National Park News: February 2009

Canyonlands NP:
Hiking in Utah's Canyonlands National Park
Hiking and Backpacking in the Island in the Sky District near Moab
Canyonlands National Park is Utah’s largest park and is divided into 3 districts by the remarkably carved canyons of the Green and Colorado Rivers. The Island in the Sky district of the park is the most easily accessible of the three districts and offers incredible panoramic views and several easy to moderate trail systems. This district sits atop sheer vertical cliffs rising over 1000 feet above the river floor and literally looks like an island in the sky
http://backpacking-trips.suite101.com/article.cfm/hiking_in_utahs_canyonlands_national_park

Crater Lake NP:
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) — Firefighters rescued a 26-year-old man who slid roughly 200 feet after trying to recover a friend's cell phone that fell into the caldera at Crater Lake National Park.
http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/inde...orylist=orlocal

Cuyahoga Valley National Park
A mid-winter storm that dumped nearly a foot of snow on the region Jan. 28 was a welcome prelude to the 27th Ohio Special Olympics Winter Games.
http://www.hudsonhubtimes.com/news/article/4515982

Denali NP:
Denali National Park
Charles Darwin may have been born 200 years ago come Feb. 12, but his theory of evolution remains an everyday touchstone for modern biologists. And while the Origin of Species author might not have known the term “global warming,” he wouldn’t have been surprised that the environment is changing. He would, however, be astonished by the speed at which it’s happening today.
http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/newpost.php?Cat=0&Board=National%20Park&page=0

Great Smoky NP:
Cades Cove women subject of program
Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a favorite spot for tourists. But in the not-so-distant past, it was a close-knit community where families worked, lived and worshiped.
http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20090201/WOMEN/302019988

Kenai Fords NP:
$200,000 in grants will result in Exit Glacier education pavilion
SEWARD -- Exit Glacier, a popular attraction at the Kenai Fjords National Park, will be getting a new education pavilion, thanks to a $200,000 infusion.
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/kenai/story/675837.html

Misc. Parks News:
Stimulus Plan mixes long and short term goal projects
WASHINGTON -- No matter the color of your work shirt, this recession is sparing few.
From blue collar construction workers to white collar financial sector employees, the economic crisis has dragged a growing swath of American workers into joblessness.
http://www.kentucky.com/473/story/678414.html

Depression-era stimulus boosted national parks
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif. — The economy was in shambles. Millions of Americans were out of work. Saying something drastic needed to be done, the newly elected president announced a massive economic stimulus package aimed at repairing the nation's sagging infrastructure and putting people back to work.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705281696,00.html

Olympic NP:
An Indian reservation on the move
After years of having its homes wash away in floods and tsunamis, the Hoh tribe of Washington's Olympic Peninsula wants to transplant its entire village to higher ground.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-hoh-reservation1-2009feb01,0,7557463.story


Shenandoah NP:
Downward Trend Continues In Park Visits
Weather, Gas Prices Cited As Recent Factors
SHENANDOAN NATIONAL PARK - For the past 10 years, attendance at Shenandoah National Park has been declining and last year was no different.
The park saw about 1.09 million visitors in 2008, down 2.8 percent from the previous year, according to Karen Beck-Herzog, the park's public affairs officer.
Park officials say the dip in visitation was primarily due to weather, which always plays a major role in attendance.
http://www.dnronline.com/news_details.php?AID=35164&CHID=1

Rocky Mountain NP:
Craig briefs: Wildlife workshop is Thursday
Colorado’s big game season structure, Division of Wildlife budget projections and an update on Rocky Mountain National Park’s elk culling effort headline the agenda for the Colorado Wildlife Commission’s February workshop in Denver.
http://www.craigdailypress.com/news/2009/feb/02/craig_briefs_wildlife_workshop_thursday/

RMNP revising fire management plan
Changes in Rocky Mountain National Park’s ecosystem, and the way wildfires behave there, are prompting park officials to create a new fire management plan.
http://www.reporterherald.com/news_story.asp?id=21304

Omnibus bill will protect Colorado lands
It’s called an omnibus bill because it contains a lot of different things, but for many in Colorado one feature of the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act stands out.
http://www.timescall.com/editorial/editorial.asp?ID=14193

Yellowstone NP:
Yellowstone activity not precursor to eruption
The largest swarm of earthquakes in more than 20 years struck Yellowstone National Park recently, but experts say the seismic activity shouldn't be viewed as a prelude to a major volcanic eruption.
http://www.idahopress.com/news/?id=19462

There was literally TONS of news over the last couple of days which I am glad to share with everyone. Some of the threads have some similar information (such as the wolves threads in Yellowstone NP thread). Having said that, I felt they were different enough to publish together.

James


Acadia NP:
Commission supports stimulus help
Members of Acadia National Park Advisory Commission approved a resolution urging Congress to fund projects in Acadia as part of its stimulus package. The resolution will be sent to members of Maine’s Congressional delegation.
http://mdislander.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8757&Itemid=36

Snowmobile fair set
Mount Desert Island Hospital Emergency Department and the Acadia National park rangers and emergency services will join to offer the Ride Right Snowmobile safety program at the park headquarters on Eagle Lake Road on Saturday, Feb. 21, starting at 8:30 a.m. The program is open to the public.
http://mdislander.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8753&Itemid=36

Arches NP:
Salazar Cancels Contested Utah Drilling Leases
The Interior Department yesterday announced that it would cancel leases issued under the Bush administration that would have allowed oil and gas drilling on more than 100,000 acres of Utah wild lands, much of it surrounding iconic treasures like Arches National Park.
http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/17614

Lawsuit on federal gas and oil leases is left in limbo
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's decision to cancel 77 disputed federal oil and gas leases in Utah has left a lawsuit against the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the Interior Department in a holding pattern.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11639480

Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
The National Park Service says the public can view its 2008 reports on protected species found within the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
http://www.newsobserver.com/1565/story/1395881.html

Denali NP:
Rangers to lead weekend snowshoe hikes in Denali Park
If you’re looking for a change of pace and an excuse to get out of town, you might consider heading to Denali Park to tromp around on a pair of snowshoes for the day or weekend.
http://newsminer.com/news/2009/feb/05/rangers-lead-weekend-snowshoe-hikes-denali-park/

Everglades NP:
U.S. Sugar Land Vital for Everglades
Florida is positioned to take a giant leap forward in our effort to protect the Everglades. On the table is a deal that would allow the state to purchase more than 182,000 acres of property in the Everglades Agricultural Area that is owned by the United States Sugar Corp..
http://www.theledger.com/article/2009020..._for_Everglades

To avoid 'giant python in Everglades,' lawmaker working to ban import, trade
It reads like the plot to a budget horror flick: Pythons fill up the Everglades and spread across the southern third of the United States.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/hp/content/local_news/epaper/2009/02/04/a1b_pythons_0205.html

Grand Teton NP:
Forest: Don’t poach powder
Bridger-Teton National Forest officials are asking Jackson Hole residents to keep an eye out for skiers in closed areas after a series of violations were reported this week.
http://www.jacksonholenews.com/article.php?art_id=4222

Great Smoky NP:
smokies seeks volunteers for non-native plant control project
Great Smoky Mountains National Park managers are recruiting volunteers to help carry out a one-day assault on two very invasive non-native plants to be conducted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sat., Feb. 21, at the Park’s Big Creek Campground and Picnic Area.
http://seymourherald.com/news/2009/feb/05/smokies-seeks-volunteers-for-n/

Park could benefit from stimulus package
In 1933, as the nation was suffering a staggering amount of unemployment, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Emergency Conservation Work Act. The legislation created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), supplying millions of unemployed Americans with jobs.
http://www.thesmokymountaintimes.com/articles/2009/02/05/news/news03.txt

What’s bone-chilling cold? 22 degrees below zero
Think it’s been frigid in Knoxville with lows close to single digits? That’s balmy compared to the conditions atop Mount Leconte.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/feb/04/whats-bone-chilling-cold-22-degrees-below-zero/

Misc. Parks News:
Bill would put federal tax on state mine operations
The Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009 (H.R. 699) would change the 1872 mining law by imposing a federal royalty on the production of hardrock minerals on federal lands similar to the royalties paid by coal, oil and gas industries.
http://www.cibolabeacon.com/articles/2009/02/05/news/doc498b74014eb61102794040.txt

Rocky Mountain NP:
Rocky Mountain National Park begins culling elk herd with marksmen
Members of the media were invited to Rocky Mountain National Park’s east side on Wednesday to witness an activity unprecedented inside the Park’s borders: the shooting of a wild animal.
http://www.skyhidailynews.com/article/20...with%20marksmen

Elk culling is now under way in Colorado's largest national park.
The practice, used as a conservation tool to reduce an animal's population, is the result of an 11-year process which included, community meetings, research and planning.
"Culling is an activity we don't take lightly," said Ben Bobowski with the National Park Service (NPS).
http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=109212&catid=339

Saguaro NP:
Saguaro National Park expanding trails
Saguaro National Park is getting ready to expand its trail network by 20 percent.
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/278956

Yellowstone NP:
The wolf-dog connection
Scientists discover genetic link between black wolves, first domesticated dogs
The black wolf trotting across Yellowstone National Park's Lamar Valley can trace its heritage back to the first domesticated dogs that crossed with humans from Asia 10,000 to 15,000 years ago.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/02/06/news/wyoming/18-hungrylike.txt

Dog gene heeds call of the wild
Wolves may inherit their coat color from their domesticated cousins
Dogs flash back to their wild ancestry when they howl inexplicably at the full moon or pace a circle before lying down. These behaviors may be vestiges of the dogs’ early days as wolves. But new research shows that some wild wolves probably inherited a trait from their domesticated cousins. Black wolves received a gene for coat color from domesticated dogs through interspecies breeding, suggests research in the Feb. 6 Science.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/40621/title/Dog_gene_heeds_the_call_of_the_wild

Biologists solve mystery of black wolves
Why do nearly half of North American wolves have black coats while European wolves are overwhelmingly gray or white? The surprising answer, according to teams of biologists and molecular geneticists from Stanford University, UCLA, Sweden, Canada and Italy, is that the black coats are the result of historical matings between black dogs and wild gray wolves.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-02/uoc--bsm020509.php

Operation: Dark Wolf
Many millennia ago, man created dog. As the story goes, gray wolves in East Asia took to the comforts of human camp life somewhere between 15,000 and 40,000 years ago. People bred their new canine companions for docility and other favored traits. Dogs then accompanied humans crossing the Bering Strait into the Americas 12,000–14,000 years ago.
http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2009-02/operation-dark-wolf?page=

New bison plan rejected
A plan to turn bison management over to the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks was shot down Thursday.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/02/05/news/state/18-bison.txt

Today was a relatively quiet news day, though it was there to be found. :P On a related note, the stimulus bill looks like it now has 'bipartisan' support (LOL, a non filibusterable majority) and will pass. I am curious to see how the parks came out in the process...

