National Parks Traveler Episode 150: Recounting 2021's Major News Stories From The Parks

2021 News Across The National Park System

This has been one of the most newsworthy years in recent memory for the National Park Service and the parks. There’s finally a Senate-confirmed director at the helm, billions of dollars are flowing into the parks for a variety of projects, wildfires chewed through Sequoia, Kings Canyon and Lassen Volcanic national parks, lakes Powell and Mead are shadows of their former selves.

Editor Kurt Repanshek, Kristen Brengel of the National Parks Conservation Association, and Phil Francis of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks discuss some of the top news events in the parks in 2021.

:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode Introduction with Kurt Repanshek
:51 Black Woods - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
:56 Friends of Acadia
1:22 Yosemite Conservancy
1:43 Nova Scotia Tourism
2:12 Interior Federal Credit Union
2:44 Editor Kurt Repanshek, Kristen Brengel of the National Parks Conservation Association, and Phil Francis of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks discuss some of the top news events in the parks in 2021.
30:40 Amaranth - Bill Mize - The Sounds of the Great Smoky Mountains
31:00 Potrero Group
31:26 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
31:48 Grand Teton National Park Foundation 
31:16 Washington’s National Park Fund
32:50 North Cascades Institute
33:09 The year-end news wrapup continues.
57:26 Bass Harbor - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
57:59 Episode Closing
58:47 Orange Tree Productions
59:19 Splitbeard Productions
59:30 National Parks Traveler footer

Comments

In 2022 I really hope the management at Rocky and the NPS would visit the Beaver Meadows entrance between 8:30 and 9 am if they continue to use the same timed entry scheme used in 2021. Those who have permits for Bear Lake before 9 am are forced to endure those who do not have have any permits. Multiple times we had to wait 25 minutes to get through the entrance due to the line of cars wanting to get through the entrance before the 9 am cut off when permits are needed for their entire park. Not to mention the park does not have enough staffing to cover the entrance gates before 9 am. Finally after enduring the long wait, we started entering the park at the Fall River enterance with our Bear Lake permit as the drive from the Fall River entrance took less time than the wait at the Beaver Meadow entrance. 


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