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National Park News - March 2009

Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News - March 2009 - 03/01/09 09:10 PM

Deleware Water Gap National Recreation Area News:
Delaware Water Gap park ready for stimulus funds
The National Park Service says it's ready to spend millions of dollars from the massive economic stimulus package on improvements at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090301/NEWS/903010340/-1/NEWS01

Everglades National Park News:
Plans for Everglades waters have some common elements
A long-anticipated suite of alternatives for managing the marine waters of Everglades National Park over the next 20 to 30 years has been released, and none includes additional no-fishing zones.
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/outdoors/story/926737.html

Great Smoky Mountains National Park News:
Great Smoky Park marks 75 years
The 75th-anniversary celebration of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is under way.
http://www.timesdispatch.com/rtd/travel/national/article/S-SMOK01_20090225-204303/215942/

Misc. Parks News:
Northward Ho (Not about just one park...)!
Alaska's splendor may never be this cheap again
Jean Tyrell tested her footing as she stepped from the tiny bush plane and out into Alaska's Ruth Amphitheater, a tabernacle of granite, snow and ice.
http://www.denverpost.com/travel/ci_11793806


Florida's coral reefs: A plan to protect them
A few miles from the southeast Florida coast, at a depth of crushing pressure and frigid temperatures, lies an eerie world of snowy coral, undiscovered forms of life and rock towers thrusting through ink-dark water.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbdeepcoralsbmar01,0,5200775.story

Alaska's Predators Under Fire Within National Park Lands
Bears and wolves threatened by increased hunting in national preserves
The nation's leading voice for the national parks, the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), has asked the Alaska Board of Game to stop manipulating populations of brown bears and wolves in federally-run national preserves, which the state is now doing to artificially increase moose and caribou numbers for hunting.
http://yubanet.com/usa/Alaska-s-Predators-Under-Fire-Within-National-Park-Lands.php

Outside the US/Canadian National Parks System:
Northwest national park awakens
Walking at Xaghra il-Hamra is one of nature's best attractions. The majjistral, the fresh wind that blows from the northwest, is very welcome as it brings with it a feeling of wellbeing. One of the best views in our islands can be gained near the tabletop edge of the park's sheer cliffs, which provide a bird's eye view of wild terrain below with rolling rockscape stretching out behind.
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20090301/environment/northwest-national-park-awakens

Kruger National Park News:
Walk in the park for SA
South Africa’s Davis Cup players are unlikely to find the Macedonians tough nuts to crack.
http://www.thetimes.co.za/Sport/Article.aspx?id=949228

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore News:
Snowshoe hikes on Saturdays continue at park
The popular Saturday afternoon snowshoe hikes at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will continue into March as long as snow conditions permit, according to National Park Service officials.
http://www.leelanaunews.com/drupal/?q=node/5220

Yellowstone National Park News:
Silent Beauty: Yellowstone In Winter Makes For Hardy Trip
The bone-chilling cold of a Wyoming winter has tightened its icy grip on Yellowstone National Park. The bison, conserving heat and energy, stand perfectly still in the meadows, up to their bellies in snow.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/mar/01/silent-beauty-yellowstone-winter-makes-hardy-trip/

Yosemite National Park News:
Yosemite roars into winter action
The park's snowy landscape is the place to be for skiers, ice skaters and snowshoers.
Yosemite National Park may be known for its towering granite cliffs and booming waterfalls, but when temperatures drop and snow falls, the park becomes a winter wonderland.
http://travel.latimes.com/articles/la-trw-yosemite1-2009mar01
Posted By: James Morrissey

Re: National Park News - 03/2/09 - 03/02/09 06:25 PM

Cuyahoga Valley National Park News:
Valley View: Edgar Farm available for lease through Cuyahoga Valley National Park's Countryside Conservancy
f you're ready to make a career change into farming for a living and want to stay close to urban conveniences, the 35-acre Edgar Farm at the corner of Hathaway and Canal Roads in Valley View may be the farm for you.
http://blog.cleveland.com/suncourier/2009/03/valley_view_edgar_farm_availab.html

Everglades National Park News:
Miami to Memphis — My Top Ten Insights
So without further ado, here are my Top Ten insights from Miami to Memphis …
http://www.beyondchron.org/news/index.php?itemid=6658

Wading birds vanishing in Everglades National Park
It seems even Mother Nature is going through a recession.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-da...et_type=gallery

Grand Canyon National Park News:
At Canyon, new fears of air pollution
There isn't much to Seligman, Arizona.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/2009/03/01/20090301cemex0301.html

Great Smoky Mountains National Park News:
While five adults watched and talked from a grassy area at Spence Field, the boys decided to see if they could sneak up on the old folks and maybe give them a start. Three of the boys went one direction. Dennis, six days short of his seventh birthday, went another.
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20090301/NEWS01/903010346

Great Smoky Mountains celebration under way
The 75th anniversary celebration of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is under way.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/s_613592.html

Lewis and Clark National Historical Park News:
Oregon historical park to restore tidal wetland
The Lewis and Clark National Historical Park plans to restore the 33-acre Otter Point area to a tidal wetland, requiring about 300 pounds of native grass seed.
http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=9926150

Misc. National Parks News:
If ever there was a time for deals, it's now
With more than 40 cruise ships plying Alaskan waters this season, the competition is heating up -- and that means lower prices.
It's the same story everywhere, only maybe more so in Alaska: Travel companies there are discounting like mad to lure visitors to America's northernmost state.
http://www.miamiherald.com/living/travel/cruises/story/920525.html

Mount Rainier National Park News:
Firsthand lessons in the wilderness: Teens trek for computers
The prospect of adventure - and free computers - lured 18 South Sound teenagers to hike 20 miles through Mount Rainier's backwoods this weekend.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/environment/story/642289.html

Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Reservations over at Glacier Basin
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20090301/ENTERTAINMENT06/90301007

Theodore Roosevelt National Park News:
Park Elk meetings wrapped up
Six public meetings have wrapped up to get comments on how to control the elk population in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and park officials say they're pleased with the process.
http://www.jamestownsun.com/ap/index.cfm?page=view&id=D96LHIJ82

Yellowstone National Parks News:
Spring plowing begins on Yellowstone roads
Maintenance crews have begun plowing roads in Yellowstone National Park as the park prepares to open for automobile traffic in the spring.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=4309
Posted By: James Morrissey

Re: National Park News - 03/3/09 - 03/04/09 02:48 AM

Everglades National Park News:
South Florida economy gets boost from Everglades restoration funds
Conceived during the boom times of the late 1990s, the multibillion-dollar restoration of the Everglades has emerged as a key means for South Florida to weather the recession.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-flbeverglades0303pnmar03,0,3434654.story

'Bridge to nowhere' OK'd for Everglades
Project buried in spending bill
A provision buried inside Congress' giant spending bill would overturn a federal court order, discard part of environmental law and reject an Indian tribe's plea, forcing the government to build a bridge in Everglades National Park that a federal judge has declared "a complete waste of taxpayer dollars."
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/03/bridge-to-nowhere-okd-for-everglades/

Everglades funds could bring 'hundreds' of jobs
Advocate says $183.4 million in Everglades funds for projects will create hundreds of jobs
New federal money for the Everglades was announced Monday with a new twist, as two members of Congress emphasized the impact the funding could have on South Florida's ailing economy.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-bn-everglades-0302,0,4353268.story

Journey through the Everglades: Part I
When planning to travel through swamps, marshes, or river grass, one needs usually two things: time and patience. With both securely on my side, I set out to experience the natural life that exists in Florida’s greatest ecosystem, and most prominent National Park, the Everglades.
http://www.examiner.com/x-3214-Tampa-Int...erglades-Part-I

Glacier National Park News:
No More Glaciers in Glacier National Park by 2020?
It's an oft-repeated statistic that the glaciers at Montana's Glacier National Park will disappear by the year 2030.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/03/090302-glaciers-melting.html

Grand Canyon National Park News:
California Condor release at Vermillion Cliffs
This spring and summer, when you visit Grand Canyon National Park, you may catch a glimpse of one of Arizona's four new residents—endangered California condors from Oregon and Idaho.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4661-Grand-Can...rmillion-Cliffs

Great Smoky Mountains National Park News:
Sen. Alexander to play piano at Smokies concert
GATLINBURG, Tenn. — Sen. Lamar Alexander plans to play the piano with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
http://www.wral.com/news/state/story/4644809/

Misc. National Park News:
Animals & Money: Blowing big money on blowing away predators (Editorial)
Now that Obama is in control of the government, one of the big priorities of animal advocates -- even bigger than getting the Obama family a shelter dog -- is the elimination of the USDA's Wildlife Services Department, which spends $117 million a year in a Sisyphean quest to exterminate predators.
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/03/03...away-predators/

This kid has seen it all
Miles Todaro, a 12-year-old at East Hampton Middle School, has a passion for the National Park Service.
http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=197724

Debate over economic stimulus priorities hits Park Service
The economic stimulus package sent $750 million to the National Park Service -- and is sparking debate over the agency's priorities.
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/03/02/...servi-9933.html

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
The Flooding's Finished at Karijini National Park
While most thoughts of Australia this month have been on the fires burning in Victoria, the opposite kind of natural disaster has been causing chaos in the northern parts of the country, with large areas of Queensland and Western Australia being hit by cyclone-induced floods.
http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/2/23/3...i+National+Park

Vote for Komodo park, govt appeals
The government has called on citizens to vote online to get the famed Komodo National Park onto the prestigious New Seven Wonders of Nature list.
http://old.thejakartapost.com/detailnational.asp?fileid=20090303.C03&irec=2

Jeremy Thompson Finds Gorillas In His Midst
Nothing prepares you for seeing mountain gorillas in their natural habitat from just feet away. They are simply magnificent creatures and scarily like us.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-N...200903115232426

Fire strips national park of 10000 ha greens
Mumbai A major fire suspected to have been triggered by tribal people residing within the forest area on Monday charred about 10,000 hectares of forest in the heart of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP).
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/fire-strips-national-park-of-10000-ha-greens/430148/

Theodore Roosevelt National Park News:
What to do with Elk
According to a National Park Service release, elk were reintroduced `to restore the extirpated native species and a missing component of the Badlands ecosystem and to enhance visitor experience.` They`ve done well. Now, park officials are evaluating what to do with the overwhelming elk population.
http://www.kfyrtv.com/News_Stories.asp?news=27538

Yellowstone National Park News:
Yellowstone elk population up slightly
A survey conducted of the northern Yellowstone elk population shows a slightly higher number of elk in the area compared to the three previous winters, but, overall, the long-term trend indicates abundance has decreased significantly since wolf restoration, according to a news release from Yellowstone National Park.
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=9931455&nav=menu227_3

West Yellowstone snowmobiler seriously injured in crash
A West Yellowstone man was hospitalized over the weekend after he fell from his snowmobile and was struck by another on the Two Top snowmobile trail.
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=9931560

Spring plowing begins in Yellowstone National Park
Maintenance crews have begun plowing roads in Yellowstone National Park as the park prepares to open for automobile traffic in the spring.
http://www.ktvb.com/news/regional/stories/ktvbn-mar0209-yellowstone_roads.1b4d745f.html

Submit your photos of Yellowstone for the Winter Photo Festival by March 6
Share your favorite winter photos of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem during a Winter Photo Festival at 7 p.m. on March 11 in West Yellowstone.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090227/ENTERTAINMENT01/902270303

Zion National Park News:
Road Trip to Chicago (and back)
Because It's About Time You Got to Know the Good Ol' U.S. of A.
Sure, jetting off to a foreign country is glamorous and all, but all the true adventurers are staying in the states this spring break. So grab a few friends, load up the most reliable car you can find with road-trip essentials (U.S. map, cash, camera and extra memory stick, sleeping bags, tent with rain tarp, hiking clothes, casual clothes, night-out clothes, lots of water and a large bag of potato chips for later) and get the hell out of La Jolla.
http://www.ucsdguardian.org/focus/road_trip_to_chicago_and_back-1.1591573

Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks
There aren't many places in the world where the forces of nature have come together with such dramatic results as in Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. From arid desert and desolate canyons to pine-covered peaks and awe-inspiring rock formations, these two parks -- located about 85 miles apart in colorful southern Utah -- offer some of the American West's most beautiful scenery, along with almost unlimited opportunities for hiking, camping, and other outdoor experiences.
http://www.kansascw.com/Global/story.asp?S=9880168
Posted By: James Morrissey

Re: National Park News - 03/4/09 - 03/04/09 09:55 PM

Acadia National Park News:
The Right Place in Time: Skiing Acadia National Park
When John D. Rockefeller, Jr. started building the 57-mile network of carriage roads on Mount Desert Island in 1913, I am quite sure he did not have cross country skiing in mind. Long, long before that, the island's incredibly varied geologic history, including periods of erosion and sedimentation, plate tectonics, volcanic eruption, and glaciation, shaped the dramatic landscape that we see there today.
http://waldo.villagesoup.com/Blogs/story.cfm?storyID=147307

Oceanfront campground elicits no bids at Gouldsboro auction
Local lobster dealer Dana Rice was the top bidder Tuesday in a foreclosure auction for a 2-acre wharf property where he has run his waterfront business for several years.
http://www.bangornews.com/detail/100764.html

Outdoor Journal
Rare Bird Alert
No surprises among the true standouts in this week's report: TUFTED DUCK, KING EIDER, NORTHERN HAWK OWL and VARIED THRUSH.
http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/...mp;page=0#21038
Arches National Park News:
Park service approves grant for Moab trails work MOAB, Utah (AP) - The National Park Service will give $100,000 to help connect trails near Moab with Arches National Park.
http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=9946838&nav=menu554_2