Acadia NP:
Maine groups join lawsuits to stop guns in parks
Two Maine groups have joined two federal lawsuits seeking to overturn a new policy that allows people to carry concealed, loaded guns in most national parks.
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20090206-NEWS-90206042

Charles Pinckney National HS:
Gullah heritage highlighted at national park site
The National Park Service celebrates the South Carolina's Gullah heritage with a series of weekend programs during the next two months.
The programs, presented with the help of the town of Mount Pleasant, are being held at 2 p.m. each Saturday at the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site in the town.
http://www.thestate.com/statewire/story/677380.html

Everglades NP:
Tour of missile site terrifies all over again
HOMESTEAD
As I traipsed through the tall grass during a tour of the long-closed missile base in Everglades National Park, chatting with other baby boomers who were kids when our nightmares included a mushroom cloud, I suddenly remembered my dad's dilapidated orange crate.
http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/article973801.ece

Great Smoky NP:
Mapping the Mountains: The Photographs of George Masa Opens at Asheville Art Museum
http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=2&int_new=28824

Two N.C. men jailed in Smokies ginseng dig
Two North Carolina men accused of illegally digging American ginseng in Great Smoky Mountains National Park have been sentenced to jail terms.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/feb/05/tw-nc-men-jailed-smokies-ginseng-dig/

Misc. Parks News
Stimulus bill (Editorial)
Last October, Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, issued a statement opposing the Congressional bailout.
http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20090206/OPINION/902060303


Mountain bike group asks members to support national parks rule change
IMBA, the International Mountain Bicycling Association, is urging all mountain bikers to support a proposed rule change under which it will be easier for the U.S. National Park Service to expand trails for mountain biking in various parks.
http://www.examiner.com/x-2707-NY-Cyclin...rks-rule-change

Redwood NP:
Park, timber company to share some roads
Redwood National Park and the Green Diamond Resource Co. will be able to use some of each other's roads to access land in the Redwood Creek area.
http://www.times-standard.com/localnews/ci_11651798

Yellowstone NP:
Thus far,bison stick to the park
After a deadly winter last year that saw their ranks thinned by more than a third, Yellowstone National Park's bison haven't ventured outside the park so far this winter.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/02/07/news/wyoming/18-bison.txt

Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (Hey, that looks one of Roman's shot!)
Oregon's 150 best: Columbia River
This section of the Columbia River, from Wasco County downstream to Columbia County, has one of the most beautiful locales in Oregon _ the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.
http://blog.oregonlive.com/terryrichard/2009/02/oregons_150_best_columbia_rive.html

State finalizes land plan amendments near Denali
On January 20th, the State of Alaska issued a notice of adoption of the Tanana Basin Area Plan Amendment. The lands included in the document were from Cantwell, north to Anderson and west of Cantwell on the Denali Highway. The amendments were needed in order to convey lands from the state to the Denali Borough.
http://ktna.org/2009/02/06/state-finalizes-land-plan-amendments-near-denali/

Grand Canyon NP:
Mohave County leaders back mining in Arizona Strip
BULLHEAD CITY, Ariz. (AP) - Mohave County supervisors will urge Congress to allow uranium mining in a section of the state northwest of Grand Canyon National Park.
http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=9802552

Canyon deaths likely murder-suicide
Two people, whose bodies were recovered just after midnight Thursday at the Grand Canyon, likely died as a result of a murder- suicide, the National Park Service announced Thursday.
http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2009/02/06/news/20090206_front_190404.txt

Outside the US/Canadian NP System:
Elephant festival to begin at Kaziranga National Park
GOLAGHAT (Assam): The seventh elephant festival would begins on Monday in Assam's Kaziranga National Park, a world heritage site and home to the highly endangered one-horned rhinos.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Flor...how/4095076.cms

Rocky Mountain NP:
What's going on: Winter Trails day is Saturday
Winter Trails day will take place from10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Rocky Mountain National Park.
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20090208/ENTERTAINMENT06/902080308

Yellowstone NP:
Bison staying in Yellowstone this winter (Reported Previously)
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) -- Only one bison has been shot by a hunter after wandering out of Yellowstone National Park this winter.
http://www.wtte28.com/template/inews_wire/wires.national/3e657a3b-www.wtte.com.shtml

Professor to talk about park quakes
BOZEMAN - University of Utah geophysicist Robert B. Smith is scheduled to talk about Yellowstone National Park's earthquake and volcanic activity on Feb. 19.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/02/08/news/stat/60-professor.txt

Wolves tied to elk decline in parts of state
A study released Friday confirms what some hunters have long suspected — that the elk population in some areas of Montana has dropped dramatically due to wolf predation.
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2009/02/07/top/80st_090207_wolves.txt

MSU hosts Yellowstone Supervolcano talk on Feb. 19
Yellowstone's past and present earthquake activity is the subject of a talk by geophysicist Bob Smith set at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, at Bozeman's Emerson Cultural Center. The event is sponsored by Montana State University.
http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=6789

Horse Butte homeowners head to Helena
The ceiling of the old Supreme Court floor in Helena is covered with paintings depicting defining points in Montana's history. Among these scenes are Lewis Meriwether's first view of the Rockies, the approval of our state constitution, a depiction of a wagon train under attack by Indians and a Native American bison hunt.
http://www.westyellowstonenews.com/articles/2009/02/06/news/news1.txt

Acadia NP:
Grounds for Appeal
Two-book set traces the birth, evolution of two treasured Mount Desert Island gardens
Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are,” wrote English poet Alfred Austin in the late 19th century.
http://www.bangornews.com/detail/99067.html

Badlands NP:
Badlands National Park receives green rating
Badlands National Park is one of 15 parks in the Midwest Region of the National Park Service that has been rated green, the highest mark a park can get on the Environmental Management System Scorecard, superintendent Paige Baker said.
http://www.argusleader.com/article/20090209/NEWS/902090320/1003/BUSINESS

Denali NP:
An Alaska life lived large
Daryl Miller came home to Alaska not sure of where he was going.
http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/683375.html


Everglades NP:
Exotic fish pose threat to native species in Everglades
The small pond six miles deep in Everglades National Park suddenly began bubbling like a pot aboil -- a telltale sign of air-slurping walking catfish.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/environment/story/894861.html

Glacier NP:
Climate change most affecting the mountains
The swift meltdown of the glaciers in Glacier National Park has led scientists to a surprising realization: Mountains are more susceptible to global warming than the lowlands around them.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090209/NEWS01/902090301

Now, then photos capture glaciers' steep decline
Sometimes it takes a picture to see what isn't there.
Lisa McKeon and Dan Fagre have been watching Glacier National Park's glaciers shrink from their U.S. Geological Survey offices in West Glacier for years. They've downloaded the satellite data, dug the ice cores and analyzed the tree rings, stacking up the evidence that climate change will erase the park's iconic landmarks within their own lifetimes.
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/02/09/news/mtregional/news06.txt

Grand Canyon NP:
People of the blue-green water
For the last nearly 1,000 years, the inhabitants of the canyon have been Havasupai. This ancient tribe is now sharing its unique and ancient origins, history, art and culture with the general public.
http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2009/...unda_190449.txt



Great Smoky NP:
Governor focuses on plant invaders
Gov. Phil Bredesen has issued a state proclamation declaring Feb. 22-28 as Invasive Weed Awareness Week in Tennessee.
http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20090209/NEWS01/902090311

Misc Parks News:
Turner: The long journey to wilderness
A half-million abandoned mines litter the American West, many dribbling poisons into rivers and streams. But after more than a century of healing, one such place is poised to become one of America's newest wilderness areas. It's a testament to the resilience of nature and the vision of the people who fought to preserve it.
http://www.redding.com/news/2009/feb/09/the-long-journey-to-wilderness/

Burns' next effort visits U.S. parks
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. -- Before the national forests were designated or the interstate highways conceived, Congress made national parks.
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/con...7O.html?sid=101

Rocky Mountain NP:
RMNP officials, area residents to work on plan for a changing forest
ESTES PARK — Residents whose properties abut Rocky Mountain National Park look with alarm at the patches of trees on the mountainside killed by bark beetles.
http://www.reporterherald.com/news_story.asp?id=21437

Shenandoah NP:
People Take Advantage of Weather at Shenandoah National Park
February isn't always the ideal month to go hiking at Shenandoah National Park.
http://www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv/news/headlines/39290377.html

Yellowstone NP:
Study details wolf role in elk losses
Wolves aren't the elk eliminators some people paint them to be - nor are they blameless in the reduction of Montana's elk population, a new report says.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/02/08/news/state/24-study.txt

Dogs gave wolves, coyotes black coats
Black wolves and coyotes, often the villains of cartoons and children's fairy tales, apparently inherited their color from a much more warm and fuzzy animal: the dog.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008719874_woof08.html

A bit of a quiet news day, but here are a few headlines that folks may find interesting.

Cheers
James

Arches/Canyonlands NP:
Salazar decision a blow to Utah's economy, energy security
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar's decision to reject 77 bids from the Bureau of Land Management's December lease sale was a serious blow to Utah's struggling budget and economy, and signals that the new administration is not serious about its stated goal of increasing our energy security.
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_11665995

Everglades NP:
Everglades Cleanup Threatened by Financial Crisis
Despite financial uncertainties and legal challenges, Florida officials are proceeding with a U.S. $1.34-billion plan to restore the Everglades to something approaching its natural state.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/02/090206-everglades-plan.html

Glacier NP:
BILLINGS - Advocates of returning grizzly bears to the Bitterroot and Cascade mountain ranges have been heartened by the shift in the political climate in Washington, D.C.
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/02/10/news/mtregional/news08.txt

GNP officials propose improvements
Glacier National Park officials are proposing improvements to restrooms, the shuttle stop and a power system at Logan Pass.
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=9816249

Snow pack of 2009 creates unique challenges
This winter has avalanche forecasters across the province on their toes. They are trying to predict and manage the kind of snow pack that has not been seen since the 1980s. Long periods of cold dry weather, followed by heavy snowfall in early January caused the closure of many highways across the province. These conditions created many challenges for decision makers in Rogers Pass in Glacier National Park. Between December 25 and January 14, 230 cm of snow fell on a snow pack that had been weakened by extended periods of dry cold weather, all of which sat on a deep crust from a November warming period.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/revelstoketimesreview/lifestyles/39341144.html

Grand Canyon NP:
Storm wreaks havoc on area highways
The snow northern Arizona was expecting Saturday finally arrived early Sunday morning -- and though it had been expected, it still created problems for travelers, especially on the highways.
http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2009/02/09/news/local/20090209_local_190605.txt

Misc Parks News:
What would Thoreau do? (Editorial)
Our histories will be authored when we’re dust, penned in the full sunlight of what we’ve left for those after us.
http://www.telluridenews.com/articles/2009/02/10/opinion/editorials/doc49910c5595897381957063.txt

Rocky Mountain NP:
Colorado delegation should support Omnibus Lands bill
A huge package of land conservation legislation, the S22 Omnibus Lands Bill, passed the Senate January 15 by a 73-21 vote and awaits a vote in the House. It could go to a House committee first or head directly to the floor and the voting is likely to move fast.
http://www.montrosepress.com/articles/2009/02/10/opinion/editorials/doc49910caa69fd0355653537.txt



Saguaro NP:
Saguaro National Park could soon have a comprehensive trails plan
A proposed trail management plan for the entire Saguaro National Park closes some trails and opens new ones to protect the desert landscape. Some continue to watch closely with their comments ready for the final result.
http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=9816827

Another big news day today...

