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Government Asks Court To Dismiss Utah's Bid To Shrink National Monuments

May 9th - 10:41am | Nick

Utah's case should absolutely be thrown out. As this is federal lands, the state has no claim to it, and no say over its management. A monument is simply the frederal government taking land it already owns and changing how it is managed. Utah tried to overturn  Grand Staircase Escalante before,  in a case callided Utah Association  of counties v Bush, in 2004 the courts told them to get lost.

UPDATED: Fly A Drone In A National Park, Be Barred For Life From That Park

May 2nd - 15:04pm | Andrew

National Parks are biological reserves first and foremost under the US Organic Act the intent of which is the preservation of both the wild landscapes, geolical features, and the the entire ecosystem of native plants and wild animals.

River Runners Will Need To Strap In For A Wild Ride

May 2nd - 11:07am | A . Johnson

Great suggestions!

Debt Ceiling Battle Could Be Crippling For National Park Service, National Parks

Apr 27th - 16:55pm | T Burt

OK, Indiscriminate cuts don't work.  So lets have some discriminate ones.  

Apr 24th - 01:05am | Mike B.

There is no way Republicans will agree to cut Defense spending, so all cuts under their budget proposal would fall on discretionary spending.  You know, such "unnecessary" programs as food stamps, environmental enforcement, and, yes, conservation agenncies like NPS and FWS.  They don't propose specific cuts because they don't want to be portrayed as the bad guys, but there would certainly be im

Apr 23rd - 09:42am | Anonymous

https://www.govexec.com/management/2023/04/mccarthy-vows-cut-overgrown-b...

Apr 22nd - 16:26pm | ecbuck

There is no across the board cuts mandated.  It's were they want to set their priorities. In fact the bill has many areas it explicitly identifies for cuts.  None involve the NPS.

Apr 22nd - 10:07am | Kurt Repanshek

EC, wouldn't the proposal to reduce agency spending to 2022 levels impact all agencies, including DOI and NPS?Go back to our 2013 story about the sequestration impacts (5 percent reduction) and how they played out across the NPS.

Apr 22nd - 09:27am | ecbuck

Hogwash.  There isn't a single line in the Republican bill that calls for a cut in funding for the NPS.  The bill only makes three mentions of the NPS.

UPDATE | Republicans Question Distribution Of Funds For National Park Maintenance Backlog

Apr 27th - 09:51am | ecbuck

Sad part is the Democrats that put on the pretense of careing about the Parks aren't asking the same questions.

Apr 26th - 11:33am | A . Johnson

Why do I feel that if Donald Trump had done something like this it would be covered differently?   It's not a feeling, it's reality.  Last fall, I pointed out how Trump was never credited with signing GAOA, while Biden was applauded for signing the IRA and other NPS funding.  

Apr 26th - 08:37am | Loui

Buried in paragraph 22 is the fact that Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi diverted $365M to her own district.  That is the headline.  That is more than 1/3 of a BILLION dollars to 3 parks.  This is the most outrageous single act of pork barrel in the history of the NPS.

Surveys Point To Public Satisfaction With Arches National Park Reservations System

Apr 26th - 12:31pm | GLA

Fred,

Apr 21st - 16:15pm | Fred

It's not clear whether people who did not receive a reservation were interviewed and whether they were satisfied with the reservation system. If only people who received a reservation were interviewed then it's not surprising that they were satisfied. if this is the case you conclusion of the popularity of the reservation system is a misrepresentation of the reservation system. 

Photography In The National Parks: Same Spot, Different Time / Season / Weather

Apr 26th - 11:37am | A . Johnson

Great photos & story!  Keep them coming!   I was just at Ruby Beach last summer.

Photography In The National Parks: Your Armchair Photography Guide To The North Cascades Complex

Apr 24th - 21:07pm | Keith Tomlinson

Absolutely outstanding information and images. Thank you! 

Traveler's View | Rethinking National Park Access

Apr 23rd - 11:36am | snochasr

Fine.  Where access must be controlled, like we are doing with reservation systems and lotteries, and "tickets" for ranger-guided tours like Jewel or Wind Caves, continue doing that.  For those that want a ranger-guided tour elsewhere, whether they have to pay for it or just sign up, that's great for them.  For everything else, just post rangers at the most popular sites, like old Faithful etc.

Apr 22nd - 15:29pm | Kurt Repanshek

Thanks Mike. My photo skills are based on luck;-)

Apr 22nd - 14:36pm | Loui

You can control access to the Galipigos, an extremely isolated island chain which requires singificant resources to visit.  A Cave has an entrance.  Most ruins are simliarly accessible from very limited approaches. How you going to keep people in their cars in YELL?

