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National Parks Traveler Episode 128: Waiting For A National Park Service Director

By NPT Staff - July 25th, 2021
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There's no question national parks are crowded...but are they overcrowded?/NPS

What has been your experience in the National Park System this year? Have you found lots of crowds, or has your experience been more enjoyable because you haven’t encountered scores of other visitors milling about? Crowding in the National Park System is not new, but is it threatening the integrity of the parks, their natural resources, and how you experience them?

In today’s show we’re going to discuss those questions with Kristen Brengel of the National Parks Conservation Association and Phil Francis of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks. And we’ll discuss why the National Park Service still is without a Senate-confirmed director. 

:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode introduction with Kurt Repanshek
:50 Torch - Bill Mize - The Sounds of the Everglades
1:29 Nova Scotia
1:59 Friends of Acadia
2:26 Western National Parks Association
2:49 Interior Federal Credit Union
3:26 A roundtable discussion with Phil Francis from the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks and Kristen Brengel of National Parks Conservation Association on crowded parks and the lack of a National Park Service director.
26:02 Whispering Winds - Grant Geissman - Sounds of the Caribbean
26:14 National Parks Traveler
26:27 Potrero Group
26:53 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
27:16 Grand Teton National Park Foundation
27:47 North Cascades Institute
28:06 Washington’s National Park Fund
28:47 The roundtable discussion with Kristen Brengel and Phil Francis continues.
43:01 Shee Beg Shee Mor - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acaida
43:36 Episode Closing
44:03 Orange Tree Productions
44:36 Splitbeard Productions
44:47 National Parks Traveler footer

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Comments

Submitted by Enclave on August 1, 2021 - 8:17pm.

NPS Planning is a long and arduous process, and generally obsolete by the time it is finished.  The NPS problems existed long before the previous administration. FINALLY,  NPS Employee moral has been very poor for several administration's, per the Employee Viewpoint Survey. A new Director from outside the agency who can effectively build Employee morale should be the highest priority. 


Submitted by Harry A. Butowsky on August 24, 2021 - 7:23pm.

Amen.


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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.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

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.