James

Death Valley NP
(JM Note - Do I hear another potential flower bloom coming?)
Storm dumps 27 inches of new snow on Mount Charleston
A weekend storm that brought cooler weather and more than half an inch of rain to the Las Vegas Valley also brought 27 inches of fresh snow to Mount Charleston and smiles to at least one ski resort operator.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/39357652.html

Everglades NP:
Florida Invasive Fish Problem “10 Times Worse Than the Python”
Florida’s Everglade’s National Park has faced an invasion from giant pythons that prey on nearly any animal, big and small. But according to park biologist Dave Hallac, the problems caused by the spread of pythons pale in comparison to the proliferation of exotic fish species in the Everglades.
http://planetsave.com/blog/2009/02/10/florida-invasive-fish-problem-10-times-worse-than-the-python/

Glacier NP:
Airport, highway work still ahead this year
Glacier Park International Airport is poised for an upswing in activity this year.
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articles/2009/02/11/news/local_montana/news_8765669012_03.txt

A Luminous Forecast
Climate change at the local level
http://riverjournal.com/vivvo/News/520.html

Park officials release Logan Pass study
WEST GLACIER, Mont. (AP) Glacier National Park officials have released an environmental assessment for proposed projects on the park's Logan Pass.
http://www.kxmc.com/News/330672.asp

Grand Canyon NP:
DPS opens more roads in storm affected N. Ariz.
Skies cleared over Arizona Tuesday, leaving behind trucks and vehicles scattered across a snow-covered landscape and happy ski resort operators, hopeful that skiers could get to the slopes on the hazardous roads.
http://www.ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=1041631&r=1

Couple identified in Grand Canyon murder-suicide
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK — Authorities investigating two deaths within the Grand Canyon National Park say an 82-year-old man killed his wife before shooting himself.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/109812.php

Grand Teton NP:
Program to Kill Weeds in Wyoming's Grand Teton
n the "Your Tax Dollars at Work" category, we have a potential $500,000 weed program for Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park. An Interior Department contract solicitation seeks landscapers who can inventory then kill weeds along some 250 miles or roads. There's no question the weeds are noxious. Anyone who's touched thistle knows that. But aren't national parks supposed to be natural? And it's not just at Teton. The government also wants them gone in Custer, S.D., home to the Black Hills National Forest.
http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/wash...rand-teton.html

Great Smoky Mountain NP:
Combining jokes, a little singing, and discussion of her various charitable activities, Dolly Parton charmed a jam packed crowd at the National Press Club today.
http://www.jacksonsun.com/article/20090210/NEWS01/90210054

Misc. Parks News:
A $2 Billion Shady Deal In the Stimulus Bill?
Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee are asking questions about the lobbying activities of Craig Obey, who is the son of House Appropriations Committee chairman David Obey. The elder Obey is, as much as anyone, the author of the giant stimulus bill that passed the House. Craig Obey works for an organization called the National Parks Conservation Association, which describes its mission as "to protect and enhance America's national parks for present and future generations" and to "advocate for the national parks and the National Park Service."
http://www.dcexaminer.com/politics/A-2-Billion-Shady-Deal-In-the-Stimulus-Bill-39375892.html

Flight 93 family plans to complete airplane’s scheduled route
Family and friends of Louis “Joey” Nacke II will ride motorcycles on the route that United Flight 93 was supposed to take on Sept. 11, 2001, for this year’s anniversary of the crash.
http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2009/02/09/news/news/news863.txt

The Nature Conservancy Urges Passage of Omnibus Public Lands Management Act
hile the nation’s attention is focused on the movement of the economic stimulus plan, another important piece of legislation is poised to become law. The Omnibus Public Lands Management Act (S.22) is the most comprehensive public lands bill the Congress has considered in recent years. The bi-partisan Act addresses national, regional and local needs for the conservation of our forests, rivers, coastal and marine resources.
http://www.nature.org/pressroom/press/press3892.html

Rocky Mountain NP:
John Dingell: America's Longest-Serving Representative (Please note, not really an article on RMNP, but he did serve there).
In 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat, Rock Around the Clock hit the top of the music charts, and John Dingell was elected to Congress. The 29-year-old lawyer won a special election to replace his father, who died in office, and won a full term of his own the following year. On Feb. 11— after 26 more elections— the Michigan Democrat became the longest-serving House member in U.S. history. Dingell, now 82, spoke with TIME about his early days in Washington, the crisis in the American automobile industry and how he does not want to be remembered.
http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1878671,00.html

Free Snowshoe Tryouts Offered at Winter Trails Day
Estes Park, CO, February 11, 2009 --(PR.com)-- There’s more than one way to experience outdoor winter fun. Many find the thrill and adventure of walking in the snow in pristine areas far outweigh the experience of paying to schuss down an icy slope. For those interested in learning how to experience nature while enjoying the winter landscape, the Winter Trails organization and Estes Park Chamber of Commerce have just the answer: Winter Trails Day in Rocky Mountain National Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 14.
http://www.pr.com/press-release/131607

Shenandoah NP:
Man claims park service harassment
A previously unnamed whistleblower with the National Park Service has come forward, and he claims he was unjustly prosecuted because of disclosures he made concerning the agency.
http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/515639.html?nav=5006

Yellowstone NP:
Talk planned on Yellowstone quake swarm
Yellowstone National Park's recent swarm of earthquakes will be the topic of conversation at a talk in Bozeman later this month.
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=9780961&nav=menu227_1

Glacier NP:
Glacier considering Logan Pass projects
Glacier National Park officials are seeking public comments on a plan for improvements at Logan Pass.
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articles/2009/02/12/news/local_montana/news_8765583666_05.txt

Misc. Parks News
PBS to air new Ken Burns film
Public Broadcasting Service announced today that it will air the new Ken Burns documentary series, "The National Parks: America's Best Idea," in fall 2009.
http://www.newsleader.com/article/20090212/NEWS01/902120326

Mount Rainier NP:
Summit for Someone Announces Emmons Glacier Climb on Mt. Rainier
Backpacker Magazine's Summit For Someone, with Oregon-based Go Trek and Expeditions, is excited to announce a 4-day climb of the Emmons Glacier Route on Mount Rainier for July 19-22, 2009.
http://www.outdoornewswire.com/v/current...349643d35343638

Shenandoah NP:
Don't Cross the National Park Service (or Dan Snyder)
The Journal, a West Virginia news source, has been covering the trials and tribulations of the National Park Service (NPS) whistleblower that called out Daniel Snyder for razing his waterfront trees at his Great Falls mansion.
http://www.hogshaven.com/2009/2/12/756253/don-t-cross-dan-snyder-and

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
Dolphins dynamited in Marine National Park
GANDHINAGAR: In a shocking incident, one of the most delicate ecosystems along the Gujarat coast — the Marine National Park near Jamnagar — was
jolted recently when a contractor used dynamite to extract the wreckage of a sunken ship.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ahmed...how/4115374.cms

Yellowstone NP:
Famous elk found dead just north of Yellowstone
is name was just a numeral, yet he had legions of human admirers and few rivals among his own species.
Mighty bull elk No. 6 has died, victim of a freak accident just north of Yellowstone National Park.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wy_famous_elk_dies.html

Bryce Canyon, Great Basin, and Zion National Parks
Coal opponents praise Ely Energy Center delay
This week's announcement that the Ely Energy Center would not be built until clean-coal technology is developed that's profitable was praised by many. NV Energy said it planned to proceed, however, with the transmission line connecting Northern and Southern Nevada.
http://www.elynews.com/articles/2009/02/11/news/news04.txt

Glacier NP:
MSU study: NW North America warming up
The weather, especially in late winter and early spring, is getting warmer, according to a study comparing two cities that lie 500 miles apart and on opposite sides of the Continental Divide.
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=9835405&nav=menu227_6

Great Falls native bags another Glacier peak
Jason Robertson, the Great Falls native who in January successfully climbed Mount Stimson in Glacier National Park has added another 10,000-foot-plus peak to his summit list, Mount Siyeh.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090212/LIFESTYLE05/902120351

Misc. Parks News:
Ken Burns Explores Yellowstone in "The National Parks: America's Best Idea"
His team has produced in-depth television studies of the Civil War, the game of baseball, and a number of other subjects. Tonight Ashli Kimenker introduces us to documentary filmmaker Ken Burns' next project, which explores America's national parks.
http://www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?S=9837217

Bill seeks to protect 24M acres
After years of inattention, wilderness advocates hope a new federal bill will finally win national support.
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/02/13/news/local/znews02.txt

Stimulus package's impact on environment
How much money: The package includes $750 million for the National Park Service for projects in California and other states. That's far short of the nearly $2 billion proposed in the original House version.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/12/MNPO15T0E5.DTL

Guns In National Parks: Government Documents Show Bush Administration Warned About Ignoring Law
Whether or not you agree with a policy idea, the government is supposed to follow the rules before it can give that policy the force of law. That is essentially the principle now at issue in a case pending in U.S. District Court here in Washington, DC.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-helmke/guns-in-national-parks-go_b_166529.html


Rocky Mountain NP:
Step it up, and go along top of the snow
Barely a mile up the Apex Trail on the east side of Lookout Mountain, a visitor on snowshoes was greeted the other day by a young coyote, ambling along the path not 50 feet in front of him.
http://www.denverpost.com/extremes/ci_11682373

Yellowstone NP:
South Entrance visits decline by 31 percent
The number of visitors going through Yellowstone National Park’s South Entrance dropped about 31 percent in January compared with the same month last year.
http://www.jhguide.com/article.php?art_id=4251

Snowmobiler injured in avalanche near West Yellowstone
A snowmobiler was seriously injured in an avalanche near West Yellowstone Wednesday.
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=9836200&nav=menu227_3