Big Bend National Park News:
Paralyzed man paints with his mouth.
Hopes art career will help restore mobility
SPICEWOOD, Texas (KXAN) - In April 2000, Jared Dunten , 26, and a friend approached the Rio Grande in Big Bend National Park. After a couple of tough hiking days in the park's Chisos Mountains, a bath was in order. Dunten grabbed a bar of soap and headed for the water. He knew better; he really did know better, and he admits to having enjoyed a couple of beers. Maybe that is why. Maybe it is not.
http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/national/so...200903032234563

Everglades National Park News:
Shark Valley's big attraction is gators
A 15-mile paved cycling path, no traffic, with fresh air, wildlife and alligators
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/smartliving/health/sfl-fit0304sharksbmar04,0,5428373.story

Crist: 'The Future Is Now'
And for Florida's beautiful environment, the future is now.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/mar/03/crist-future-now/

Glacier National Park News:
Welcome to ______ National Park
Glacier National Park to go glacier-free a decade early
National Geographic News reports the oft-repeated statistic that the glaciers at Montana's Glacier National Park will disappear by the year 2030 is being revised.
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2009/3/3/163426/7076

Grand Teton National Park News:
The Buzz: A phantom, maybe, but no menace
Jackson Hole, Wyo-Certain well-known mythical creatures are said to haunt corners of the world, inevitably eluding those who seek to prove their existence. Yet a phantom animal some believe they have seen in Jackson Hole is, unlike Sasquatch or Nessie, at least a known species.
http://www.planetjh.com/news/A_104815.aspx

Conservationists want more lynx habitat
But recent designation of 39,000 square miles is a drastic improvement, groups say.
Key areas of lynx habitat in the Greater Yellowstone Area were missing from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designation last week, according to conservation groups.
http://www.jacksonholenews.com/article.php?art_id=4320

Great Smoky Mountains National Park News:
Ticket information for cades cove outdoor concert
The sounds of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra will flow through the coves and hollows of Cades Cove at 3 p.m. Saturday, June 13, with a variety of classical compositions during an outdoor concert as part of Great Smoky Mountains National Park diamond anniversary celebration.
http://seymourherald.com/entertainment/2009/mar/03/ticket-information-for-cades-c/

Misc. National Park News:
We can grow our economy and preserve the environment,' Obama says at Interior
President Obama marked the Interior Department's 160th anniversary today with an enthusiastically received visit to announce he was restoring the role of federal biologists in endangered species decisions.
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/03/03/...nviro-9972.html

America's most visited tourist attractions
Call it a coincidence, but in the historic election year of 2008, the home of the Liberty Bell cracked the Forbes Traveler list of America's Most Visited Tourist Attractions.
http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=9938559

Trappers help keep wildlife, ecosystemsin balance (Editorial - again, editors note...we publish everything.)
The quest to preserve wild plants, animals and places is one of the more pleasant and challenging of humankind's responsibilities. That goal is shared by all of us. In America, despite our critics, it's one we've accomplished in admirable fashion.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/03/04/opinion/guest/40-trappers.txt

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
In Congo, With Rebels Now at Bay, Calm Erupts
BUKIMA, Congo — Jean-Marie Serundori’s eyes light up when he sees his old hulk of a friend Kabirizi.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/world/africa/04congo.html?hp

Fires, dead bamboos plague Borivli national park
MUMBAI: Repeated fires at the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivli have left officials flummoxed and a dead bamboo plantation is adding to the problem.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumba...how/4220607.cms

Yellowstone National Park News:
Count of Northern Yellowstone elk rises
BILLINGS (AP) — The Northern Yellowstone elk herd has grown but the number of calves remains one-half to one-third of what wildlife managers would like to see.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090303/NEWS01/90303007

Stimulus Exposes National Parks Priorities
National parks will get $750 million from the economic stimulus package--but how should they spend it?
http://www.backpacker.com/blogs/808
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News - 03/5/09 - 03/05/09 10:47 PM

Lots of news today - and some of kept me riveted. Hope it does the same for everyone else!

James

Cuyahoga National Park News:
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad announces canned food drive
Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (CVSR) is excited to announce a canned food drive March 14 and 15, 2009, to benefit both the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank and the Cleveland Foodbank.
http://www.thesuburbanite.com/lifestyle/...nned-food-drive

Everglades National Park News:
Loxahatchee refuge workers train to catch pythons
WEST OF BOYNTON BEACH - Biology staff at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, west of Boynton Beach, will attend a training session this afternoon to learn how to safely capture and handle exotic pythons.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-bn-0305pythons,0,5283481.story

Grand Canyon National Park News:
Will the real Grand Canyon West please stand up?
Trademark lawsuit pits tribe vs. Las Vegas developer
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK — The tribe that lives at Arizona’s top tourism destination is locked in a lucrative lawsuit over whether a competitor infringed upon one of its most important trademarks.
http://zoniereport.com/2009/03/lawsuit-pits-tribe-versus-vegas-developer-74441/

Grand Canyon Railway spring break deals
Love a train ride? Ready to see the Grand Canyon? Families can do both and take advantage of Grand Canyon Railway's spring break deals.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4661-Grand-Can...ing-break-deals

Great Smoky Mountains National Park News:
Outdoors: Getting to know the Smokies up close
The 900 Miler Club
I recently finished hiking all the trails in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. That makes me the 248th member of the 900 Miler Club.
http://www.mountainx.com/outdoors/2009/030409outdoors

Misc. National Parks News:
A Travel Writer's Visit: Wish List
People always ask me how I decide where to go. v I read, I see movies, I stare at maps, I dream. v And in doing so, I arrived at these 10 places that are tops on my list for 2009.
http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/life/6962-a-travel-writers-visit-wish-list.html

Committee says no to Mount St. Helens national park
An advisory committee on the future of Mount St. Helens is recommending that Congress keep the mountain in the hands of the U.S. Forest Service instead of converting it to a national park.
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/03/committee_says_no_to_national.html

Lynx Protected Habitat Expands by 37,000 Square Miles
Critical habitat for the Canada lynx, listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, has been expanded by about 37,000 square miles by order of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2009/2009-03-04-091.asp

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
New footage shows rare rhinos in Indonesia
JAKARTA (AFP) — New infra-red footage released Thursday captures hitherto unseen images of elusive Javan rhinos, the most endangered mammal in the world with less than 60 individuals believed to remain alive.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gErAuBeEzhhlTjqin9Zh3HH-RY3Q

Cobra wraps around man driving car
PRETORIA, South Africa, March 4 (UPI) -- A South African man says he and his wife remained calm as a nearly three-foot-long cobra wrapped itself around his leg as he was driving his car.
http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/03/04/Cobra_wraps_around_man_driving_car/UPI-44721236207043/

National Park to ban jarveys over dung issue
Jarveys who do not use ‘dung catchers’ are to be banned from Killarney National Park from June, in a new clampdown aimed at cleaning up the park. However the jarveys are arguing that there is no legal basis for the measure, which is due to take effect from June 8th, at the height of the tourist season.
http://www.kerryseye.com/003national_park_to_ban_jarvey.html

Yellowstone National Park News:
Conservationists want more lynx habitat
JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) - Conservation groups say more parts of the Greater Yellowstone Area in Wyoming and Idaho could be set aside for lynx habitat.
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=9945900&nav=menu227_2

Yosemite National Park News:
Small rock slide falls on highway outside Yosemite
State transportation officials have reopened all lanes of a main highway leading into Yosemite National Park after clearing several tons of rock and debris from the road.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_11834639
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News 03/6/09 - 03/06/09 09:03 PM

Acadia National Park News:
Earmarks for Maine cash in at $21 million
A spending bill full of pet projects has drawn criticism, but Collins and Snowe call the funding 'appropriate.'
The $410 billion spending bill debated by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday includes about $21 million for some 45 projects in Maine, ranging from potato research to buying land for conservation.
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=243242&ac=PHnws

Assateague National Park News:
Assateague names superintendent
Acting Superintendent Carl Zimmerman announced the selection of Patricia "Trish" Kicklighter as the new superintendent of Assateague Island National Seashore. Kicklighter succeeds Scott Bentley, who became superintendent at San Antonio Missions National Historical Park in San Antonio.
http://www.delmarvanow.com/article/20090306/NEWS01/903060315

Big Bend National Park News:
Scenic Big Bend canyon is easy float for rafters
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, Texas – Garry slipped his raft into the slender entrance to Santa Elena Canyon as easily as a key into a lock. Adana followed, and then Mike. Our three-raft flotilla had begun an overnight trip last October through the most spectacular and most accessible canyon on the Rio Grande.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/...n1.1b79a53.html

Denali National Park News:
From a Alaska Conservation Alliance press release:
Alaska's largest conservation coalition is now on record supporting a hydro project and a gasline routing option through Denali National Park. "This is all part of recognizing how we get to 50% renewable energy by 2025 and relying on natural gas as the 'bridge' fuel", notes Kate Troll, Executive Director of Alaska Conservation Alliance (ACA).
http://alaskareport.com/news39/x71119_conservation_groups.htm

Everglades National Park News:
Armed with hooks, tongs and a snake bag, biologists at Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge spent Thursday learning how to catch Burmese pythons.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/services/new...hons0306pnmar06,0,6793558.story

Grand Canyon National Park News:
Go Beyond the Grand Canyon for View
If you're looking for jaw-dropping scenery, northern Arizona has more than its share of vistas, whether you're up for a strenuous hike or prefer to stay in your car.
http://www.thestreet.com/story/10467054/1/go-beyond-the-grand-canyon-for-views.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN

Alternative Spring Break at Grand Canyon National Park
Even Grand Canyon National Park is getting in on the spring break action this year. Beginning on March 15, 2009, two groups of college students will spend a week of their spring break volunteering at Grand Canyon National Park.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4661-Grand-Can...n-National-Park

Haleakala National Park News:
Nature Conservancy Adds Land to Maui's Haleakala National Park
The Nature Conservancy has donated 34 acres of land in east Maui to the National Park Service, which officials say will be used to create a "gateway" to the Kipahulu portion of Haleakala National Park.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2009/2009-03-05-092.asp

Misc. National Parks News:
Let nature be the solution
A few years ago, several dozen gray wolves were reintroduced in Yellowstone National Park. It was part of an Interior Department effort to keep down excess deer and elk populations, and to restore a natural predator to a habitat where it once roamed free.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20090306_Let_nature_be_the_solution.html

Mt. St. Helens: National Park Or National Monument?
A draft report from an advisory committee is recommending that Mt. St. Helens National Monument remain under the management of the U.S. Forest Service and not be designated as a national park.
http://news.opb.org/article/4441-mt-st-helens-national-park-or-national-monument/

Outside the US/Canadian National Parks System:
Bombay HC free to decide on national park encroachment: SC
MUMBAI: In a significant development, the Supreme Court on Thursday said it will not interfere with the judgments passed by the Bombay high court
on the removal of illegal encroachments in the Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumba...how/4230913.cms

South Africa sets up Garden Route national park
CAPE TOWN, South Africa: South Africa has established a new national park along its southern coast to boost tourism in one of the most visited parts of the country.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/03/06/africa/AF-South-Africa-Tourism.php

New national park unveiled in Knysna (note: there is a vaguely off-color ad on this page..that is a values statement, so open at your own risk. Most folks would not mind, I don't think...just be aware)
A Garden Route National Park (GRNP) has been established in Knysna, the Department of Environmental Affairs said on Friday.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=14&art_id=nw20090306100948964C819615

Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Hiking News: Comments welcome on Bear Lake Road project
Half of Bear Lake Road at Rocky Mountain National Park has been fixed, now officials at Rocky Mountain National Park want to fix the rest of it.
http://www.examiner.com/x-2520-Denver-Hi...ke-Road-project

Yellowstone National Park News:
Thank goodness for tourism, a $2 billion industry
Back in the 1990s, members of the Wyoming Travel Commission, including Cheyenne's Jim Hearne, Jackson's Clay James, Lusk's Gene Kupke, others and me, promoted a unique goal for state tourism revenue.
http://www.wyomingbusinessreport.com/article.asp?id=98933

Yosemite National Park News:
Yosemite's famed Ahwahnee Hotel may get massive seismic overhaul
Yosemite National Park's historic Ahwahnee Hotel, a landmark destination with stunning views of Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and Glacier Point, could be closed for up to two years under a proposal by park officials to ensure it will survive a major earthquake.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_11847761
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News 03/7/09 - 03/08/09 02:32 AM

A bit of interesting news today. Two critters seemed to dominate everything - pythons and wolves. Take a look below...



