| Page 1535 | National Parks Traveler

Because this is a very long and detailed discussion of the contradiction issue, I suspect that many NPT followers will give it only a quick scan or not read it at all. That's a shame, since it is a very illuminating discourse. If you are one of those who hasn't the time or inclination to read the whole treatment, including Gavin's "further thoughts" here is the gist of it.

Park History: Capitol Reef National Park

Dec 19th - 11:24am | Anonymous

Chance, mark my words....you're going places with your pen. I love your spirit for the outdoors. Kurt, get this young man job!

Dec 19th - 10:00am | Bob Janiskee

I like to think that medical doctors will take to heart the dictum “First, do no harm,” even though it is not part of the Hippocratic Oath (which new doctors don’t take, anyway). Similarly, I like to think that park rangers will abide by the dictum” First, love the parks,” even though they take no such formal vow when they don that flat brimmed hat.

Dec 18th - 23:31pm | T. Kelley

Chance what an honor! I am so very proud of you and I'm sure your mom is smiling from ear to ear. It is going to be fun to watch you grow and become the Ranger that you want to be. Your Dreams Will Come Through! Thumbs Up!

Mountain Bikes In the Parks

Dec 19th - 09:35am | repanshek

IMBA's proposals, to the best of my knowledge, are for "shared use" trails, not trails solely for cyclists. A perfect example is the trail proposed as a centennial project at Big Bend.

Dec 19th - 04:25am | Anonymous

Mr. Repanshek,

Olympic NP Tribe Wants Land Swap For Trail Access

Dec 19th - 00:12am | Random Walker

Here is some history for those so inclined. Is Your Tribal Land Secure? By Larry Ralston (this is a word document)

Dec 18th - 16:08pm | Terri Hansen

The Quileute ceded millions of acres for what is today the Olympic National Park. Why aren't we ceding back the few acres the tribe needs so it's people can survive a tsunami, or now the inevitable and inescapable rising sea levels? Let's finally do it right this time.

National Parks Contribute Holiday Ornaments to White House Christmas Tree

Dec 18th - 10:14am | Jo

As a National Park lover and visitor, I wish they would put these ornaments for sale - this could be a great fundraiser for our National Parks. Then this would really make a difference for our parks.

Dec 13th - 13:34pm | Glenn Scofield ...

Oh my God. There really IS an Andersonville Prison NHS Christmas Tree Ornament! I thought Beamis was being sarcastic! Read about it here: http://www.daltondailycitizen.com/statenews/cnhinsall_story_345145913.html. Unfortnately, there's no photo...

Are The National Parks Not Part of Our Federal Lands?

Dec 17th - 23:57pm | Rick Deutsch

For those wanting to follow this proposal...it is trackable as Senate bill S. 2438. Rick D.

Dec 15th - 22:24pm | Anonymous

I don't remember the mission statement saying "Make available for a fee". Your homework for this week includes: 1. How many parks have suffered from budget cuts? (look up the numbers) 2. How much money does each park recieve from fee demo? 3.

Dec 15th - 11:48am | Gerald

You are right on, Lone Hiker. An individual park yearly pass is a pittance to pay for what the visitor gets...at a cost of one meal for two in your average restaurant. Two meals for the America the Beautiful Pass. Keep the fees. User pays. Low income folks spend lots of money on beer and cigarettes, so no lame excuses there either.

Dec 15th - 09:37am | Bob Janiskee

Lone Hiker is right on target with that complaint about government officials using important words like "federal" and "democracy" without due regard for their nuances of meaning.

Dec 15th - 07:55am | Lone Hiker

I sure there's a reasonable explanation, something akin to nobody in government being aware or making public admission of the nuances separating the terms "federal" from "national" and "democracy" from "republic". These four terms are bandied about freely and without concern for the distinct differences between the two ideals.

Dec 14th - 21:03pm | Anonymous

This comment will probably not be added to the website (its too political): If we have money to take care of Iraq, why don't we have money to take care of America?

Dec 14th - 18:31pm | Dan Liddle

If you want to be taxed only once then you need to pay a true cost the first time. The problem comes from cutting the budgets and expecting improvements at the parks. This forces the park to behave like a private entity that charges at the door. This one example of privatizing public assets through the unending call for "small government".

