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Congressman Accuses Sec. Kempthorne of Pandering to NRA on Gun Issue

Jun 5th - 10:36am | Art

Shhh, don't tell the Brady Campaign, but there's big trouble in gun-control paradise. The Times of London reports: "Knife-carrying youths face automatic prosecution as street violence spirals"

Jun 5th - 09:35am | Rick

> Oh, one other thing. Can we stop comparing stats yet?;-) As promised, John Lott data. Despite their best efforts and scurrilous attempts by the brady bunch to discredit Lott's data he's honest and his data are comprehensive and well-researched. If I find additional state-level data I'll pass it along.

Jun 5th - 09:29am | Rick

> That's a lot of humble pie, Rick. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and guess that in one year there are more murders/manslaughters/negligent homicides, > and other violent crimes, involving permit holders across the nation than there are crimes of the same nature in national parks over the same period.

Jun 4th - 21:20pm | Rick Smith

Anon-- You have dona almost the impossible. You have managed to get a pro-gun comment in with an anti-Atzlan comment in the same post. Congratulations. I didn't think it was feasible. You have to watch out for those tricky Hispanics in Congress. Rick Smith

Jun 4th - 12:47pm | Kurt Repanshek

Joe, Proselytizing? The editorial is clearly marked as such, and the other comments were in response to issues raised by gun proponents.

Jun 4th - 12:24pm | Anonymous

You said “Now Art, you can configure the statistics anyway you want, but you still end up with 27 murders/non-negligent manslaughters, two forcible rapes, five robberies, 376 aggravated assaults and 454 "other assaults" committed by CCW holders from 1996-1999.” As I said before, According to the Rocky Mountain News in 2006 .... And this is ONE YEAR

Jun 3rd - 23:28pm | Kurt Repanshek

Rick, Why do I need to look at more data? This whole back and forth started when you asked for proof that a single CCW permit holder had committed a crime, other than a "bureaucratic infraction," and the records you and Art provided, old or recent, amply provided that proof.

Jun 3rd - 21:25pm | Rick

Kurt: > Now Art, you can configure the statistics anyway you want, but you still end up with 27 murders/non-negligent manslaughters, two forcible rapes, > five robberies, 376 aggravated assaults and 454 "other assaults" committed by CCW holders from 1996-1999.

Jun 3rd - 18:05pm | Kurt Repanshek

Art, I am not -- I repeat, not -- asserting that "CCW holders are somehow more inclined to commit a crime once in possession of their licenses." All I'm pointing out, using statistics you yourself have pointed to, is that CCW holders have committed crimes, both violent and non-violent. Period.

Jun 3rd - 17:44pm | Art

Kurt,

Jun 3rd - 11:13am | Lone Hiker

most states' application process involves some questions about past mental health history

Jun 3rd - 11:03am | Kurt Repanshek

Anonymous, According to this report (which is eight years old, by the way), violent crimes by CCW permit holders in Texas increased every year from 1996 to 1999. Over that period, according to the study, there were 27 murders/non-negligent manslaughters, two forcible rapes, five robberies, 376 aggravated assaults, and 454 "other assaults."

Park History: Lowell National Historical Park

Jun 5th - 10:25am | Bob Janiskee

There are four basic requirements for getting this particular gig. First, and most importantly, you must be willing to work for nothing. Secondly, you must love the national parks and have a sincere desire to defend them. Thirdly, you need to have some special ability, experience, or perspective to draw on.

Jun 5th - 10:15am | Phil Lupsiewicz

The New England Folklife Center no longer exists (you missed that one). It was a nice program, but unfortunately its administration passed from the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission to Middlesex Community College, which decided to discontinue it.

Jun 5th - 10:12am | Phil Lupsiewicz

I'll be looking forward to reading the histories of the Smokies and Biscayne. Great work your doing, how does one get such a gig??? I hope you have the opportunity to visit these sites. Your description of LNHP is extremely accurate, I take it you've been here. Maybe the national park traveler can add a video component.

Jun 5th - 09:03am | Bob Janiskee

I got it right in the third paragraph, and that should count for something, shouldn't it? OK, enough of the weaselspeak. I'll fix it, and then I'm going to delete your comment. A guy can only stand so much embarrassment each day.

Jun 5th - 08:50am | Anonymous

-enjoyable article, but BTW...Lowell is a city.

