May 17th

Big Bend National Park News:
It's Darker in Big Bend National Park, Thanks to a Light Reduction Project in the Chisos Basin
Big Bend National Park has long been known as a great place to enjoy the night sky, and thanks to a recently completed project, nighttime has gotten even darker, especially around the park's main developed area in the Chisos Basin
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/201...hisos-basin5855
**********


Glacier National Park News:
With environmental challenges, what does the next century hold for Glacier National Park?
Glacier National Park just marked 100 years as crown jewel of the parks system, but questions dot its spectacular landscape as its next century begins.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/931e1d4b1cef4d448425d719e8d01f60/Glacier_National_Park-Future/
**********


Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Man photographs bear in Smokies, bear bites man
Bear bites man in Great Smoky Mountain National Park
A park visitor sustained a minor injury when he was bitten on the foot by a black bear while hiking the popular Laurel Falls Trail in the national park.
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/2010305150040
**********


Mount Rainier National Park News:
Paradise set to open with plenty of snow
Paradise Inn at Mount Rainier National Park reopens Friday, wrapped in a heavy blanket of snow.
http://www.theolympian.com/2010/05/16/1240235/paradise-set-to-open-with-plenty.html#ixzz0oCjREMwj
**********


Outside the US/Canadian Park System:
Zimbabwe: Mugabe Donates Wildlife to North Korea
T'S official. Zimbabwe is preparing to ship elephants, giraffes, zebras and warthogs as presents to North Korean communist leader Kim Jong II.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201005160007.html
**********


Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
Old Faithful Visitor Center on schedule
An official says work on the $21 million Old Faithful Visitor Center should be mostly done well ahead of the scheduled Aug. 25 dedication and opening.
http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/201...ures&travel
**********

Denali National Park News:
Climber falls to his death from Alaska's Mt. McKinley
A French mountaineer fell to his death Sunday while climbing Alaska's Mt. McKinley. According to the news release, Pascal Frison, 51, and his climbing partner were approaching a feature known as "Lunch Rocks," near 12,000 feet on the West Buttress. Losing control of his sled, Frison attempted to stop it from sliding over the ridge, but both Frison and his sled tumbled toward the Peters Glacier. Frison, who was un-roped at the time, was unable to stop and fell more than 1,000 feet to a steep, crevased section of the Peters Glacier.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts...-mckinley-.html
**********


Everglades National Park News:
Burmese pythons prosper in Everglades, though chilly winter reduced their number
Maybe it was Hurricane Andrew blowing down a snake importer's warehouse in 1992. Maybe it was snake lovers who bought cute baby reptiles, only to dump them in the wild when they grew too voracious.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/17/AR2010051703119.html
**********


Glacier National Park News:
At 100-Years-Old, Glacier National Park is Preserved, but Ever Changing
Exactly one century after President William Howard Taft signed the legislation creating Glacier National Park, nearly 1,000 Montanans gathered here on May 11 to celebrate a landscape they love, along with the wisdom and stewardship of the generations who helped preserve it.
http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/at_...anging/C41/L41/
**********


Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
celebrate national trails day
On June 5, many trail enthusiasts will be celebrating the 18th anniversary of National Trails Day nationwide.
http://seymourherald.com/entertainment/2010/may/17/celebrate-national-trails-day/
**********


Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
Yellowstone's Dunraven Pass Opens Friday
Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone National Park is scheduled to open for the season on Friday.
The pass is on the road that connects Tower/Rossevelt and Canyon. At nearly 8,900 feet, it is the highest elevation roadway in Yellowstone.
http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory?id=10677870

Plight of the bison
Near the intersection of U.S. Highways 297 and 191, around eight miles north of West Yellowstone, Mont., hazing to urge the bison back into the park kicks into overdrive. The buffalo are driven back into Yellowstone National Park each spring on the premise that the animals could infect domestic cattle with brucellosis.
http://powelltribune.com/index.php/content/view/3314/58/

Yellowstone's Lewis to be Honored with Prestigious Carson Award
Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Suzanne Lewis is slated to receive a 2010 Rachel Carson Award, given out annually by the National Audubon Society in recognition of achievements by women in conservation.
http://www.yellowstoneinsider.com/201005...arson-award.php

Grand Teton To Have Interim Superintendent
Grand Teton National Park has a new interim superintendent for the next two months.
http://cbs4denver.com/wireapnewswy/Interim.superintendent.named.2.1697974.html
**********


Yosemite National Park News:
Yosemite park to build major solar power system
Yosemite National Park soon will be home to the largest solar energy project in the national park system.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_15103809?nclick_check=1
**********