Yellowstone's bison herd controlled for risk of disease
A century ago, there were only about 25 bison left in Yellowstone National Park due to overhunting. But today’s free-ranging bison herd is so large, the park has been required to reduce the herds size. That’s because of the risk of the bison spreading disease to nearby cattle.
http://www.earthsky.org/radioshows/53059/yellowstones-bison-herd-controlled-for-risk-of-disease

Acadia NP:
Rare Bird Alert
Continuing to top the reports this week are TUFTED DUCK, NORTHERN HAWK OWL and VARIED THRUSH.
http://maineoutdoorjournal.mainetoday.com/blogentry.html?id=11316

Friends join in gun lawsuit
BAR HARBOR — Citing concern for the impact on visitors and wildlife of the Department of the Interior’s recent regulations change allowing loaded, concealed firearms in National Parks, Friends of Acadia (FOA) has joined the Maine Citizens Against Handgun Violence in opposing the change.
http://mdislander.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8828&Itemid=36

Everglades NP:
Florida Buyout of Sugar Property Is Controversial ... and Expensive
The South Florida Water Management District has narrowly approved a controversial $1.34 billion buyout of lands in the Everglades owned by the U.S. Sugar Corporation.
http://www.heartland.org/publications/en..._Expensive.html

Grand Canyon NP:
Inside Arizona: Grand Canyon hiking trails
If you have ever dreamed about enjoying the Grand Canyon through exploration of its walls, do not be discouraged about it being too vigorous to add to your travel chronicles. There are more than 19 trails into the Grand Canyon, originally made by deer, bighorn sheep, American Indians and prospectors.
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/135464

Gros Morne National Park says no to hydro line proposal (Canada)
Officials with Gros Morne National Park on the west coast of Newfoundland are opposing proposed power transmission lines from the Lower Churchill hydroelectric project in Labrador.
http://news.aol.ca/article/park-power/526376/

Misc. Parks News:
National parks will see benefit from final stimulus bill
Should the renegotiated stimulus bill reach final passage in the Senate on Friday, America’s national parks will see benefits from two different appropriations: one that reaches the national parks directly, and one that comes through federal highway infrastructure projects.
http://www.examiner.com/x-682-National-P...l-stimulus-bill

Rocky Mountain NP:
Citizens offer enthusiasm and ideas to take Estes Park to the top in tourism
ESTES PARK, Colo. — Five citizens offered comments and suggestions to the Local Marketing District (LMD) board at its Tuesday meeting at the Municipal Building. They spoke on subjects as diverse as the board’s opportunity to stimulate Estes Park’s economy, local associations’ willingness to work together with the LMD and the potential use of middle school students as user-friendly Web site testers.
http://www.eptrail.com/news/2009/feb/13/citizens-offer-enthusiasm-and-ideas-take-estes-par/

Road work: entering the home stretch
Park Service accepting public comments on Phase 2 of the Bear Lake Road project
ESTES PARK, Colo. — Park officials are accepting public comments on the next leg of the Bear Lake Road upgrade. This phase of the project would complete the reconstruction of the highly traveled Bear Lake Road that was begun in 2003 and finished in 2004.
http://www.eptrail.com/news/2009/feb/13/road-work-entering-home-stretch/

Culling teams removing cows from Rocky’s elk herd
Countdown
ESTES PARK, Colo. — Wednesday’s culling of a cow from an elk herd in Upper Beaver Meadows was not the first animal to be put down as officials begin implementing this phase of Rocky Mountain National Park’s elk and vegetation management plan. It was just the first that was to be announced to the press prior to the actual culling.
http://www.eptrail.com/news/2009/feb/06/culling-teams-removing-cows-rockys-elk-herd/

Yellowstone NP:
FWP study finds mixed wolf impacts on elk
Not all elk populations respond in the same manner when faced with sharing the landscape with wolves, a new report by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks suggests.
http://www.westyellowstonenews.com/articles/2009/02/13/news/news4.txt

January visits down in Yellowstone, up in Grand Teton (Please note there is an annoying music enhanced ad on this page)
JACKSON -- The number of visitors passing through the south entrance of Yellowstone National Park was down by more than 30 percent in January compared to the same month last year.
http://www.trib.com/articles/2009/02/13/news/breaking/doc4995a7572203c602075671.txt

Banff NP:
Lingering at the gateway to Banff
CANMORE, Alberta - Pity us cross-country skiers living in a world of downhillers. Whether we’re granted a small area built as an aside at a downhill resort, a dedicated cross-country facility, or simply the untamed outdoors, our ability to ski is almost always dependent on the weather.
http://www.boston.com/travel/getaways/canada/articles/2009/02/15/lingering_at_the_gateway_to_banff/


Everglades NP:
Podcast program brings Everglades to you
Park rangers expand podcast program so you can view the Everglades from your armchair.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/communities/south/story/903643.html

Florida wins in winter
Parks are at the most inviting at temperate, bug-free time
(Only marginally an Everglades article, but it is enough)
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/123/story/784952.html

Glacier NP:
Montana's Glacier National Park is an ideal winter getaway
Leaving our house in Seattle on a Wednesday afternoon with just carry-on suitcases and a day pack stuffed with food and wine, I had a hard...
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2008737275_trglacier150.html

Glacier Bay NP:
Glacier gazing
I felt a bump and scrape as our two-person kayak ran up a submerged iceberg, then slid off. Having been warned that bergs can roll over without warning and flip kayaks, I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that no one could last more than a few minutes in the icy waters of Alaska's Glacier Bay. Glancing around, I was reassured by the sight of two inflatable skiffs from our ship, their pilots keeping watch over our small flotilla of kayaks.
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/con...7U.html?sid=101



Great Smoky Mountain NP:
2009 Fishing Regulations Now Available
It's that time of year, and the TWRA would like to remind al anglers the 2009 Tennessee Fishing Regulations (effective March 1 through February 28, 2010) are now available.
http://www.greenevillesun.com/story/301406

Misc. Parks News:
National Parks: Top 10 Natural Landmarks to see by 2010!
(Please note really irritating 'Join Now' page pops up...just scroll down and exit it).
No, they’re not going anywhere, but with careful planning you could feasibly see them all by the end of next year (especially all you full-timers out there). I’ve chosen them at random from different regions of North America for their environmental and geologic variety. Think I left some out? Post a comment with your Top 10 parks!
http://blog.rv.net/2009/02/14/national-parks-top-10-natural-landmarks-to-see-by-2010/

Grade-A discounts at Zion and Grand Canyon national parks
Here’s a new bumper-sticker slogan to try on: “My child may not be an honor student, but at least she got me a good vacation deal.”
http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/grade-a-discounts-at-4075/

Petroglyph NM:
New Mexico's Petroglyph National Monument showcases more than 20,000 remarkable images from the past
ALBUQUERQUE — Suburbia is on one side of the street, traces of an ancient people on the other.
http://www.star-telegram.com/travel/story/1201591.html

Yellowstone NP:
Wolves are packing Yellowstone – and so are watchers
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. — It is a sunny winter afternoon, and Simond Raymond has a problem.
http://www.star-telegram.com/travel/story/1201729.html

Everglades NP:
Exotic fish threaten Everglades
Exotic fish threaten native species in Florida's Everglades but marine biologists say the threat is hard to assess because the invasive species are underwater.
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2009/02/09/Exotic_fish_threaten_Everglades/UPI-82011234221552/

Great Sand Dunes NP:
Measure may benefit Dunes park
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar speaks Sunday during a visit to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. The new Interior secretary makes a return visit to his home valley.
The Great Sand Dunes National Park and the three national wildlife refuges in the San Luis Valley could see up to $4 million in spending thanks to the federal stimulus bill.
http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2009/02/16/news/local/doc4998fc909b55d875827047.txt

Misc. Parks News:
Stimulus bill expected to restart mine cleanup
When the Beal Mountain mine opened in 1988 near Butte, Mont., its owner promoted open-pit cyanide leaching for extracting gold from ore as modern and environmentally friendly.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ifgZE4QYSZRIjP6BIMH_5VyO9y4QD96C1EC00

Petrified Forest NP:
There's something about Mary
This year would be Mary Colter's 140th birthday, which makes it a great time to revisit her regional architectural masterpieces.
http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2009/02/16/news/20090216_front_191014.txt

Rocky Mountain NP:
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation sets banquet date
The Northeast Georgia Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) will hold its Fourth Annual Big Game Banquet and Auction at Gwinnett Center on February 28th, 2009.
http://www.theweekly.com/news/2009/February/15/Rocky_Mountain.html

Wolf reintroduction: It won't work here like in Yellowstone (Editorial)
In an ideal world, Rocky Mountain National Park would contain an intact ecosystem with all its pieces present. However, the park is not a complete ecosystem, and native predators — including wolves and grizzly bears — have long been missing. As a result, the vegetation and other species in the park suffer because of an abundance of elk.
http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_11694919

City Secrets: Best waterfall hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park
Colorado's snowy winters put on an amazing show when the snow melts in the spring. Go too early and you may see a dry or frozen waterfall. Go too late and you miss the waterfall show at its best. While I love dozens of waterfalls around the state, I'll limit this report to just my top 5 favorite waterfall hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park:
http://www.examiner.com/x-2520-Denver-Hi...n-National-park

Valley Forge NH Park:
Pa.'s Valley Forge park plans huge deer shoot
Valley Forge National Historical Park officials are planning a major sharpshooting operation to kill up to 1,300 deer over the next four years.
http://www.ldnews.com/news/ci_11711138

Yellowstone NP:
Agency releases brucellosis test numbers
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department says the fourth year of a program testing elk for brucellosis yielded 50 adult females with positive results.
http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=9846985&nav=menu554_1_1

Yellowstone’s shifting geological puzzle
When Hank Heasler first visited Yellowstone National Park as a little boy, he stared at the bubbles rising up from green- and orange-ringed mud pots, colored by heat-loving bacteria that thrive in water recycled through deep underground aquifers.
http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2009/02/15/news/000ynp.txt

Assateague Island:
Assateague calls in the torches to battle phragmites
The park service plans to burn about 200 acres during one week sometime between March 10 and April 1 to remove the above-ground remains of Phragmites australis (common reed) that have been sprayed with herbicide. It will be the first time the park's staff has chosen to fight the rapacious cattail-like plant with fire.
http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20090217/OPI01/902170305

Delaware Water Gap NRA:
National park maps out stimulus 'wish list'
With a federal economic stimulus program approved, the rangers at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area have put together a "wish list" of projects for the 70,000-acre park, one of the most visited in the country.
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090217/NEWS/902170320/-1/NEWS

