences that NPS cannot. It is sad that today's average visitor is in such a hurry to visit multiple parks during a vacation that they really don't know what they're seeing. I like to think that us Rangers help out also.

National Park Quiz 82: Flowers

May 13th - 03:02am | MRC

Took me a while to find but I guess this is the most recent publication on the vegetation of New River Gorge NR: http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/ERMN/reports/NERI_650982_Vegetati...

May 12th - 17:38pm | Jim Burnett

Anonymous - Bob has just headed into the Utah canyon country for a multi-day trip, and he won't have web access until he returns next week.

By the Numbers: The North Cascades National Park Service Complex

May 12th - 21:57pm | Sharlene

Your by the numbers posts are always among my favorite. I am surprised at just how few people visit this park.

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