| Page 1278 | National Parks Traveler

Absolutely. If there are insufficient funds to effectively operate the parks we have, we shouldn't add more to the system. I'm amazed to see continual bills introduced (by both parties) to investigate the possibility of creating this or that historic site, thus stretching the NPS budget by another park. I even advocate "pruning" a few parks, as the Traveler puts it.

Mar 25th - 04:20am | Volpe

No one, government or individual, can go on spending money they don't have. One would think with the Great Recession that lesson would be have been learned but not for some. Parks are nice, politicians aren’t. Clean up the mess before you make another one, no additions.

National Park Search and Rescue: Should the Rescued Help Pay the Bills?

Mar 25th - 02:09am | Anonymous

Mike,forcing someone to pay for something twice is in fact extream and foolish ! When we pay taxes our tax dollars are supposed to be used for SAR services and similar activities which are best provided in a collective manner. Also visitors to our national parks are usualy charged fees,permits ect,which provide funds for SAR and other needed services.

Mar 25th - 01:47am | Anonymous

Thanks for your sensible comments Random Walker ! It is good to see that there are at least some people in this nation capable of forming a balanced perspective based upon values far deeper than a fixation upon financial issues. Sadly, money has become for many Americans,just as much of a limiter of freedom, as any invading military could ever hope to be !

National Park Mystery Photo 20: What Curious Thing Is This?

Mar 25th - 00:01am | Anonymous

Based on the size of the wood grain in the background, I suspect it's a metal casting used as a door handle, coat hook, or wildlife gargoyle decoration at a lodge I'm not rich enough to have ever been to. I'd bet on a deer against RW's fox.

Mar 24th - 21:48pm | optimus01

It looks like a mule deer with those ears. But I don't have a clue from what park it could be from. More than likely one out west, vs one in the east. That is my best guesstimate.

Mar 24th - 21:06pm | suki

I can see where Random Walker might guess coyote or fox, but those animals have their eyes facing forward. This animal's eyes appear to be on the sides of the face, indicating a prey animal, not a predator.

Mar 24th - 20:58pm | suki

O.K. So you didn't say no to my animal guesses, just to the locale. Next guess: Zion

Mar 24th - 20:54pm | Random Walker

Looks like a coyote to me, maybe a fox.. naw coyote, where I have not a clue.

Mar 24th - 20:40pm | Kurt Repanshek

Hmmm, very odd, very odd. No, not from Glacier, and no, not a coat rack from any lodge, affordable nor not. I'll be curious to learn if folks can see the full photo in tomorrow's answer.

Mar 24th - 20:37pm | tahoma

Kurt, I can see only the top & bottom strips, perhaps 25% of the total. Looks like a well-worn metal sculpture of a deer's head mounted on old paneling? Something like a coat rack in one of the classic lodges that only the few can afford?

Mar 24th - 20:22pm | suki

I would have guessed Brighty, too, since I can only see the ears. But when I look at the thumbnail image on the previous page, it seems to me that it looks more like a Mountain Goat-type animal. So I am going to guess that we can see this somewhere in Glacier?

Mar 24th - 17:00pm | CP

I, too, only see the top, so here goes: Yoda!

Mar 24th - 08:58am | Kurt Repanshek

Well, Anonymous, it's not "Scotty's Castle," but you are definitely heading in the right direction.

Mar 24th - 08:42am | Kurt Repanshek

That's very odd, Dennis. Not sure why it's not fully loading. Others can see the entire image. Another Internet mystery. That said, you're right about the top of an ear and part of a snout, but it's not prehistoric and it's not in Utah or Arizona.

Mar 24th - 08:33am | Anonymous

Scotty's Castle in Death Valley?

Mar 24th - 08:30am | dennis g.

Sorry Kurt, but like Connie, I'm only seeing part of the photo - the upper 5 or 6% (tip of an ear?) and the lower 5 or 6% (the snout?). So I'll take a really wild guess and say it's something prehistoric found in Arizona or Utah.

