Monday Dec 13, 2010

OK, so we have been a bit derelict in our duties this month. I apologize. Here we go:

Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Regional Briefs: Parkway had most suicides
A study shows that the Blue Ridge Parkway was the national park with the most suicides from 2003 to 2009.
http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2010/dec/12/parkway-had-most-suicides-ar-610064/

biologist receives recognition
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Supervisory Fisheries Biologist Steve Moore was recently recognized with two national awards for his leadership in native trout stream restoration at the Smokies and in national parks across the nation.
http://seymourherald.com/news/2010/dec/12/biologist-receives-recognition/
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Misc. National Park News:
Colorado National 'Park'?
Some Are Pushing For The Landmark To Be Upgraded To A National Park.
As the Colorado National Monument's 100th birthday approaches, some are pushing for the landmark to be upgraded to a national park.
http://www.kjct8.com/news/26110185/detail.html
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Mount Rainier National Park News:
Go frolic in snow at Mount Rainier
Snowplay area: Set to open Saturday
http://www.theolympian.com/2010/12/12/1471574/go-frolic-in-snow-at-mount-rainier.html#ixzz1816oCA7a
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Olympic National Park News:
Extra help at Olympic National Park
Funded by contributions from communities, organizations and individuals, Olympic National Park has hired the extra staff needed to keep Hurricane Ridge Road open seven days a week this winter.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/12/12/1461970/extra-help-at-olympic-national.html#ixzz1816N7HfV
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Outside the US/Canadian Park System:
Coalition split over cattle grazing in national parks
The new Victorian Coalition Government appears to be split over whether to return cattle grazing to the Barmah Forest and Gunbower National Park.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/13/3091517.htm?site=melbourne

2 poachers killed in Kaziranga National Park
Two poachers were killed in an encounter with forest department personnel inside Kaziranga National Park here this morning.
http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4691969
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Scientist studies CO2 link to quakes in Yellowstone
Is Yellowstone National Park losing steam?
That's what U.S. Geological Survey scientist Bill Evans is hoping to find out by studying the rings of lodgepole pine trees in the park.
http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_0d6cd494-ebad-502d-88bc-0cb6eea6898b.html

Yellowstone National Park opens for winter season Wednesday
Although Yellowstone National Park again drew a record number of visitors this summer, that won't necessarily translate into a strong winter season.
http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article_33756e57-4a81-58ad-b300-12806a20301a.html

Yellowstone’s colorful wolves: using thermal imaging to study disease
Most wolves in Yellowstone National Park sport a grey or black coat, but new photos of thermal imaging reveal the animals in a captivating rainbow of hues.
http://www.examiner.com/yellowstone-eco-...o-study-disease
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Yosemite National Park News:
Annual Yosemite Christmas bird count is Sunday
Yosemite National Park is participating in the annual Christmas bird count to be held Sunday.
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/2010/12/13/1690807/annual-yosemite-christmas-bird.html#ixzz18168tJR3
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Cuyahoga National Park News:
Chimani Launches Cuyahoga Valley National Park app for iPhone and Android
Smart phone app puts updated ranger events, hiking trails, audio tour, Scenic Railway train schedule and all the essential info for enjoying the park at your fingertips. Take advantage of a special introductory price through December 31, 2010.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/cuyahoga_valley/iphone_android/prweb8020045.htm
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Glacier National Park News:
2010 the busiest year for park visitors
Glacier National Park’s Centennial year has turned out to be the busiest ever for park visitation.
Even though November’s visitor count was down 14 percent compared to November 2009, the 13,000 people who entered the park last month were enough to push the year’s total visitation past the 1983 record year.
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_2ab14486-0734-11e0-a859-001cc4c002e0.html
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Outside the US/Canadian Park System:
Coalition still committed to Alpine park cattle grazing
Fairfax Newspapers yesterday reported that there was a split in the Coalition over reintroducing cattle to the Barmah and Gunbower forests in northern Victoria.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/12/14/3092602.htm
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Snow conditions could force bison from Yellowstone National Park
Bison hunters in Montana may see their first successful season in many years, but will there also be another government-sponsored bison slaughter?
http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyles/re...paign=hottopics

Interior Officials, Wyoming Officials Agree On $107 Million Deal For Roughly 1,400 Acres Inside Grand Teton National Park
What's the value of land in the Rocky Mountains? Better than $75,000 an acre if that land happens to lie beneath the Tetons in Grand Teton National Park.
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/201...nd-teton-na7348
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Yosemite expands permit system for Half Dome hike
One of the world's most iconic hikes now requires a permit seven days a week.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/13/1972018/yosemite-expands-permit-system.html#ixzz187sG9EjM

