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Concessionaire Teams Up With National Park Foundation To Offer End-of-Summer Trips

Aug 9th - 18:53pm | RangerLady

I can't get the one for Shenandoah to work. It sends me to their facebook page but there is no mention of this anywhere that I can find. 

Body of One of Three Victims Swept Over Vernal Fall In Yosemite National Park Found

Aug 9th - 18:41pm | LEB

Having been a campground host at national parks for a couple of years now I think the most amazing thing is how many people don't think the rules apply to them.  They apply to everyone else but not them.  So I am not sure putting up pictures of injured or dead people will help.  It may discourage some people from doing stupid things, but most will continue to do them.  Just as these three climb

Aug 8th - 14:43pm | David Crowl

I remember being at the visitor center at Canyon in Yellowstone and seeing a video loop of people being gored by bison. These people probably lived, but the image still reminds me to be careful when I am taking photos. I think a placard at showing what happens when you are careless is much more affective than just a warning.

Aug 8th - 14:17pm | Blair

"However, I don't know where NPS would get money for this kind of thing anymore, so it's all hypothetical."  Isn't that what the Internet is for?

Aug 8th - 10:49am | AnonymousD

Bob, I think where you, Lee, and I all come together is at making the danger more real to people. Lee's point, I think, and the point of the placard you saw, was to show just how awful the consequences are.

Aug 8th - 10:29am | Bob Janiskee

The idea of using placards with accident victim photos probably won't get a lot of traction in the national parks, but I have no doubt that postings of this sort could be used to good effect in some dangerous areas. The tactic certainly worked with me. Many years ago, I worked one summer as a seasonal ranger at Michigan's Dodge No. 4 State Park (on Cass Lake, near Pontiac).

Aug 8th - 09:59am | AnonymousD

Interesting exchange - it shows just how much people don't understand about the park ranger function, much of which has to do with safety. My own last ranger encounter was while hiking in Grand Canyon - I looked a bit ragged, and she asked about whether I'd been eating, drinking, and resting enough. (Yes, yes, and probably.)

At Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Birds, Turtles, And Humans Have Created An Air of Controversy, Part II

Aug 9th - 17:24pm | Ron Saunders

Does anyone notice the scarcity of comments from a certain view point or is it just me. Brings to mind the words from an environmentalist leaning gentleman (I am repeating this second hand)  "How does it feel to be a loser, we got everything we wanted". Hope I got it right, I think that is close, someone please correct me if I am wrong. Ron (obxguys)  

Aug 9th - 14:50pm | Ginny

See page 21 for the environmentalists' view of what should happen.  Actually sounds pretty neat unless you are one of the 4,000 residents who would have to try to survive without any roadway or bridge.  Reality?  Can you spell Portsmouth?  But it is only 4,000 working class people and less than $100 million in impact!

Aug 9th - 12:05pm | Cathy

Statistics are numbers that can easily be manipulated to prove a point. Anyone who has taken a basic statistics course can tell you that. The FEIS relies on "statistics" to justify what amounts to draconian measures in the name of protection/conservation.

Aug 9th - 11:59am | samsdad1

The point is unique access is being offered there and the same area could have been left as wilderness and provided homes to animals that are otherwise forced to live in alternate areas of the park.

Aug 9th - 11:50am | Kurt Repanshek

Matt, there's been more than a decade of legal activity over snowmobiling in Yellowstone. And yes, it's a balancing act between conservation and recreation. And if you can point out a threatened or endangered species whose population is at threat of being pushed to extinction by the boardwalk around Old Faithful, I'm sure you could find a group that would sue.

Aug 9th - 11:43am | samsdad1

"values is left unimpaired" Did this stop the paving over areas of Yellowstone so people could access these areas??? I am sure that the endangered creatures would love to live in those exact locations, so what is stopping groups from suing to clean this little mess up?

Aug 9th - 11:38am | Kurt Repanshek

Matt,

Aug 9th - 11:24am | samsdad1

Ron... Let me clarify further  the specific boundary is 1,000 meters in all directions so we can safely double the amount awarded a bird to 2,000 meters.

Aug 9th - 11:18am | Ron Saunders

Please note that I found the bumper sticker, displayed at the beginning of the article, somewhat distasteful (no pun intended), though I can understand what created it. One might find it 'out of line'. Then again, with further thought, one might also say that it goes pretty well with some of the proposed regulation. In fact, one might say it 'fits right in' for that very reason.