Banff National Park News:
Around the Mountains: 3 wolves in Banff killed on highway
Three wolves have been struck and killed this winter on the Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park.
http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20090...%20on%20highway

Everglades National Park News:
Nestled in the Everglades, a Cold War Relic
At the height of the Cold War, antiaircraft missiles stood at the ready in Florida's swamplands, protecting the South from a potential Soviet nuclear bomber attack launched from Cuba.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/06/AR2009030601268.html

LETTER TO EDITOR: Bridge to Everglades revival
The article " 'Bridge to nowhere' OK'd for Everglades" (Page 1, Tuesday) fails to adequately address the importance of Tamiami Trail bridging to reviving America's Everglades.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/mar/07/bridge-to-everglades-revival/

Burmese Pythons: Invading a South Florida swamp near you
I hate snakes. Let's get that out in the open right now. And I really don't like the idea of giant, Southeast Asian pythons roaming around free in the Everglades, let loose because some guy decided he couldn't handle it for a pet.
http://blogs.trb.com/news/specials/newsillustrated/blog/2009/03/burmese_pythons_invading_a_swa.html

Grand Canyon National Park News:
The Grand Canyon - Impressively Grand!
One of the most popular sites for Hollywood westerns, the Grand Canyon is more than just a great cleft carved through the rocks of the Colorado Plateau. It is one of the most natural wonders of the world, where nature has proved the power of water over all other elements on earth. As research released in 2008 suggests, that over 17 million years ago the Grand Canyon was created by the Colorado River.
http://mangalorean.com/browsearticles.php?arttype=Travelogue&articleid=1436

Grand Canyon spring break lodging discounts for good grades
http://www.examiner.com/x-4661-Grand-Can...for-good-grades

Misc. Parks News:
Obama in no rush to ban guns in national parks
Bush era rules » Interior chief says president respects right to arms
President Barack Obama has rolled back eleventh-hour Bush administration rules on oil and gas leases, oil-shale development and offshore drilling, but the new White House hasn't budged on one policy: allowing guns in national parks.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11855037

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System News:
The Complete Guide To: Big-cat safaris
Lion, tiger, cheetah or leopard, nothing compares to the thrill of seeing these fabulous felines in their natural habitat, says Harriet O'Brien
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/africa/the-complete-guide-to-bigcat-safaris-1638922.html

The one and only
Switzerland has only one national park - but what a park it is.
In the summer months it's refreshing to be in the great outdoors; but there is great outdoors, and there is extraordinary outdoors. Top of the list of extraordinary outdoor experiences is the Swiss national park (nationalpark.ch). It's the biggest conservation area in Switzerland and one of the best-protected natural environments in Europe. The Alpine landscape remains much the same as it was 5,000 years ago, thanks to the banning of hunting, tree felling, meadow mowing or any other human activity deemed to interfere with nature.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/visit-switzerland/graubunden-switzerland-national-park-hotel

Low birthrates spell doom for world's rarest rhino
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Time and space are running out for the Javan Rhinoceros — the most endangered mammal in the world.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h40jJXuBJvAOzm4Zu6C-FRgtsVwAD96OHESG2

Yellowstone National Park News:
Wolf delisting upheld
ISLAND PARK – The wolves that have made the caldera and other Idaho places their home in recent years will be managed by the state of Idaho, despite environmentalist demands that wolves stay on the U. S. Threatened and Endangered Species List.
http://www.islandparknews.net/atf.php?sid=6026&current_edition=2009-03-06

Gray wolf removal from endangered list will stand
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
President Obama has let stand a Bush administration regulation that removed the gray wolf from the endangered species list.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar reasserts Bush-era findings that the animal is no longer endangered in the Upper Midwest, Idaho and Montana but is still endangered in Wyoming.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-wolves7-2009mar07,0,3909363.story

Yellowstone National Park Topic of Friends
Local resident Lucinda Simonson was the guest speaker at the March 5th meeting of 'Friends of the Library' where she highlighted her working visits to Yellowstone National Park.
http://www.fosterfollynews.com/news/2009March5FriendsOfTheLibrary.php

A tale of two towns
While the town struggles to find a cohesive face to present to visitors through beautification projects and sign ordinances, ultimately visitors will recall the businesses that operate in town at least as much as the appearance of the town.
http://www.westyellowstonenews.com/articles/2009/03/06/news/news3.txt

Spring plowing to begin in Yellowstone
YELLOWSTONE PARK — The winter season is drawing to a close here. Snowmobile and snowcoach travel on park roads will end by March 15 and crews will begin to clear them of snow so they can reopen to automobile travel in the spring.
http://www.islandparknews.net/atf.php?sid=6010&current_edition=2009-03-06
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News 03/8/09 - 03/08/09 06:37 PM

Everglades National Park News:
Florida Bay preservation proposals heed boaters' concerns
After the backlash over initial plans that would close large areas of Florida Bay to anglers, Everglades National Park issued new proposals.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/938620.html

South Florida scrambles for economic stimulus money
Mass transit. Road repairs. Research. South Florida has plenty to spend it on.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/sfl-flastimulus0308sbmar08,0,2503169.story

Great Smoky Mountains National Park News:
EVER GREEN: Smokies tags save trees
Have you seen those black bear license plates that raise money for Friends of the Smokies? Here's how they help keep the Great Smoky Mountains National Park beautiful.
http://blogs.starnewsonline.com/default.asp?item=2344031

Park service gets OK to build new Smokies center in N.C.
GATLINBURG, Tenn. - The National Park Service has been cleared to build a new visitor center on the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
http://www2.journalnow.com/content/2009/mar/08/park-service-gets-ok-to-build-new-smokies-center-i/

Misc. National Park News:
Captive condors released just south of Utah border
Endangered » The four birds are graduates of a breeding program meant to preserve their rare species.
Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Ariz. » Freedom takes some getting used to. Or at least it did for four California condors hatched and raised in captivity and set loose in the wild Saturday in an event that drew 200 spectators.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_11862097

'Brushing' the backcountry with Wilderness Volunteers
A what? A Pulaski? I'm told to grab this beast of a two-sided tool, half ax and half mattock, and "brush" a trail high in Montana's Mission Mountains. I pick one from a heap of handles and stumble off along Fatty Creek with 10 people I've just met.
http://www.oregonlive.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2009/03/brushing_the_backcountry_with_1.html

Ranger had to work variety of odd jobs to get where she is
She was born to be a park ranger. That's what her mother always told her. But even though she'd heard it from others all her life, Larimer County Senior Ranger Cindy Claggett wasn't so sure.
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20090308/ENTERTAINMENT06/903080304

Yosemite National Park News:
Yosemite officials seek $137M to retrofit landmark
Ahwahnee Hotel generates millions for park, nearby towns
http://www.montereyherald.com/state/ci_11865618
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News 03/9/09 - 03/09/09 03:41 PM

Glacier National Park News:
Park officials taking comment on fish removal
WEST GLACIER, Mont. (AP) - The proposed removal of lake trout from Quartz Lake in Glacier National Park will be examined in an environmental assessment.
http://www.kpax.com/Global/story.asp?S=9971159

Misc. National Parks News:
County: Make Washington Crossing a national park
If the Bucks County Commissioners have their way, problems surrounding the Washington Crossing Historic Park visitors center will be solved with help from the federal government.
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/news_det...nal-park-1.html

NPS unveils park plan for Coldwater Spring to mixed reviews
The National Park Service (NPS) received public comments on three alternative plans to redevelop the 27-acre Bureau of Mines Twin Cities Research Center and historic Coldwater Spring site into a Mississippi river-related park during a 4 l/2-hour open house Feb. 23. The plans drew praise from a few, but vocal criticism from Native American officials.
http://www.southsidepride.com/2009/03/articles/nps.html

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System News:
Asiatic Black Bears Give Birth at Jiri National Park
Two Asiatic black bears have been spotted with recently born cubs at Jiri National Park, about a four-hour drive south of Seoul.
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200903/200903090030.html

It may be too late for some species in the National Park
The signal from the courts, both the High Court and the Supreme Court, is clear - an encroachment-free Sanjay Gandhi National Park. But many feel
the slums and illegal settlements in and around the park have already caused irreversible damage to the flora and fauna in the park, which is the last hope for many species. The actual area affected is much larger than the encroached portion, experts say. For instance, there has been great reduction in the number of panthers.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumba...how/4242448.cms

Riding Mountain National Park News:
Stories in the Snow – Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba
riving west from Winnipeg, Manitoba the landscape stretches to the horizon as a vast white ocean of endless prairie. My husband Jack and I are heading towards Riding Mountain National Park and are, quite frankly, wondering how there could possibly be a mountain anywhere in the vicinity.
http://www.snowshoemag.com/view_content.cfm?content_id=500
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News 03/10/09 - 03/11/09 02:00 AM

Everglades National Park News:
Omnibus Money for Unnecessary Bridge?
This is a rush transcript from "Hannity," March 6, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,506964,00.html

Glacier National Park News:
Tools That Leave Wildlife Unbothered Widen Research Horizons
You may remember Senator John McCain’s criticism of a study of grizzly bear DNA as wasteful spending. And you may have wondered how the scientists got the DNA from the grizzlies.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/10/science/10wild.html

Park officials taking comment on fish removal
WEST GLACIER - The proposed removal of lake trout from Quartz Lake in Glacier National Park will be examined in an environmental assessment.
http://www.abcmontana.com/news/state/40962867.html

Grand Canyon National Park News:
It's Grand Canyon time
Grand Canyon time never changes. With the arrival of Daylight Savings Time, visitors to Grand Canyon National Park from outside of Arizona sometimes have trouble knowing what time it is. It is a little confusing since most of Arizona is on Mountain Standard Time year-round and does not observe Daylight Savings Time.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4661-Grand-Canyon-National-Park-Examiner~y2009m3d8-Its-Grand-Canyon-time

Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Repaving on Newfound Gap Road to start March 16
Great Smoky Mountains National Park – An 18-month-long project to repave 6.5 miles of Great Smoky Mountains National Park's Newfound Gap Road is set to begin March 16, according to park officials.
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200990309030

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
Aspen man killed in climbing accident in Patagonia
Travis Lizotte remembered as passionate for the outdoors and compassionate to others
ASPEN — An Aspen man who loved sharing his passion for the outdoors died Sunday in a climbing accident while helping lead an Outward Bound expedition on a peak in Argentina.
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/200903...0in%20Patagonia

Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Creating a hiking list
Spring is almost here, it's time to create a list of hikes you want to do. They can be hikes for this year or hikes for "someday."
http://www.examiner.com/x-2520-Denver-Hiking-Examiner~y2009m3d9-Creating-a-hiking-list

Shenandoa National Park News:
Rumors abound, as facts surrounding park shooting remain sparse
While the federal government may rush to judgment on such things as presidential assassinations, wars against former Middle Eastern allies, or trillion dollar bailouts of the financial sector most responsible for our current economic predicament, never let it be said the Federal Bureau of Investigation jumped to conclusions about the identity of a man gunned down on federal park property within an eighth of a mile of Skyline Drive’s intersection with Route 340 at Front Royal, Virginia, around noon on Sunday, March 8.
http://wcrnews.wordpress.com/2009/03/09/...-remain-sparse/

Saving History: Ken Burns and Shenandoah National Park
Legendary film maker Ken Burns has brought the greatest American stories to life on public broadcasting stations for more than 25 years. This fall, he shares the story of the national parks.
http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/41002462.html

Yellowstone National Park News:
Montana State team finds Yellowstone alga that detoxifies arsenic
Arsenic may be tough, but scientists have found a Yellowstone National Park alga that's tougher.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-03/msu-mst030909.php

Yellowstone advance reservations down, but it could be worse
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK – Visits to Yellowstone National Park this summer could be down from last year, but the park’s concessionaire hopes an “11th-hour” spurt will help fill park hotels.
http://www.wyomingbusinessreport.com/article.asp?id=99040
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News 03/11/09 - 03/11/09 11:10 PM

Hey Folks,

Lots of small articles today. For me, the most interesting new has to do with the Wilderness Bill (Otherwise known as the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 - Bill S.22). It is located in the Misc. National Parks news section.

-JM

Canyonlands National Park News:
Pilot error caused fatal plane crash
The National Transportation Safety Board has determined that a plane crash in Canyonlands National Park last year that killed a former Bureau of Reclamation commissioner was caused by pilot error.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11878570

Cuyahoga Valley National Park News:
Guest Column: Park's wildflower season begins with spring blooms
With March comes the beginning of the wildflower season in Cuyahoga Valley National Park -- a season that extends well into late fall. Watching the progression of wildflowers will deepen your awareness of nature and should keep you coming back to the park with the changing seasons. It is also a wonderful window into the habitat diversity that enriches this area.
http://www.the-news-leader.com/news/article/4543117

Denali National Park News:
Tri-Valley trio shares ideas, time with legislators in Juneau
Visiting the state’s capital was “the chance of a lifetime” for three students from the Denali Borough School District, who learned first hand how state government works.
http://www.newsminer.com/news/2009/mar/11/tri-valley-trio-shares-ideas-time-legislators-june/

Grand Teton National Park News:
Salazar taps Shafroth for fish, wildlife and parks deputy post at Interior
MOOSE - Teton Park Road through Grand Teton National Park will be plowed Sunday for the first time this year. The plowing will put an end to skiing and snowshoeing on the road this season, although people will continue to be able to ski and showshoe elsewhere in the park.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/03/11/news/wyoming/70-grandteton.txt

Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Smokies begins spring opening of facilities
GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) -- The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is shaking off its winter slumber and has posted a schedule of when park facilities will reopen.
http://www.wlos.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.nc/27b3a361-www.wlos.com.shtml

Misc. National Parks News:
House defeats wilderness bill
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Wednesday defeated a bill to set aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as protected wilderness.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ja3vNS7u_ovPaeUpzrEKqDzs5TjAD96RV2VO0

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
Tiny Aruba's peaceful island beauty offers sand, sea and sunsets
ORANJESTAD, Aruba — Given a choice between a snowy mountain and a sandy beach, I prefer the cold. But my wife is from Miami and my infant son howls when exposed to a chill. So this year I deferred to them, and we headed to Aruba.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5ik8OEV7rcoKq2sC1wGMakTmT4nUg

Shenandoah National Park News:
Skyline Drive Shooting Still Under Investigation
The FBI continues to investigate a deadly standoff that happened along Skyline Drive near Front Royal over the weekend. Investigators still have not released many details about what led up to shots ringing out at the north entrance to Shenandoah National Park on Sunday morning.
http://www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv/news/headlines/41015097.html

Yellowstone National Park News:
Back to Yellowstone for Nordic skiers
30th annual Rendezvous attracts 547
Crisp temperatures and scenic Yellowstone trails brought 547 cross-country skiers including 34 from the Wood River Valley to West Yellowstone, Mt. Saturday, March 7 for the 30th annual Yellowstone Rendezvous races at four distances.
http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005125144

Yellowstone bears emerging from slumber
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) - Bears are waking up from hibernation and emerging from their dens in Yellowstone National Park.
http://www.fox12news.com/Global/story.asp?S=9982027
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News 03/12/09 - 03/12/09 05:56 PM

Lots of news today. Of particular note for me is the on-going drama over the Park lands bill...and boy, does there appear to be a lot of drama.