Everglades National Park News:
Oil's path puts Keys on guard
GULF SPILL: Fishing ban is expanded as impact of spill appears to widen
More tar balls washed ashore in the Florida Keys and the federal government nearly doubled the Gulf of Mexico area closed to fishing Tuesday, as ominous streams of crude oil moved southward, bringing the threat from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill closer to Florida's economy and environment.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20100519/ARTICLE/5191064/2055/NEWS
**********


Glacier National Park News:
Glacier's 100-year outlook foggy
Glacier National Park just marked 100 years a crown jewel of the parks system, but questions dot its spectacular landscape as its next century begins.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20100517/DC5/5170318
**********


Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Illinois man killed in motorcycle wreck in the Smokies
A 37-year-old Illinois man died after his motorcycle hit a rock wall on Little River Road in Great Smoky Mountains National Park this afternoon.
http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20100518/BREAKING/305189980

Animals (Note - Follow-up From Yesterday's News about bear biting photographer)
Park rangers at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are examining photographs to make sure a bear they captured last week is the same animal that bit a visitor on the foot.
http://www.wbir.com/news/watercooler/story.aspx?storyid=121942&catid=141

Smokies' Sinks gets facelift
New parking area, overlook included in $1.1M renovation
The Sinks, where the water crashes and growls before settling into a serene, enticing Little River flow, is getting an extreme makeover.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2010/may/19/smokies-sinks-gets-facelift/
**********


Misc. National Park News:
Canada seeks to turn Sable Island into national park
The Canadian government is seeking to list Sable Island, renowned for shipwrecks and unlikely wild horses off the coast of Nova Scotia, as a national park, Environment Minister Jim Prentice said Tuesday.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g8TWQi3N3y2myGsly8YteP92LQsg
**********


Outside the US/Canadian park System:
Man guilty of pushing bride off cliff
Former police officer proposed to girlfriend days after wife's funeral
A former British policeman was driven by "sheer greed" when he pushed his wealthy new Australian wife off a 50-metre cliff while on a camping trip.
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/travel/guilty+pushing+bride+cliff/3044882/story.html
**********


Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
Coin Launch Ceremony Planned at Yellowstone National Park
The United States Mint will hold a launch ceremony for the latest release of the new America the Beautiful Quarters Program. The ceremony will take place on June 3, 2010 at 10:30 AM (MT) at the Old Faithful Inn at Yellowstone National Park.
http://news.coinupdate.com/coin-launch-ceremony-planned-at-yellowstone-national-park-0281/

Hudson dedicates reborn Yellowstone Trail
It’s still possible to drive the first transcontinental highway in the United States — through Hudson, at least. Yellowstone Trail Heritage Days was held over the weekend to highlight the renewal of the historic automobile route.
http://www.hudsonstarobserver.com/event/article/id/38664/

Tourism Trouble: Economy mixed despite record year at Yellowstone
More than three million tourists visited Yellowstone National Park last year, setting an all time record. High visitation is common during times of economic recession. But the impact to the economy around the park was mixed.
http://www.kbzk.com/news/tourism-trouble-economy-mixed-despite-record-year-at-yellowstone/
**********


Yosemite National Park News:
Yosemite National Park to Install Solar, Cut Emissions
Yosemite National Park in California will soon be home to the largest solar energy installation in the U.S. National Park System. Officials yesterday announced that the park will install a 539-kilowatt (kW), grid-tied photovoltaic (PV) system at a maintenance complex located just outside park boundaries.
http://www.getsolar.com/blog/yosemite-national-park-to-install-solar-cut-emissions/6742/
**********

Bryce Canyon National Park News:
Utah students take virtual voyage to Bryce Canyon
They saw vast expanses of hoodoos sculpted by rain and ice.
http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2010/may/19/bc-ut-virtual-field-trip/?features&travel

Public hearings set on Alton strip mine proposal
Alton Coal Development LLC's permit to conduct surface coal mining near Alton in Kane County will be the subject of public meetings Friday, Saturday and next week before the Utah Board of Oil, Gas and Mining.
http://www.sltrib.com/business/ci_15120130
**********


Dry Tortugas National Park
Relief and dread as oil spill enters current flowing to South Florida
Relief that tar balls didn't come from the Gulf of Mexico was tempered by word that the oil spill has reached the loop current feeding the Florida Straits.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/19/1638287/relief-mixes-with-dread-as-oil.html#ixzz0oVn22Nhu
**********