Aug 9th - 10:26am | Ron Saunders

For clarity, the 1000 meter buffer is 3280 feet (well over 1/2 mile). Three football fields is 900 feet. 1000 meters is a long way. But, who are we to question it ? We are just .... What are we anyway, have they told us yet ? 

Aug 9th - 10:15am | Kurt Repanshek

Anonymous, the Great Lakes population is listed as "endangered," while the Atlantic Coast population, including those at Cape Hatteras, is listed as "threatened" by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Aug 9th - 10:12am | Anonymous

This article is incorrect when they state " The piping plover, a threatened species," Piping Plovers are an ENDANGERED species.  The Great Lakes population is ENDANGERED.

Aug 9th - 10:08am | Kurt Repanshek

You raise an interesting point on wilderness, Ginny.

Aug 9th - 09:58am | Ginny

Cape Hatteras National Seashore was not to have any designated wilderness areas despite the language of its own authorizing legislation. The Park Service considered the seashore a recreational area and, besides, the area had long been inhabited and most villagers on Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands sought to escape

Aug 9th - 09:42am | Ginny

Soon after the dedication ceremonies at Cape Hatteras, Senator Richard L. Neuberger submitted a series of articles about Cape Hatteras National Seashore to the Congressional Record in support of efforts to create the seashore at Oregon Dunes. The articles had appeared in the Register-Guard inone of the major benefits from the series of

Aug 9th - 09:34am | Ginny

Lyn we didn't move here.  We were here hundreds of years before the park service.

Aug 9th - 09:32am | Ginny

One of the most important land acquisition issues to be resolved, the matter was not controversial, but Ronthaler noted that the Park Service should not be given authority by this action to restrict the traditional right of sports and commercial fishermen

Aug 9th - 09:17am | Lyn Ridenour

I get really frustrated with people who move into wild habitat areas and then complain about the wild habitat doing what they have been doing all their lives, and is programed into them.

Aug 9th - 08:48am | James Higham

The enabling legislation says areas that are especially adaptable for recreation "shall be developed" for that purpose.  The enabling legislation also states that CHNSRA was created for the "benefit and enjoyment of the people".  Looking at the above signage, "no entry" means just that.  How can no access benefit the people.  In reference to the Organic Act, at the end of the Organic Act it sta

Aug 9th - 07:14am | samsdad1

I am truly amazed at the limited memory of mr murray... ""Should we go out and bulldoze ponds in different locations? Youve got to recognize that it'd be adverse modification of piping plover habitat," Superintendent Murray said. "If the habitat is naturally occurring there, you can't go mess it up in order to ensure access and

Jennifer Pharr Davis Hoping To Thru-Hike Appalachian Trail In Record Time

Aug 9th - 13:23pm | mrsangelrr

I personally don't care about setting records, I have never been the competitive type, and I can honestly say I have never done the AT. My father-in-law with lymphedema (from surgical removal of nodes due to melanoma) completed the entire AT in something like 5-6 months.

Politics Raise A Potential Roadblock to Creation Of A "Maine Woods National Park and Preserve"

Aug 9th - 08:07am | R. E.

Reality today is the needless loss of $2,000,000,000,000 in value of peoples financial portfolio in the last few days.  Faced with that loss to security and benevolence I can only imagine the loss to NPS budget both from Congress, individual and corporate support.  Might be a good idea to not be so hard (maybe even encouraging) on the private sector in thoughts and words.

At Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Birds, Turtles, And Humans Have Created An Air of Controversy

Aug 9th - 07:34am | samsdad1

"How in the world did the visitors access the Seashore in the 50’s, 60”s and 70’s when only a select few had ORVs?" They Drove their cars please use google and search and you shall find many images of this.

Aug 8th - 21:47pm | Ron Saunders

Ok, SS1. this is the last one. EYE ON DARE, July 31st What a picture. Lots of people. Lots of vehicles. Why do you suppose they are even there?

Aug 8th - 21:28pm | Anonymous

@SS1   Actually the inlets and ocean beach can all be quite rough and dangerous not just for small children but all but the most experienced ocean swimmers.  