Apr 22nd - 01:59am | Mike B.

This is a good idea, at least for some parks.  A few years ago, after winning an NPS lottery, I took a ranger-led overnight backpacking visit to a site called Crack in the Rock in the backcountry of Wupatki National Monument.  It was wonderful, not just the site but the hike getting there.  I shudder to think what some bozos might do to this relatively intact site if access were not controlled.

Apr 21st - 12:28pm | John A.

Some areas within National Parks have required "guides" to access for many decades. Examples being many caves and archeological sites such as Mesa Verde.

Apr 21st - 09:23am | snochasr

Sounds more like a reasonable request for more Rangers to simply be present at the main sites to police the few people who are incapable of policing themselves-- throwing trash, harassing wildlife, straying off trail.  Don't punish the many responsible visitors to curb the few idiots.  

National Park Service Sued Over Cumberland Island National Seashore's Feral Horses

Apr 22nd - 02:09am | Mike B.

If the horses are degrading the ecology of the park, they should be humanely removed or at least reduced in number.

Apr 20th - 17:03pm | Eva Dyan, M.A.

My concerns have to do with HUMANS as they seem to continue to think that they can control & eliminate every problem that occurs with non-humans anywhere.  This is the first time that this issue with these Majestic Horses have been brought to my attention....As difficult as it is for human beings to admit, all life forms have similar ways of being.....All wish not to be harmed and instincti

Apr 20th - 13:51pm | Celilo

Perhaps Cumberland Island resident Carol Ruckdeschel and any of the otherr plaintiffs should be removed from Cumberland for their disruption of the environment? What a stupid and deceitful lawsuit.

Apr 19th - 17:53pm | Mary Skirving

Please save them 

Apr 19th - 10:25am | Lisa McCune-Noll

My concern is if they are successful, next they'll go after the Chincoteague ponies, which A) seem far more adapted to their island life, B) are successfully managed on Assateague Island, and C) are speciallized enough that they are recognized as their own breed of horse/pony.

Apr 19th - 08:47am | Marcia

They have been there since the 1700's, and now you want them o all be removed?  How about culling to herd to half the number? Is there a monetary motive in this law suit?

Greater Bicycle Access To National Parks Coming With New Revisions to NPS Bicycle Plan

Apr 20th - 07:43am | Randy Zylstra

I have a different angle to pursue.  Is there talk about encouragi g bicycles as alternatives to cars ENTERING the parks?  So if I decide to bike into the park, must I enter the mile long line of cars in order to do so?  Might it encourage better environmental impact to encourage more convwnient bicycle access?   Randy

National Park Service Continues To Score Low In Best Places To Work Survey

Apr 19th - 20:22pm | Leah

It's a similar issue to teaching. You have to be educated and get into college debt for many of these jobs, and many are actually highly skilled. However, the salaries are low and there is an expectation of working seasonally for quite some time. This is very challenging for many people and leads to massive turnover. The lack of consistency harms teambuilding and workplace dynamics.

Mystery Photo 60 Revealed: You're Heading For Laramie Peak!

Apr 19th - 07:04am | Erin Lassley

I watched a video on youtube where a guy zooms in with his camera and sure enough - you can see Laramie Peak and Chimney Rock.  With the naked eye - not so much.    

Federal Agencies Directed To Develop Policies For Migratory Corridors

Apr 18th - 15:30pm | Bob Fisher

Federal Agencies Directed To Develop Policies For Migratory Corridors article. A hopeful story, but the map used, is alarmingly inaccurate in one major respect: The Central Flyway for migratory birds suggests they go nowhere near to southern portions of the Great lakes, whereas the S end of Lake Michigan sees as much as 0.5 billion nocturnal migratory birds in spring.

Fatal Fall from Angels Landing in Zion National Park

Apr 18th - 09:32am | Johnny boy

My son and I did the hike the same day and were told about it the next day while hiking in Bryce Canyon by a couple we had met the previous day on angels landing.  We did the hike the following year and there was yellow caution tape along a stretch of the saddle where one might be tempted to walk the sandy path.

Traveler's View: À La Carte Parks?

Apr 16th - 23:00pm | sajohnson

  As taxpayers, we all pay for plenty of things we do not benefit from -- not directly anyway. If everything was "fee for service"  public transportation (currently subsidized) would be a lot more expensive; libraries would charge a fee; public schools would charge tuition, etc. Of course there would be people who could not afford to pay.

