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Violent Deaths in the National Parks

May 21st - 01:05am | Jurjen Smies

tim wrote: Almost no Russian civilians own firearms [...]

May 20th - 16:16pm | Jurjen Smies

Frank wrote: This is all meaningless. What is really telling is the quote from Anonymous above, "You have to go out seven decimal places on a calculator to determine what percentage of Park visitors got killed in 2007."

May 18th - 14:39pm | Kurt Repanshek

Tim, If you could cite the sources of your statistics that'd be helpful. Here's a blurb from a story that ran last year in the Observer newspaper in Great Britain. It's a disturbing portrait of how others see us:

May 18th - 14:19pm | tim

Brad, Russia and Mexico are both countries that limit possession so severely that "normal" citizens are really not allowed to own them (much less carry concealed). Yet the murder rate for both of those countries is much higher that that of the US. Almost no Russian civilians own firearms, but the number of homicides is three to four times as high as in the US.

May 18th - 14:03pm | Tim

Frank - you indicated that you were puzzled why you didn't hear more stories about people legitimately using their firearms to defend themselves. Yet, when you were pointed to a reference for those stories you discount it.

NPS Retirees Oppose Carrying Guns in National Parks

May 21st - 00:26am | Anonymous

If you can get them to ask the wrong questions... Why does a government who, has people in charge of nuclear weapons and armies supplied with tanks and missiles and all other sort of very expensive weaponry, have any moral right to deny my right to a hand gun. You know what tyranny is, it's when some people claim the right to use violence to disarm other people.

May 20th - 21:33pm | Lone Hiker

Q) You know the more common name for a "well armed society"? A) A war zone If that's your idea of a "safer" society, God help us all. EVERYBODY loses those battles.

May 20th - 13:31pm | Anonymous

Wow! Kurt, these stats are most alarming and frightening. It will be no wonder with these hard cold facts that the NRA will distort this report to benefit the holy-then-thou gun lobby. My first encounter with a gun slaying was when I worked at the local hospital years ago as a surgical tech. The young slain peace officer was in his thirties and did leave a wife with two kids.

May 20th - 11:35am | Kurt Repanshek

Rick, good to see you back at the Traveler, although I'm sorry it took the gun issue to bring you back. That aside, if you could provide a link to your FBI data that'd be helpful. Here are some other numbers, from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence:

May 20th - 08:56am | Rick

The anti-gun gang hysteria never ceases to amaze me. "We're afraid that people with permits might have guns and we won't know it!. Eeewwww!" Why don't you whine about all of the gun-carrying criminals you pass every day? For your information, since gun -banners never do the research, as of the 2006 FBI data, there were appx 14,000 non-suicide firearm deaths in the U.S.

National Park Quiz 2: Straddlers

May 20th - 22:23pm | Sabattis

I'd certainly be delighted to....

May 20th - 15:13pm | Bob Janiskee

Sabbatis, this is fascinating stuff. As I may have said already, Kurt and I have been talking about drafting a Traveler article focused on the national park name-game nonsense and the associated administrative labyrinth. You've given us some excellent fodder, and for that we're very thankful. Are you willing to critique our first draft?

May 19th - 23:13pm | Sabattis

Actually, Bob, the National Park Service only counts Klondike Gold Rush NHP once towards the total of 391 National Parks. I refer you to Page 3 of this PDF file for Reference: http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/refdesk/classlst.pdf

May 19th - 06:39am | Bob Janiskee

Sabattis, I think maybe you sorta painted yourself into a corner on this one, revealing the terribly complicated nature of devising completely unambiguous quiz questions. Here is how you phrased your question:

May 19th - 06:05am | Sabattis

Sorry..... Good point - here's the answer to my "bonus" trivia question. The first Park is Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, which has two Units, one in Seattle and one in Skagway, Alaska. The Klondike Gold Rush played a major role in the development of Seattle as a major city, so the Seattle Units makes for a very interesting addition to this Park.

May 16th - 16:04pm | Bob Janiskee

Well, MRC, I wouldn't want people to use the "open book" approach to get the answers the first time through the quiz. That would take the fun out of it. But I do think it'd be great if people who missed quiz items used various sources (including the Internet) to find out why particular answers were correct.

Most, But Not All, Of Olympic National Park Within Reach For Memorial Day Weekend

May 20th - 22:17pm | Chuck Marunde

Kurt, thanks for the update. I love jogging and hiking in the park. I grew up in Alaska running in the woods, and this is the best of the Creator, right here outside Port Angeles. Appreciate the info.