Aug 8th - 20:54pm | Ron Saunders

Now Mr. SS1

Aug 8th - 20:45pm | Anonymous

I am not from the island but i do live here. my friends family has lived here for generations and his grandmother was in the room when the national park service said they would never deny access to the islands beaches. they are doing that now. it is about ORV's but it isn't, the beach restirictions are for people also.

Aug 8th - 20:26pm | Ron Saunders

Hey, SS1  I have a few issues with you. You took me to task. That's fine.

Aug 8th - 18:12pm | SS1

I wonder who in the world are the rich individuals that get exclusive NPS Seashore? My guess is, the visitor that retired to the Outer Banks and has an expensive ORV to access the National Seashore at their leisure.

Aug 8th - 13:49pm | SS1

Kurt, Although we don’t have documented evidence (meaning we caught the perpetrator) that a vehicle ran over the turtle I am a 100% convinced that an ORV on the National Park Beach did accidentally run over a 200 lb turtle laying her eggs. I fully understand why ORV advocates would rather a graphic picture like that not get published.

Aug 8th - 13:06pm | Jim Keene

Kurt

Aug 8th - 11:38am | Ron Saunders

Kurt, I should not have said that the way I did. I was generalizing and should not have. My Apologies, Ron

Aug 8th - 10:53am | Kurt Repanshek

Ron, as you know, I'm not on anyone's side of the fence.

Aug 8th - 10:51am | Ron Saunders

Kurt, What you say is true. However, I would add that, I have no evidence as to who is responsible. I have not heard or seen anything indicating that NPS or anyone else has any evidence as to who is responsible. Someone please correct me if I am wrong. The beach was 'Closed'. I don't think this had happened in all the years it was open for night access. But that's another subject. 

Aug 8th - 10:11am | Kurt Repanshek

Ron, as you're well-aware, this is indeed a complex topic, and easily could have taken more words than I've already written (@5000), but I'll try to ensure your points are covered.

Aug 8th - 10:06am | Ron Saunders

Kurt, I am pleased to find this article on Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area. I will refrain commenting, for the most part, until reading part 2.

Woman Dies in Fall from Half Dome

Aug 8th - 23:49pm | Anonymous

Man.. Who paid for that rescue of a dead body?

It Must be Spring at Big Bend National Park—Multiple Incidents Challenge the Park Staff

Aug 8th - 19:56pm | Anonymous

The hikers should be required to buy an insurance policy with a deductible. Otherwise, they pay their own rescue costs. The taxpayers should not be required to pay the rescue fees.

Interior, Wyoming Officials Reach Agreement On Hunting Wolves; Critics Say It Will Be Devastating

Aug 8th - 18:51pm | Anonymous

The "leadership" of Wyoming have once again proven what most of America knows, one of the most geographically beautiful states is run by a bunch of ignorant, ass-backwards, science-denying, politically and morally corrupt idiots.  This is clearly a political issue - it has no merit in the realm of science and the majority of the rest of the nation are well aware of this.  I especially am distur

Glacier Bay National Park Officials Propose To Hold 2012 Cruise Ship Quotas Level With 2011

Aug 8th - 18:03pm | Sailor

Sometimes we may have to take some hard decisions to protect our environment.

National Park Service Implementing "Flight Following" Technology in Alaska, Perhaps Nation-wide

Aug 8th - 17:15pm | Anonymous

Flying in Alaska has risks.  Those risks can be reduced by having minimums for pilots that fly for the NPS. Sounds like this guy was scud running at 500 ft. That's not a smart thing to do at any time, especially over this terrain. Flight following gear is an expensive option that wouldn't have prevented this accident.  Good judgement would have.

Aug 8th - 13:40pm | Anonymous

This is a very enlightened move by the NPS - and the other agencies that come under the Department of the Interior. They understand full well the tragedy of not being able to find their friends and loved ones. One of the reasons behind the decision was that in this case, and in the Sen. Ted Stevens accident, the 406ELT failed to operate.

Fire Season, Field Notes From a Wilderness Lookout

Aug 8th - 16:46pm | Anonymous

It would be interesting for NP Traveler to ask some questions of John Wessels in IMR and Jon Jarvis about their recent decision to stop the removal of small plastic water bottles from Grand Canyon at the threat of Coke withdrawing donation from the NP foundation.  The park had spent a bunch of money to make the transition seamless and educational and safe.

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