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

By NPT Staff - July 25th, 2021 7:00am

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

National Parks Traveler Podcast

By NPT Staff - July 25th, 2021 7:00am

Comments

Permalink 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.

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

Amen.

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 376 | ESA's Future

Since this past December here at the Traveler we’ve been bringing you a series of stories on the Endangered Species Act and the threatened and endangered species it’s intended to keep from going extinct.

For me, it’s been an eye-opening series because of what our editors and writers have learned about threatened and endangered species — from birds to trees and even to grasses — and the work being done to help them recover. It’s certainly not an easy task, and one that often takes decades before you can see progress.

May 31st, 2026 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 375 | Rethinking Public Lands Stewardship

Public lands stewardship has most definitely changed under the second presidential administration of Donald Trump. Land-management agencies such as the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management have lost thousands of employees, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is on a mission to turn the country’s public lands into a cash cow of sorts.

May 24th, 2026 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 374 | Cook Inlet's Beluga Whales

A fast-track proposal to develop a gold mine near Alaska’s Cook Inlet and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is alarming scientists, environmental groups and local communities because of the devastating effects it is expected to have on the region’s critically endangered beluga whales.

May 17th, 2026 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 373 | Southern Campaign of the American Revolution

America’s 250th birthday is coming up this summer, festivities will be held all over the country, and history buffs will be delving into the various nooks and crannies of the National Park System to see where they can visit sites of Revolutionary War battles.

Don't overlook South Carolina and its three park sites that preserve Revolutionary War battlefields – Kings Mountain National Military Park, Cowpens National Battlefield, and Ninety-Six National Historic Site.

May 10th, 2026 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 372 | Print Ain’t Dead

We’re living in somewhat tumultuous times in the print media industry. Well-familiar titles are either disappearing, shrinking drastically, or shifting over to the internet. On top of that, the advent of Artificial Intelligence has some readers wondering how much human effort and talent went into the piece they're reading.

May 3rd, 2026 Read More

INN Member

The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.

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

You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.