James

Boston Harbor Islands National Park
The federal government has approved $5 million for the construction of the first building on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, a 2,500-square-foot pavilion that is intended to serve as a gateway to the Boston Harbor Islands National Park area.
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massach...lands_pavilion/

Everglades National Park News:
Crist Receives National Wildlife Federation Conservation Awar
TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist today received the National Wildlife Federation’s “Conservation Achievement Award for Government,” in recognition of his work to position Florida as a leader in addressing climate change and protecting the environment. Governor Crist thanked NWF members for the work they do to protect Florida’s natural beauty, and he stressed he is more committed than ever to building on the preservation initiatives of the past two years.
http://www.fosterfollynews.com/news/2009...vationAward.php

Glacier National Park News:
Glacier eyeing a decidedly uncertain future
In 1916 President Woodrow Wilson signed the "Organic Act” which created the National Park Service. In that bill, it said the Service has a purpose "to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."
http://www.hungryhorsenews.com/articles/2009/03/11/news/doc49b7ebc3e0546572017140.txt

New “Glacier National Park” Released as Free Notecast
TimeStream Software is offering free downloads of its new Glacier National Park Notecast for the iPod Classic and iPod nano on www.Notescasts.com. With 110 interactive pages, complete with photos, it’s a comprehensive new guide to Glacier National Park…all on the iPod. Portland, OR – The new Glacier National Park Notecast for the iPod Classic, iPod 5th Generation and iPod nano is now available on the Application Store for the iPod, www.Notescasts.com. At 110 pages of interactive content, complete with photos, it’s a cutting-edge guide to all of Glacier National Park…and it’s all on the iPod.
http://pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=183211&Itemid=31

Grand Canyon National Park News:
The essential guide to Grand Canyon National Park and it's free
Information is usually the most pressing need of visitors to Grand Canyon National Park. For first time visitors, and sometimes even old pros, getting answers to essential questions is a must. Time is always a factor; so knowing where to go and what to expect allows visitors to concentrate on the extraordinary beauty of the canyon.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4661-Grand-Can...rk-and-its-free

BIBLE VS. GEOLOGY
Kimble: Is the Grand Canyon only 6,000 years old?
With Bible in mind, river guide reshapes theory on rock of ages
Forget that hooey about the Grand Canyon being really, really old. And forget that rumor that it took a couple million years for the Colorado River to cut the mile-deep canyon.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/opinion/111936.php

Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
National Park Service to repave road in Smokies
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK – An 18 month-long project to repave 6.5 miles of Newfound Gap Road (U.S. 441) through Great Smoky Mountains National Park is set to begin Monday. Some traffic delays are possible during the project, which is expected to be complete by September 2010.
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009903120335

Great Smoky Mountains National Park announces spring schedule
With spring just around the corner, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is gearing up for visitors.
http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=80881&catid=2

Misc. National Park News:
Top 10 Mountain Towns in North America
Many of us cling to the dream of ditching the urban rat race and moving to a funky town in the mountains where we can hike, bike, climb, paddle, and ski to our heart’s content. In fact, for every person with the “check out” mentality, there are ten more who simply want to get away, and are looking for a good home away from home, where familiarity and escapism merge in equal proportions to create the perfect experience. Ultimately it’s a continuous spectrum, ranging from selling your house in San Francisco or New York and moving whole-hog, to buying a vacation home where you return year after year, to simple scheming for a regular trip to the mountains. And while not every mountain town can be optimal for each spot along that spectrum, there are clearly some that stand out above the rest, for their combination of local flavor and culture, incredible natural surroundings, and enough of an economy to make semi-regular escapism a viable alternative. I hereby present my top 10:
http://www.tipsfromthetlist.com/article8677.html

Lands bill suffers setback in House
Pair of wilderness areas left in limbo after narrow defeat
A bill that enjoyed some bipartisan support and seemed set for approval, setting aside nearly 276,000 acres in Mesa County as wilderness and conservation areas, was narrowly defeated Wednesday in the U.S. House of Representatives.
http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/news/stories/2009/03/11/031209_1a_Dominguez_canyon.html

Congress chops down wilderness expansion
Protections would have benefited Colorado and eight other states, but opponents called the overall bill "deeply flawed."
The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday defeated a bill that would have set aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as wilderness, including 315,000 acres in Colorado.
http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_11892627

Coffman, Lamborn blasted for vote on wilderness
DENVER (Map, News) - Environmentalists are accusing Republican Reps. Mike Coffman and Doug Lamborn of ignoring Colorado's interests in favor of partisanship by voting against a federal wilderness bill.
http://www.examiner.com/a-1899217~Coffman__Lamborn_blasted_for_vote_on_wilderness.html

Public lands bill falls short, embarrasses House Democratic leaders
WASHINGTON — Democratic leaders suffered an embarrassing defeat Wednesday as the House failed to pass a public lands bill.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/politics/story/63786.html

Forest Service dogs trained in Kalispell
KALISPELL, Mont. — Nero, a 21-month-old German shepherd, lies motionless but alert on the varnished hardwood floor as his handler, U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer Kayla Jaquith, cautiously approached a man playing the role of an irate and unpredictable suspect.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/IdahoNews/story/695017.html

National Park Service is doing its share on shuttle
THIS IS IN response to the IJ's March 2 editorial, "Park service must pay its fair share of Muir shuttle."
http://www.marinij.com/opinion/ci_11893984

Firearms Industry Calls National Park Service Ban on Traditional Ammunition Over-reactive
NEWTOWN, Conn.-The National Shooting Sports Foundation strongly encourages the National Park Service to reconsider its policy banning the use of traditional ammunition made with lead components on park lands and points out that neither humans, wildlife populations nor the environment are harmed by the use of such ammunition.
http://www.rightsidenews.com/20090311396...r-reactive.html

Yellowstone National Park News:
Yellowstone tower threatens to fall, trails closed
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) - Yellowstone National Park has closed two trails popular with skiers and snowshoers because an unused communications tower is threatening to fall over.
http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=9993800&nav=menu554_2

Yellowstone bears emerging from slumber
Park rangers say be careful. The bears in Yellowstone National Park are waking up from hibernation and emerging from their dens. Rangers say those bears are hungry and will aggressively defend any dead bison or elk they find to eat.
http://www.ktakradio.com/news/2009/mar/11/yellowstone-bears-emerging-slumber/

Wolf Delisting: The Neverending Story
If Wyoming would've played its cards differently, it could have gotten everything it wanted, but the wolf delisting issue would still be far from over.
There isn’t much agreement when it comes delisting the wolf from the protection of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), but alas, it seems there might be one point pro-wolfers, anti-wolfers, wolf agencies, and a whole lot of people who’d like to see something different in the news can agree on. We should call it, “The Neverending Story.”
http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/wolf_delisting_the_neverending_story/C41/L41/

Yosemite National Park News:
Man recently convicted, commits suicide
A 37-year-old Waterbury man despondent over his Feb. 18 federal court conviction in Bridgeport committed suicide in Yosemite National Park in California Monday night after falling into the tributary of the park's highest waterfall following five hours of attempted negotiations by park rangers.
http://www.connpost.com/ci_11889523
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News 03/13/09 - 03/13/09 07:33 PM

Grand Canyon National Park News:
Alternative spring break at Grand Canyon National Park
If you’re visiting the park this month, you’re likely to see teams of volunteers working on plant restoration under the Alternative Spring Break program sponsored by the Student Conservation Assn. and American Eagle Outfitters.
http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/alternative-spring-b-4241/

Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
State makes recommendations for ozone non-attainment areas
State officials recommended today that three high-elevation areas in Western North Carolina and Great Smoky Mountains National Park be considered in violation of federal standards for ozone.
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200990312047

Misc. National Park News:
Wilderness bill fails in Senate vote
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House on Wednesday defeated a bill to set aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as protected wilderness. The bill also included language involving water in the Rocky Mountain National Park.
http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20...20Senate%20vote

Livestock producers allowed to ‘take aim’ at wolves
The ping-pong ball that has become the hallmark of wolf management efforts bounced once again.
http://www.parkrapidsenterprise.com/articles/index.cfm?id=15984&section=homepage

Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Ill-fated RMNP bill snagged again (Editorial)
Wilderness designation held up by rules change
Once again, an ongoing attempt to designate most of Rocky Mountain National Park as wilderness has been caught up in a net of political dysfunction.
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20090312/OPINION01/903120326/1014/OPINION

Early season climbing in Estes Park
As we drop into the Estes Park Valley the whole world seems to open up as early morning light covers Sundance Buttress in the distance, slowly working its path west across Lumpy Ridge.
http://www.examiner.com/x-5379-Denver-Ou...g-in-Estes-Park

Rocky Mountain National Park snowshoers explore hidden winter ecology
Driving up the Big Thompson Canyon on a recent morning, the only snow visible was in the mountains looming to the west.
http://www.reporterherald.com/features/Feature-Story.asp?section=Outpost&ID=22006

Yellowstone National Park News:
Win a Trek Bike and Cycling Vacation to Yellowstone
Several of the Clear Channel Communication radio stations in Louisville, KY have teamed up with Trek Bicycles and Scheller’s Fitness and Cycling for a fantastic vacation contest giveaway.
http://hikinginthesmokys.blogspot.com/2009/03/win-trek-bike-and-cycling-vacation-to.html

Protecting wolves (Editorial)
Predators vulnerable to hunters
It's disappointing that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar has removed protection for the gray wolf in the Northern Rocky Mountain states. We were hoping for better from the Obama administration.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_11898739

Dog Sledding in Montana’s Wilderness
DOG sledding is an exercise in changed states, of chaos turning to order. One moment dogs were barking, yapping, whining, snarling, scrapping, jumping, biting and all the other things dogs do. The next moment they were straining at the gang line, and with a burst of acceleration, all turned silent but for the hiss of the runners on the snow and the sound of my own exhilarated breathing.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/03/13/travel/escapes/13dogsled.html?hp

Web Extra: Yellowstone rangers set up checkpoints
Yellowstone National Park rangers will be conducting safety and sobriety checkpoints on Highway 191 inside the park between Friday, March 13, and Sunday, March 15, 2009.
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=9997577
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News 03/14/09 - 03/14/09 01:44 PM

Big Bend National Park News:
Texas: Clearing Big Bend air will take 146 years
BIG BEND NATIONAL PARK, Texas — Growing up in Terlingua, a speck of a desert town in the heart of Texas' Big Bend region, Delia White once had picturesque views of rugged mountains in every direction.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/6310928.html

Congaree National Park News:
Spending bill includes funds to expand Congaree Park
An earmark in the $410 billion spending bill approved by Congress this week will allow Congaree National Park to expand again.
http://www.thestate.com/local/story/714574.html

Denali National Park News:
Snow could affect clearing of park road
DENALI NATIONAL PARK -- Crews will begin clearing Denali Park Road on Monday, and the snowy winter could give them more work than usual.
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/722648.html

EA for Replacement of Chemical Toilets in Denali Available for Public Comment
Environmental Assessment for Replacement of Chemical Toilets in Denali National Park and Preserve Available for Public Comment
http://alpineinstitute.blogspot.com/2009/03/ea-for-replacement-of-chemical-toilets.html

Grand Canyon National Park News:
Grand Canyon spring break update
Spring break has definitely arrived at Grand Canyon National Park. On Wednesday, you could feel the excitement. Students, from kindergarten to college, rode the shuttles, hiked the rim and participated in ranger programs.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4661-Grand-Can...ng-break-update

Grand Canyon makes Forbes most visited attractions
According to the Forbes Traveler list of America's Most Visited Tourist Attractions, National Park Service destinations did well. Seven national parks, recreation areas and seashores were among the 25 attractions on the most-visited list for 2008.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4661-Grand-Can...ted-attractions

Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Arbor Day Comes to the North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area
American Chestnut Trees and Other Hardwoods to Be Planted
The 138,000-acre North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area — whose hardwood forests were protected in 2007 as part of Tennessee’s largest single conservation transaction since the Great Smoky Mountains National Park — will be the site of a significant tree planting project to reclaim decades-old strip mines on Saturday, March 28. Volunteers who wish to assist in the planting are invited to join the day-long event.
http://www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/tennessee/press/press3936.html

State: Parts of WNC fail federal ozone standards
RALEIGH – North Carolina recommended to the federal government that three high-elevation areas in Western North Carolina and Great Smoky Mountains National Park be considered in violation of federal standards for ozone.
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009903130327

Misc. National Park News:
Not the same old story
In my first month as the National Energy Examiner at Examiner.com, I have been thrust into the world of citizen journalism; it is a learning process. In that time, I have received a moderate amount of feedback from readers. I have learned throughout the course of the first month about many ideas and concepts pointed out by the readers afforded me at Examiner.com; I will resume posting on March 22 and will continue to track some of the trends in American and global energy policy.
http://www.examiner.com/x-2903-Energy-Examiner~y2009m3d12-Not-the-same-old-story