Mar 24th - 07:39am | Kurt Repanshek

Nope, not Brighty, Connie.

Mar 24th - 07:07am | Connie Hopkins

For some strange reason, all I can see of this image is the tip of an ear (only a fraction of the photo is downloading) so I am going out on a limb and saying it's BRIGHTY of the Grand Canyon (North Rim's Grand Canyon Lodge). I am probably WAY off but I thought I would take a stab at it! Ha Ha!

Wild Horses in a Georgia Wilderness? Cumberland Island National Seashore Completes Annual Count

Mar 24th - 12:15pm | Anonymous

We saw the horses during our visit to Cumberland Island last year (see pictures on the flickr site). They were beautiful. It was wonderful seeing them run free on the beach. Could have watched them for hours.

Mar 24th - 10:01am | Alan C. Gregory...

Reminds me of the "wild" ponies at Chincoteague NWR, Va.

Searchers Find Two Missing Grand Canyon Hikers

Mar 24th - 09:37am | Alley Keosheyan

I too am glad that these gentlemen were found safe and sound. I'd be curious as to whether they were experienced at Grand Canyon hiking as I understand that the Royal Arch route is definitely not for first-timers, but that doesn't matter right now. At least they went about things the right way by getting proper permits and keeping family members informed.

Mar 24th - 08:06am | shicks49

Glad there was a happy ending to this one for a change.

Updated: Alaska 'Gunners' Wipe Out Wolf Pack From Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve

Mar 23rd - 20:18pm | Anonymous

I don't think any wolves should be killed because they are on the brink of extinction anyways. That is all I have to say.

Mar 22nd - 17:44pm | Random Walker

Biologists seek ouster of new wildlife chief By MARY PEMBERTON The Associated Press (03/22/10 12:04:33) Dozens of former Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologists and supervisors have signed a letter requesting that Corey Rossi be replaced as the head of the Division of Wildlife Conservation.

Is A Tar Sands Project Coming Close To a National Park You Love?

Mar 23rd - 17:47pm | RLMiller

I've been informed from a reliable source that the hearing is off. Lawsuit settlements are not always public, and I don't have them. I've also heard that the land is on state-owned property, so the BLM is not involved. However, some people near the project think that the EPA should be involved and that Grand County (Moab) should also be given a voice.

Mar 23rd - 14:53pm | KS

Is the hearing really off for Wednesday? If so, where can we find details on the settlement of the lawsuit?

Mar 23rd - 13:57pm | Random Walker

"Having to squeeze the last drop of utility out of the land has the same desperate finality as having to chop up the furniture to keep warm." - Aldo Leopold

Mar 23rd - 11:54am | Anonymous

Do we need petroleum so badly that we are willing to degrade our scenic lands and scarce water resources? To me, conservation is the better alternative. At a minimum, the tar sands production companies should be made to compensate the taxpayers for the full cost of extraction and rehabilitation.

Mar 23rd - 11:39am | JW

Unfortunately, SUWA and the Sierra Club settled their lawsuit and the hearing for Wednesday is off. There are still other options for stopping this project though, including getting the EPA to require an air permit.

Mar 23rd - 09:15am | Anonymous

While I generally do not support the idea that the areas around a park are also protected from development. This is an land use that is just plain bad.

Big Bend National Park Offers A Drastic Change From Vistas This Easterner is Accustomed To Seeing

Mar 23rd - 15:34pm | Anonymous

i never went but i hope i would soon i wish i can really see it then see pics of it because it looks beautiful but i want to really see it to know

Sen. McCain Has Proposal For Air Tours Over Grand Canyon National Park, But is It A Good One?

Mar 23rd - 13:54pm | Anonymous

I have to retract my previous statement about the # of flights. It really was to be 364 flights per day but that included the Las Vegas flights as well as the South Rim.

Mar 22nd - 17:33pm | Lee Dalton

Let's hear a big cheer for Senator Bingaman!

Mar 22nd - 17:18pm | RLMiller

Senator McCain pulled his amendment after Senator Bingaman gave a great speech in opposition to it. This means that all the points raised by commenters here can be raised again after the environmental impact statement is released, during the public comment period.