Jun 5th - 07:53am | Bob Janiskee

Thanks for the kind remarks, Phil. I like Lowell NHP a lot and have used the park as a case study for my national parks course. The timing of the post is no accident.

Jun 5th - 07:10am | Phil Lupsiewicz

Nice timing. It just so happens that today (June 5, 2008) is the park's 30th anniversary of being signed into the NPS. Our summer offerings reflect a whole bunch of programs we are offering to recogonize the creation of the park. Thanks for the wonderful writeup.

National Park Service Director Bomar Scheduled to Meet With Mountain Bike Community

Jun 5th - 10:05am | Kurt Repanshek

"Superlative opportunities for recreation for public use and enjoyment..." Where do you draw the line for what's appropriate in a national park, for which the National Park Service has considerably different management mandates and responsibilities than does the U.S. Forest Service for national forests or the U.S. Bureau of Land Management for its empire?

Jun 4th - 22:46pm | Sabattis

Of course, if you can ask how many mountain biking trails are enough, one can also ask how many hiking trails are enough? Some people would happily do away with maintained hiking trails - be they boardwalks or maintained trails into the backcountry.

Jun 4th - 13:42pm | Kurt Repanshek

Once you head down this slippery slope, how do you reverse course? How many single-track trails are enough? How many are too many?

Jun 4th - 13:10pm | RockyMTNs

If you read IMBA's materials you'll find that they do not espouse adding new singletrack to "all national parks." Mountain bikers and National Parks are working together cooperatively to add shared-use trails only in places where park officials see good opportunities for them.

Yellowstone Officials Now Recommending that Sylvan Pass Remain Open For Snowmobiling

Jun 5th - 09:36am | jsmacdonald

Ummm...yeah, why wouldn't it be ridiculous? I think you meant the Old Faithful Inn, but either way ... is Yellowstone a museum? On what rational grounds do we put any ethical value on certain things in Yellowstone (or Glacier) and not others?

Jun 5th - 08:17am | Sabattis

Is it ridiculous that we are "shelling" Yellowstone National Park? Or just ridiculous that we are "shelling" on behalf of snowmobile users? For example, if the same techniques were use to protect the Old Faithful Lodge or Glacier's Going-to-the-Sun-Road, would it be so ridiculous?

Jun 5th - 02:14am | jsmacdonald

Sabbattis, I hope you are being sarcastic. Yellowstone already is too much of a bastion for the wealthy at any time of the year; are we to ensure that it is by charging user fees to maintain Sylvan Pass? Isn't it a little ridiculous at any cost that we are shelling Yellowstone National Park?

Jun 4th - 20:38pm | Sabattis

This policy makes an interesting case for user fees. If it costs that much to keep the road open during that time - why shouldn't the users of the Park pay for that? Of course that would come out to about $1,000 per person.

24 Trails Added to National Trails System

Jun 5th - 08:49am | Sabattis

It may be worth mentioning that while the National Recreation Trails are a program run by the National Park Service, National Recreation Trails are not considered to be part of the "National Park System" - in a way that National Scenic Trails and National Historic Trails (including the brand-new Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail) are considered to be included.

Jun 5th - 08:41am | Anonymous

Thanks Kurt for adding National Trails Day on your blog this morning. Just what I've been waiting for in regards to finding new hiking trails to explore and conquer. The American Hiking Society and the National Parks are like two peas in a pod. I saw your recent book, Frommer's "National Parks with Kids" [2nd edition, 2008] at the local bookstore. Excellent guide for the family.

National Park Quiz 5: Biggest This or That

Jun 5th - 06:31am | Bob Janiskee

This is an interesting discussion. With some quarter of a million words to choose from -- more than any other language that is or ever was -- the English language sure is a lot of fun.

Jun 4th - 22:35pm | Sabattis

According to the Zion National Park staff, Kolob is the largest natural arch in the Western Hemisphere: http://www.nps.gov/zion/naturescience/arches.htm

Jun 4th - 20:33pm | Anonymous

Biggest or largest?

Jun 4th - 09:30am | Kurt Repanshek

Hmmm, nice technicality, Owen. While there is water flowing nearby, none flows beneath Kolob.

Jun 4th - 09:26am | Bob Janiskee

"Must" is a bit too restrictive. That's because "water flowing through it" is a suggested standard definition. Several other definitions are in use and are considered at least technically correct, depending on the context. This much we can say with confidence: All natural bridges are arches, but not all arches should be considered natural bridges.