Why Ocmulgee National Monument should be designated a national park (Editorial)
In 1825 the Treaty of Indian Springs between the United States and a small faction of Creek leaders, led by William McIntosh, essentially gave away most of the Creek-owned lands in Georgia.
http://www.macon.com/203/story/649743.html

Parks service wants to get the lead out
Deadline of 2010 for lead-free fishing, hunting draws fire
The United States National Parks Service announced Tuesday it would begin taking action to phase out the use of lead ammunition and lead fishing tackle in parks under its jurisdiction by the end of 2010. The announcement brought forth opposition, especially in the hunting and firearms industry.
http://www.stjoenews.net/news/2009/mar/13/parks-service-wants-get-lead-out/?sports

Shenandoah National Park News:
Man dressed like The Joker slain by police in park
roanoke,va - Details are emerging about an incident in Virginia last weekend in which police shot and killed a soldier who was dressed and wearing face-paint like the Batman villain The Joker. An FBI affidavit says Army Spc. Christopher Lanum was shot in the Shenandoah National Park after he pointed a loaded shotgun at police following a chase.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29674768/

Yellowstone National Park News:
Yellowstone setting up checkpoints
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — Rangers will be manning safety and sobriety checkpoints in Yellowstone National Park this weekend.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090314/NEWS01/903140309
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News 03/15/09 - 03/15/09 05:39 PM

Congaree National Park News:
National Park Expanding
Charleston, SC -South Carolina's only national park is planning to expand.
http://www.wciv.com/news/stories/0309/603877.html

SC's only national park to get $2.7M to buy land
South Carolina's only national park plans to expand again.
http://www.thesunnews.com/575/story/820251.html

Crater Lake National Park News:
Secrets of the Phantom Ship
The genesis of one of Crater Lake's signature features has been clear since 1941 — until a pair of SOU students explored other possibilities.
When it comes to pioneering research on the formation of Crater Lake, world-famous volcanologist Howel Williams has long towered among earth-science experts.
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090315/NEWS/903150334

Everglades National Park News:
Everglades National Park schedules Turner River tour
To celebrate Florida Archaeology Month, an Everglades National Park ranger will lead a special boat tours to prehistoric shell mounds in the Ten Thousand Islands region near Everglades City on Saturday and Sunday, March 28 and 29.
http://www.examiner.com/x-1435-Miami-Tra...rner-River-tour

Everglades restoration eyed as an engine for up to 3,000 jobs
Decades-old ideas to restore the Everglades have been given new life these days because of interest in creating jobs.
http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2009/03/16/story5.html

Glacier National Park News:
Event supporting Glacier Park
The Glacier National Park Fund is giving people a reason to come out to support the park.
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=10006249&nav=menu227_7

Planning Board backs two projects
A West Glacier training center and a Lakeside subdivision received green lights Wednesday from the Flathead County Planning Board.
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articles/2009/03/14/news/local_montana/news_8762999437_05.txt

Great Smoky Mountains National Park News:
Outdoor Journal: Early spring fishing fast approaching
Never mind interruptions from blowing snow, heavy rains, bud-nipping cold snaps, and the like, rest assured that the warm days and gentle breezes of spring lie not far distant. Indeed, we’ve already had a sampling or two. With their coming optimism and anticipation characterize the angler’s world. This is especially true in South Carolina, where the biggest problem for many fishermen is to decide just what they want to do. Here’s a sampling of some of spring’s angling splendor.
http://www.goupstate.com/article/2009031...ast-approaching

Misc. National Park News:
Botswana, Alaska top this year's dream destinations
Despite tough economy, now might be the time to take a grand tour
People always ask me how I decide where to go. I read, I see movies, I stare at maps, I dream.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/world/bal-tr.world15mar15,0,7876997.story

Rocky Mountain National Park News:
National Park Sees A Stampede For Free Elk Meat
Rocky Mountain National Park officials expected some controversy when they culled the park's elk population last month. What they didn't expect was thousands of people signing up for free meat.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101873144

Students Track Mountain Lions As Class Project
The hike into the high country has taken more than hour. Their big minute has finally arrived.
http://cbs4denver.com/local/mountain.lions.estes.2.958848.html

Activities for families traveling in Colorado
Colorado is a state for getting the kids up and getting them going. Whether a family traveling in Colorado wants fresh air and sunshine outdoors, or the excitement of learning new things indoors, the Centennial State has a huge variety of options.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4706-Denver-Fa...ing-in-Colorado

Past, present, and future of Estes Park at CIA’s week five
ESTES PARK, Colo. — Week five of the Citizens Information Academy (CIA) spanned the ages. Participants were treated to glimpses of growth, development and trends for the future in presentations from the Estes Park Urban Renewal Authority (EPURA), Estes Park Conference Center, Museum, Senior Center, and an informal “chat” with town trustees Richard Homeier, Jerry Miller, Dorla Eisenlauer, Mayor Pro Tem Chuck Levine and Mayor Bill Pinkham at the March 4 session.
http://www.eptrail.com/news/2009/mar/13/past-present-and-future-estes-park-cias-week-five/
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News 03/16/09 - 03/16/09 04:36 PM

Death Valley National Park News:
FURNACE CREEK, Calif. -- Every year the Death Valley Chamber of Commerce hosts an art show at the Furnace Creek Ranch in Death Valley. This year's event will take place March 14 and 15, with a variety of fine arts and crafts on display.
http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2009/Mar-06-Fri-2009/news/27328484.html

Denali National Park News:
Engelhard's book shares truths about 'furry, feathered and finned friends'
When my then-17-year-old daughter came to visit a few summers ago, the first words out of her mouth were: “I want to see a moose and a bear!”
http://www.newsminer.com/news/2009/mar/15/engelhards-book-shares-truths-about-furry-feathere/

Everglades National Park News:
NOAA Fisheries plans to hold six public hearings, including one in...

NOAA Fisheries plans to hold six public hearings, including one in Miami, on measures to deal with illegal fishing in United States and international waters. A proposed rule would identify which nations are poaching fish and protected species, such as marine mammals and sea turtles. The Miami meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. May 12 at the Miami Airport Marriott, 1201 N.W. LeJeune Rd. in the Caribbean room. For more information, visit noaa.gov.
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/story/950299.html

Grand Canyon National Park News:
Scientists rushing to save Canyon artifacts
Excavation begins amid fear tribal pieces may wash away
FLAGSTAFF - Archaeologists are excavating sites along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon in hopes of saving artifacts before they wash away.
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2009/03/16/20090316grandcanyon0316.html

Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Spate of new construction marks Smokies' anniversary
As it marks its 75th year, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is seeing, for it, a veritable spate of construction activity after going 45 years without a major new building project.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/mar/16/spate-of-new-construction-marks-smokies/

Misc. National Park News:
Politics derailed wilderness plan
After decades of bipartisan work, wilderness designation for Rocky Mountain National Park failed by two votes last week.
It had taken years and much negotiating, but Colorado's congressional delegation had come to agreement on the wisdom of giving Rocky Mountain National Park the protection of an official wilderness designation.
http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_11920696

WPA: Depression-era projects had lasting impact (Editorial)
Parks, sidewalks part of New Deal legacy
President Barack Obama wants to save or create four million jobs through federal projects and spending costing hundreds of billions of dollars - more than enough to inspire right wing charges of socialism.
http://www.thesunchronicle.com/articles/2009/03/15/news/4569798.txt

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
Hot Water Discovered in Vatnajökull National Park

Hot water was discovered in a 300-meter deep hole that was drilled near the campsite in Skaftafell national park at the base of Vatnajökull glacier last week. Until now, Skaftafell has been categorized as a “cold area” geologically.
http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=16567&ew_0_a_id=321351

Elephant tramples woman in national park
Bijnor (Uttarakhand), Mar 16 : A 60-year-old woman was trampled to death by a wild elephant when she was collecting firewood in Ranipur Range of Rajaji National Park
http://www.samaylive.com/news/elephant-tramples-woman-in-national-park/613951.html

Flooding keeps outback national park closed
Ranger Don Rowlands says the park has been closed over summer because of the danger posed to tourists travelling in the remote region during the hot weather.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/16/2516891.htm

Yellowstone National Park News:
Man loses appeal in Yellowstone elk shooting case
CASPER, Wyo. (AP) A federal appeals court has upheld the conviction and four-year prison term for a southwest Montana man who pleaded guilty in an elk poaching case.
http://www.kxmc.com/News/344699.asp

The Virtuous Traveler: Yellowstone National Park – Hot(ter)and Bothered
While the winter weather was cold beyond compare, Virtuous Traveler Leslie Garrett learned that climate change is warming up Yellowstone National Park in dramatic and devastating ways.
http://www.petergreenberg.com/2009/02/27...erand-bothered/
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News 03/17/09 - 03/17/09 04:41 PM

Lots of interesting news today - and not from just 'the big names' as well, which is cool. Anyway, hope you enjoy.

James

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area News:
Increased visitors push DWG park higher on list
If tourism is down in the United States and the Poconos, don't tell that to officials at the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090317/NEWS/903170325

Glacier National Park News:
Motorized travel banned in Badger-Two Medicine (Glacier Region)
Citing the need to protect unspoiled wildlife habitat and lands with cultural significance to the Blackfeet Tribe, the U.S. Forest has banned motorized travel on almost 200 miles of trails in northcentral Montana's Badger-Two Medicine area.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090317/NEWS01/903170302/1002

Grand Canyon National Park News:
Meet Your Neigbors: Jim Corson survives POW experience, raises family in nation’s crown jewels
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Jim Corson said he was never the same after waking up one morning on the edge of the Grand Canyon.
http://www.gjfreepress.com/article/20090...OW%20experience,%20raises%20family%20in%20nation%92s%20crown%20jewels

Visit Grand Canyon during 2009 National Park Week
"This year, take a moment, an hour, a day to visit the national parks near you," from the National Park Service announcement of National Park Week, April 18-26, 2009. "National Park Week is an annual Presidentially proclaimed week for celebration and recognition of Your National Parks."
http://www.examiner.com/x-4661-Grand-Can...ional-Park-Week

UCSC students to take an (alternative) break, volunteer at Grand Canyon
SANTA CRUZ -- A week of pulling weeds and scrubbing graffiti may not sound like a fun vacation. But for UC Santa Cruz students and nature enthusiasts Michael Suttner and Gina Archer, it's a spring break to look forward to.
http://www.mercurynews.com/centralcoast/ci_11919421

Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Your chance to study black bears with an expert in the Smoky Mountains
Looking for an interesting and educational alternative for a vacation this year? You may want to check out the Black Bear Field Study Course offered by the Wildlife Research Institute.
http://hikinginthesmokys.blogspot.com/2009/03/black-bear-field-study-workshops.html

Tennessee state parks ready for spring wildflowers
CHATTANOOGA (AP) -- Spring wildflower programs are planned at Fall Creek Falls and other state parks starting this month and continuing through May.
http://www.wate.com/global/story.asp?s=10013188

Haleakala National Park News:
The Nature Conservancy is donating 34 acres near Haleakala National Park in East Maui to the National Park Service.
http://www.kpua.net/news.php?id=17413

Misc. Parks News:
Jobs at Parks Canada: More than just a walk in the park
When people think of working for Parks Canada, many think of park wardens and biologists out in the field. There are many more opportunities available—from snow ploughing to accounting, and from interpretation to environmental restoration.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/revelstoketimesreview/lifestyles/41340304.html

Lead Ammunition No Longer OK in National Parks
WASHINGTON, DC, March 16, 2009 (ENS) - The National Park Service is stepping up efforts to eliminate poisonous lead from national parks by persuading hunters and fishermen to use shot and sinkers made of less toxic metals.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2009/2009-03-16-093.asp

Helicopter wolf kill worries Park Service
FAIRBANKS: Fish and Game program called into question.
A new predator control effort that has the state shooting wolves from helicopters east of Fairbanks is raising alarms with the National Park Service.
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/wildlife/wolves/story/725545.html

Mammoth site considered for National Park entry
The Waco mammoth site, believed to be the world's largest known concentration of prehistoric mammoths dying in the same natural event, is nearing its entry into the National Park System.
http://www.baylor.edu/lariat/news.php?action=story&story=57129

Misplaced priorities (Editorial)
National parks and guns don't mix
Ken Salazar, secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, will review the eleventh-hour decision of the Bush administration to allow loaded guns to be carried in national parks and wildlife refuges.
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_11927022


Yellowstone National Park News:
Poison? Nah: Algae that can tolerate arsenic discovered in Yellowstone National Park
The element arsenic, infamous in history as a poison – perhaps claiming the life of Napoleon Bonaparte – is a modern problem as well. The U.S. government lists arsenic as the most common toxin in the natural environment.
http://www.sciam.com/blog/60-second-scie...ne-a-2009-03-16


Last night's TV: Yellowstone
Why can't the humans in Yellowstone lighten up? It's the animals that have all the fun (Editorial)
I like the fox in Yellowstone (BBC2, Sunday), the one that jumps high into the air, flips over, and then plunges headfirst into the soft snow. Like Greg Louganis, but hairier. A perfect 10 for entry.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2009/mar/16/last-nights-tv

Yosemite National Park News:
Yosemite sure: Ahwahnee retrofitting is needed but about five years away
Fixing Yosemite National Park's famed Ahwahnee Hotel so it won't collapse in a major earthquake will not begin for at least five years, the park's top official said Monday.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_11927854
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News 03/23/09 - 03/23/09 07:15 PM