Mojave Desert National Park News:
New Mojave Desert Cross Sits in Limbo in California Desert
One week after vandals stole a looming cross from California's Mojave Desert Veterans Memorial, the site's caretakers welded together an exact 7-foot replica to take its place. All they need now is permission to put it back up.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/05/19/new...test=latestnews
**********


Outside the US/Canadian Park System:
Zimbabwe: Officials Defend Sale of Animals to North Korea
Wildlife authorities in Zimbabwe on Wednesday defended the decision to sell two baby elephants and other animals to North Korea, and they said veterinary experts were satisfied that North Korea was equipped to care for them. The two 18-month-old elephants each cost $10,000.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/20/world/africa/20briefs-Zimbabwe.html
**********


Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Weather delays opening of Trail Ridge Road
May snows have set back efforts to open Trail Ridge Road for the season.
http://www.reporterherald.com/news_story.asp?ID=28144
**********


Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
Yellowstone eyes ways to improve North Entrance
The North Entrance to Yellowstone National Park at Gardiner is steeped in history.
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-an...1cc4c03286.html

Bison hazing triggers locked horns, conflict
The spring hazing of bison on the west side of Yellowstone National Park aimed at minimizing the potential spread of brucellosis from bison to cattle. But it has caused some humans to lock horns.
http://powelltribune.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3324&Itemid=58

Timing is key to fighting Mountain Pine Beetles
Mountain Pine Beetles are a growing threat in Montana, but timing your treatment for the pests could make the difference in saving your trees. All pine trees are vulnerable, but native lodgepole and ponderosa pines, plus introduced scotch pine varieties seem to be most at risk.
http://www.ktvq.com/news/timing-is-key-to-fighting-mountain-pine-beetles/

Carlsbad Caverns National Park News:
Lightning is blamed for the ignition of two separate fires blazing in the backcountry of Carlsbad Caverns National Park, according to information released by the National Park Service.
http://www.currentargus.com/ci_15130445

Carlsbad Caverns National Park sets expanded hours
Expanded hours at Carlsbad Caverns National Park begin Friday, May 28, and last through Labor Day, according to a press release.
http://www.currentargus.com/ci_15130406
**********


Glacier National Park News:
Geological Survey researcher and photographer speaks about 'Glacier: Losing a Legacy' project
Dan Fagre, a researcher and photographer with the U.S. Geological Survey, will speak about his dual role as photographer and geologist on the historic project, "Glacier: Losing a Legacy," from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday at the Holter Museum in Helena.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20100521/ENTERTAINMENT01/5210305
**********


Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
A bear that bit a visitor to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park has been euthanized.
http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20100521/NEWS/305219963
**********


Mojave Desert National Park News:
Park cross replaced in memorial mystery
A week after a cross was stolen from a Mojave Desert war memorial that played a key role in a recent Supreme Court decision, a different cross was discovered early Thursday morning at the same site.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/may/21/cross-replaced-in-memorial-mystery/
**********


Outside the US/Canadian Park System:
Four poachers killed in Kaziranga National Park
Acting on a specific tip-off, forest guards at the Kaziranga National Park surrounded and killed four poachers here on Friday, May 21.
http://news.oneindia.in/2010/05/21/four-poachers-killed-kaziranga-national-park-assam.html
**********


Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
Snake runoff could be moderately high
Although snowpack is still well below average, the cold, wet spring has delayed runoff on the Snake River enough that flows are likely to be higher than expected.
http://www.jhunderground.com/2010/05/21/snake-runoff-could-be-moderately-high/

Yellowstone Nat'l Park seeks public input on Old Faithful
ellowstone National Park wants your input on it's most famous attraction. It's part of 16 month environmental assessment of the Old Faithful area. Here are some questions they would like you to answer:
http://www.kidk.com/news/local/94555819.html

Game Department Moves Grizzly Bear
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has trapped and relocated two grizzly bears in the northwestern part of the state.
http://cbs4denver.com/wireapnewswy/Game.Department.moves.2.1707368.html

Wolf packs denning throughout region
Biologists using aircraft to look for radio-collared wolves say more than 20 wolf packs in northwest Wyoming have likely denned, including five in the Jackson Hole area.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=6006
**********


Yosemite National Park News:
Charles Cuvelier named chief ranger at Yosemite National Park
Charles Cuvelier has been selected as the chief ranger at Yosemite National Park, announced Park Supt. Don Neubacher. Cuvelier has been acting chief ranger since Steve Shackelton moved to Washington, D.C., earlier this year to serve as the associate director of visitor and resource protection for the National Park Service.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2010/05/yosemite-national-park.html
**********