Glacier NP (Canada)
Parks Canada temporarily closes some winter permit areas
Parks Canada has announced that they will not be issuing winter permits for five of the fifteen winter restricted areas in Glacier National Park. Parks Canada spokesperson Doreen McGillis emphasized the measure is temporary, and Parks Canada will soon begin a public consultation process on the closure.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/revelstoketimesreview/news/39686474.html

Glacier NP (USA)
Northwest warming, study reports
A new Montana State University study says that weather, especially in late winter and early spring, is getting warmer in northwestern North America.
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2009/02/17/weekly_features/health/55hs_090217_warming.txt

Misc. Parks News
Marvin Beans, 78, builder, restorer (Obit)
Marvin E. Beans, 78, a master builder who helped restore Independence Hall, died of Alzheimer's disease Thursday at Ann's Choice in Warminster.
http://www.philly.com/philly/obituaries/20090217_Marvin_Beans__78__builder__restorer.html

Stimulus plan can promote conservation (By Ken Salazar)
A national economic crisis might not seem to be the time for Americans to build a conservation legacy for the future.
http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2009/02/17/editorial/doc499a36313ea17427273756.txt

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
2009 sees alarming rise in tiger deaths in India

New Delhi (IANS): Six tigers have been killed by poachers since the beginning of 2009 and more have been killed by enraged villagers, estimates an NGO. The Indian government had itself raised an alarm about the dwindling number of tigers in the wild last year, saying there were only around 1,400 left.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/008200902170933.htm

Govt sanctions aid for Keoladeo park
Jaipur - The endless wait for water in Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur would be over soon as the state government has sanctioned Rs 56.22 crore for the much delayed construction of the Govardhan drain as a permanent solution to the water crisis.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Jaipu...how/4140109.cms



Rocky Mountain NP:
Wolf reintroduction: Guns aren't the answer to culling elk (Editorial)
Early this year, officials at Rocky Mountain National Park devised a plan to shoot as many as 100 cow elk within the boundaries of the park. They are taking this dramatic step because the park's elk have grown too numerous and, more importantly, too sedentary. As a result, elk are browsing aspen and willow to the brink of extinction, leaving biologically important streamside areas trashed and impoverished.
http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_11694921

Yellowstone NP:
Yellowstone caldera's pushing earth
The gradual uplift of Yellowstone National Park's caldera is pushing the earth's crust southwest along the Snake River Plain, affecting much of the Great Basin.
http://www.trib.com/articles/2009/02/17/news/wyoming/c9de8cba14369aab872575600009193c.txt

Everglades NP:
Park service plans to sue county over annex
The National Park Service is preparing to go to court with the Talladega County Commission over the transfer of the Coosa River Annex property.
http://www.dailyhome.com/news/2009/dh-talladegacounty-0218-bfincher-9b17v1858.htm

Glacier NP:
New Oklahoma City exhibits feature bank's artwork, Blackfeet Indians
Paintings and photographs of Blackfeet Indians, riders on horseback and big-sky landscapes fit most people’s expectations of artwork they would find at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
http://www.newsok.com/new-oklahoma-city-...ead_story_title

Joshua Tree NP:
Have a Volunteer Vacation at Joshua Tree National Park
Over the past few years, the exotic Sahara mustard plant has been aggressively spreading across the Joshua Tree National Park, possibly threatening the desert ecosystem and leaving irreversible damage. Perhaps the most noticeable damage to a visitor is the affect to the beautiful annual wildflower blooms.
http://laist.com/2009/02/17/volunteer_vacation_at_joshua_tree_n.php

Misc. Parks News:
Don't pack it in, cheap travel and vacations are out there (Note, only marginally about the parks)
If there is a sliver of sunshine peeking through the storm clouds of this recession, it may be: There might never be a better time to travel. Airlines are hungry. Hotels are hungry. Restaurants are hungry. And if you're smart about how you book, when you book, and where you go, you might just find the cheapest vacation you'll ever take.
http://www.boston.com/business/personalf...t_there/?page=1

NEWS: Five Tourist Destinations that Global Warming Could Destroy
Global warming could have a devastating impact on some popular vacation spots, according to Bob Henson, a writer at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, and author of "The Rough Guide to Climate Change."
http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/ne...g-could-destroy

Rocky Mountain NP:
Allowing concealed weapons in national parks to get review
The nation's Interior secretary plans to review a decision to allow concealed weapons in Rocky Mountain National Park.
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20090218/NEWS01/902180321/1002/CUSTOMERSERVICE02

Visit Rocky Before It's Too Late
Rocky Mountain National Park chosen as one of the world's best places to visit before climate change "messes it up"
CNN recently selected five life-list places to visit, but with an urgent caveat attached: You should visit all these locations before "global warming messes them up." A lot of them are exotic, far-flung locales like The Great Barrier Reef, the Amazon rainforest, and the glaciers of the Alps. But two of the locations are right around the corner: Rocky Mountain National Park and New Orleans.
http://www.backpacker.com/blogs/771


Yellowstone NP:
Debate Rages Over Elk Feeding
When the mighty elk herds of the West were facing the possibility of extinction from overhunting, settlement and neglect a century ago, people here stepped forward and began what has turned out to be a profound biological experiment.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/18/us/18elk.html?emc=eta1

Beauty and the beasts (Yellowstone Region)
North Fork of Shoshone River: fishing paradise deep within grizzly country
"You'll need this for the river," the man said, digging deep into his possibles bag. I prepared to receive some special trout enticement or, perhaps, a measuring device for a place where 20-inch cutthroats could be expected.
http://www.denverpost.com/extremes/ci_11726422

There was a lot of news published today...some of it very interesting.

James

Acadia NP:
Bankruptcy bid stalls campground auction in Schoodic region
The auction Tuesday of an oceanfront property has been delayed because the owner has filed for bankruptcy, according to people involved in the scheduled auction.
http://www.bangornews.com/detail/99762.html

Denali NP:
Affordable Alaska Thanks To Sourdough Bread (Travel Deal, not really news)
We really do appreciate the ubiquitous travel deals, but the constant reminder of the economic situation sort of ruins our travel buzz.
http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/2/18/75430/3604/travel/Affordable+Alaska+Thanks+To+Sourdough+Bread

Glacier NP:
MSU data key to climate change study
Late winter and early spring are growing warmer in Montana, according to a new statistical climate study developed by a former Montana State University professor.
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2009/02/19/top/75st_090219_climate.txt

Grand Canyon NP:
Celebrate 90 years of the Grand Canyon
Consistently voted amongst the world’s greatest natural wonders and a place to ‘see before you die’, the Grand Canyon marks 90 years this month since it was first established as a United States National Park, on 26th February 1919.
http://www.easier.com/view/Travel/Holidays/article-235010.html

Great Smoky Mountain NP:
Parkway chief ranger retires
After five years as the top law enforcement official for the Blue Ridge Parkway, Chief Ranger John Garrison has retired.
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009902190350

This Week with Dolly
Promoting her home – the Great Smoky Mountains – brought Dolly Parton to the nation's capital region last week, and one appearance left those gathered at the Gaylord National Resort outside of Washington ready to head down for some Southern hospitality. She was there as part of the state tourism department's Tennessee Sampler 2009 trade show aimed primarily at tour organizers and travel writers.
http://seymourherald.com/entertainment/2009/feb/16/this-week-with-dolly/

Hawaii Volcanoes NP:
VIDEO: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has a new lava ocean entry
There is a new lava ocean entry from Hawaii's Kilauea volcano eruption on the Big Island.
http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/volcano/20090219lavaentry.htm

Misc. Parks News:
It’s the Wilderness, Stupid (Editorial)
Why can't we understand that wilderness should be a big part of our economic future?
The wilderness debate never seems to go away, and how can we have so much disagreement without ever haven’t any agreement, let alone any results?
http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/its_the_wilderness_stupid/C41/L41/

Parks sparking debate
We have a number of provincial and national parks scattered across our country that are, in most cases, a bit of wild habitat that is somewhat free of the negative influences of humans.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/castlegarnews/lifestyles/39756953.html

Vendors seek piece of stimulus (Marginally Parks Related)
CODY - One day after President Barack Obama signed a $787 billion economic stimulus bill, vendors were meeting here with government purchasers, looking to take advantage of a coming surge in spending by nearly every federal agency.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/02/19/news/wyoming/21-stimulus.txt

National Park system needs our help - now (Editorial)
I missed the pomp and circumstance of this month’s historic Presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C. However, I was there to participate in another historic milestone, the week that our National Parks bucked a long term trend of neglect and apathy by the United States Congress.
http://www.lakeoswegoreview.com/opinion/story.php?story_id=123499650231000600

Stimulus Bill Promises Environmental, Public Lands Jobs
On February 9, Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar announced that the House and Senate versions of the Economic Stimulus Bill before Congress would "create an estimated 100,000 jobs over the next two years. Both the House and Senate versions of the ($838-900 billion appropriations) bill include over $4 billion in investments in conservation projects, water infrastructure, roads, Native American schools, and other ready-to-go projects."
http://www.willcoxrangenews.com/articles/2009/02/18/news/news33.txt

Interior Secretary Calls For Review Of Park Gun Rule
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has called for a review of a new concealed gun rule in national parks.
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/18745478/detail.html#-

Outside the US/Canadian NP System:
Cameroon gets gorilla park
“Deng Deng National Park is a major step toward conserving all of Cameroon’s gorilla populations and wildlife,” said Dr. Steven E. Sanderson, President and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society. “We applaud the government of Cameroon for continuing to be a leader in conservation and for taking this important step to protect this species.”
http://news.mongabay.com/2009/0218-cameroon_wcs.html

Olympic NP:
Park proposes changes to clarify fishing rules
To comment...
http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/outdoors/story/631574.html

Rocky Mountain NP:
'Igloo' Ed discovers cold, hard truth of winter shelters
Rocky Mountain National Park - It's 9 degrees at Ed Huesers' favorite place in the world - a glacier-smoothed granite knob in the midst of higher peaks.
http://www.gazette.com/articles/snow_48349___article.html/igloo_huesers.html

Yellowstone NP:
Yellowstone open to snowmobile travel this winter
Yellowstone National Park is open to snowmobiles this winter, and to snowcoaches and cross country skiers and snowshoers.
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705285996,00.html

Yellowstone's geology still a mystery
When Hank Heasler first visited Yellowstone National Park as a little boy, he stared at the bubbles rising up from green- and orange-ringed mud pots, colored by heat-loving bacteria that thrive in water recycled through deep underground aquifers.
http://cbs4denver.com/coloradowire/22.0....wstonesGeol.xml

Slice of Americana amid autumn beauty
The American economy may be in a gloomy descent toward recession as the nation slogs through the final days of a bitterly divisive presidential election, but it was hard to find anything to say but "oooh and ahhh" during a 10-day fall road trip through two of those United States of America.
http://www.canada.com/travel/activities/Slice%20Americana%20amid%20autumn%20beauty/969642/story.html