Along route to Yosemite, locals square off over proposals for permanent fix for huge rockslide
Those who live in the mountains outside Yosemite National Park cherish the ever-changing landscape shaped by rushing water, ice and avalanches.
http://www.latimes.com/travel/sns-ap-us-travel-brief-yosemite-rockslide,0,1844734.story
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Grand Canyon National Park News:
Grand Canyon North Rim named one of best places to view Geminid Meteor Showers
Grand Canyon North Rim was named one of best places to view Geminid Meteor Showers 2010 by blogger Jerry Garrett. Garret, a travel writer and frequent contributor to The New York Times, lists 10 places across the USA where watching the vivid Geminids Meteror Showers will be most advantageous this week.
http://www.examiner.com/grand-canyon-nat...-meteor-showers
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Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Christmas Bird Census set for Great Smoky Mountains National Park
This week begins the 111th anniversary of the Christmas Bird Count.
http://www.examiner.com/outdoor-recreati...-mountains-np-1
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Misc. National Park News:
Wolverines may be returned to Colorado: Wildlife officials
Wolverines: State Division of Wildlife officials had discussed reintroducing wolverines in 1999, when they drew up plans to do the same with lynx years ago, but started with the lynx.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News...dlife-officials

Fotopedia Launches National Parks for iPad & iPhone
Fotonauts Inc., the creator of Fotopedia.com, the first collaborative photo encyclopedia, and publisher of Apple Hall of Fame app Fotopedia Heritage, today announced Fotopedia National Parks, the company's first PRO application.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/12/14/prweb4895164.DTL#ixzz18DHXhc6r
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Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News
Give Someone A Yellowstone National Park Wolf for Christmas! (Note, not really news, but something I thought was worth passing along)
Still can't figure out what to get that special someone for Christmas? How about adopting a Yellowstone National Park wolf for them?
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/201...f-christmas7357

Outdoor notebook: Yellowstone, Grand Teton open for winter
Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks have opened for the winter season.
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/outdoors/50817641-117/open-yellowstone-dec-lake.html.csp
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Yosemite National Park News:
Three Climbers Rescued on El Capitan in Yosemite National Park
Three rock climbers were rescued Tuesday afternoon from the wall of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, according to park spokesman Scott Gediman.
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local-...-111896164.html
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Acadia National Park News:
After flooding rains, more snow hits Western Maine
After heavy rain soaked the state and washed out roads Sunday and Monday, parts of Maine were once again hit with snow early Wednesday.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/story/Aroostook/Snow-moving-in-after-flooding-rains,161508?ref=mostReadBox
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Cuyahoga National Park News
Cuyahoga Valley National Park GPS Enabled App For Android and iPhone Announced
Chimani, LLC announced today it has released it’s newest app, a complete resource for exploring Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
http://www.newsjunkyjournal.com/cuyahoga...nounced/257524/
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Glacier National Park News
Glacier National Park Fund Fully Funds Five Glacier Centennial Legacy Projects
With the end of the year marking the end of Glacier National Park's centennial celebration, it's a good time to look back at some of the projects made possible in the park by the Glacier National Park Fund to mark that anniversary.
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/201...cy-projects7329
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Theodore Roosevelt National Park's elk-reduction effort at halfway mark
The elk-reduction effort in Theodore Roosevelt National Park has reached the halfway mark of its 12-week season.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts...lfway-mark.html
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Yellowstone National Park News:
West Yellowstone fires up for winter season with optimism
In West Yellowstone, waiting for Dec. 15 is like waiting for Christmas.
http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/article_66202d56-08b6-11e0-b5ed-001cc4c002e0.html
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Acadia National Park News:
How to enjoy camping in the cold (Note - not news, but interesting)
When I pulled up to the gate at Blackwoods Campground in Acadia National Park last Saturday, I placed my permit for winter camping on the dash of the truck, hoisted my backpack and walked up the path to my campsite for the night. The trail was only a few hundred feet long, and I was running out of daylight.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/story/Outdoors/How-to-enjoy-camping-in-the-cold,161767?ref=mostReadBox
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Congaree National Park News:
A Highway Project in Congaree National Park Sparks Legal Challenges
Plans for replacing a defective bridge over the Congaree River in central South Carolina call for rebuilding several miles of causeways on the flood plain within Congaree National Park.
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/201...-challenges7373
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Everglades National Park News:
Poisonous plants thrive in South Florida
Plant poisonings primarily affect children
A decorative plant found on highway medians in South Florida contains chemicals that can stop your heart. A bush with flamboyantly drooping flowers serves as a cheap hallucinogen for teenagers, who then wind up on ventilators. The sap of a tree that grows along beaches causes painful blisters that discharge liquid that forms more blisters.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-12...rmation-network