Bryce Canyon National Park News:
Groups attack approval for Utah's first strip mine
Utah regulators set lax pollution standards for a strip mine near a national park, an expert witness testified Friday.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9FRGGE80.htm
**********


Everglades National Park News:
Oil spill soils recreation industry
It's been slightly more than a month since British Petroleum's Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded killing 11 workers in the Gulf of Mexico. Since the explosion, the well has been rocketing millions of gallons of oil into surrounding waters creating arguably the largest natural disaster in U.S. history.
http://cjonline.com/sports/outdoors/2010-05-22/oil_spill_soils_recreation_industry
***********


Glacier National Park News:
Glaciers in retreat in namesake national park
Age has not been kind to Glacier National Park.
http://www.oregonlive.com/travel/index.ssf/2010/05/glaciers_in_retreat_in_namesak.html
***********


Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Black Bear backlash against Smokies 'misguided'
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park continues to endure an emotional online backlash after rangers euthanized a bear that bit a visitor at Laurel Falls.
http://www.wbir.com/news/watercooler/story.aspx?storyid=122301&catid=141
***********


Outside the US/Canadian Park System:
Rajaji National Park may have a veterinarian
Rajaji National Park officials wrote a letter to Uttarakhand Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Dr RBS Rawat requesting him to employ a veterinarian for the park. A veterinarian is only available at Jim Corbett National Park.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Rajaji-National-Park-may-have-a-veterinarian/Article1-547363.aspx
***********


Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
Snake River Should Run High Next Month
A cool spring and late snowmelt mean the Snake River should be running high next month as usual.
http://cbs4denver.com/wireapnewswy/Snake.River.should.2.1710356.html


Some of Yellowstone's bison are now in private hands
When dozens of wild American bison wandered out of Yellowstone National Park in search of greener grass and wound up sheltered on a giant ranch owned by Ted Turner, media mogul and bison meat kingpin, the species reached what many believe could be a turning point.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/70003...vate-hands.html

Buffaloed by brucellosis
While the federal government has long pushed to eradicate brucellosis nationwide, the greater Yellowstone area continues to hold the dubious distinction of being the last known reservoir of the disease in North America.
http://helenair.com/news/local/article_a0a34674-662d-11df-bd8a-001cc4c03286.html

Cody hosts rally for Wyoming wolf management
Hunters, outfitters say wolves have decimated elk numbers around Yellowstone
Citing what they said was a long string of broken promises by federal wildlife managers, a number of speakers shared their frustrations with the effects of wolves on wildlife populations and small businesses during a rally Saturday in City Park.
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-an...1cc4c002e0.html

Interagency Bison Management Plan draws mixed reviews
In the decade since five state and federal agencies came up with a plan to manage bison in and around Yellowstone National Park, no confirmed cases of cattle being infected with brucellosis from bison carrying the disease have been reported.
http://helenair.com/news/local/article_9ea862ae-662e-11df-85bc-001cc4c03286.html

Yellowstone’s Dunraven Pass opens
Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone National Park opened for the season Friday.
http://www.sunherald.com/2010/05/22/2201893/yellowstones-dunraven-pass-opens.html#ixzz0omhknNfQ

Carlsbad National Park News:
Carlsbad opening for expanded summer hours
Carlsbad Caverns National Park goes to expanded summer hours Friday.
http://www.newswest9.com/Global/story.asp?S=12530064
**********


Denali National Park News:
High-Attitude Illness: Climber Goes Into Denial on Denali
Crazy things happen at altitude, and the annals of mountaineering are filled with stories of mayhem, madness, and kooky behavior, but few can top the actions of Croatian climber Jadranka Luca-Mrden exactly one year ago on Denali.
http://www.theadventurelife.org/2010/05/high-attitude-illness-climber-goes-into-denial-on-denali/
**********


Glacier National Park News:Glacier National Park took another wakeup stretch from its annual winter hibernation this past May 22 weekend with more facilities, trails, and roads opening in preparation for the 2010 visitor season, a year in which the park marks its centennial.
http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/2010052438...mer-season.html
**********


Outside the US/Canadian Park System:
Indonesian worker bitten by Komodo dragon
An Indonesian worker freed himself from an attacking Komodo dragon by punching the reptile's snout until it released him and ran away, a national park official said Monday.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hCjtA6RKcrWaIyq4qecHClzcgiBwD9FT0OOG0
**********

Carlsbad Caverns National Park News:
Firefighters making progress on fires near Carlsbad Caverns National Park
There are currently 257 firefighters and support resources assigned to the Yucca Fire and New Fire burning in the backcountry area of the Carlsbad Caverns National Park, according to a news release from the park.
http://www.currentargus.com/ci_15155777
**********


