Kurt Repanshek


Biography

Kurt Repanshek built his journalism career atop a 14-year stint with The Associated Press that saw him rise from a general assignment reporter to correspondent-in-charge for the state of Wyoming. Since embarking on a freelance career in the fall of 1993, his articles have appeared in Smithsonian, National Geographic Traveler, Audubon, National Wildlife, Hemispheres, Wilderness, and other publications. He launched NPT in August 2005 because of his love, and concern, for national parks.

His other credits include an article on national parks of the world for Microsoft’s Encarta CD-Rom as well as three guidebooks to the national parks. A contributor to the Travel Arts Syndicate, his stories have appeared in the Miami Herald, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Denver Post, and other newspapers.

During his AP career Kurt helped direct and contribute to AP coverage of the 1988 forest fires in and around Yellowstone National Park; covered statewide, congressional, and presidential campaigns, and; closely followed public lands issues in the Rocky Mountain West. A freelance story he wrote on the collapse of the WordPerfect software designer won top honors from the Society of Professional Journalists, Utah chapter.



Kurt's Most Recent Comments (view all)
  • 7/05/2008 5:53 am - Comment Period for Proposed Gun Rule Change in National Parks Extended 30 Days : Fred, totaling the votes doesn't matter when the government considers public comments. If that were the case, there wouldn't be any recreational snowmobiling in Yellowstone, where there were tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of more votes [i]against[/i] snowmobiling than [i]for[/i] snowmobiling. The bottom line is the substance of the ...
  • 7/01/2008 9:47 am - “10 Best National Parks”? National Geographic, You Have Got to be Kidding! : Now you're talking. I've had the pleasure to sample Yoho and, I think, Kootenay. Definitely need to head that way soon for a longer stay.
  • 6/23/2008 1:00 pm - Olmsted Island, Great Falls Park : Thanks for the pointer, Rangertoo. That means my search for shots of some of the more obscure units has gone even farther than I imagined when I loaded this shot!
  • 6/17/2008 2:48 pm - Commentary: Who Runs the National Park System? : Sabattis, You're right that almost any recreational use "for enjoyment of the people" will have some impact. I don't think anyone questions that. So the goal should be to aim for the least impacting activity, no? After all, it's been accepted, even by the courts, that the Park Service's primary ...
  • 6/17/2008 3:36 am - Commentary: Who Runs the National Park System? : Sabattis, Over the nearly three years that I've been following the Yellowstone snowmobile saga on the [i]Traveler[/i] I've cited and pointed to many reports that have addressed the pollution load of snowmobiles via snowcoaches and which have said the best way to reduce impacts to the park would be to ...
  • 6/14/2008 8:21 am - How Can We Build Advocates for the National Parks? : It was a Nikon, I believe my old N-70, which since has been replaced by a D80.
  • 6/10/2008 7:29 am - Search on For Overdue Hikers In Grand Canyon National Park : Joe, The call for a SAR went out when the couple failed to show up in Prescott on a previously agreed upon date. I'm not exactly sure where they lost the trail. Park officials said simply that they "overshot" their exit route and went into the wrong side canyon. Hydration ...
  • 6/08/2008 5:22 pm - Conservation Groups Will Head to Court Over Yellowstone Snowmobile Decision : What I believe to be *the* central problem with this issue is it's become a political football and so, as the [url=http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2007/10/director-bomar-let-science-not-politics-decide-yellowstone-snowmobile-issue]scientists themselves admit[/url], science is not the guiding light on this matter. As for whether it can be demonstrated that snowmobiles are impairing the park for future generations, as ...
  • 6/06/2008 11:47 am - Traveler's View: Concealed Weapons Have No Place In Our National Park System : Sorry anonymous, but am I to understand that raising one's voice to question management decisions is political? So if one were to question ESA decisions, or fee decisions, or trail-building decisions, one would be immersing themselves in politics? If that's an accurate understanding, then should the [i]Traveler[/i] restrict its coverage ...
  • 6/06/2008 10:52 am - Traveler's View: Concealed Weapons Have No Place In Our National Park System : Hmmmm, not political. That's why the NRA -- one of the most powerful lobbies in the country -- admittedly scripted the letters that were sent by senators to Interior Secretary Kempthorne, and that's why the NRA worked with Sen. Coburn to introduce his amendment to open the parks to concealed ...


Kurt's Most Recent Articles (view all)

Cape Cod National Seashore: How Do You Define Historic?

Walter Gropius, founder of the influential German Bauhaus school of design, implored the managers of the brand new Cape Cod National Seashore to design facilities, such as visitor centers and bathhouses, with an innovative approach. Rustic cabin design found in Western national parks wouldn’t work here, but Modern design featuring modest scale and a light footprint on the land would.

Comment Period for Proposed Gun Rule Change in National Parks Extended 30 Days

Interior Department officials have agreed to extend through July the comment period on a proposal to allow visitors to national parks to carry guns.

Do You Care About Energy Exploration Near Our National Parks?

As energy prices creep steadily higher, there's a growing segment of America that believes short-term relief can literally be tapped from fossil-fuel resources in the Western states. But many of those resources are found on public lands that buffer national parks, national wildlife refuges, and wilderness areas, and their development could have dire consequences for those landscapes.

Yellowstone National Park Sees Record Visitation in June

If you went to Yellowstone National Park in June, you weren't alone. The park saw record visitation last month as more than 610,000 folks made their way to Yellowstone.

Senators Willing to Legislate Clean Air Over National Parks if EPA Does Protect Airsheds

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators has gone on record with the director of the Environmental Protection Agency that they will find legislative solutions to provide clean air over national parks if his agency can't protect those airsheds.

Mount Rainier National Park Ready to Open Sunrise For Visitors

If you're not interested in heading to Paradise, you can always go to Sunrise at Mount Rainier National Park. Located on the volcano's eastern flanks, the Sunrise area opens for the summer on July 3.

Glacier National Park's Going-to-the-Sun Road Open End to End

It took longer than usual, but the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park has been opened from end-to-end.

NPR on the National Parks

National Public Radio is on the road in the National Park System this week, visiting both iconic and obscure parks. But is there a chink in NPR's coverage?
Video Feature

Natural History: Northern Elephant Seals

Northern elephant seals are huge marine animals, with males weighing more than two tons. Point Reyes National Seashore is a great place to view these animals, but not in summer. Rather, come either late or early in the year when the seals congregate on the seashore's beaches to breed and give birth.

Park History: Mammoth Cave National Park

Long before anyone thought of national parks, folks were heading down into Mammoth Cave to see the sights. And if you've ever visited this incredible underground labyrinth, you'd understand why.