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Legacy of a Grizzly Attack

Jan 10th - 13:35pm | jersu

Kurt, Thanks for the book suggestion. The author of that book, Stephen Herrero, is quoted on the back cover of my copy of "The Bear's Embrace". He says "her story gives me new energy for my research into helping people prevent bear attacks."

Jan 10th - 08:55am | repanshek

Jeremy,

New Budget Woes Beginning to Surface in Parks

Jan 7th - 08:16am | Alan

I think the privatization angle is on-target. The Bush administration has done the same with other Interior agencies, notably the Fish and Wildlife Service. A case study is the Pennsylvania Field Office in State College. The office has lost 5 biologist positions in five years and was forced to close its Pocono branch office. All this because of budget cuts.

Who's Viewing Traveler?

Jan 3rd - 17:11pm | repanshek

Hey Robot Vegetable, Great photos! You're absolutely right about Little Wild Horse Canyon, too. Back in the '30s, I believe, there was talk about turning the San Rafael Swell into a national park, but it never got off the ground. Now the BLM is struggling to preserve it from rambunctious ATVers and folks who enjoy shooting at rock walls. Keep up the good work. Kurt

Jan 3rd - 16:32pm | the Robot Vegetable

The vast majority of photos in my Utah archive http://www.middle-fork.org/archives/utah/index.html were taken in National Parks. And places that deserve to be in the park system, such as Little Wild Horse.

Jan 3rd - 16:25pm | the Robot Vegetable

They're getting tips on what should be moved into private ownership.

Should Park Entrance Fees be Eliminated?

Jan 1st - 16:25pm | repanshek

Thanks for your feedback, Supt. Longstreet. You raise some good points regarding the financial struggles the Park Service is grappling with.

Dec 30th - 10:54am | JLongstreet

Eliminating park entrance fees, while an attractive concept, isn't as simple, nor likely to be as successful, as Scott Silver and others suggest. Why? 1. The authority to impose and collect fees is established by Congress, not the NPS. Congress clearly intends fee revenue to supplement their own less-than-adequate appropriations for the national parks.

Another Parks Blogger Joins the Ranks

Dec 28th - 13:28pm | jersu

Thanks Kurt, I think you've got a really great blog going here. Between new management policies, solicitation for private dollars, continued threats from development, not to mention hiking, camping and traveling, there is so much going on in the National Park Service, we will probably have a hard time keeping up with it all!

Give to the Parks

Dec 26th - 20:19pm | Kristen Brengel

Happy Holidays! May the new year bring more (not less) protection and enjoyment to our national parks.

New River Gorge Superintendent Speaks Out Against Rim-top Development

Dec 22nd - 17:48pm | Alan

The New River superintendent is right. How could anyone argue otherwise. I would go even further in the strict preservation mode. Too many conservationists are too willing to settle for too little these days. Compromise is the name of the game. Bah humbug. Where's the John Muir model?

Slowly Starving the Parks

Dec 7th - 13:37pm | ex-ranger

Great article Kurt! It's truly a sad state of affairs these days with the American Recreation Coalition and other commercialization/privatization groups making significant gains in using the starving the beast strategy as a major vehicle in turning our parks and forests into amusement parks.

Dec 6th - 11:48am | repanshek

Kathy, a great way to get involved is to comment on what Park Service officials in Washington are trying to do.

Dec 6th - 10:51am | Kathy Rottier

How can a private citizen get involved to help protect the national parks?

Dec 5th - 09:58am | Ranger Bob

Bingo! You have connected the dots that some in the Bush Administration ideologue camp hoped would not be made. It should be added that it is not "all-them" involved in this effort. There are current career NPS employees working to develop some of these changes.

Manson Resigns from Interior Department

Nov 22nd - 10:35am | hayduke

A quick note: While I do not support Manson's policies, you need to research the reason he's leaving-- it is health related. He's not just walking out, his health is forcing the decision. Thanks for the great blog.

Nov 21st - 20:21pm | DRP

Cool blog on parks. Good to get the Manson story out there. I've also got a perspective on it at http://dpatterson.blogspot.com

Rainier's Paradise Inn Closing for Rehab

Nov 18th - 01:19am | sam

It's inevitable that travel accommodations like these have to be repaired. At least, even if the lodge is temporarily unavailable, it is being improved to serve its guests better. It also means having more time to enjoy the panoramic view of the mountains.

