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How To Buy National Park-Related Gifts Without Leaving Home

Dec 11th - 07:38am | Lone Hiker

Another in a long tradition of gaffes by the marketing geniuses who run the program that is the NPS and our beloved federal government. Is it any wonder why these entities can't turn a profit without subsidies and taxation? There's not an insightful businessman anywhere to be found within these organizations.

Birds Songs From Around The World

Dec 11th - 05:17am | Linda O'Neal

When I was vacationing in the Upper Penninsula, Michigan, I learned of the AuTrain Bird Song Trail, a one-mile loop through the forest. At the AuTrain store, for a small deposit, I was given a bird book detailing the birds found in the AuTrain area with pictures, descriptions and information, binoculars, and a tape player with a tape corresponding to each bird in the book.

Dec 10th - 20:59pm | Anonymous

This is pure enjoyment to review and listen too. Brilliantly put together by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. A must for all lovers of the great outdoors. For added pleasure read Miyoko Cho's book, Songbird Journeys: Four Seasons in the Lives of Migratory Birds. Delightful reading that helps reduce the stress levels of every day life.

Conservation Groups Urge National Park Service to Reinstate Jet Ski Bans

Dec 10th - 20:47pm | Anonymous

I, for one, want to commend Bob Janiskee for elevating the tone of comments on this site. I have great respect for the work that Kurt and Jeremy have done to raise issues about the parks and the NPS, yet have grown increasingly frustrated with the negativity of some commenters.

Dec 7th - 10:36am | Linda O'Neal

As a tax-paying citizen, I care about the effect jet skis, snowmobiles and other wildlife disturbing activities have on the environment. Wasn't the purpose of establishing these National Parks so that they could be kept in a natural and pristine order for the enjoyment of all, including future generations? If activities that disturb these conditions continue, what will be left?

Dec 6th - 17:57pm | Bob Janiskee

Anon's lament arises from a popular misconception about what Congress intended the national parks to be. Providing for public access and recreational use of the parks is most emphatically not ancillary to the central mission, it is a central OBLIGATION. Preservation and public use are explicitly identified as co-equal concerns. Here is the gist of it.

Dec 6th - 16:46pm | Anonymous

The parks were not created for us to enjoy,they were created to preserve natural habitat.Any use we get is and should be ancillary to that mission.

Dec 5th - 23:25pm | Greta

I say we just sell off the parks since we can't enjoy 'em anymore. I don't want a cent of my tax dollars supporting them either.

Park History: Petrified Forest National Park

Dec 10th - 04:08am | rscottjones

Among Arizonans (including myself), Petrified Forest is often overlooked. But, it really is one of the coolest places in a state with a long list of such places. The last time I visited - it's probably been 6-8 years now - we were shocked at the $50 fine for stealing petrified wood.

Dec 9th - 06:50am | Bob Janiskee

The NPCA reports that souvenir-collecting visitors haul away an estimated 12 tons of petrified wood every year in Petrified Forest National Park. I guess if you wait long enough, souvenir hunters, collectors, and thieves will haul away nearly everything of value or interest that isn’t firmly anchored in place and constantly guarded.

Big Cypress National Preserve: Is More ORV Access In Bear Island Unit Wise?

Dec 8th - 21:11pm | Random Walker

Maybe, if the name was changed to Big Cypress National ORV Park I would not feel so disgusted?

Dec 7th - 19:14pm | haunted hiker

Frank, I think the editors have picked a particularly provocative photograph in this instance, as they, understandibly, have a tendency to do. (just as we writers are guilty of making the same choices with words) I agree with you. This impairment thing is a conundrum. And God love you for bringing up those elk trails! They can do some "damage" can't they?

Dec 7th - 10:21am | haunted hiker

I reviewed the map of the Bear Island ORV Unit. It appears to be (approx) a 5 mile by 6 mile area just north of and alongside Interstate 75. Street legal 4x4s are also allowed on these "trails" which tells me these trails may be more like roads. According to the NPS website, the ORV plan intends to eliminate dispersed use and limit ORV use to designated trails only by 2010.

Ghost at Blevins Farmstead; Excerpt From 'Haunted Hikes'

Dec 8th - 08:44am | Kevin Smith

That's a neat story cause Oscar was my great uncle I just remember meeting him a few times.

Park Service's Top Investigator Pleads Guilty To Theft

Dec 7th - 22:31pm | Anonymous

NPCA consistently lobbys for more funding for the NPS. While the Parks are underfunded, just giving the Park Service more money means that the top managers will only waste more money. Before the IG put a stop to it, Buccello was commuting back and forth to her Maine home at government expense, even though her official duty station was supposed to be DC.

Park History: Everglades National Park

Dec 7th - 11:32am | Bob Janiskee

Regardless of which specific words we might use to describe the net result of Everglades inundation, I think we can all agree that sea level rise would bring about some pretty dramatic changes in the true Everglades area of the park. The suburban ruins scenario is wonderfully thought-provoking.