Dec 14th - 10:22am | rscottjones

I hear what you're saying, but it seems like the first step in rolling back all these user fees should be eliminating them in the remote, "non-destination" areas. At least in national park units you usually get at least some "added value," whether that's ranger led-hikes, a bookstore, or at least a visitor center with a map.

Congressional Research Service--Recreation on Federal Lands

Dec 17th - 21:21pm | Lone Hiker

Whether you admit to it or not, you two (the editors) are already a resource to a vast audience. There are many people nationally who have a varied degree of interest in the topics presented in this forum, but lack the resources, intellect, or motivation to sift through the mountains of reports, articles, interviews, etc. of their own vocation.

Dying in the Parks: Park Service Concerned About Suicides

Dec 17th - 11:24am | kath

"Over the Edge" the book about death in the Grand Canyon states that in the year after "Thelma and Louise" came out on video, several people committed suicide or attempted suicide by driving over the edge. It's very sad when people feel their lives have no meaning and that non-existence is preferable to existence. But what is the NPS supposed to do about it?

Economic Greed Tarnishes Our National Park System

Dec 17th - 10:23am | Anonymous

After seeing the picture of all those snowmobiles, I certainly wouldn't want to be anywhere after the first one. They need to hand out oxygen masks from the looks of things.

Dec 16th - 08:20am | Lone Hiker

I just love a good cynic! Careful there Bob, some people are going to misinterpret your closing line as though you actually DO support corporate charges within the system. I've tried "leaving it between the lines" before, and rarely does anyone read the intent, only the words. Whatever happened to interpretative thought anyway?

Dec 16th - 05:30am | Bob Janiskee

Selfishness. Greed. Consider that these might be exactly the words to use here. They are human dispositions, and for some they are the most powerful driving force in life. Me! Me! Me! Me! More! More! More! More! You have thousands of miles of miles of groomed snowmobile trails that you can use on private property and in the national forests and the state parks.

Dec 16th - 05:27am | Billy

Gerald, your statements are for the most part on the mark. One exception; National parks are basicly set asides for "preservation" while other public lands are to be managed for the good of all and for economic purposes that benefit the nation, not just a few. Radical greenies , rather than good public policy, have dominated public lands issues for decades.

Dec 15th - 21:29pm | jsmacdonald

I'm glad here that we are talking about the history of the parks - and Yellowstone, in particular - in terms of the harsh reality behind their birth and their present.

Dec 15th - 18:47pm | Lone Hiker

It appears to this observer that the real sticking point lies within the phrase "varied use of the parks", which like the terms "federal" and "national" can be defined to reflect the intentions and peronsal interests of the beholder.

Dec 15th - 18:26pm | Anonymous

Aldo Leopold was a hippie socialist. What "Bush slant" did he use?

Dec 15th - 15:59pm | Anonymous

Gerald, give me a example of "good science" and give me a example of "junk science" in regards to you comments (without the Bush slant). It appears to me you have no concept in what your talking about, instead you go on this anti-environmental tirade of nonsense.

Dec 15th - 15:42pm | Merryland

Wyoming is a damn big state -- there's plenty of snow to snowmobile elsewhere without abusing the National Parks. Lots of National Forests and lots of BLM land in Wyoming and surrounding states, and Wyoming is the least populous state per square mile, so there's room to rumble just about anywhere they are. The National Park belongs to the entire country, not just Wyomingites.

Dec 15th - 15:12pm | Bob Janiskee

What Gerald seems to be proposing is that the national parks should function like the national forests, national grasslands, and BLM lands when it comes to accommodating recreational use. I submit that Congress knew exactly what it was doing when it ordered the National Park Service to adhere to a higher standard of resource protection than that which prevails in these other public lands.

Dec 15th - 14:18pm | Gerald

The abundant extractive resources that exist in these parks are already off-limits to the American people (yes, the corporations are the American people via the fact that most of us own mutual funds in mining, oil, & timber companies). But that's O.K....we want to see them pristine...to a common-sense point.