Newspaper Suggests Pennsylvania Take Valley Forge Back

Nov 16th - 14:43pm | I wish I were ...

egads! i`ve seen a number of state parks. some good. many just ok. some terrible. i`d wager that few states have the moolah to maintain their own parks in addition to taking over national parks. the only places where i think this could work is where a national park abuts a state one. like big bend in texas, or redwoods in california.

NPS Managers Directed On How to Evaluate Employees

Nov 16th - 14:33pm | Terri Connell

I still work in the 9-5 world. ;-) I've been at 3 different companies in the last six years. Many of them have moved to a review format like this one. (In fact, my current company uses the exact same 5-point designation.)

A Story Congress Should Be Told

Nov 16th - 14:25pm | boojumsnark

I wonder if at times we aren't fighting losing battles on more than one front. I think we tend to fund accessibility projects to a far greater degree than basic conservation projects. Case in point is the $150 million that's now need to rebuild the Going-to-the-Sun highway. True, we haven't been keeping up with maintenance on that road, so the bill is now due.

Should We Delist Grizzlies in the Yellowstone Ecosystem?

Nov 15th - 09:07am | Clinton

It seems that if the Grizzlies could be removed from the list, it could justify and vouch for the idea of endangered species protections in general... So, is the population strong enough in numbers to survive without protection?

Retired NPS Employee Laments New 'Loyalty Oaths'

Nov 13th - 19:05pm | Ranger Bob

You have to love this one. The Bush folks are getting paranoid I would say. First, remember that all federal civil servants take an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution. That has been done, well, for a long time (here is a link addressing that history: (http://www.opm.gov/constitution_initiative/oath.asp.)

Joshua Tree's Landfill: Battle Not Over

Nov 11th - 18:30pm | Chris Clarke

Well, I was going to comment with a rather unconstructive "oh, crap," but your last para - and Howard's elucidation of it - gives me a constructive response to this project that will not die.

Nov 11th - 08:00am | hogro96

Whether or not Kaiser follows through on their promise to appeal, and whether the BLM joins them, will affect the near-term course of events in the fight against the unneeded and ill-conceived Eagle Mountain landfill. Regardless, park supporters should rest assured that all plaintiffs remain committed to fighting this project.

NPCA President Kiernan On Entrance Fee Hikes

Nov 10th - 10:58am | x-ranger

Many people avoid public lands with fees. Furthermore, the higher the fees the fewer the number of low-income visitors will visit the park. While a $5 increase may not seem like much to many Americans, it is for others. Especially those living in rural areas surrounding parks with steep entrance fees. From my experience, many locals avoid parks in their backdoors for this very reason.

Management Policies Primer

Nov 9th - 07:02am | repanshek

Cindy, I do have a call in to the National Park Foundation. However, I'd be surprised to see them comment on what's going on with the Management Policies, as the foundation was created by Congress and isn't likely to bite back.

Nov 8th - 14:14pm | Cindy Barber

Thanks so much for summarizing the current state of play so helpfully for us. I needed to understand where the useful points of influence might be. I wonder if you've had an opportunity to talk to Vin Cipolla and the folks at the National Park Foundation and get their take on these proposed policy changes?

Pombo Measure Just Might Allow Mining in Parks

Nov 8th - 14:32pm | Lisa Brown

Never have I been more ashamed to be from Tracy (the district that Rep. Pombo represents in Congress.) In September, I had written to Resources Chairman Pombo and called his office to express my distinct displeasure at his erstwhile proposal to sell off 15 national parks and naming rights within other parks in order to get Democratic support for drilling in ANWR.

A Conversation With NPCA President Kiernan

Nov 7th - 21:21pm | Elena Incantad...

Gracias por su conversation with Presidente Kiernan. Yo soy del Paso del Norte in Chihuahua (en Mexico), but I now live in El Paso. My favorite park is the massive Big Bend National Park which is about four hours away.

Bangor Daily News Condemns MP Revisions

Nov 7th - 20:00pm | Cindy Barber

Good to hear that those who have a bit of the public's attention are making their opinions known. Even better that they are coming down on the side of clear thinking and sensible policy-making. Would you be so kind as to give us an idea of what kind of timeline the Interior Department is working on to implement the new NPS Management Policies?

When It's Time for Tights

Nov 7th - 06:36am | repanshek

Joan, The base material of the tights blends four-way stretch 80 percent Coolmax and 20 percent Lycra, while the conditioning web itself is two-way stretch 80 percent nylon and 20 percent Lycra.