Last-of-its-breed Florida wildlife park on endangered list
On a stretch of U.S. 41 along the Imperial River is a time machine that requires neither a hot tub nor a DeLorean. (Editor's Note - NOT about Everglades NP per say, but about a facility located within the region. It is interesting).
http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment...ed-list/1140923
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Glacier Bay National Park News:
Glacier Bay National Park Ponders High-Tech Method for Important Salmon Study
How's the salmon population doing in Glacier Bay National Park?
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/201...almon-study7367
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Lassen Volcanic National Park News:
Ranger-led snowshoe walks will again be offered at Lassen Volcanic National Park, beginning Dec. 26.
http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_16896987
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Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Wild Colorado: Colorado's lonely wolverine
Eric Odell, a Colorado Division of Wildlife species conservation coordinator, has been keeping tabs on an unlikely Colorado Rockies species — the wolverine. The wolverine populations in Colorado, so far as Odell knows?
http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20101218/NEWS/101219825/1078&ParentProfile=1055

Aiming for balance in Colorado elk population
Government scientists are grappling with unchecked elk herds infected with a mysterious disease. So as a third round of culling begins to try to reduce the size of the herd, National Park Service chief veterinarian Margaret Wild is taking the lead. The dart gun she fires from a federal truck finds an easy target – a female foraging in a snow-dusted meadow in the park west of Estes Park, which hosts the densest elk population in the Rocky Mountain region.
http://photos.denverpost.com/mediacenter/2010/12/aiming-for-balance-in-colorado-elk-population/
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Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
Study looks at effect of mange on Yellowstone wolves
Paul Cross found out it takes about five people to hold down an adult gray wolf so you can shave it.
http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_0583b768-0b1a-11e0-93e1-001cc4c03286.html
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Big Bend National Park News:
Texas Desert Bighorn Sheep Restoration Hits New Milestone
Big Bend Ranch State Park Release Is Next Step in Species Comeback
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/releases/?req=20101217a
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Grand Canyon National Park News:
Kids Learn about Outdoors with
Special Wilderness Wildlife Week Programs
Children definitely are part of the mix during Wilderness Wildlife Week, an annual salute to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Mother Nature in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., Jan. 8-15, 2011.
http://hospitality-1st.com/PressNews/PigeonForge-122110.html
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Sequoia National Park News:
Generals Highway in Sequoia National Park closed
Generals Highway in Sequoia National Park is closed the visitors center at Ash Mountain through the park to Highway 180 at Grant Grove due to rockslides, flooding and mudslides, according to Dana Dierkes, public information officer for Sequoia National Park.
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20101220/NEWS01/101220008
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Theodore Roosevelt National Park News:
Volunteers join in national bird count
Birds and volunteers were scarce Sunday at this year’s nationwide Audubon Christmas Bird Count at Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/event/article/id/43275/
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Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
Orphaned Yellowstone grizzlies make debut at Montana Zoo
They will never escape their savage backstory, but three young bears whose mother led them on a rampage through a Montana campground embarked on a new career Friday: fuzzy zoo attractions.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/unleashed/2010/12/orphaned-yellowstone-grizzlies-debut-at-zoo.html
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Zion National Park News:
Rock slide closes S.R. 9 for days through Zion National Park
Superintendent Jock Whitworth has announced that a section of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway within Zion National Park is temporarily closed due to a washout from the recent heavy rains.
http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20101...n-National-Park

Outside the US/Canadian Park System:
Female Chimps Using Sticks as Dolls?
Young Female Chimps Seen Carrying, Cradling Sticks as They Go About Their Daily Routine
In Kibale National Park, Uganda, female chimps have taken to carrying sticks around with them. There’s nothing obviously unusual about that - chimps are clever tool-users, who use sticks as probes, projectiles and spears. But these chimps aren’t doing very much with their sticks - they simply hold and cradle them while they go about their usual business.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/12/21/tech/main7172207.shtml
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Saguaro National Park News:
Arizona without saguaros? As climate warms, desert's future uncertain
State's forests challenged by fires, cities by water supplies
http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/report/122110_arizona_climate
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Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
National Elk Refuge works on new management plan beyond elk and bison
Each year, the approximately 25,000 acres on the National Elk Refuge provide a rich habitat for the world's largest wintering concentration of elk.
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-an...1da3a6051b.html

Late bison calf stopping traffic in Yellowstone
Although most of Yellowstone is blanketed in snow after the recent series of storms, visitors to the park's north entrance have been stopping to photograph a bright splash of orange against the white landscape. The source? A fuzzy bison calf born late in the season.
http://www.examiner.com/yellowstone-eco-...fic-yellowstone