Apr 7th - 09:53am | snochasr

A fair point, but having the NPS operate these systems involves them in something they are not best qualified to do, AND the costs are distributed to every taxpayer, not just those who are using it and getting the benefit. 

Apr 7th - 08:32am | GLA

Where necessary, I support both reservations and lotteries, because I feel that managing over-crowding does help to preserve the resources and to enhance the experiences.  However, I think both making, and cancelling, reservations as well as signing up for lotteries should be free and run by the NPS and not a for-profit business.

Apr 6th - 10:11am | snochasr

The normal way to allocate scare resources is by price-- those who can afford it purchase whatever it is, and those who cannot do without.  There is a great amount of park experience available for just the entry fee, and that is probably small compared to the cost of getting there.  Most of the rest of the fees, though, are for experiences that most do not have the time nor ability to take anyw

Valles Caldera: A Diamond In The Rough?

Apr 16th - 14:25pm | Anonymous

Many of the issues discussed above I believe are the result of mismanagement that are directly related to the superintendent's decisions. The superintendent often says what is palatable--for example, he wishes to preserve the parks values while also increasing visitation. However, his actions are very different.

Fishing Closure Extended On Elwha River And Tributaries In Olympic National Park

Apr 14th - 09:57am | Rodney

The upper Elwha had a healthy trout population prior to the dam removal.  It's was the best trout fishing in western Washington.

Mammoth Cave National Park Harbors More Than A Few Ghost Stories

Apr 12th - 09:41am | Obama

Highly recommend.

UPDATE | Lawsuit Alleges Recreation.Gov Is Cluttered With "Junk Fees," Seeks Refunds

Apr 10th - 10:29am | Barney Rubble

Be mad at the Government for structuring the contract this way. In case you don't understand how federal contracting works, bidders typically bid to terms and conditions written by the Government and have to include a statement that they agree with all terms and conditions of the solicitation.

Fossilized Tracks Stolen From Death Valley National Park

Apr 10th - 07:47am | Vicky

We're the people an/or tracks eve found?

Are Deer Disappearing from Cade's Cove?

Apr 6th - 20:54pm | Tommy Kirkland

Social media is periodically posting videos of predators attacking cervids (deer, mule deer, etc.); and or deer defending against predators and domestic dogs in suburban America. As for the coyotes attacking deer fawns in the wild, the majority of these videos are where deer and other animals (raccoons, predators, etc.) feed within close proximity, primarily with supplemental feeders.

At New River Gorge National River, an Iconic Bridge Attracts Suicide Jumpers

Apr 6th - 07:53am | Mary Biercewicz

I am so sorry for your loss. My son in-laws car was found on the bridge on Sunday 4/2/23 with evidence on the coastline that he jumped but no body as of yet. My daughter just had their first child in Novembe. It's all so devastating. He had attempted suicide in February but was unsuccessfu. He was hospitalized for 4 days and sent home with medication. The system totally failed my family. 

Woman Falls to Her Death in Yellowstone

Apr 5th - 16:15pm | Susan Drewke

Alex Chamberlin.  I believe that might have been your mother.  if so, I am so very sorry for the loss of your mother, and for what your family has suffered.  I have no ability to understand how you deal with this kind of horrific loss.  But I do know how to empathize.  I apologize on behalf of my fellow human beings for the insensitive comments I have read here.

Creature Feature: Some Squirrels Really Can Fly

Apr 3rd - 21:31pm | Lucas Adams

I saw one in Kings Canyon, which is near Sequia National Park, it was about 4 or 5 years ago.

The Trouble With Horses On Cumberland Island

Apr 3rd - 14:41pm | Maureen

I just got back from a visit to the island with the main motivating purpose for traveling there was to see those horses.  I unlike the people you described did not leave with a warm fuzzy feeling.  I have been since dreaming of what I would do if I had money to take the newborns at least from the island and bring them to a new and more nurturing home.

What Does Four Million Visits Mean To Acadia?

Apr 2nd - 16:18pm | Kka

I have been coming to Acadia for over 30 years, almost always in the off season. Over the past several years, the number of people on the trails has skyrocketed. today I was on a trail that used to be primarily known only to locals, may Park employees. It used to be a barely discernible path thrPugh the woods.

Boulder Dam National Recreation Area – Forgotten but Not Gone?

Apr 2nd - 14:36pm | Ken cole

I have visited almost all of the federal parks in the lower 48 states this year I will visit the lake mead Boulder recreational area I'll be coming from Florida on my trip west

Take A Virtual Tour Of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park With This Video

Mar 30th - 07:54am | Kathy

The lava flowing like that was so satisfying

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

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So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.