Nov 5th - 14:15pm | Joan Rowe

I really dislike most synthetics that I have to wear against sweaty skin as it is difficult to keep it free of odor wash after wash. Do you know what material this gear is made of? I checked out the website but it couldn\'t answer my question. Are you going to be testing this gear over the long-term and reporting your results?

Acadia: A Timeless Jewel

Nov 5th - 15:37pm | Dershawn Campbell

I love this park. And your description of what must have been a wonderful day there was just the thing to rekindle memories. Thanks.

Glacier Rolls Out Innovative "eHikes"

Nov 5th - 15:31pm | Mike Trimble

I really liked this. It looks like Glacier is the only park to do this. Am I right? The pictures of the trees, the sounds of the birds, and the talks from the rangers all make it a part of a complete little tour. Only Smell-A-Vision (TM) would make it better.

Nov 5th - 15:26pm | Markus Johannes

Wow! Messrs Hayden, Restivo and Gilk are to be commended for their efforts. What a way for those of us who've enjoyed our visits to Glacier to enjoy them again from the comfort of home.

Nov 3rd - 17:26pm | Clifford J. Ma...

The final solution to the problem of protecting and managing national parks. Create virtual parks where all that is needed is the ability to manipulate computer images. Cynical, perhaps. Possible, very much so.

Blogroll Etiquette

Nov 1st - 22:50pm | Ranger Bob

Just a note to say thank you for the recognition of Neo Commons on your blog. Your coverage of the NPS and the many issues the agency faces today is, at least from my view point, appreciated. I hope that members of the Coalition of NPS Retirees are reading and posting here. If not, I will have to encourage them to do so.

Mesa Verde--Stepping Back into Time

Oct 29th - 14:36pm | eRobin

I have got to get to Colorado. Thanks so much for this post.

Moose Poached Near Grand Teton

Oct 28th - 11:07am | Cowtown Pattie

Is there hunting allowed there, for elk or other fair game? Texas is home to a vast amount of hunters. Now, I know that a part of those hunting licenses' fees go to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission, but it still bothers me. Why would ANYONE want to kill a moose?

What Did the National Park Service Do to the GOP?

Oct 28th - 09:38am | Cowtown Pattie

Amen, MM. I stopped by your place via Chris' blog, Creek Running North. The recent governmental assaults on our public parks are scandalous, if not outright criminal. I'm not a skilled wilderness explorer (although, I would love to have that as a fulltime profession), but it doesn't take an expert to see the road ahead is not good in terms of preservation and conservation.

Oct 26th - 20:11pm | MatherMemory

Good reading. Would be nice if some of the major media outlets would tie it together for the country to see. No offense to bloggers, of course.

Well, At Least DOI Was Pleased

Oct 21st - 08:48am | Steven

Right on, Kurt. Nothing wrong with enjoyment but parks cannot be expected to satisfy every type of use without suffering serious degradation.

NPS Management Policies Revision Toned Down

Oct 18th - 18:30pm | Steve

Kurt,

NPS Organic Act To be Examined

Oct 17th - 13:52pm | climb_ca

And don't forget the latest outrage, Bush Instituting Political Loyalty Tests for National Park Service Employees (http://tinyurl.com/ar9zu) Will it never end?

What Should be Done With Our Parks?

Oct 17th - 09:54am | Alan

From parks to public transit and all points between, each administration inside the beltway tends to neglect the public trust in favor of private friends. This administration, the one led by George W. Bush, has reached historically new lows in its handling of the public's trust.

Pack A Stick

Oct 11th - 12:30pm | Larry Repanshek

Don't know much about hiking sticks but I am wondering how they would help an Incomplete Paraplegic with walking on the sandy beaches of Cape Cod?

Oct 7th - 16:43pm | Claire Walter

My hiking stick epiphany came on a (stick-free) hut-to-hut hike in Switzerland some years back. As I watched Swiss farmers, sticks in hand, tending cattle on steep Alpine slopes, it occurred to me that people all over the world who run up and down mountainsides chasing cows, sheep or whatever all use sticks, not just to shake at their livestock but also for stability on uneven slopes.

Manson: No Need To Tinker With Organic Act

Oct 4th - 09:17am | Rick Smith

Good questions for Manson. Many of his replies are disingenuous. For instance, when he talks about the $4.9 billion invested in wiping out the maintenance backlog, he forgets to mention that almost none of this is "new" money. He is simply adding up what the NPS would have spent on regular maintenance and calling it backlog maintenance money.

Oct 4th - 08:23am | Bill Wade

Great interview with Manson. The title indicating he doesn't think there is a need to tinker with the Organic Act should apply also to the NPS Management Policies.

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