Yellowstone National Park Proposing to Increase Gill-Netting of Lake Trout to Help Native Cutthroat Trout
More than a decade after non-native lake trout were discovered in Yellowstone Lake, the battle to beat down the population of those voracious fish continues.
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/201...hroat-trout7374
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Zion National Park News:
Utah town evacuating due to Virgin River flooding
A Utah town near the south entrance of Zion National Park is being evacuated, amid fears that a dam may fail on the Virgin River.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/21/AR2010122103925.html
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Everglades National Park News:
Buildings in Everglades Park get makeover
Everglades National Park buildings are getting an eye-popping makeover.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/12/26/1988752/buildings-in-everglades-park-get.html#ixzz19KW64QNk
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Mount Rainier National Park News:
Boeing grant bolsters Rainier shuttle
For the second year, a grant from The Boeing Co. will help fund the visitor shuttle service at Mount Rainier National Park.
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/12/26/1478690/boeing-grant-bolsters-rainier.html#ixzz19KVyX9iY
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Outside the US/Canadian Park System:
Birds sighted at Orissa sanctuary drop to only 45,610
Only 45,610 residential and migratory birds were spotted in Orissa's Bhitarkanika National Park this year, a sharp drop from the last two years, an official said Monday.
http://www.sify.com/news/birds-sighted-a...m1mEiehifc.html
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Redwood National Park News:
Tribe seeks 1,200 acres in Redwood National Park
California's largest tribe is seeking thousands of acres of the state's national parks to build eco-lodges, gift shops and water taxis that travel into the backcountry along the Klamath River.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_16946589?nclick_check=1

Everglades National Park News:
Twilight of the Iguana?
Second cold winter in a row increases pressure on non-native species in South Florida
Green iguanas are enduring another rough cold season in South Florida, after last winter's frigid temperatures wiped out entire colonies of the non-native lizards and reduced the populations of other exotic species.
http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2010-12...-exotic-species
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Glacier National Park News:
Climbers survive night on park peak
Three Kalispell men survived Sunday night on the slopes of Glacier National Park’s Mount Brown, with the eventual help of a search team.
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_34fa8f4c-1224-11e0-a587-001cc4c002e0.html
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Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Goodbye snow, hello sun
It may not be warm enough to go swimming, but temperatures by the end of the week are expected to turn Blount County’s recent cold snap on its head.
http://new.thedailytimes.com/Local_News/story/Goodbye_snow,_hello_sun_id_006226
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Astrobiology in Yellowstone guidebook now free online
A free e-book on astrobiology research in Yellowstone National Park is now free online from Montana State University and the NASA Astrobiology Institute. Schools, museums and science centers can receive free printed copies for educational use.
http://www.prlog.org/11179022-astrobiology-in-yellowstone-guidebook-now-free-online.html

Avalanche danger "considerable" around Big Sky and some mountains near Yellowstone Park
The Gallatin National Forest is rating the avalanche danger around Big Sky, Cooke City and the Lionhead area near West Yellowstone as, "considerable." That's number 3 on a scale of 1 to 5 on the North American Avalanche Danger Scale.
http://www.kbzk.com/news/avalanche-dange...llowstone-park/
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Acadia National Park News:
The sky’s the Limit for new Festival
The Island Astronomy Institute has announced plans for the Maine Starlight Festival over nine days in September of 2011.
http://fenceviewer.com/site/index.php?op...5:entertainment
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Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Sharp drop in visits for Smokies in November
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park reported a sharp decline in visitation for the month of November. Overall, the number of visitors dropped 12.4% for the month, with Gatlinburg reporting the largest decline, a drop of 25.3%, when compared to November of 2009.
http://hikinginthesmokys.blogspot.com/2010/12/sharp-drop-in-visits-for-smokies-in.html

Great Smoky Mountain National Park Chief Wildlife Biologist Kim Delozier Retires
Wildlife biologist Kim Delozier is retiring the end of this year after 32 years of service at Great Smoky Mountain National Park that sits in both North Carolina and Tennessee. As one who frequents GSMNP often I’m always impressed at how well they manage the resources with the number of visitors this park attracts.
http://skinnymoose.com/moosedroppings/20...lozier-retires/
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Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
State to spend $9.7M to protect pronghorn
Plan would build fences, highway underpasses and overpasses in Sublette County.
Wyoming Department of Transportation officials have approved $9.7 million for a series of underpasses and overpasses in Sublette County along the “Path of the Pronghorn.”
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=6826

NPS extends Jackson Hole Airport agreement
Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced today that a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Jackson Hole Airport agreement extension has been signed by National Park Service (NPS) Intermountain Regional Director John Wessels.
http://www.wyomingbusinessreport.com/article.asp?id=55273

Oil And Gas Lease Suspensions Lifted
BLM has lifted suspensions on all of 45 Montana oil and gas leases. Suspensions will be maintained on all of six leases, and two leases will contain areas where suspensions are lifted along with areas remaining in suspension.
http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/26300562/detail.html
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