Dec 7th - 09:39am | haunted hiker

Frank, I'm with you on this "alter" vs "destroy" point. And I'm sure you are right that this ecosystem has seen many dramatic fluctuations in water levels in the last 4,000 to 2 million years. Correct me, but aren't mangroves opportunists that have adapted to endure in just this scenario?

Dec 6th - 16:32pm | Bob Janiskee

Frank rightly points out that a forest ecosystem is not destroyed when wildfire burns it to the ground. The forest ecosystem is just temporarily restored to an early stage of ecological succession. After the fire you get weedy-fast growth (grasses, shrubs), and then the seedlings grow into trees, the canopy closes, and you've eventually got your mature forest back.

Dec 6th - 10:28am | Bob Janiskee

How sad that on this day, exactly 60 years after Pres. Harry Truman signed off on the legislation establishing Everglades National Park, the park is in such sorry shape and has such gloomy prospects. Recent commentary on this state of affairs has centered on the CERP's many shortcomings, and especially on the federal government's failure to hold up its end of the bargain.

Grand Teton Puts Down Another Bear

Dec 6th - 06:22am | jsmacdonald

Melissa, Do you worry that your supervisors know who you are from the posts you have made here? In any event, I admire your bravery for speaking out.

Dec 5th - 21:47pm | Melissa

Wow, you pretty much summed it up right there, Beamis.

Dec 5th - 11:43am | jersu

In recent years, we've heard that folks on the inside of the NPS have felt their jobs would be in jeopardy if they spoke out about things they didn't like (the 2005 Management Policies 'Hoffman rewrite' as one example). But, there are organizations out there willing to help these folks make a change.

Dec 5th - 05:56am | Merryland

With all due respect -- BS Frank. There are too many people looking to blame someone else. A journey of a million miles begins with one step. And another. And another. Everyone who works at the park and everyone who visits the park is to blame for not doing enough. Everyone.

Dec 4th - 18:40pm | haunted hiker

Wow, Melissa's comments make my heart ache. I wish I could, like the others, tell you to "stick with it" but instead I'll give you my advice; "pace yourself" while trying to change things from the inside or move on.

Dec 4th - 17:43pm | Anonymous

Yes Gerald, I realize that the lower subordinates dish out some of the fool hardy decisions of this present administration. Yes, fool hardy! But all this butt sniffing goes all the way to the top of the White House. Who do you think is guarding the hen house your fairy godmother? Damn right I blame the Bush administration for most of the crap that goes on within the national parks today.

Dec 4th - 17:06pm | Kath

Jen: Your comments are right on. Reminds me of an experience this summer in Yosemite. Checking into White Wolf tent cabins, I got the usual bear warnings. The man behind me look stupified. "You mean there are bears here!" "Real bears?" "Will they come into my tent?" Hard to believe that someone coming to Yosemite just had no clue.

Dec 4th - 15:55pm | Jen

Melissa, I too want to thank and congratulate you! Stick with it.

Dec 4th - 13:16pm | Gerald

That's it "anonymous"...it's all Bush's fault...nevermind that his wife is a huge fan of the parks (unlike Bill Clinton's wife). You have absoulutely NO credibility in what you say as long as your ilk want to blame everything on the President and his administration. Did it ever occur to you that these decisions are made at a MUCH lower level???

Dec 4th - 11:54am | Anonymous

My Dear Melissa, I hear you and do sympathizes with your anger which shows much utter disgust. This is a typical and normal reaction that any decent hard working ranger would have. Don't despair! I do commend you for your dedicated and devoted service to the national parks.

Dec 4th - 02:29am | Melissa

I worked in Grand Teton this summer as a seasonal ranger, and the bear situation was deplorable. The biggest problem was a lack of a ranger presence in the campgrounds. Some of you may recall that Grand Teton's campgrounds were "privatized" a few years ago. That was a terrible decision that has had a very direct impact on our wildlife.

National Parks Contribute Holiday Ornaments to White House Christmas Tree

Dec 5th - 23:49pm | Bob

Gee, Jim, I never could imagine someone so sensitive over Christmas tree ornaments but you obviously are. If you weren’t so, then you could understand how such ornaments will make the public more aware of the NPS, its role, and how individuals can help the NPS.

Dec 5th - 21:58pm | Melissa

What's this about Laura Bush being an advocate for the parks? Really? She needs to sit down and have a serious talk with her husband.

Dec 3rd - 08:42am | Lone Hiker

Don't feel too badly Frank. I've tried in vain to educate some of the posters that our "democracy" is actually a fabrication, a media and politically driven term, and has absolutely nothing to do with the actual governmental practice in this country. I've been berated by the less than well informed for my ignorance of how our system works.

