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Black Bear Attacks Child at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Aug 20th - 09:13am | Trish

Park Rangers are quick to tell you to keep your children and any pets close when bears are around. Where were the parents? It's unfortunate that a bear had to lose it's life because of careless humans. These people should be ashamed of themselves for not following the most basic rules while visiting the Park. We hiked Rainbow Falls in June and also encounterd a black bear on the trail.

Aug 19th - 22:13pm | Mama Martin

I hope that this situation doesn't keep people from going and enjoying Cades Cove. This attack really saddened me, a young child playing in the water being attacked. I should first say I wish a speedy recovery to the child and his father. This being said, my family was at Cades Cove at the begining of July and August, and we encountered bears both time.

Aug 18th - 17:26pm | Anonymous

And where do you live? Do you think that at one time your space did not belong to the animals? OK for you but no one else? While I am not a wildlife specialist, I think many people who visit the Smokys and have been fortunate enough to see bears as I have a few time, know the difference betwee agressive and passive! Don't be so quick to judge.

What's the Solution For Cape Hatteras National Seashore?

Aug 20th - 08:54am | Lone Hiker

Ah, GoogleEarth, one of my favorite new toys of the past 5 years!!!

Aug 19th - 14:51pm | dapster

Chris, Your quote: "As my time as a Senior volunteer at a National Park has taught me "Mitigation funding" is something you come to both love and hate, and thanks to the current adminstration the NPS's increasing reliance on it has become a serious problem."

Aug 19th - 13:07pm | dapster

Lonehiker, Thanks for the agreement on the fishing issue. The state of NC indeed has both salt and fresh water fishing license requirements, as well as min.-max. size limits per species. The money collected from these fees goes to good uses throughout the state.

Aug 19th - 13:03pm | Bugsyshallfall

As my time as a Senior volunteer at a National Park has taught me "Mitigation funding" is something you come to both love and hate, and thanks to the current adminstration the NPS's increasing reliance on it has become a serious problem.

Aug 19th - 12:25pm | Ted Clayton

Customary and Traditional Uses and Rights

Aug 19th - 12:00pm | SAMSDAD

The title of the article is intended to bring about suggestions for solutions to the ongoing debate about the long-term prognosis for the health of the ecosystem, not the convenience of tourists, locals, and those hell-bent on some off-roading adventure.

Aug 19th - 10:19am | Lone Hiker

I'll admit that I personally haven't set foot on the Outer Banks since the North Carolina Jam era, and back then this issue was a non-factor. But the whole ORV transgression versus environmental impact raised during multiple tangents to this central theme is growing rather tedious.

Aug 19th - 09:29am | SAMSDAD

Rangertoo,

Aug 19th - 08:21am | dapster

Rangertoo,

Aug 19th - 08:20am | Kurt Repanshek

Kingfisher, your point is well taken, but in all fairness it can be ascribed to folks on both side of this issue.

Aug 19th - 07:59am | SAMSDAD

For all of those who argue about the access in Cape Hatteras seem to think this is just an ORV thing. Well this only promotes our new Motto and proves without a doubt "IT IS AND NEVER WAS ABOUT THE BIRDS". Not one single person who has stated their opinion about this present day issue has said please do not run over the birds.

Aug 19th - 07:40am | Kingspointer

See Kurt, this is what we are dealing with. No logic, no decisions based upon best available science, just pure emotion and pseudo science......and you wonder why we are having a hard time with the REG-NEG Committee appointed by DOI Secretary. They are not willing to negotiate in good faith

Aug 19th - 07:33am | Rangertoo

Re the comment: "No vehicles on the beach = no fishing". Excellent! There should be no fishing allowed in the park or any park. Why do we prohibit killing mammals, birds, and even insects in most national parks but allow killing fish? Aren't they an important part of the ecosystem. Go somewhere else and kill fish.

Aug 19th - 00:12am | longcaster

Kurt, the language;recreational activities of similar nature, which shall be developed for such uses as needed, means that ramps will be cut through the dunes to limit where ORV access to the beach. They knew back then that we had to keep penetrations through the dunes to a minimum and at specific places, and built in certain ways. The villagers knew that also.

Aug 18th - 22:34pm | Bluetick

A very interesting document in the creation of the seashore. The following is an excert of US Senate testimony, with the original document scanned into the written testimony. Refer to the page numbers to read the history and see the portions provided below. Link:

Aug 18th - 22:01pm | Andrew

I'm not denying that ORVs long have played a role in CAHA and I do believe they will continue to, but if that's the only way you get your kids outside....

Aug 18th - 21:53pm | Andrew

[quote=Kurt Repanshek]That said, to the best of my knowledge the "RA" suffix really doesn't set Cape Hatteras aside to be managed with recreation foremost in mind....

Aug 18th - 21:21pm | Kurt Repanshek

Eric, Sorry for your disappointment. Frankly, I'm not directing the thread, the community is. I don't feel it's my role to say one side is right or the other wrong, and I think I've made that pretty evident in my comments.

Aug 18th - 20:31pm | EricD

You anti ORV people make me sick, Please tell me, just one at a time please, just how do you plan to raise your children with proper family values without access to our American Treasures, You people are promoting access to dead end roads to our childrens futures! I can't Find it within myself to tell my child, it's ok, just watch TV instead of going outside.

Aug 18th - 20:23pm | Kurt Repanshek

Longcaster, The citation is much appreciated.

Aug 18th - 20:22pm | kingspointer

You need to read this legislation in order, in which my Environmentalist friends fail to do every time. First and foremost, under US Code 16, Chapter 1, section 1A-1 note the words of the amendment “1978--Pub. L.