It's good to be back. :P

James


Cuyahoga Valley National Park News:
Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Section of Towpath Trail closed starting Monday
BRECKSVILLE -- The National Park Service is closing a section of the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The Towpath Trail from Station Road north to the Frazee House is closed Monday, March 23 through Thursday, March 26, from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Repairs will be made to the cofferdam at the Frazee flood control gates. Orange safety fence and signage will be in place.
http://www.cleveland.com/sunnews/index.ssf/2009/03/cuyahoga_valley_national_park_12.html

Denali National Park News:
Denali Park road could open early
FAIRBANKS — Tour buses won’t begin rolling into Denali National Park and Preserve for another two months but there’s a chance motorists will be able to drive into the park as early as this week.
http://newsminer.com/news/2009/mar/23/denali-park-road-could-open-early/

Everglades National Park News:
Landmark hotel in Everglades now pile of rubble
Wreckers have torn down Everglades National Park's only hotel, and the prospects for replacing it any time soon are bleak.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/962972.html

Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park celebrates 75th anniversary with music, special programs
Layered folds of dusky purple mountain peaks stretch to the horizon, pockets of blue haze settling softly between the ridges of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifesty...08?OpenDocument

Shooting suspect arrested in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Larry Allen Riddell of Estill County, Kentucky, was arrested in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Saturday, March 21, after a traffic accident and is awaiting extradition to Kentucky from a North Carolina jail.
http://www.examiner.com/x-5817-Great-Smo...s-National-Park

Alexander wants Obama to come to Smokies park to mark FDR's visit
WASHINGTON - On a coffee table in his office, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander keeps a map of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and a photo book whose cover is an 1890s black-and-white snapshot of a mountain family in Spence Field on a Sunday afternoon.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/mar/22/alexander-wants-obama-come-smokies-park-mark-fdrs-/

Joshua Tree National Park News:
Go treasure hunting at Joshua Tree National Park this spring
A scenic drive up Highway 62 to Twentynine Palms leads to the north entrance of Joshua Tree National Park. Comprised of more than 800,000 acres of high-desert wilderness and hosting “forests” of namesake Joshua trees, desert wildlife, inspiring vistas and a colorful history, the nearby national park is a natural treasure for valley dwellers. And, springtime is an ideal time to hike, camp, view spring blooms, migrating birds, take a guided tour and, perhaps, even spy a desert tortoise emerging from hibernation.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090322/LIFESTYLES08/903220304/-1/newsfront

Lake Clark National Park News:
Off the beaten path--Alaska's spectacular Lake Clark National Park & Preserve
his true wilderness area, accessible by air only, became a national park in 1980 as part of the Alaska National Interest Land Conservation Act, signed by President Jimmy Carter. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska, covers more than four million acres of spectacular wilderness that stretch from the coastal rainforest of Cook Inlet to the tundra of the western plateau. At its heart are the Chigmit Mountains formed where the Alaska and Aleutian Ranges come together. Within this wild area of glaciers and rugged peaks, are two active volcanoes, Mount Redoubt and Mount Iliamna. The many rivers that run through the area and the turquoise lakes, including Lake Clark, offer stunning views and unsurpassed fishing opportunities. The park and preserve are home to dozens of subarctic wildlife species, ranging from bear and caribou to tundra swans and Dall sheep.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4661-National-...-Park--Preserve

Misc. National Parks News:
National Scenic designation likely for Pacific Northwest Trail
The Pacific Northwest Trail is likely to be designated a National Scenic Trail this week, after a legislative journey that for advocates seemed as arduous as parts of the 1,200-mile trail.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/traveloutdoors/2008905690_trail23m.html

Park Service gets lead out of bullets
Development: Let them eat copper: Park Service bans lead ammo
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/03/21/INJL16JMMB.DTL

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
Galapagos Islands adds a new sponsor: movie star Richard Gere
United States movie star Richard Gere has offered to campaign to save the Galapagos Islands from development and tourism. During a weekend visit to the Islands, Gere, 59, met Lonesome George, the last tortoise of his species, who was greeted by Prince Charles last week.
http://en.mercopress.com/2009/03/23/galapagos-islands-adds-a-new-sponsor-movie-star-richard-gere

Touring a land of beauty and beasts
From city swirl to savanna to otherworldly splendor -- mind the road
HOBAS, Namibia - Across the barren horizon, the only hint of life was a trail of dust kicked up by wild ostriches. The only sound was the hiss of an arid wind scouring the vast plains. As our scrawny rental car rumbled over the craggy desert road, casting long shadows as the morning sun sent the temperature over 100 degrees, we felt an ominous thud.
http://www.boston.com/travel/getaways/af...uty_and_beasts/

Yellowstone National Park News:
Distemper has run course in Yellowstone wolves
POWELL, Wyo. (AP) - An outbreak of distemper seems to have run its course in Yellowstone National Park wolves, a biologist says.
http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=10047441&nav=menu554_2_2
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News 03/24/09 - 03/24/09 07:55 PM

Denali National Park News:
Denali Park road could open early
FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) - Workers at Denali National Park have begun clearing the park road and could have it open to Mile 15 earlier than usual.
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=10055755

Glacier National Park News:
Bears waking up in Glacier
WEST GLACIER, Mont. (AP) - Grizzly and black bears are emerging from their dens in Glacier National Park, park officials said.
http://www.kpax.com/Global/story.asp?S=10060854

Grand Canyon National Park News:
The Most Dangerous Animal of Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park is home to a wide assortment of dangerous animals. The mountain lion, with retractable claws and large teeth, patrols vass areas of land within Grand Canyon National Park occassionally wandering into Grand Canyon Village.
http://www.examiner.com/x-5370-Grand-Can...n-National-Park

Grand Teton National Park News:
Park roads open for cyclists, pedestrians
Teton Park, Moose-Wilson and Antelope Flats roads in Grand Teton National Park may now be used for nonmotorized activities such as hiking, biking and in-line skating.
http://www.jhguide.com/article.php?art_id=4391

Highway 89 pathway gets stimulus money
A Teton County pathway project will receive $300,000 to complete a route from Jackson to the Gros Ventre River in Grand Teton National Park.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=4387

Joshua Tree National Park News:
WHITEWATER CANYON, Calif. — As David Myers scans the rocky slopes of this desert canyon, looking vainly past clumps of brittlebush for bighorn sheep, he imagines an enemy advancing across the crags.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/science/earth/24ecowars.html?ref=us

Lake Clark National Park and Reserve:
Skwentna bears brunt from volcano
SURREAL: Mat-su Borough mostly unaffected; schools open.
WASILLA -- Winds swept Mount Redoubt's towering ash plume toward the Mat-Su Borough Monday, raising fears the area could be deluged with ash.
http://www.adn.com/volcano/story/733896.html

Mount Redoubt Has Erupted First Time Since 1989
Anchorage
(ECN) - Mount Redoubt located in Lake National Park, which is about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska has erupted. The last eruption was recorded in December 1989.
http://www.ecanadanow.com/news/science/mount-redoubt-has-erupted-first-time-since-1989-20090323.html

Update--Restless Redoubt Volcano, Lake Clark National Park & Preserve
According to Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO), at 10:09 PM AKDT, March 21, 2009, "AVO is raising the aviation color code to Orange and the alert level to Watch. Seismic activity has continued to increase and conditions may evolve rapidly culminating in an eruption within days to weeks."
http://www.examiner.com/x-4661-National-...-Park--Preserve

Misc. National Park News:
February hotel numbers reflect economic woes
Recession » Occupancy off 9%, revenue even more
Utah hotels felt the recessionary crunch in February.
Occupancy levels statewide and in Salt Lake County were down 9 percent from the same month a year earlier. In the heart of ski season, Utah's mountain resorts did even worse, finishing a full 12 percent off the pace of February 2008, according to figures from the Denver-based Rocky Mountain Lodging Report.
http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_11979444

Outside the US/Canadian Park System:
Cape Town to fine baboon feeders
Photo-opportunity hunting tourists caught offering food to baboons will face fines, authorities in the South African city of Cape Town have warned.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7959954.stm

Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Prescribed Burning in Rocky Mountain National Park
Fire is a necessary evil in every natural ecosystem. Fire allows new seeds to grow and thins out the forest. Without fires, underbrush builds up and the recycling of nutrients does not happen.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4483-Rocky-Mou...n-National-Park

Yellowstone National Park News:
Bill Would Limit Who Gets Quarantined Bison
HELENA – An eastern Montana senator is trying to prevent the Fort Peck Reservation – and anywhere in the state besides the National Bison Range – from getting bison from Yellowstone National Park, even if they’re certified brucellosis free.
http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/bill_would_limit_who_gets_quarantined_bison/9087/

Algae in Yellowstone studied for effects on arsenic
BILLINGS (AP) — Although its name may be more well-known as a tasteless poison, arsenic has been employed in gold mining, as a wood preservative and in medical applications.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090323/DC5/903230331

See Yellowstone before the summer crowds arrive
It's barely spring, and there's still snow blanketing the high country, but they're already advertising the switch from snowmobiles to bicycles in Yellowstone National Park.
http://www.mercurynews.com/travel/ci_11977113
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News 03/25/09 - 03/25/09 04:36 PM

Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Peninsula park friend dead at 82
Robert L. Hunker led Cuyahoga Valley effort
Peninsula businessman and preservationist Robert L. Hunker, who played a key role in creating the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, died Monday at Akron City Hospital.
http://www.ohio.com/news/41800572.html

Denali National Park:
Alaska’s Mount Redoubt volcano Blows 4 Times, Is It Eruption (Editor's note...not really about Denali, but it is the park mentioned in the article)?
Volcano erupted four times along night in Alaska’s Mount Redoubt. This erupted burst and resulted ash up to 9 miles to the air. After this accident, the citizens were evacuating for prevented the ash fall from the air.
http://jeffleyland.com/news/alaskas-mount-redoubt-volcano-blows-4-times-is-it-eruptions.html/

Glacier National Park (BC):
BC’s Most Endangered River Needs Permanent Protection
Provincial Government Must Act Immediately to Save Flathead River
A no-staking reserve in the entire Flathead River Valley should be established immediately now that the Flathead has topped BC’s most endangered rivers list for the third year in a row, a coalition of Canadian and American environmental groups said today.
http://www.wildsight.ca/news/472

Glacier National Park News:
First Glacier NP bear spotted
The first bear of the season has been awoken and has been spotted in Glacier National Park.
http://www.kpax.com/Global/story.asp?S=10060803

Glacier Park Seeks Comment on Non-Native Quartz Lake Trout
Glacier National Park is seeking public comment on what to do about the discovery of predatory lake trout, or mackinaw, in Quartz Lake in the park's northwest corner. Quartz Lake was last best natural lake for native fish in the Columbia River Basin.
http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/a...ake_trout/9118/

Grand Teton National Park News:
Park roads open for cyclists, pedestrians
Teton Park, Moose-Wilson and Antelope Flats roads in Grand Teton National Park may now be used for nonmotorized activities such as hiking, biking and in-line skating.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=4391

Lake Clark National Park News:
Redoubt explodes a 6th time
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Mount Redoubt ended weeks of seismic unrest and suspense with a series of six powerful eruptions late Sunday night and Monday, depositing ash in the Susitna and Kuskokwim valleys.
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=10051900

Redoubt lava dome could trigger another eruption
A dome is building in Mount Redoubt's crater, which could collapse and trigger another eruption, geologists said Tuesday.
http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=10066164


Misc. National Parks News:
National Park Foundation Kicks Off 2009 Junior Ranger Essay Contest
The National Park Foundation is proud to announce the launch of the 2009 Junior Ranger Essay Contest, asking youth across the country to share their big ideas on how to protect and preserve America's National Parks.
http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleas...3942&EDATE=

Olympic National Park News:
A bear walks into a 'burb, but state's new bear dogs scare him out again
Some day this spring, a black bear is going to lumber out of the Cascade foothills in search of food.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008918747_beardogs25m.html

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
National park has seen 30 fires since Feb
BORIVLI: More than 30 fires of varying intensity have occurred in several areas of the 103 sq-km Sanjay Gandhi National Park since Mahashivratri
festival (February 23). One of the latest to have broken out was on Wednesday evening when a blaze started at the tiger safari enclosure and plants over about half an acre were gutted.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Citie...how/4311574.cms

Fisherman killed by Komodo dragon
An Indonesian fisherman died after being mauled by a Komodo dragon on an island generally barred to humans because of the dangerous reptiles, officials said.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/03/24/Fisherman_killed_by_Komodo_dragon/UPI-27511237925803/

Where to Find Komodo Dragons in Their Natural Habitat
Once again, the world's animals are not pleased. An Indonesian fisherman was mauled to death by komodo dragons as he was searching for fruit on Rinca Island, a deserted island and UNESCO World Heritage site that serves as a sanctuary for these dangerous lizards.
http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/3/24/1...Natural+Habitat

Fire in Kenya threatens some of the world's most beloved parks
Started by arsonists, fires have swept through Kenya's Great Rift valley, home to some of the world's most treasured parks and millions of Kenyans already suffering from long-term drought.
http://news.mongabay.com/2009/0324-hance_kenyafire.html

Rocky Mountain National Park News:
It’s time for Congress to pass the RMNP Wilderness Bill today (Editorial)
Last week, while visiting with residents in Estes Park, Rep. Betsy Markey, D-Fort Collins, said she was inundated with questions about the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Bill, and when it would finally become a reality.
http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20...%20Bill%20today
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News 03/26/09 - 03/26/09 09:26 PM

Tons of news today about the Omnibus bill among other things. Definitely worth the read.