Rocky Mountain National Park Officials Select "Lethal Reduction" To Help Reduce Elk Herd--Updated

Dec 16th - 13:40pm | Bob Janiskee

Holly, are you arguing for immunocontraception using the PZP vaccine? (PZP stands for "porcine zona pellucida", which is made from pig ovaries.) If so, Can you tell us about results of recent studies? I know that scientists were experimenting with PZP-based immunocontraception back in 2004, but I've not kept up with their research.

Dec 16th - 12:07pm | Holly

I think the Park Rangers need to try the birth control first, befire killing the Elk. The Elk is what brings people to Estes is to see the Elk, in the park and around in town. you start shooting them, and you wont hardly see as many in the Park or in town . They will be gun shy.

Dec 14th - 00:18am | TZukoski

Kurt:

Cape Lookout National Seashore Visitors Seem to Prefer Things Rustic

Dec 15th - 23:50pm | Merryland

That's exactly what I love about Okracoke Island -- not a lot of people, cold showers at best, and not much else but sand, beach grass, and the incessantly pounding surf. how can you "improve" on something like that? Commercial Services -- BAH HUMBUG!

Secret Service View Teddy Mather As Protestor, Not Presidential Material

Dec 14th - 19:41pm | Lone Hiker

If I may steal these immortal words from one of our country's supposedly noble "presidential material"....... Let me make one thing perfectly clear.

Dec 14th - 15:43pm | jsmacdonald

So does the Secret Service (SS) become the arbiter of what's whacko speech? Is that relevant to the free speech issue?

Dec 14th - 12:51pm | Anonymous

Welcome back Gerald, you never did say what your so called Ph.D. was in. Look's like NASA recent photo's and weather research reports on global warming doesn't reflect the work done by a bunch of whackos (expert climatologist). Pretty conclusive evidence that global warming is mostly man induced. Now, you wouldn't be working for the coal industry would you?

Dec 14th - 11:57am | Gerald

As long as so-called "conservationists" keep talking the "global warming" hoax, NO ONE is going to take them seriously. They will just been seen as a fringe group of whackos. PARK ISSUES are what they (NPCA) should be focused on. Better campgrounds, better roads, repaired infrastructure, better interp displays.

Dec 14th - 09:30am | haunted hiker

My apologies Lone Hiker, I misread, the intern got in. Still, being "off put" by a comment doesn't make it law suit worthy. The bear got bluff charged. He'll get over it.

Dec 13th - 16:01pm | Lone Hiker

One of us missed something hh-

Dec 13th - 11:20am | haunted hiker

Teddy Mather should be grateful to the Secret Service. Now he's actually interesting. At least for 15 minutes. This is a funny story. I love it. But some of you are taking this WAY too seriously.

Dec 13th - 10:21am | Anonymous

Right on Lone Hiker! Incidentally, did you watch that piece by ABC-TV news last night (12/12/07) on the big Christmas dinner bash that the lobbyist put on for the Washington bureaucrats? Talk about special interests, big money and corporate pimping. I'm sure all the jet boat and snowmobile companies were well represented. Yap, Rome lives well in DC! Oink! OinK! here piggy, piggy!

Conservation Groups Urge National Park Service to Reinstate Jet Ski Bans

Dec 14th - 08:59am | Bob Janiskee

Every single person who contributes comments to NPT is a resource -- somebody with experiences to share, insights to offer, questions to challenge us with. Consider J Longstreet, for example. Isn't it great that a park superintendent wants to share in our forum?

Dec 13th - 22:31pm | Anonymous

Frank, it's your constant scab picking at that NPS that irritates. We understand your grievances run deep and hard, but your losing your point by the constant brow beating on the parks. The less said, the better the impact! I think you're being a bit overly sensitive about Kurt's comments about slowing the constant negativity. You have made your point many times over.

Park Service's Top Investigator Pleads Guilty To Theft

Dec 13th - 10:09am | MDI Man

It's not just the NPS. There seems to be a moral and ethical decline in our society. I dealt with Pat on another business level and I found that she was not completely honest. This is something I have been experiencing this with increasing frequency with clients. To generalize, I think it's a two fold problem.

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