Mar 22nd - 16:50pm | Lee Dalton

I'm a pilot and I have a great idea! How about restricting fly-overs to the section of canyon running north from Desert View to Marble Canyon? That would keep traffic away from most of the canyon -- out where not too many ears would be listening.

Mar 22nd - 16:21pm | Anonymous

The river guide here again... the term "elitist" in the above rebuttal is interesting. I'd hardly call myself or the river guide organization elitist - we're looking for equal application of the rules.

Mar 22nd - 16:02pm | Kurt Repanshek

Anonymous, you might be correct about the "364" passengers versus flights, but the amendment specifically states, "Not more than 364 flights may be operated on any day in the Grand Canyon National Park Special Flight Rules Area." If that language passes, I would think a good lawyer could argue it means "flights," not "passengers."

By the Numbers: Shenandoah National Park

Mar 23rd - 10:24am | Bob Janiskee

Thanks for the tip, RangerLady. We have a SHEN checklist in the queue, and we'll be sure to include this info when we post it within the next few months. As I'm sure you realize, our "By the Numbers" postings are only teasers. There's just not enough room in the BTN format to make them like our checklists, which are rich in details useful for visit planning.

Mar 23rd - 10:06am | RangerLady

If you'd like to see a good variety of those 800+ plant species, hit Big Meadows. The Big Meadows Swamp contains the largest precentage of the rare plants in the park. Every year the park is desperate for volunteers to go out and help clear the swamp of invasives to protect those rare species.

Mar 22nd - 16:23pm | George

The complex topography of side ridges gives Shenandoah many sheltered hollows where wildness and the sounds of nature prevail. An excellent trail guide to the hollows and ridges is "Circuit Hikes in Shenandoah National Park," published by the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. It describes 29 day hikes, plus variants. I've been using one edition or another for 45 years.

Tree-Ring Research in Sequoia National Park is Hard Work with Important Payoffs

Mar 23rd - 07:53am | Bob Janiskee

Thanks, MRC. Darn shame that the researcher cut that tree down, whether ultimately (and generously) ruled legal or not. At least we now have a law that discourages that sort of thing. I see that a photo of the tree's stump accompanies the article.

Mar 23rd - 07:24am | MRC

Yes and no. That was a tree later named Prometheus, but the cutting was legal. You can find the story at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prometheus_%28tree%29

Mar 23rd - 06:06am | Bob Janiskee

Thanks for clarification, MRC, and the good catch. I revised the article to delete the inaccurate statement you pointed to. Bye the bye, I thought that the longest fire history calendar extant is based on the analysis of charcoal deposits, not tree rings. And about that bristlecone calendar.

Mar 23rd - 05:45am | MRC

With 3000 years the Sequioa tree ring calendar is the longest fire history calendar, but by far not the longest tree ring calendar as such: http://ltrr-arizona.blogspot.com/

Rockslide Forces Closing of a Section of Little River Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Mar 23rd - 07:14am | Bob Janiskee

If you suspect that temporary road closures in a national park might affect your travel plans, it's a wise policy to directly contact the park(s) involved to make sure you've got the current information. You especially need to do this if your travel plans are tight.

Mar 23rd - 06:47am | Anonymous

Is there an update on this road closure?

Traveler's Tips for a Spring Break Visit to Big Bend National Park

Mar 22nd - 22:27pm | Anonymous

Thank you for an excellent write-up! It has informed our plans for an upcoming visit.

Creature Feature: The Banana Slug is Living Proof that a Slimy Little Gastropod Mollusk Can be Loaded with Charisma

Mar 22nd - 19:52pm | Kerry Gallivan

LOL! To quote, "she's A-OK with it!" -Kerry

Repair Work to Start This Fall on Many Glacier Lodge in Glacier National Park

Mar 22nd - 17:07pm | Kent Hadley

Along with the repairs to the inn how about repairs to the road leading from the highway to the inn. That road could be called many ruts road.

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