-JM

Glacier National Park News:
Plowing starts up in Glacier Park
WEST GLACIER — Glacier National Park road crews are beginning spring snowplowing in earnest this week. Plowing of the Going-to-the-Sun Road beyond Lake McDonald Lodge is scheduled to begin April 1 and proceed to Avalanche Creek to accommodate access by contractors to rehabilitate and pave the picnic area and campground entrance.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090326/NEWS01/903260305/1002/news01

Going-to-the-Sun getting yearly spring makeover
Now that Spring is here, rehabilitation work on Going-to-the-Sun Road is moving forward.
http://www.kpax.com/Global/story.asp?S=10072214

Grand Canyon National Park News: Lawsuit Aims to Protect Endangered Grand Canyon Condors
From Lead Poisoning Due to Poor Federal Management
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity filed suit today against the Bureau of Land Management and the Fish and Wildlife Service for their failure to protect endangered California condors in the Grand Canyon from toxic lead ammunition and their failure to protect other endangered species, including the desert tortoise, in crafting management plans for huge tracts of public land adjacent to the Grand Canyon.
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2009/condor-lead-03-25-2009.html

Road to Grand Canyon's North Rim to reopen May 15
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK - The main roadway leading to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is set to reopen for the summer season on May 15.
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/112883.php

Life at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park
Life in Grand Canyon National Park is unique from life in any other place. For me, living here is most comparable to living on many military bases I have lived. The village is isolated from many comforts of modern living. Residents experience large turnovers as the tourist seasons come and go. Also, for those that have lived here for long periods or come back to work and live regularly, there is a sense of belonging in the Canyon, the feeling of ownership and importance in their role in the Park, and an appreciation of life in Grand Canyon.
http://www.examiner.com/x-5370-Grand-Can...n-National-Park

Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Clingmans Dome Road to open again next week
If all goes as planned, Clingmans Dome Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will re-open next Wednesday, April 1st.
http://hikinginthesmokys.blogspot.com/2009/03/clingmans-dome-road-to-open-again-next.html

Misc. National Park News:
Land protection passed
Dems applaud, but GOP says it’s unaffordable and a job-killer
Congress gave final approval yesterday to massive federal legislation that would protect land and water across the nation, including 250,000 acres of wilderness at Rocky Mountain National Park.
http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/article.php?aID=3726

Bill saves 2 million U.S. acres as wild
At 315,000 acres, Colorado is among nine states in the House-approved measure.
The U.S. House of Representatives — on its second try — passed a bill to preserve 2 million acres as wilderness in nine states, including 315,000 acres in Colorado.
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_11997635

Rocky Mountain National Park wilderness bill clears House
A piece of legislation more than 10 years in the making could ensure one of Colorado’s most visited places will be protected for generations to come.
http://www.fortcollinsnow.com/article/20...0clears%20House

Congress votes to expand wilderness in 9 states
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has voted to set aside more than 2 million acres in nine states as protected wilderness — from California's Sierra Nevada mountains to the Jefferson National Forest in Virginia.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ja3vNS7u_ovPaeUpzrEKqDzs5TjAD9759UU80

77-foot waterfall in NJ's industrial mecca likely to earn national park designation from Obama
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — A new national park may emerge from a small patch of lush oasis just 15 miles from Manhattan in northeastern New Jersey's industrial mecca.
http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-great-falls-state-park,0,5411155.story

Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Rocky Mountain Park sets new west entrance station
Rocky Mountain National Park plans to replace the 49-year-old entrance station on the west side of the park.
http://www.examiner.com/a-1925012~Rocky_Mountain_Park_sets_new_west_entrance_station.html

Good news for public lands: RMNP one of the main beneficiaries (Note, I debated lumping this in with the Misc. News, but decided to place it here ultimately).
The U.S. House of Representatives joined the Senate on Wednesday by taking an important step in favor of public wilderness lands -- passing a bill that will protect 2 million acres of wilderness, 5,000 hiking trails and a thousand miles of rivers for generations to come.
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/mar/26/good-news-for-public-lands/

Yellowstone National Park News:
Lecture covers Yellowstone area elk habitat, access and brucellosis
A special evening lecture on greater Yellowstone area elk movements in relation to brucellosis risk and hunter access will be April 1 at 6:30 p.m. at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF) Visitor Center in Missoula.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090326/LIFESTYLE05/903260338

Yellowstone trails reopened
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) - Yellowstone National Park has reopened two trails popular with skiers and snowshoers.
http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=10076048&nav=menu554_2_2

FIU researchers, others discover arsenic-eating alga
The discovery that a one-celled alga can detoxify deadly arsenic has been made by a team led by researchers now at Florida International University's brand new College of Medicine.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/breaking-news/story/968528.html

Dog sledding is exhilarating and nostalgic way to travel
Dog sledding is an exercise in changed states, of chaos turning to order. One moment dogs were barking, yapping, whining, snarling, scrapping, jumping, biting and all the other things dogs do. The next moment they were straining at the gang line, and with a burst of acceleration, all turned silent but for the hiss of the runners on the snow and the sound of my own exhilarated breathing.
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/lifesty...30?OpenDocument

Yosemite National Park News:
California poppies provide a pop of color
Wildflowers announce that spring has sprung in the Valley.
California poppies are appearing in brilliant carpets of orange from the Merced River to the ridgeline along the Merced River Canyon, several miles west of Yosemite National Park.
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/1283913.html

Wildflowers bloom in abundance after Yosemite fire
EL PORTAL, Calif.—Ash from a wildfire that scorched 34,000 acres outside Yosemite National Park is now providing the perfect nutrients for hundreds of acres of tufted poppies and other California native wildflowers to bloom this spring.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_11994657
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News 03/27/09 - 03/27/09 08:59 PM

Acadia National Park News:
5 DOT Projects Mean Traffic Jams
ELLSWORTH — Those planning to drive anywhere in Ellsworth or Trenton this summer should pack a lunch and a board game.
http://ellsworthmaine.com/site/index.php/2009032619894/Latest/Summer-Bummer.html

Glacier National Park News:
Baucus Presses Transportation Secretary to Fund Going-to-the-Sun Road
In what could be classified as some friendly arm twisting, Montana Sen. Max Baucus hand delivered a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood Wednesday, asking that he use stimulus money to fund reconstruction of Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. Lahood's department received $1.5 billion in the Jobs Bill to fund infrastructure projects of "regional or national significance."
http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/a...-sun_road/9186/

Glacier road work likely to begin soon
WEST GLACIER — Glacier National Park officials say spring construction on the Avalanche Creek section of Going-to-the-Sun Road will occur between mid-April and early June.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090326/LIFESTYLE05/903260340

Grand Canyon National Park News:
Preventing Falls at Grand Canyon National Park
There is a hard balance that places like Grand Canyon try to find between the experience and the safety of the public. The history of the Park includes unfortunate events. The Park does take measures to prevent these sad occurrences from happening and is very much prepared to take emergency actions should it be necessary. Sadly, the Canyon is not immune from tragedy, but an understanding of what awaits visitors is important for a Grand Canyon outing not to be a distressing headline.
http://www.examiner.com/x-5370-Grand-Can...n-National-Park

Grand Teton National Park News:
Innovative Retirement Planning for Cows and Sheep
A new conservation model that minimizes litigation, sustains agriculture, and concentrates livestock grazing on public or private land where it has less impact.
Nowadays, many of us are re-thinking our retirement plan after giving away half our nest egg to people on Wall Street who don’t need it, but we should remember that the concept of retirement isn’t all about us. Those poor dumb animals need it, too, and at least one man is there for them, doing what he can to retire thousands of cows and sheep to greener pastures.
http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/innovative_retirement_planning_for_cows_and_sheep/C41/L41/

Misc. National Park News:
Funding approved for new ice age trail system in state
WASHINGTON – A major public lands bill approved Wednesday by the House of Representatives includes funding for a geologic trail that tracks the cataclysmic ice age floods that roared across Eastern Washington with 10 times the combined flow of the world’s rivers.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/topstories/story/688634.html

Mount St. Helens: a monument in need of a good steward
When Mount St. Helens spectacularly erupted in 1980, it created a mammoth volcanic crater that today is the centerpiece of a national monument that draws thousands of visitors from around the world.
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/03/26/...od-s-10318.html

National Park Lead Ammo Ban in Doubt
NRA Goes Ballistic on Gun-Shy Obama Administration
WASHINGTON - March 26 - The National Park Service has stepped back from a plan it announced earlier this month to ban lead-based ammunition and fishing tackle by 2010, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). The proposed lead ban triggered a fierce counterattack by gun groups that has put into doubt the pledge to eliminate lead ammunition from the park system by 2010.
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/03/26-1

Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Act passes House — headed to President
An omnibus lands bill carrying Rocky Mountain National Park wilderness legislation passed the U.S. House on Thursday, and is headed to the President.
http://www.skyhidailynews.com/article/20...0to%20President

Yellowstone National Park News:
Old Faithful
Old Faithful is without a doubt the biggest draw in Yellowstone National Park. Those who disagree need only consider the size of the parking lot in comparison to those in other areas of the park.
http://www.examiner.com/x-5223-Yellowstone-National-Park-Examiner~y2009m3d23-Old-Faithful

YELLOWSTONE BISON Yellowstone surveys bison numbers YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) The most recent survey of bison in Yellowstone National Park estimates they number about 2,900.
http://www.kxmb.com/Sports/Outdoors/350496.asp

Yellowstone Trails Open
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK - Yellowstone trails that were blocked off due to a dangerous radio tower earlier this month are now back open.
http://www.kulr8.com/news/local/41950942.html

INL looks for ways to reduce dependency on foreign oil
DAHO - The Idaho National Laboratory is working on ways to reduce our dependency on foreign oil and by using the natural resources Idaho has to offer.
Eyewitness news Reporter Jennifer McGraw talks with a scientist from the lab who has been using molecular biology to help make the nation a greener place.
http://www.kidk.com/news/local/41941787.html
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News Sat. 03/28/09 - 03/29/09 12:21 AM

Glacier National Park News:
'Extreme Ice': Seeing is believing on glacial melting
Film shows at Aspen Environmental Forum
ASPEN — Probably no bit of information presented at the Aspen Environment Forum was as sobering as the screening of the film “Extreme Ice” at the Wheeler Opera House Thursday night.
http://www.aspentimes.com/article/200903...acial%20melting

Grand Canyon National Park News:
Celebrate National Junior Ranger Day at the Grand Canyon
Spring is here, the canyon is beautiful, the crowds are small, and National Park Week is almost here. If you are looking for a fun educational activity for your kids, Junior Ranger Day at the Grand Canyon might be just the ticket!
http://www.examiner.com/x-5374-Phoenix-G...he-Grand-Canyon

Joshua Tree National Park News:
Lost Horse Mine in Joshua Tree National Park
At the terminus of this two mile trail, you can have a look at the Lost Horse Mine ten-stamp mill and foundation. While this is one of the best preserved mills under National Park protection, your only view will come from outside a chain link fence.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4400-LA-Outdoo...e-National-Park

Misc. National Parks News:
Bill extends Trail of Tears into Georgia, could boost tourism here
A bill currently waiting for President Barack Obama’s signature could help boost tourism at the Chief Vann House state historic site in Spring Place, says park ranger Julia Autry.
http://www.northwestgeorgia.com/murray/local_story_086194928.html?keyword=topstory

DETAILS: Hiking the Appalachian Trail
GETTING THERE: Rail, bus and air service will get you near the Appalachian Trail at many points along its more than 2,175 miles but not quite to it. Check the Shuttle List on the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Web site (see below) for rides to Baxter State Park in Maine and Amicalola Falls State Park in Georgia, at either end of the trail.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/27/AR2009032700957.html

Barack Obama to Designate Waterfall as New National Park
Next week Barack Obama is expected to sign legislation that will create a national park from 35 acres of historical sites that surround a 77 foot high waterfall in New Jersey. It will be the first national park Obama will designate during his presidency.
http://ecoworldly.com/2009/03/27/barack-obama-to-designate-waterfall-as-new-national-park/

Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Rocky Mountain National Park plans to install ‘Fast Pass’ lane at entrance
The west portal of Rocky Mountain National Park is poised to receive a facelift, one that could benefit local pass holders.
http://www.skyhidailynews.com/article/20...20at%20entrance

Yellowstone National Park News:
Quarantined park bison headed out of state
HELENA - State wildlife officials here have approved a plan to ship 41 Yellowstone bison considered brucellosis-free to an Indian reservation in Wyoming.
http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2009/03/28/news/20bison.txt

Skiing in the Spring
"They had a strategy, they changed costumes three times, but biggest of all, they skied 62 miles!"
http://www.westyellowstonenews.com/articles/2009/03/27/news/news1.txt

Yellowstone reports few bison deaths this winter
After a year when hunting, management actions and a harsh winter wiped out nearly 50 percent of Yellowstone’s bison herd, officials say the park’s iconic species has fared well so far this winter.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=4409

See Yellowstone before the summer crowds arrive
It's barely spring, and there's still snow blanketing the high country, but they're already advertising the switch from snowmobiles to bicycles in Yellowstone National Park.
http://www.sltrib.com/outdoors/ci_11985294

Yosemite National Park News:
Earthquake safety work won't close Ahwahnee Hotel
The Ahwahnee Hotel - where U.S. presidents and royalty have enjoyed the breathtaking granite sights - needs a $60 million fix for earthquake safety.
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/1290980.html

Zion National Park News:
Zion National Park shuttles to resume in April
The Zion National Park shuttle system is scheduled to resume operation on April 4, signaling the start of the 2009 visitor season.
http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=10083699&nav=menu554_1_1
Posted By: DavidRamey

Re: National Park News Sat. 03/28/09 - 03/29/09 01:25 AM

James,
One thing that is missing from your National Park reports is Mt. Redoubt erupting. It is in Lake Clark National Park.
Posted By: James Morrissey

Re: National Park News Sat. 03/28/09 - 03/29/09 02:36 AM

Hey David,

Thanks. You are absolutely correct. I had posted this in the general forum in the thread about Mt. Redoubt's eruption.