Jun 4th - 09:09am | pkrnger

Rick, Are you thinking perhaps about the Kolob Arch in Zion National Park? It's big, but it is not a natural bridge. To be considered a natural bridge, there must be water flowing underneath. I don't think this is the case with Zion's Kolob Arch. Owen Hoffman Oak Ridge, TN 37830

Jun 4th - 08:31am | Bob Janiskee

The answer is the one indicated in the quiz. The NPS describes the bridge thusly: "Rainbow Bridge is the world's largest known natural bridge........

Jun 4th - 07:40am | Rick Smith

Bob-- I'm resting on my laurels here in NM but wonder about question 7. I had always heard that the longest natural bridge in the world was in Zion. Did I get tripped up on the difference between "longest" and "biggest'? Or am I wrong about both? Rick Smith

Traveler's View: Concealed Weapons Have No Place In Our National Park System

Jun 5th - 01:20am | Brian M.

Kurt,

Jun 5th - 00:05am | Jurjen Smies

Kurt wrote: "I think the statistics -- no matter whose you choose to use -- speak for themselves. The more guns in circulation, the more folks get shot, whether intentionally or accidentally, whether by criminals or by guns owned by any legal gun owner, whether they hold a CCW permit or not."

Jun 3rd - 17:14pm | Fred Miller

Here's how I decide which states I will visit: http://carryconcealed.net/legal/utah-ccw-state-laws.php Those that aren't colored green on this map on not in my travel plans, except for Colorado. My brother lives there.

Jun 3rd - 16:36pm | Fred Miller

I've carried plenty, just NOT in a National Park.

Jun 3rd - 16:35pm | Fred Miller

Sorry Kurt, I won't tell. The whole idea of "concealed" is that you don't know that I'm carrying, and you certainly don't know WHERE it is on my body. One sure way for the bad guy to disarm you is to know these two pieces of information. Warm weather is a real problem for me and has been the hardest and most expensive to solve.

Jun 3rd - 16:34pm | Lone Hiker

Hey Fred, I thought we had both agreed you NEVER carried in the parks? C'mon amigo, which is it?

Jun 3rd - 16:26pm | Anonymous

Nothing personal, Fred but I don't think I would enjoy backpacking with someone like you. You sound a bit braggadocio about carrying a concealed weapon into the National Parks when it's clearly stated it's against the law.

Jun 3rd - 15:25pm | Fred Miller

How come everything is underlined??

Jun 3rd - 15:24pm | Fred Miller

I can't speak for all CCW holders, but I DON'T carry my pistol in my backpack. What if I wanted to take it off while I took a break? Would I just set it on the ground and then wander over to look at that pretty flower? Not me, brother!! My pistol is somewhere on my person every second, or it's in the lockbox. There are several thousand different types of holsters on the market.

Segways in the National Parks: Do We Really Need Them?

Jun 4th - 15:50pm | Anonymous

I cannot believe the number of thoughtless people out there. I have a degree in zoology and used to be an avid bird watcher and hiker, an avid lover of all things wild. Five years ago I was diagnosed with MS and have now become basically housebound. I can manage to get to work and the store, but can't even take a walk in my neighborhood.

Yosemite National Park Waterfalls Approaching Full Throttle

Jun 4th - 09:14am | pkrnger

I had the priviledge of living in Yosemite Valley for two years. The Valley is most exciting when the big waterfalls hit their peak in mid to late Spring. During this wonderful season of the year, one can literally "feel" the vibrations created by the sound of falling water.

Alexander Hamilton's "Country Home" on the Move in New York City

Jun 3rd - 11:44am | Rangertoo

Dear Anonymous - The NPS does not manage New York City and has no responsibility for city corruption. Hamilton Grange is a national park.

Artists' Paint Pots Area in Yellowstone National Park Temporarily Closed Due to Thin Surface Crust

Jun 3rd - 10:45am | Bob Janiskee

Being well prepared makes good sense to me, Bob. I do have a question about the snake bite kit, though. Here in South Carolina, where people are outdoorsy and snake bites are not just a theoretical hazard (we have four venomous species), medical authorities have told people very emphatically that they shouldn't fool around with snake bite kits.

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So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.