Return of the Buffalo - Montana officials want to move bison to Wyoming
Montana wildlife officials are seeking public comment on a proposal to relocate several dozen Yellowstone National Park bison to an Indian reservation in Wyoming.
http://indiancountrynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5755&Itemid=118

Canyonland NP:
Backpacking trip takes students to Canyonland National Park
Albert Mitugo, assistant manager at the OAC, will guide a group of SMU students through the basics of backpacking and camping on the floor of the Salt Creek Canyon at Canyonland National Park in Moad, Utah.
http://media.www.smudailycampus.com/medi...k-3640198.shtml

Everglades NP:
Invasive species changing Florida ecosystem
The small pond 6 miles deep in Everglades National Park suddenly began bubbling like a pot aboil -- a telltale sign of air-slurping walking catfish.
http://www.freep.com/article/20090220/NEWS07/902200341

Glacier NP:
Travel to Montana's Glacier Country for $79
Now that Allegiant Air has announced $79 (one-way) tickets from LAX to Missoula a springtime trip to the home of the UM Grizzlies feels more do-able than ever.
http://www.examiner.com/x-2349-LA-Advent...-Country-for-79

Climate study: Montana experiencing warming trend
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A former climatologist and professor at Montana State says in a recent study that late winter, early spring and parts of summer are getting warmer in Montana.
http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/globalwarming/2009-02-19-montana-warming_N.htm

Katmai NP:
The bears of Katmai
Nearly seventeen months have passed since October 2007, when a local TV crew set up camp on Kukaklek Lake, in the upper Alaska Peninsula, to report on a legal but controversial brown bear hunt in Katmai National Preserve. The video and story the team brought back startled and repulsed many Alaskans, hunters and non-hunters alike.
http://www.anchoragepress.com/articles/2009/02/18/news/doc499cbfaa43402117797003.txt

Misc. Parks News:
Staying alive in national parks (mainly Grand Teton/Yellowstone/Glacier Oriented)
Part of the problem was that we could see it coming. The narrow road leading out of Yellowstone National Park was about to twist around an impossibly tight curve etched into the side of a mountain, and all that would be keeping us from an early rendezvous with eternity were a few rocks the size of footballs along the outside edge.
http://www.recordernewspapers.com/articl...ca606620202.txt

Why Investing In Parks Is Smart Economic Stimulus
Remembering the legacy of FDR's "Tree Army" -- and the dividends that investment paid not only for the environment, but for the economy.
http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/easy-tips/economic-stimulus-national-parks-47021902

Omnibus Public Lands bill (02/18/09)
Congress is on the verge of passing the largest expansion of the wilderness system in 15 years.
http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/northwestvoices/2009/02/18/omnibus_public_lands_bill.html


Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
The 10 Best National Parks for Retirees
National parks are beautiful and affordable places for active seniors to spend time in retirement. Yellowstone was the world's first national park, but the concept of preserving nature and culture for future generations to enjoy has now been expanded upon by many countries on almost every continent. All parks are not created equal, however. The Coalition of National Park Service Retirees recently released a list of their picks for the 10 best foreign national parks. The areas were selected based on a survey of their 700 members who are former career employees of the National Park Service, including park managers, rangers, and other employees. The retiree’s favorite international parks include:
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/planning-to-...r-retirees.html

Man's body found in national park
MUMBAI: The Kasturba Marg police found the body of a 35-year-old man inside Borivli's Sanjay Gandhi National Park on Thursday. Chandrashekhar Dalvi was killed by unknown persons early in morning and the body was discovered by the forest guards.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Mans_body_found_in_national_park/articleshow/4157597.cms

Rocky Mountain NP:
In early February, the National Park Service (NPS) began a cull of the elk population in Rocky Mountain National Park (Park), with the intention of killing up to 100 cow elk, reports the Wildlife Management Institute. The cull was authorized in the Park’s Elk and Vegetation Management Plan that was finalized in December 2007 with the Record of Decision released in February 2008.
http://www.flyrodreel.com/node/11783

Theodore Roosevelt NP:
Ways to thin ND elk herd have federal and state officials at odds
The North Dakota Game and Fish Department and the National Park Service remain at odds over how to think the elk herd in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
http://www.inforum.com/event/article/id/231538/

Yellowstone NP:
Elk's Lose-Lose Situation
Because of human intervention, a once-struggling herd near Jackson now thrives, but risks future peril.
http://www.backpacker.com/elk_feed_human_jackson/blogs/775

Yosemite NP:
Yosemite's Dewey Point well worth the walk
California's best snowshoe trek is within reach of anyone who can walk 7 miles. If you can't do that now, the payoff at Yosemite National Park's Dewey Point should be enough to inspire you to get in shape so that you can.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/19/DDC315OUG1.DTL

A slow news day. Of most interest to me is the stimulus spending possibilities within Yellowstone.

-JM

Grand Teton NP:
Moran sled trip probed
For mountain snowboarder Stephen Koch, a recent adventure may be a case of riding out of the skillet and into the fire.
http://www.jacksonholenews.com/article.php?art_id=4277

Misc. Parks News:
Parks employees list their worldwide favorites to visit
Ever wonder where people who work in national parks go when they take a vacation? The 700-member Coalition of National Park Service Retirees (CNPSR) released a list of 10 of the best foreign national parks, spanning the globe from Australia, Africa, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20090220/SPORTS/902200345

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
8 in 10 conflicts in environmental 'hotspots': study (Marginally about the Parks, but interesting)
Most conflicts fought in the second half of the last century were waged in biologically diverse, fragile places, with many negative consequences and a few surprising positive ones, a study said Friday.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jTDoAHQIm7vjZ5mk8SQoXspRFoYg

Rocky Mountain NP:
Camping scarce at RMNP
Bark beetles force closures of sites while hazardous trees are removed
http://www.timescall.com/news_story.asp?ID=14614

Changes made at Glacier Basin Campground
Beetle mitigation work changing the face of popular campground
Extensive beetle mitigation work continues at a variety of locations in Rocky Mountain National Park, including Glacier Basin Campground, on the east side of the park. Many trees in the Glacier Basin Campground have been killed by the mountain pine beetle epidemic. However, some pockets of trees have been saved by annual spraying. Removal of dead trees and standing lone trees reduces the risk associated with falling trees.
http://www.eptrail.com/news/2009/feb/20/changes-made-glacier-basin-campground/

Yellowstone NP:
Stimulus at work: Yellowstone may get new sewer plant
Yellowstone National Park is looking to tap federal stimulus money to address some of its $750 million maintenance and infrastructure backlog, according to a report in Billings Gazette.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11750388

Park stimulus: Yellowstone may get new sewer plant
Yellowstone officials are looking to tap federal stimulus money to address some of the park's $750 million maintenance and infrastructure backlog.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11749940

Famous Elk Found Dead Just North of Yellowstone (previously listed)
His name was just a numeral, yet he had legions of human admirers and few rivals among his own species.
http://www.sltrib.com/Features/ci_11730696

LOL, TOO MUCH NEWS TODAY!!!

Arches (And Other Utah NPs)
As the economy has soured, visits have soared at Utah's national parks and monuments, as more locals apparently are vacationing nearby to spend less on travel.
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705286823,00.html

Everglades NP:
Getting rid of pesky plants
Yup, it's true. Away with the Senegal date palm, a foreign black mangrove and a pretty shrub named Jacquinia aurantiaca. Turns out they're invasive exotics, capable of setting up housekeeping in our hammocks and mangroves.
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/home/gardening/story/910885.html

Back to the end of the world (I believe that we published this prior)
Florida native Jeff Klinkenberg tours a site that once housed the bogeyman of his Cold War youth.
http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Lifestyle/Article.aspx?id=941414

U.S. Sugar's land purchase will be historical landmark
Sun Sentinel story on a state senator's attempt to derail Florida's purchase of U.S. Sugar lands for Everglades restoration detailed the latest controversy surrounding this conservation land buy.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-forum23greenpnfeb23,0,4746548.story

Glacier NP:
Wilderness proposals, debates cropping up
In the past 30 years, Montana's would-be wilderness hasn't changed much. But the debate around it certainly has.
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/02/23/news/local/news02.txt

Grand Canyon NP:
At Grand Canyon, water battle rages anew
Nearly a year after the federal government flooded the Grand Canyon in a test of resource restoration, questions persist about whether the agency in charge watered down the experiment to protect power providers and ignored high-level critics of the operation.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2009/02/22/20090222river-power0222.html

Grand Teton NP:
Grand Teton investigates snowmobiling in video
Officials in Grand Teton National Park say they're investigating a YouTube video that shows skiers riding a snowmobile over Jackson Lake.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/idahonews/story/676199.html

Great Smoky NP:
Travel summary
Smokies' 75th anniversary under way
http://savannahnow.com/node/676626

The thrill of a good challenge
Burt Kornegay has been leading trips into the wild for 38 years, the last 25 of those years through his Cullowhee-based Slickrock Expeditions. At a presentation this month in the Triangle, he was asked about the changes he has seen as a guide.
http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/1414667.html

Misc. Parks News:
Stream destination (Same Article here and in Outside Parks)
Robert Laing takes a day trip to the almost highest falls in the world.
http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Lifestyle/Article.aspx?id=941310

Memorial will be built
When the governor and a U.S. senator are expected to visit a rural community like Somerset, it usually means something “big” is happening.
http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2009/02/21/opinion/editorials/editorial367.txt

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
Upswing in foreign tourists’ at Assam’s popular Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga National Park (Assam), Feb.23 (ANI): Assam’s popular Kaziranga National Park, which is home to the endangered one-horned rhinoceros, continues to be a major draw for tourists, both domestic and foreign, despite travel advisories issued by several countries against visiting Assam following blast incidents in the recent past.
http://www.sindhtoday.net/south-asia/67171.htm

Water Pollution May Force National Park's Closing in Costa Rica
Manuel Antonio National Park, the second-most-visited park in Costa Rica, could have to close its gates this week after wastewater contamination was detected on its beaches, the Health Ministry said Sunday.
http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=328264&CategoryId=23558

Flames scorch floating national park in Manipur
IMPHAL/GUWAHATI: The only floating national park
in the world was in flames on Sunday, posing a threat to animals and other endangered species.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India...how/4172976.cms

Stream destination (Same Article as Misc. Parks)
Robert Laing takes a day trip to the almost highest falls in the world.
http://www.thetimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Lifestyle/Article.aspx?id=941310

Australia: Peak-time perfection just across the ditch
Most Kiwis probably think Australia is too hot in summer for serious tramping - especially considering what's been happening lately - but summer in the Snowy Mountains can still deliver harsh and unexpected weather.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/australia-travel/news/article.cfm?c_id=1500883&objectid=10557228