Alaska's Mount Redoubt spews ash 50,000 feet high
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Alaska's Mount Redoubt has erupted again, spewing an ash cloud 50,000 feet up into the air.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090328/ap_on_re_us/alaska_volcano

Having said that, here are a few more. :P

Mount Redoubt sends cargo planes to Sea-Tac
If you're sitting in a plane at Sea-Tac Airport and look out the window, you might see a cargo freighter refueling at the gate next to you.
http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/archives/165177.asp

Eruptions at Alaska's Mt. Redoubt Threaten Oil Storage Tanks
ANCHORAGE, Alaska, March 26, 2009 (ENS) - A large eruption of the Mt. Redoubt volcano occurred at 9:24 this morning local time, shooting a plume of ash and gas 65,000 feet into the air, according to National Weather Service reports and the observations of aircraft pilots.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2009/2009-03-26-092.asp
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News Sun. 03/29/09 - 03/29/09 03:13 PM

Cuyahoga Valley National Park News:
BOSTON TWP.: For decades, the township trustees met in their historic town hall in Peninsula, not far from the equally historic Ohio & Erie Canal.
Now, they meet in the old attached road garage.
http://www.ohio.com/news/42058622.html

Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park celebrates its 75th anniversary
GATLINBURG, Tenn. – The 75th anniversary celebration of Great Smoky Mountains National Park is under way. With more than 8 million annual visitors, it is the country's most popular national park.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/...n1.4ab8674.html

Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park News:
Plant nuisance returns to mountain
KENNESAW, Ga. -- It's the modernday battle for Kennesaw Mountain and officials are asking for the public's help in defending the land from a ruthless invader.
http://www.macon.com/220/story/664961.html

Lake Clark National Park News:
Alaska's Mount Redoubt erupts again
Mount Redoubt volcano in southern Alaska has erupted again, shooting ash as high as 45,000 feet in the air on Saturday, experts said.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/03/28/alaska.volcano/

Explosions continue at Redoubt
Volcano erupts three times Saturday, sends ash to 50,000 feet
ANCHORAGE - Mount Redoubt continued to erupt Saturday, sending ash tens of thousands of feet into the air, and raining ash down on Nikiski.
http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/032909/sta_415958480.shtml

Misc. National Parks News:
Sizzling sites outside Las Vegas
MOJAVE DESERT, Nev. -- Many people who vacation in Vegas find their fun under a roof, be it gambling in the casino, watching one of the town's headliner shows or shopping in one of Sin City's fabulous malls.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09088/958551-37.stm

U.S. Revisits Its World Heritage Roots
After years of ambivalence, the United States is trying to reconnect with its past as the leader of a global effort to save the treasures of the planet, from the Statue of Liberty and Yosemite National Park to the pyramids of Egypt and the East African Serengeti.
http://www.miller-mccune.com/culture_society/u-s-returning-to-its-world-heritage-roots-1065-1065

State's national parks seek to reduce carbon footprint of workers, visitors
Thousands of cars, pickup trucks and minivans carry visitors to Mount Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic national parks. They leave behind tons of plastic water bottles, granola bar wrappers and banana peels.
http://www.bellinghamherald.com/255/story/846916.html

Cherry blossom time
The National Park Service has moved up its prediction of the peak blooming period of Washington D. C.'s cherry blossoms. The blossoms are expected...
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2008931151_trrails29.html

Obama to sign bill adding Wright sites to national park
DAYTON — President Barack Obama will sign the bill Monday, March 30, that will add Hawthorn Hill and the Wright factory buildings to the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2009/03/28/ddn032909wright.html

Yellowstone National Park News:
Web sites ready travelers for Yellowstone
It's barely spring, and snow still blankets the high country, but they're already advertising the switch from snowmobiles to bicycles in Yellowstone National Park.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/technology/bal-tr.yellowstone29mar29,0,7595594.story

Spared from slaughter, bison will move to Wyoming
BILLINGS, Mont. » A small herd of bison from Yellowstone National Park will be moved to Wyoming's Wind River Reservation next month, part of a fledgeling effort to spare some of the animals from a government-sponsored slaughter program.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_12018928
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News Mon 03/30/09 - 03/30/09 06:59 PM

Acadia National Park News:
Acadia closes trails to protect peregrine falcons
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK, Maine — Officials at Acadia National Park have closed hiking trails on and around the Precipice Cliff to protect peregrine falcons that have been showing pre-nesting behavior.
http://www.sunjournal.com/story/309284-3...egrine_falcons/

Marketing focus of farmers conference
The first-ever Maine Farmers' Market Convention this weekend at Acadia National Park got farmers talking about market share and expanded customer bases.
http://www.mainebiz.biz/news44332.html

Glacier National Park News:
Hybrid trout make it difficult to count westslope for ESA listing
KALISPELL n Clint Muhlfeld hefted the lunker up out of Langford Creek, just west of the Glacier National Park border, and considered the fish carefully, with an expert’s eye.
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/03/29/bnews/br10.txt

Spring Road Clearing Underway at Glacier National Park (Note, check out the video if you have the time. That is impressive work).
t's that time of year again, and the plowing of park roads is underway at Glacier National Park.
http://www.kfbb.com/news/local/42109672.html

Grand Canyon National Park News:
Grand Canyon National Park North Rim—Ready! Set! Go!
Eager visitors have been waiting for the announcement. Now it's here. Friday, May 15, is opening day for the North Rim 2009 season. The Arizona Department of Transportation will open Highway 67 to the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, no later than 7:00 a.m. on May 15, 2009.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4661-National-...RimReady-Set-Go

Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
President should help us celebrate park - Editorial
There have been several cartoonists’ caricatures this year of President Barack Obama disguised as President Franklin D. Roosevelt, complete with hat, glasses, wide grin and cigarette with holder.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/mar/30/president-should-help-us-celebrate-park/

Lake Clark National Park News:
Mount Redoubt Volcano Eruption Inspires Dramatic Lightning Storm (Note, check out the time-lapse video)
Alaska's Mount Redoubt volcano continues to display elevated activity. After several eruptions on Saturday, Anchorage's airport was closed. It has since re-opened. You may remember that in 1989 when Redoubt was having another eruption a KLM 747 dropped 13,000 feet after its engines became filled with ash from the volcano. Luckily it was able to restart two of them and land safely.
http://www.towleroad.com/2009/03/mount-r...ning-storm.html

Mount Redoubt blowing nothing but hot air
Having amassed some 18 separate eruptions over the course of the last week, Alaska’s ominously grumbling Mount Redoubt volcano appears to have finally ceased its ashy belching in favour of a series of minor tremors restricted to the local surrounding area.
http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200914/3338/Mount-Redoubt-blowing-nothing-but-hot-air
Misc. National Parks News:
Defenseless in National Parks — Again - Editorial (Editor's note...I am publishing it all....)
Thanks to the gun control lobby, people who might be attacked while visiting any of our vast and often remote national park areas have once again been rendered largely defenseless. A ruling March 19th by a federal judge in Washington, DC, has at least temporarily overturned a rule issued in December by the Bush Administration.
http://blogs.ajc.com/bob-barr-blog/2009/...s_bob_barr_blog

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
Fresh calls for South Downs park
Calls for the creation of a South Downs National Park have come from campaigners on the 60th anniversary of legislation to protect rural areas.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7971339.stm

National parks plan considered for Northern Ireland
Stormont's Environment minister is to visit Scotland to see if its National Park model could be introduced in Northern Ireland.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/e...d-14248460.html

Tribunal resolves Flinders Ranges claim
South Australia's biggest native title claim has been resolved, giving traditional owners non-exclusive rights over a large section of the state's mid-north.
http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breakin...90330-9gbu.html

Take scenic routes in Swiss Alps
Timed to coincide with the peak wildflower season, Knapsack Tours' June 14-24 "Swiss Alps" holiday features moderately paced day hikes and comfortable accommodations in three- and four-star hotels.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-tc-trav-trips-tips-a-0324-03mar29,0,1240602.story

Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Temporary closures to protect nesting raptors in Rocky Mountain National Park
ESTES PARK, Colo. — Each year to protect raptor nesting sites, Rocky Mountain National Park officials initiate temporary closures in the Lumpy Ridge and Sheep Mountain areas of the park. To enable wildlife managers to gather information and ensure that raptors can nest undisturbed, specific areas within the park are closed temporarily to public use during nesting season.
http://www.eptrail.com/news/2009/mar/29/temporary-closures-protect-nesting-raptors-rocky-m/

Weekly water roundup: Congress passes public lands bill
Congress passes public lands bill
The big news this week was the public lands bill passed by Congress. It contained something for everyone -- except perhaps condo developers, miners and the oil and gas industry.
http://www.examiner.com/x-395-Colorado-W...blic-lands-bill

Yellowstone National Park News:
Wolves moving into the burbs?
Neighbors at the end of Marshall Canyon found wolf-killed wildlife in the drainage just northeast of the Missoula Valley in mid-March. Hunters last fall reported wolf tracks and scat in the Rattlesnake Wilderness and Gold Creek drainage. Residents in Bonner noticed the bighorn sheep hanging closer to town last winter, and wondered if wolves might be spooking them.
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/03/29/news/local/news02.txt

Brent Hunsaker - When will Yellowstone Blow Its Top?
We Utahns have a fascinating backyard: Yellowstone National Park. Only about a 5 hour drive from Salt Lake City, the nation's first national park is full of wildlife and natural beauty.
http://www.abc4.com/content/news/blogs/s...JkLL3hC4KA.cspx

Business group looks at travel around Yellowstone
A business group says it expects to receive federal stimulus money to pay for a study examining a possible transportation network to help travelers in Idaho, Utah, Wyoming and Montana get around more easily.
http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2009/mar/29/bc-id-transportation-initiative/?features

Zion National Park News:
under the dixie SUN: In Search of a Better Way
It was a local rancher who found the best way out of Zion Canyon
If I were ever given the opportunity to meet the great characters of Southern Utah history, a man named John Winder would be on my short list.
http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20090330/STGEORGEMAGAZINE06/90323021
Posted By: James Morrissey

National Park News Tues 03/31/09 - 03/31/09 08:38 PM

Glacier National Park News:
Gravel pit near Glacier may grow
A gravel pit less than one-fourth mile from Glacier National Park would expand to 24 acres, from 2 acres, under a plan before the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/03/30/news/state/19-pit.txt

Grand Canyon National Park News:
Some of the Hardest Working Employees of Xanterra South Rim
The largest concession management company of the National Park System, Xanterra Park & Resorts provides services to millions of visitors each year. From the tours to lodging to shopping to dining, Xanterra is working to provide quality service and a memorably experience at its properties. At Grand Canyon National Park, this same goal is set for Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C. employees.
http://www.examiner.com/x-5370-Grand-Can...terra-South-Rim

Great Falls National Historic Park News:
Obama signs Great Falls National Park bill
PATERSON, N.J. - A bill designating Paterson's Great Falls as a National Historic Park is now law.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newjersey/ny-bc-nj--greatfalls-nation0330mar30,0,3388449.story

Lake Clark National Park News:
Mount Redoubt Shifts to Small but Steady Eruptions
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Mount Redoubt has shifted into a different pattern, emitting a more steady ash plume rather than the violent explosions of the past week, scientists said Monday.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,511788,00.html

Misc. National Parks News:
Canyons area bill signed into law
President Obama on Monday signed the Omnibus Public Lands Bill, which includes creation of the 210,000-acre Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area on the Uncompahgre Plateau.
http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/news/stories/2009/03/30/033109_Obama___dominguez.html

Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
England’s Ninth National Park Set Up Along Southeast Coast
England’s ninth national park, stretching from Winchester to Beachy Head along the south coast, won authorization today from U.K. Environment Secretary Hilary Benn.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601102&sid=aLVYaHSKqssA&refer=uk

South Downs National Park agreed
The South Downs area has been given national park status almost 60 years to the day since it was recommended.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7973417.stm

Crews battle national park blaze
Fire authorities say there have been several cases of arson near the area where a bushfire is burning in Victoria's south-west.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/31/2531159.htm


Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Obama signs public-lands bill protecting Rocky Mountain National Park
President Barack Obama signed a sweeping public-lands bill into law Monday, setting aside more than 2 million acres as part of the largest expansion of wilderness preservation in 15 years.
http://www.rgj.com/article/20090330/NEWS18/90330059/1321/NEWS

Yellowstone National Park News:
Yellowstone concerned about Sylvan Pass costs
CODY, Wyo. (AP) - Yellowstone National Park officials say the number of people who cross Sylvan Pass during the winter might not justify the expense of keeping the pass open.
http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=10102061&nav=menu554_2

Preparing for the 2009 Yellowstone Season: The Lodging Challenge
Last year was a pretty good one in terms of visitors at Yellowstone National Park -- good if you want to see lots of people seeing the sights, less so if you like the back trails to yourself, of course.
http://www.yellowstoneinsider.com/index.php?contentID=924&articleID=252

Draper Museum nets $300,000 in grants (Editor's note: Not really Yellowstone news, but if you go to Yellowstone, you SHOULD drive to the museum if you have a day)
CODY — While many institutions across the country are cutting back on programs and activities, the Draper Museum of Natural History at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center is moving forward with its long-term strategic goals thanks to recent grant awards totaling nearly $300,000 from two national foundations.
http://www.wyomingbusinessreport.com/article.asp?id=99359
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