Kings Canyon National Park

May 20th - 18:44pm | Dorothy

Yikes, that guy is a bit grumpy. It is a beautiful shot. I can't wait to see this park. One of the best things about this site is the ability to share pictures, thoughts, ideas, etc. regarding our one common bond, a love for our National Parks. As an amateur photographer but seasoned hiker, I'm glad to have found a site like this on which people's experiences run the gamut.

May 19th - 13:33pm | MRC

Ahhh - King's Canyon is great, but this picture is just Kitsch.

Free Shuttle Buses Will Make It Easier To Visit The South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park

May 20th - 16:56pm | John H

That's great and reminds me of the buses to Zion. No more fighting for a room in Grand Canyon itself 6 months in advance. However, is there going to be a special bus lane? The line waiting to get in can get pretty jammed during the summer. The only thing worse than waiting in a traffic jam would be waiting in a bus in a traffic jam.

May 20th - 15:45pm | Marylander

Excellent!! I am impressed that this idea came to a reality. Disney World had it right years ago, and the park systems are finally catching up. In Walt Disney World, once you arrive and park your car, there is absolutely no need to move it again until you are checking out. Finally, I will have that same advantage for the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

While Bison Are Driven Back into Yellowstone National Park, Questions Over Management Continue

May 20th - 09:21am | jsmacdonald

Betty,

May 20th - 07:20am | Betty Howell

Please keep this issue in the news. As spring turns into summer, too many people are going to forget about this "crying shame" ! I hope some organization can keep the word out to visitors of the Yellowstone NP and nearby areas this summer. Intense pressure from the "tourists" will make a difference as it hits the almighty dollar factor !

Is Your Backcountry Safety Net A Personal Locator Beacon or Cell Phone?

May 19th - 21:21pm | Scott White

I just finished reading"The Last Season" , the story of Ranger Randy Morgenson's disappearance in King's Canyon N.P. If anyone would like to know just what all an SAR entails, this is a great education. Locator beacons are a great tool that can save life, time , and resources when used responsibly.

May 19th - 13:42pm | Fred Miller

Although I hope I never need it, I plan to carry something like a SPOT along with all my other backpacking stuff. There are just too many times when help is too far away and we must rely on ourselves and our preparation. To assume that we can "push the button" if we get into trouble is not very smart. "One-in-a-million" situations CAN occur; be prepared.

Park Service Retirees Urge Interior Department to Halt American Revolution Center

May 19th - 14:47pm | Rangertoo

Lest we forget, Valley Forge was a state park until the Bicentennial when the state decided it was cheaper to let the federal government have it. It's surrounded by hotels, shopping centers and houses.

May 16th - 23:21pm | Anonymous

What gets lost in the discussion is that the land in question is within the boundaries of the park, the NPS was attempting to purchase it when the ARC bought it, and that the site is archeologically-rich with evidence of the historic encampment commissary.

Would a Change in Gun Laws Be a Threat to National Park Bears?

May 19th - 14:26pm | Anonymous

Timothy Treadwell thought very much like these anti-gunner peaceniks. Now, he is dead. Bears, lions and wolves are all wild animals. Not cute cuddly, warm and fuzzy pets like your cartoons and fairy tales depict.

May 17th - 10:10am | Constitution

This shouldn't be an issue. The 2nd Amendment doesn't make any exceptions to the right to self-defense, including on national parks. The gun restrictions are illeagal to begin with and need repealed or challenged in court. Do you realy want to do the stupid thing and play dead with a grizzly or fight back? You anti-gun folks are just clueless about nature and the real world.

NPCA: Health of Everglades National Park Requires a Longer Bridge Along the Tamiami Trail

May 19th - 12:58pm | Lara

The Miccosukee Tribe does not support the Skyway project as it will have adverse impacts on their life, businesses, traditional camps, and cultural resources. This is an environmetal justice issue as well as an environmental one. Please see their website for more information: http://www.miccosukeetours.com/

Book Review: Let's Go See:All 50! -- Visiting the 50 States Journal

May 19th - 06:43am | Stephen L Martin

Dorothy, Thank you for your kind words about the journal. It is feedback like yours that make it a truly humbling yet fulfilling experience. The journal is currently being carried by 133 retail outlets spanning 33 states, and it has only been available since November 2007. If interested, I can provide you with a location nearest to you so that you can inspect it in person.

May 19th - 06:40am | Stephen L Martin

Dear Bob,

May 18th - 06:02am | Dorothy

um yeah, now I found the note at the end... I really am a little slow in the morning. Thanks!