Saadani park shaping up as world-famous tourist centre
The famous fishing camp-cum-village of Saadani, barely three hours drive north of Dar es Salaam along the Indian Ocean, will soon go into history books as the growing volume of tourists visiting the three-year old Saadani National Park, attracts investors in the land sector.
http://ippmedia.com/ipp/observer/2009/02/22/132136.html

Pristine African Park Faces Development
IVINDO NATIONAL PARK, Gabon — The forest here seems to go on forever, interrupted only by the broad ribbons of its rivers. Deep inside, some of the world’s rarest creatures cavort in one of the most pristine patches of rain forest on earth, a direct but accidental result of Gabon’s reliance on one of the filthiest fossil fuels: crude oil.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/22/world/africa/22gabon.html

Rocky Mountain NP:
Bicyclists push park trails
Last-minute effort by Bush administration would open national parks
There are no mountain bike trails in Rocky Mountain National Park — but a last-minute proposed Bush administration rule change could make it easier to put one in.
http://www.denverpost.com/previous2/home/ci_11762899

Coyotes thrive thanks to help from humans
When it comes to coyotes, Charlie Gindler, rancher and lands specialist with the Larimer County Department of Natural Resources, straddles the fence - laughing at them at times and shooting at them other times.
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20090222/ENTERTAINMENT06/902220320

Theodore Roosevelt NP:
Meetings planned around ND on park elk plan
Medora, N.D. (AP) Theodore Roosevelt National Park is holding public meetings on its draft plan to reduce the park's elk herd, which is more than double the preferred size.
http://www.kxmc.com/News/335728.asp

Park Service sets public meetings on elk management plan
The National Park Service is holding meetings across North Dakota this week to take input on options for managing elk populations in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=107504&section=outdoors,outdoor%20news

Yellowstone NP:
Yakima man survives being buried by avalanche
It was the first fresh powder they'd encountered since arriving in the mountains of southeast Idaho three days earlier, but within hours one of them would be buried as the others watched helplessly.
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2009/02/21/yakima-man-survives-being-buried-by-avalanche

Hey Guys,

Slow news day today. Probably the most interesting piece for me was to do with the Everglades and the pairing of the legislation with the travel to Cuba. What an odd combination.

Big Bend NP:
State poised to OK Big Bend clean-air plan
But proposal to clear up haze misses federal goal by 91 years
Big Bend National Park is known for its jagged beauty, but sometimes the mountains are blotted from the horizon by a sky the color of mud.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6277462.html

Everglades NP:
U.S. House bill due for vote would address travel to Cuba, Everglades restoration
WASHINGTON - The House plans is to vote this week to roll back restrictions on Cuban-American travel to Cuba and to provide the first federal money for comprehensive Everglades restoration.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flabill0224sbfeb24,0,1596165.story

Boat dealer sued over damage to sea grass
MANATEE COUNTY - A 72-foot yacht from Marlow Marine Sales in Palmetto departed for a Miami boat show in 2006, but strayed from a deep channel in Everglades National Park and ran aground on Arsenic Bank.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20090223/ARTICLE/902230336/0/SPORTS

Senator Muddies Everglades
Bradenton Sen. Mike Bennett has come up with a slippery way to kill Everglades restoration. He's demanding the state's plan to purchase 180,000 acres in the Everglades from U.S. Sugar be put to a vote by affected taxpayers.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/feb/24/na-senator-muddies-everglades/

Grand Teton NP:
Grand Teton investigates snowmobiling in video
JACKSON - Officials in Grand Teton National Park say they're investigating a YouTube video that shows skiers riding a snowmobile over Jackson Lake.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/02/22/news/wyoming/17-snowinvest.txt

Great Smoky Mountain NP:
Decision clears the way for new Smokies visitor center
Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Officials at Great Smoky Mountains National Park have found that construction of a new Oconaluftee Visitor Center will have no significant environmental impact, clearing the way for construction of the new visitor center on Newfound Gap Road.
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200990224025

Impact statement clear new Smokies center
The National Park Service is cleared to build a new visitor center on the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/4600510/

Hiking website for Smoky Mountains wins American Trails award
HikingintheSmokys.com named the best website for Trails on Federal Lands
American Trails, the only national, nonprofit organization working on behalf of all trail interests, announced the winners of its 2008 American Trails Website Contest yesterday.
http://www.outdoornewswire.com/v/current...349643d35343737
Misc. Parks News:
Snowmobiling and national park boundaries
A few weeks of blue sky and improving snow stability has people venturing out all over the mountains -- many on snowmobiles. Without much new snow, people are putting in bold lines and venturing further afield in the search of fresh tracks.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/lifestyles/40193438.html

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
TOUR OPERATORS WORK TO STAY PROFITABLE DURING ECONOMIC DOWNTURN (Mostly about DV and GC)
here's no recession at Quartermaster Point. The view from this limestone outcropping at the west rim of the Grand Canyon overwhelms the brain's capacity to fear falling home prices or obsess over waning job prospects.
http://www.lvbusinesspress.com/articles/2009/02/23/news/iq_26735315.txt

Retezat National Park ranks 7th in race for World’s 7 new Wonders

Mojave National Preserve:
Supreme Court to hear Mojave cross case
Justices will decide whether the monument can stand in a national preserve to honor fallen soldiers. It will be the Roberts court's first chance to rule on separation of church and state.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/washingtondc/la-na-supreme-court-cross24-2009feb24,0,86113.story

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
$45M for visitor centre at Kaieteur National Park
The Kaieteur National Park has been awarded a $45M grant to construct a visitor arrival centre near the Kaieteur Falls.
http://www.stabroeknews.com/2009/news/local/02/24/45m-for-visitor-centre-at-kaieteur-national-park/

Clock ticking on Costa Rica national park closure
The clock continues to tick for Manuel Antonio National Park, which has until Thursday to correct health and sanitary problems or face closure at the hands of the Health Ministry.
http://www.ticotimes.net/dailyarchive/2009_02/0224091.htm

Island to become national park
Island of Harris votes in favour of National Park status
http://www.journal-online.co.uk/article/5486-island-to-become-national-park

The Retezat National Park (PNR) located in south-western Romania ranks 7th in the forests, national parks and natural reserves category in the second voting stage of the online campaign led by the Swiss New7Wonders organization for the designation of the Nature's new seven wonders, the Cotidianul newspaper writes on Monday. In December 2008 the Romanian Natural Reserve entered the race among round 250 nominees of the first race's stage, selected from 441 initial proposals, currently ready to enter the top 77, the next stage the audience started voting last month.
http://www.financiarul.ro/2009/02/23/ret...-7-new-wonders/

Yellowstone NP:
Eco-friendly choices make sense for National Parks
A recent story in the Casper Star-Tribune outlined the many ways Wyoming’s national parks are becoming more environmentally friendly.
http://powelltribune.com/index.php/content/view/755/2/

While there is not a huge amount of National Park news today, there is some very interesting things going on that is worth the read.

Cheers
James

Everglades National Park News:
Everglades Land Deal May Be Dead In The Water
Once heralded by Governor Charlie Crist as "monumental as the creation of our nation's first national park," a land deal that would have restored a major section of the Everglades may be dead in the water.
http://cbs4.com/local/everglades.land.us.2.943094.html

Everglades land deal in jeopardy from competition
A historic land deal aimed at helping restore the dying Everglades, and lauded by Gov. Charlie Crist as "monumental as the creation of our nation's first national park," may end up dead in the water.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hwwsvNZPeVERE_DtCJ5Y4x5xfiYQD96I3SC80

Misc. Parks News:
Mount Saint Helens
t’s getting closer to decision time for an advisory committee looking into the future control of Mount Saint Helens.
http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews/?M...&feedID=410

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
Komodo dragon attacks Indonesian park ranger
A Komodo dragon climbed a ladder to a park ranger's hut and mauled his hand and foot, officials said Wednesday. The victim received severe lacerations but appeared to be recovering.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i8Mf2ncBMEDmpMPNQnEQyPk3g7KgD96IHRDO0

Slaughter of the elephants
Legal ivory sale linked to poaching surge across Kenya's huge Tsavo National Park
There has been an "unprecedented" surge in elephant poaching in one of Kenya's principal national parks since a large-scale ivory sale late last year, which gave a renewed boost to the international ivory market.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/slaughter-of-the-elephants-1631367.html

Theodore Roosevelt National Park News:
Park officials start hearings on elk
A biologist at Theodore Roosevelt National Park says efforts by the state Game and Fish Department to increase hunting around the park have helped keep elk numbers down, even though the park still has too many of the animals.
http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D96I7P2O2

Yellowstone National Park News:
Cody looking for year-round visits
CODY, Wyo. (AP) - Cody is looking to become a year-round destination.
http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=9902989&nav=menu554_2_2

Valley wolf pack has mange, biologist says
Collaring operation sees 15 animals fitted with transmitters for research.
Biologists discovered mange in a Jackson Hole wolf pack when they were using a helicopter to dart and collar members of three different groups.
http://www.jhguide.com/article.php?art_id=4294

Yosemite National Park News:
A really cool accommodations offer in Yosemite National Park
Until March 22, 2009 Curry Village inside Yosemite Park is running a weekend “Temp-RATE-ture” promotion on their unheated (brrrrr) tent cabins.
http://www.examiner.com/x-1963-SF-Active...e-National-Park

Climber caught in avalanche is rescued from Half Dome
A group of experienced South Korean climbers kept their colleague warm through a freezing night until the man, whose leg was broken in the avalanche, could be airlifted back to the valley floor.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-half-dome-rescue25-2009feb25,0,6590502.story

Acadia National Park News:
Local artist displaying signature landscapes at Community Music School
Painter Barbara J. Zucker's work consists of glowing reds and oranges, brilliant splashes of yellows and greens, and bold blues. She accentuates her signature landscapes with divisive outlines separating shapes, yet binds them using light and shadow. Her palette is the rainbow, her subject, nature, and her goal is to harmonize them.
http://www.valleyitem.com/site/news.cfm?...87831&rfi=6

Foreclosure Sale Of Ocean Wood Planned Tuesday
Unless a successful appeal is filed between now and 11 a.m. Tuesday, a foreclosure sale of the nearly 148-acre Ocean Wood property in the village of Birch Harbor is scheduled to go ahead.
http://ellsworthmaine.com/site/index.php...ed-Tuesday.html

Bridger-Teton National Forest News (Near Jackson Hole, Wy):
Valley lynx habitat set
OTTAWA (AFP) — A 51-year-old man was rescued from Canada's outback after 10 days in the frigid cold, police said Wednesday, but his wife died of exposure as rescue teams twice ignored their SOS message carved out of snow.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5haJn5Si9OFlqas0XymGAJNKArUuw