Dec 3rd - 06:51am | jsmacdonald

So what if it was a downer? If love of the national parks is so sensitive and tenuous that my own experience here with the White House Christmas tree so affects you, then there's really little hope (but of course there's hope). I deeply love the places that are our national parks with an intense passion, especially the places that have touched my experience.

Dec 2nd - 18:49pm | Joan Hallowell

As the mother of one of the designers of a Christmas tree ball, I would like to see the ball and would like to be able to buy a copy for the benefit of that National Park,

Why Is Interior Dragging Feet On Keeping Glacier National Park from Being Shelled?

Dec 5th - 23:33pm | Melissa

I think it snows about 300 days a year there.

Dec 5th - 12:16pm | T.Rick

5.5 million for dealing with snow !!, what, does it snow 365 day a year. I want that job

Dec 4th - 09:30am | vink80

I AGREE WITH SCOTT ------ "are these not the same people that used are tax dollars to bail them out of bankruptcy not long ago ? " ------ AND THIS HAPPENS TOO OFTEN OUR NON CORRUPT COUNTRY ! ! ! ! !

Dec 4th - 08:50am | Bill Hosey

Sounds typical...the RR's are making the money, and always want the shareholders pocket books fat when pay day comes. Nevermind if it destroys Nature, and, I guess they think the park has to many animals. Grizzleys are off the endangered list right? Thats enough justifacation for them! The rich get richer and , well, you know the rest.

Dec 2nd - 19:39pm | Durand Cornish

Must be a buck in it for somebody, off the books.

Dec 2nd - 16:48pm | p.scott rattermann

as usuall there are those that have and won't let go, even if it is for the common good and there is those that have not. if it's to get done it will have to be our tax dollars that do it. so the haves can keep what they have. are these not the same people that used are tax dollars to bail them out of bankruptcy not long ago ?

Park History: How the National Lakeshores Came to Be

Dec 5th - 06:40am | Linda O'Neal

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is gorgeous. We've visitied the Upper Penninsula a few times in past years, staying in Shelter Bay (a small area outside Au Train). The beaches are clean with sand dunes and sand soft under your toes. Chapel Falls area has a 7.5 mile round-trip trail through the forest that ends at Chapel Beach.

FAQs for Yellowstone's Snowmobile Decision Revealing

Dec 4th - 11:22am | Lone Hiker

Must be tough on them during the summer months. Can't imagine many rental contracts are being written from May thru September. Hope they all managed to stash away enough booty from the winter bounty to survive during the economic drought that is the summer tourist season.(?)

Dec 4th - 01:46am | Melissa

The Park doesn't owe those people a living. No one told them to set up shop there to exploit the Park's tourists. If the park eliminated all snowmobiling in the park, they'd have to find some other way to make money. Just like horse breeders and carriage makers and farriers did after the automobile was invented. Just like typewriter manufacturers did when the word processor came about.

Twenty-seven Years Ago, Eight National Parks Came to Be

Dec 4th - 06:58am | Eric Vercammen ...

Congratulation to all those amazingly beautiful parks. However, it's easier to create a national park than to keep and protect one !!! How is it in God's name possible that i.e. Katmai National Preserve today is a favourite grizzly slaughterhouse for all those so-called sports hunters.

Climate Change: What Implications Does it Carry for the Parks?

Dec 4th - 00:24am | Anonymous

RIGHT ON Re'bekah and Roger!!! Pretty arrogant to think that we have much impact on global climate...there have been MANY warming and cooling periods before we got here!! Too much Algore disease goin' around...hot air (lol).

Dec 3rd - 19:21pm | Re'bekah

Mr. Repanshek states that the rising temperatures in Yellowstone and Grand Teton are affecting the lifestyles and possibly the quality of life among the parks' wildlife. If the many scientists who say that the earth is millions of years older than humanity are to be believed however, thousands of species evolved and became extinct long before Homo Sapiens was ever thought of.

Park History: How the National Seashores Came to Be

Dec 3rd - 15:53pm | Anonymous

Rangers do now writer permits for the Wilderness. You do not need a permit to enter the wilderness. Only to camp in it. The NPS did not ask for the beach to be excluded from the wilderness. In fact, the NPS did not want the wilderness at all. Local people wanted it to stop the NPS from making more visitor facilities.

Dec 3rd - 06:32am | Bob Janiskee

This listing deals only with national seashores. Gateway National Recreation Area is an urban park geared to mass recreation as well as natural and cultural resources preservation. Its creation in 1972 was a product of the "parks to the people" movement in the 1970s that yielded a batch of NRAs oriented to urban centers like Atlanta, Cleveland, and Los Angeles.

Dec 2nd - 19:03pm | Joan Hallowell

What about Gateway National Park? It is beautiful! It is on the Atlantic Ocean. It is neglected monetarily and much of it is in NEW YORK CITY while the other side is in New Jersey's Highlands and Sandy Hook. It should be a fabulous resource for Metropolitan area people as well as accessible for visitors from everywhere.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

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