Aug 18th - 19:56pm | longcaster

Here is more from Title 16 U S Code section 459 with the name changed to include Recreational Area. I think the Recreational Area name addition was so hunting could be allowed in the sound for ducks & geese.

Aug 18th - 19:44pm | longcaster

The best source of the words about the founding of Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area are found in Title 16 Of the U S Code; U.S. Code collectionmain page faq index search

Aug 18th - 19:24pm | Ted Clayton

Interestingly, the NPS Cape Hatteras FAQ says that actual off-road vehicles are forbidden:

Aug 18th - 18:56pm | Michael Kellett

Kurt, you are right. Cape Hatteras is a National Seashore, not a National Recreation Area, unless the National Park Service has a typo on its website. There is no mandate that ORVs be allowed.

Aug 18th - 18:43pm | JohnAB

The argument that ORV access must be allowed because of the economic impact of ORV spending on the local economy is the argument I find most objectionable. And arrogant.

Aug 18th - 17:34pm | Kurt Repanshek

Andrew, You and others refer to Cape Hatteras as a "National Recreation Area." If you could point to where that is specified I'd appreciate it, as I've been unable to find it. Not that I'm doubting you, it'd just be good to have that reference.

Aug 18th - 16:47pm | Andrew

Cape Hatteras National Recreation Area was founded with the explicit statement that access would remain open for recreational activities. Fishing is stated specifically as a recreational activity. It is also stated that areas particularly suitable for such activities will be open. There is not a more a suitable area for fishing than "the point".

Aug 18th - 15:28pm | Rangertoo

Wait, that was sarcasm. Motor vehicles have no place on any beach and no place in the natural lands of national parks. These places are our escape from machines. What does this have to do with Marxism? Marxism is a system of socialism of which the dominant feature is public ownership of the means of production. Are national parks producing some commodity?

Aug 18th - 15:28pm | Ted Clayton

How To Put Pictures In Comments

National Park Quiz 16: Waterfalls

Aug 20th - 08:18am | Joseph

You are wrong. Dark Hollow Falls is a classic tier horse tail...as the water rides on the rocks...a classic plunge is where the water falls away from the rocks from top to bottom....

Collapse of "Wall Arch" Proves Gravity Does Work at Arches National Park

Aug 19th - 21:29pm | Adam

I just got back from a cross country road trip where we stopped at Arches. We were there about a week before the Wall Arch collapsed.

Aug 18th - 21:38pm | Alan

I was there just a few weeks ago. I feel immensely privileged to have been one of the last people to view Wall Arch. It all seems so majestic and immovable when you are there, strange to think that just a few weeks later (a heartbeat in geological time) it's gone.

Is It Time to Overhaul the National Park Service and the National Park System?

Aug 19th - 15:31pm | Michael Kellett

Just because something is important doesn't necessarily mean that it has to be subjected to federal control. In fact the places I've mentioned are much better off without the politics, budget shortfalls and institutional neglect that is inherent in a massive federal bureaucracy.

Will Second Century Commission Succeed With Its National Parks Assessment and Recommendations?

Aug 19th - 14:42pm | Michael Kellett

Jim,

Aug 19th - 12:52pm | Bugsyshallfall

Michael, I agree with you on the Centennial initiative issue but the fact is NPS needs money, and fast.

Aug 19th - 11:12am | jsmacdonald

Michael,

Aug 19th - 10:54am | Michael Kellett

Kurt, A couple of points. why are no large conservation-oriented NGOs, such as The Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, or the World Wildlife Fund, represented on the commission?

Pruning the Parks: Six National Parks Acquired via Transfer in 1933 Were Subsequently Abolished

Aug 19th - 12:44pm | Bugsyshallfall

I think to help solve the delisting problem the National Natural Landmark system needs to be reworked, because there are many places of national value that should be honored and could help greatly from this but probably would not make such a great National Park. Also, a local and regional designation should be created as well.

Aug 19th - 10:31am | Ted Clayton

Beamis, Early in 1970 I shipped out of skid row Seattle on the Greyhound Line to work the Burlington Northern railroad tie-gang refurbishing track through Montana.

Aug 19th - 10:29am | Lone Hiker

I have no problems delisting, as pruning a tree sometimes increases the overall health of the plant.

Aug 19th - 10:12am | Bugsyshallfall

Now as time went some sites actual were of national value and later became National Landmarks, namely the one in Georgia. I am not a fan of delisting but I will conseed in some areas.

The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring

Aug 19th - 10:53am | M. D. Vaden

An update to my previous post ... After photographing the Grove of Titans which are described in The Wild Trees, I afterward determined the boundaries of Atlas Grove and acquired images from there as well. The photos are all provided at the same page listed earlier: http://www.mdvaden.com/grove_of_titans.shtml

Grand Canyon National Park "Short Haul" Operations

Aug 19th - 09:36am | Anonymous

Try contacting the Red Cross at: www.redcross.org They have a search page for locating rescued people: https://disastersafe.redcross.org/

Aug 18th - 20:24pm | Kurt Repanshek

Gail and others, I'm afraid the Park Service considers the names of those involved privileged information and will not release them without a Freedom of Information Act request.

Aug 18th - 20:14pm | Gail Neuhaus

My daughter is with the Peterson Family and others, rafting down the Colorado River. Where can I find the names of the ones recued. I,m from N.J. and hearing this on the news.

Delaware Can Relax; The New National Parks Quarter Dollar Coin Series Will Celebrate “National Sites” Too

Aug 18th - 16:34pm | Merryland

This is great -- my kids love the 50 states quarter series. However, if they use National Parks and Monuments on the quarter, they should be required to use (or at least include) the original Native American name (ex: Devils Tower = Bear Lodge). Or Nebraska's monumental claim to fame... Chimney Rock...

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