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has designated 39,000 square miles as critical habitat for the Canada lynx, including large portions of Bridger-Teton National forest in eastern Jackson Hole.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=4298

Everglades National Park News:
Plan To Protect Everglades Land In Peril
Florida Lacks Money To Buy 180,000 Acres From Private Company As Promised
A historic land deal aimed at helping restore the dying Everglades, and lauded by Gov. Charlie Crist as "monumental as the creation of our nation's first national park," may end up dead in the water.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/24/national/main4826360.shtml

Glacier Bay National Park News:
Alaska's First Stimulus Project Annouced
Governor Sarah Palin joined with Senate President Gary Stevens, Sen. Albert Kookesh, Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, and Rep. Bill Thomas, member of the House Finance Committee, in announcing the start of the bid process for the state's first economic stimulus project - construction of a new causeway in Gustavus.
http://www.ktva.com/ci_11782347

Grand Teton National Park turns eight
MOOSE — Grand Teton National Park celebrates its 80th birthday tomorrow. The park, which is now a world-renowned destination, the economic engine of the valley and a favorite backdrop for SUV ads, was not always thought of as a good idea.
http://www.wyomingbusinessreport.com/article.asp?id=98814

Jackson Hole wolf pack has mange (updated 2/25/09)
JACKSON, WYOMING - Biologists have discovered mange in a Jackson Hole wolf pack during an operation to collar wolves in the northwest Wyoming area.
http://www.kulr8.com/news/wyoming/40292047.html

Exum fires guide Koch
Alpinist apologizes after snowmobiling illegally on Jackson Lake.
Exum Mountain Guides fired guide Stephen Koch this week after the mountain snowboarder violated Grand Teton National Park rules by using a snowmobile to access a Mount Moran climb and descent.
http://www.jacksonholenews.com/article.php?art_id=4297
Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Civilian Conservation Corps left lasting legacy in RMNP, region
When the Great Depression hit in the 1930s, U.S. Congress acted quickly to implement President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal to create jobs and jump-start the economy.
http://www.reporterherald.com/features/Feature-Story.asp?section=Outpost&ID=21756

RMNP could see stimulus money
Trail Ridge Road projects submitted as possible targets
ESTES PARK, Colo. — One of the most well-known stretches of Colorado road may soon get a facelift if Rocky Mountain National Park gets a piece of the National Park Service’s $146 million economic stimulus check.
http://www.coloradodaily.com/news/2009/feb/25/rmnp-rocky-mountain-stimulus-money-trail-ridge/

Yellowstone National Park News:
Wolf strays from Yellowstone to Eagle County
EAGLE COUNTY — A wolf from the Yellowstone area has roamed into Eagle County, delighting wildlife proponents but likely reigniting consternation among Colorado ranchers.
http://www.postindependent.com/article/2...gle%20County%20

Yellowstone wolf visits Colorado
A female wolf from the Yellowstone region has roamed about 1,000 miles and is thought to be wandering Colorado's central mountains.
http://www.examiner.com/a-1871293~Yellowstone_wolf_visits_Colorado.html

Spring plowing to begin at YNP
The winter season is drawing to a close in Yellowstone National Park.
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=9906352&nav=menu227_3

Happy Birthday, Grand Canyon National Park!! While it was a slow news day, over-all, there were a TON of articles on Grand Canyon, which is cool as there are normally few given the size and scope of the park. Anyway, enjoy.

James


Acadia National Park News:
Acadia Gateway Center to comply with zoning
TRENTON — After two years of debate, the Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) has agreed to bring its planned Acadia Gateway Center before the town, said selectman Mike Hodgkins Tuesday. “They’ve agreed to meet with the concerns of the planning board.” Until recently, the MDOT refused to submit to the town’s ordinances, regarding them as advisory in nature.
http://mdislander.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8957&Itemid=36

Glacier National Park News:
Moonlight Dine & Ski benefit for Glacier is March 14
The Glacier National Park Fund will host Moonlight Dine & Ski for Glacier on March 14 at the Summit of the Whitefish Mountain Resort.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090227/ENTERTAINMENT05/902270306

Grand Canyon National Park News:
On this day in history (See 1919)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-almanac-0226feb26,0,3064252.story

Grand Canyon Railway Completes Renovations To Lounge, Rooms And Lobby Of Hotel
The Grand Canyon Railway in Williams, Ariz. has completed renovations to the 297-room Grand Canyon Railway Hotel.
http://www.hotelinteractive.com/article.aspx?articleid=12951

Grand Canyon a wonder of a deal for minimal cost
The Grand Canyon is one of only seven natural wonders of the world. The other six are scattered across the globe, so visiting them will cost a bundle. Visiting Grand Canyon National Park is a bargain.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2009/02/27/20090227budgetaz0227.html

Savoring the end of winter on snowshoes
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK - The trail was white, the parking lot was empty and the day lay before us. A thin crust of ice crunched under our snowshoes as we started toward the edge of the Grand Canyon.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/arizonaliving/articles/2009/02/27/20090227snowshoe0227.html

Land of Vanishing Predators addressed at lecture (Could easily be labeled as Yellowstone News)
At one point only seven Mexican Grey Wolves remained in existence, according to wildlife journalist William Stolzenburg, author of Where the Wild Things Were: Life, Death and Ecological Wreckage in the Land of Vanishing Predators.
http://jackcentral.com/news/2009/02/land-of-vanishing-predators-addressed-at-lecture/

Geoscience exhibit displays 'Trail of Time'
Spectacular in its depth and breadth of beauty and unequaled in inspirational power, the Grand Canyon is a natural masterpiece. It took a lengthy 6 million years to carve the world-renowned steep-sided chasm but with its one-in-a-million views that amount of time seems almost appropriate - it's the paradox embedded within the canyon that is the real surprise. Often unnoticed by the millions of visitors each year, the age of the canyon itself pales in comparison to the age of the rocks within it. Acting upon the canyon's potential for public geoscience education, scientists coordinated the construction of the world's largest geoscience interpretative exhibit titled the Trail of Time.
http://asunews.asu.edu/20090223_trailoftime

Misc. National Park News:
Alaska by land, sea and air (goes over multiple Alaska National Parks)
Alaska has a brawny beauty. With terrain beyond rugged, words like stunning, gorgeous, massive and wild, fall short of capturing the essence of America's last frontier.
http://www.intelligencer.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1454090

National park status considered for Mount St. Helens
It's the latest volcano to blow in the continental United States, an age-old natural drama broadcast live and the deadliest eruption in the nation's history. It burbled in a big way just four years ago. And its truncated top is a beacon for a metropolitan area that spans two states.
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/02/mount_st_helens_national_park.html

Venturing beyond the slot machines in Las Vegas
The casinos ring with a hypnotizing medley of whirring roulette wheels and the ding-ding-ding of the slot machines. Lights flash, cocktail shakers rattle, and the rooms hum with the energy of people gambling on having a good time.
http://www.canada.com/Travel/Venturing+beyond+slot+machines+Vegas/938354/story.html

Outside the US/Canadian National Park System:
National park seeks funding to transform transport
THE Lake District National Park Authority has thrown its weight behind a campaign to get Government money set aside for better transport links, saying the Lake District’s 8million visitors need to start thinking “greener”.
http://www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/n...form_transport/

Yellowstone National Park News:
Wyoming's Majestic Yellowstone National Park
There is a reason why in 1871 President Ulysses S. Grant chose Yellowstone to become the nation’s first National Park. All you have to do is breathe deeply the clean air and look around at the wide array of wonders to understand why he wanted to preserve this special place. Almost than 140 years later, people are still adhering to his admonishment that it be "dedicated and set apart as a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people."
http://www.examiner.com/x-3298-Atlanta-I...e-National-Park

Culture: Bobby Jindal - Science Fail (Editorial - Note, I almost did not publish this one due to its obviously partisan nature, but decided to because of the content about Yellowstone. Let it not be said that I don't publish it all).
Bobby Jindal, the GOP governor of Louisiana delivered the Republican response for Obama’s Joint Session of Congress speech. You know it didn’t go well when Fox talking heads calls it lackluster. You are certain it sucked bad when folks over at Little Green Footballs, Free Republic and Red State think he made “Palin look smart,” “guarantees 8 years of Obama” and “anti-science.”
http://www.bitsofnews.com/content/view/10242/

W&L Biologist's Research Aims to Help Yellowstone Bison, Elk
What’s a bottle of Roundup Weed and Grass Killer doing in Yellowstone National Park?
http://www.wlu.edu/x30906.xml

Wolves at the door
The trek of a young female wolf from the Yellowstone National Park area in northwestern Wyoming to Eagle County, Colorado, is an amazing odyssey, regardless of how one feels about the prospect of wolves returning to this state.
http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/news/opinion/stories/2009/02/26/022709_6A_wolf_edit.html


Zion National Park News:
Man dies in apparent fall at Zion National Park
A 48-year old man was found dead 400 feet below Canyon Overlook in Zion National Park Thursday.
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705287603,00.html

Wrapping up our month of news...

Cuyahoga Valley National Park News:
Pamela Carson elected head of Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association
Pamela A. Carson has been elected head of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association. Carson is executive vice president of KeyBank and a park association director since 2004.
http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1235813722275450.xml&coll=2

Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Budget bill includes $190 million for Tennessee projects
A massive budget bill passed by the House this week includes more than $190 million for Tennessee - including $51 million to fix leaks in the Center Hill Dam and $2.3 million for six projects at Middle Tennessee State University.
http://www.wbir.com/money/story.aspx?storyid=79445&catid=92

Misc. Parks News:
New stamps set for rate increase in May (see new stamps)
With postal rates going up in May, the Post Office is readying new stamps to cover the new prices.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jg0nKYfDswqP0gD3RATOf0C2RgoQD96K37H01

Yellowstone National Park News:
Bison relocation plan deemed ‘too risky’
A plan five years in the making to relocate brucellosis-free bison from Yellowstone National Park to other Western lands is on shaky ground in the Montana Legislature.
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2009/02/28/state/101st_090228_bison.txt

Lonely lady wolf looks for love (reported previously)
Call it the power of love. A female wolf has wandered more than 1,000 miles through five states in search of a mate and is in Colorado's Eagle County, wildlife officials in Colorado and Montana said this week.
http://www.scrippsnews.com/node/41287

Yellowstone Elk (Updated)
Accident claims life of infamous Yellowstone elk
http://www.thebigskyweekly.com/node/109

Zion National Park News:
Falling victim identified at Zion National Park
Police have identified the man who was found dead at the base of the Canyon Overlook this week.
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705287870,00.html

Fatal Zion fall ruled a suicide
A New Jersey man who died after falling 400 feet off a cliff at Zion National Park likely committed suicide, park officials said Friday.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11800465