Dry Tortugas National Park News:
Gulf spill triggers interest in birding Eden
The day after oil from the Deepwater Horizon well began gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, bird lover Edna Duffy logged on to her computer in New Jersey and booked a flight to Florida.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/201...-Eden&tc=ar
**********


Everglades National Park News:
Scientists take Everglades samples before potential oil spill hit
Using high-tech gadgets and low-tech shovels, scientists are trying to establish a `baseline' to compare against any damage the oil might cause.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/24/16...y#ixzz0oyYLn8An
***********


Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Rocky Mountain National Park plows ahead to open Trail Ridge Road
A few weeks into plowing Trail Ridge Road, a perennial effort that usually starts the second week of April, a plow driver from the east side of Rocky Mountain National Park meets the driver from the west side somewhere along the 11 miles of road above treeline.
http://www.coloradodaily.com/out-there/ci_15154159#axzz0oxxrNSfO
**********


Yellowstone Park wolf killed near Butte
Wolf number 690 from Yellowstone National Park had seen her pack ravaged by disease and attacks by other wolf packs before she wandered south of Butte and started attacking cattle.
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-an...1cc4c002e0.html

Yellowstone reservations up more than 11% over record summer of 2009
Despite the lingering effects of a weak global economy, National Park Service managers are expect-ing plenty of visitors this summer, coming off a record year in 2009 for Yellowstone National Park.
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-an...1cc4c002e0.html

Scientists Study Possible Signs Of Wolves In State
Special motion cameras -- to be deployed this summer -- may help confirm what some scientists have suspected for more than a year: that Yellowstone wolves have expanded their range all the way to a private ranch in western Colorado.
http://cbs4denver.com/local/wolves.colorado.wolf.2.1712014.html
**********


Yosemite National Park News:
Yosemite National Park Rock Climber Injured in Accident on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park~Press Release
Yosemite National Park, CA...At approximately 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 20, 2010, the Yosemite Emergency Dispatch Center received a call regarding a climber that had fallen on a popular climbing route on El Capitan. The climber, a 48 year old male from France, fell approximately 65 feet and sustained head and chest injuries and a loss of consciousness. A second party on the climbing route was able to provide basic emergency medical assistance until Park Rangers arrived......
http://thepinetree.net/index.php?module=announce&ANN_user_op=view&ANN_id=17619
**********

Carlsbad Caverns National Park News:
One of Two Fires Out Near Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Thousands of acres burned and almost a million dollars worth of damage near Carlsbad Caverns, all thanks to lightning strikes.
http://www.newswest9.com/Global/story.asp?S=12542602
***********


Everglades National Park News:
Gulf oil spill threatens Everglades and other parks
The Everglades National Park in Florida and the Padre Island National Seashore in Texas are among 15 "special places" most threatened by the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill, says a report today by two environmental groups.
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/...parks-refuges/1
*************


Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Rocky Mountain National Park backs off Longs Peak parking plan
Rocky Mountain National Park has put on hold plans to convert the Longs Peak Campground into a 250-space parking lot, Superintendent Vaughn Baker said Tuesday.
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_15159634#ixzz0p4rQckql
**********


Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
2 ice climbers die in Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park officials say two Montana men have died while trying to climb a frozen waterfall below the rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iHYJJNY1iCF8mzlAOb8xaqHBH9JwD9FU258G0

Channel Islands National Park News:
15 bald eagles born this year on Channel Islands
Efforts to bring bald eagles back to Southern California's Channel Islands have taken a giant step this year with the birth of at least 15 chicks on three islands.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hE8WFW4_b6DDrweM7La02B5qggCAD9FVAUVO1
**********


Glacier National Park News:
Much is open in Glacier National Park for Memorial Day weekend
during the holiday weekend. Glacier Park Lodge opens Friday, May 28, as does the Two Medicine Camp Store. Lake McDonald Lodge and the Lake McDonald Camp Store are also open to visitors.
http://www.keci.com/Much-is-open-in-Glacier-National-Park-for-Memorial/7340495
**********


Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Great Smoky Mountains National Park seeks volunteers for trail maintenance on National Trails Day
On June 5, many trail enthusiasts will be celebrating the 18th anniversary of National Trails Day nationwide. In recognition of National Trails Day, Great Smoky Mountains National Park will host three volunteer trail projects, including the annual Appalachian Trail Work Day.
http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20100528/NEWS/305289991
**********