May 18th - 06:01am | Dorothy

I would love to get this for my husband for father's day - but where? I did a search online this morning and came up with nothing other than a few announcements about it. Do you know where I can purchase one? Is it just too soon? Thank you, Dorothy

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

May 18th - 20:17pm | Anonymous

First, I believe that I have received good information at/from all the national parks I have visited on the subject of safety and preparation for the areas I travel. Perhaps this is why the vast majority of the people in the story sustained no injuries.

May 16th - 21:22pm | Anonymous

Rescues caused by stupid and uninformed actions are not unique to wilderness activities. If we are to start charging for such rescues in the wilderness, what about people who try to drive across flooded streets? People who drive standard cars into snowstorms? People who swim into noticed red tides? The list is long.

Explosives, Possibly Dating to 1930s, Found in Sequoia National Park's Crystal Cave--Updated

May 18th - 20:14pm | Anonymous

EOD Gad has a point. Why think this this thing to death like all other government jobs just take care of it and move on. financially, our parks are stretched to the limits and under funded.

May 17th - 06:32am | EOD Graduate

Once again our government has thought up a way to spend a lot of money to solve a very simple problem. Today you can run a fiber optic scope down the hole and see what is in there. Back in the Vietnam era we just blew it up! Still the simple solution for Master Blaster. How many educational degrees does it take to figure that one out? That hole was blasted there in the first place.

May 16th - 18:39pm | Kurt Repanshek

That is, I'm told, indeed his official title, and it is definitely a cool one. However, "Master Blaster" would be better, no?;-)

May 16th - 18:29pm | Anonymous

Is this guy's title actually Chief Blaster?? If it is, that is a seriously awesome job title :)

Coal-Fired Plants Obscuring National Park Vistas

May 18th - 15:47pm | Anonymous

Lone Hiker:Good input and I find your arguments most informative. Although, I don't have your expertise in the field or specialty (was it physics?) in some aspect of hard science but I do remember the scientific community complaining back in the 1980's how difficult it was to drum up money for research and development towards alternative energy projects.

May 18th - 13:24pm | Lone Hiker

I'm really getting tired of Liberals blaming the current doofus administration for all of the nation's energy woes when all past administrations dating back to the 50's are just a culpable, and when the real evidence suggests that this lame-brained nation has been comfortable and content with utilization of oil for decades.

May 18th - 10:41am | Kurt Repanshek

Unfortunately, not all coal-fired power plants emit nothing more than water vapor and CO2. Among the contaminants still released by many are mercury, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, not too mention particulate matter.

May 18th - 10:24am | Anonymous

For years we have had some of the greatest minds exploring all avenues of green energy and alternative energy resources outside of Big Coal and Big Oil. It's a known fact, the government (especially with this present administration) has not injected much needed money into these programs or projects for research and development...just on a small token bases.

May 18th - 07:55am | Anonymous

The "smoke" you see emanating from the stacks of coal fired power plants is carbon dioxide and water vapor. NOx, SUx, and particulate is eliminated by equipment specifically designed to do so, and these hazards are NOT released into the atmosphere. Go to the plants....ask for the data. They have to keep it public record, and the record originates from a 3rd party testing company.

May 16th - 23:09pm | J Longstreet

This isn't just about the NPS and NPCA not wanting to be impacted by coal burning power plants -- it's the law. The 1977 Clean Air Act requires that all national parks larger than 6000 acres that existed when the law was passed have the highest degree of protection from air pollution impacts of any lands in the US.

May 16th - 18:52pm | jr_ranger

OK, so I could go on a massive anti-coal rant the points out the many ills of said nasty, foul energy, and the merits and truth behind how we can power America on renewable energy, but I won't. No, I'll keep my mouth shut (mostly) and be brief...

Ken Burns' National Parks Documentary: Where Does it Stand?

May 17th - 04:54am | Anonymous

Yaaaaawwwwwnnnnn...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...hope it's more interesting than his lame series on "The War."

Montana Governor Asked to "Provide Leadership" In Yellowstone Bison Controversy

May 16th - 17:32pm | jsmacdonald

In this case, the agencies involved in the IBMP are the National Park Service, the United States Forest Service, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Montana Department of Livestock, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Wolf Killed Illegally Near Grand Teton National Park, $3,000 Reward Offered

May 16th - 17:07pm | Anonymous

Kurt, I am not going let this tragic and sad article pass me by without venting my anger at this despicable sick coward that shot this beautiful animal.

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