The November National News - We are back up. :P

Big Bend National Park News:
Border Crossing in National Park to Reopen
United States Customs and Border Protection and the National Park Service plan to reopen the Boquillas border crossing and customs station between the United States and Mexico in the Big Bend National Park.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/10/31/41079.htm

Environment key in border bill
Foes see agency causing harm; backers cite smugglers, cartels.
Both sides of a debate over a proposed law giving the Border Patrol more access to protected lands say they're trying to do what's right for the environment.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_n...p#ixzz1cYzFaNle
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Bryce Canyon National Park News:
Utah Prairie Dogs at the Center of Endangered Species Battle (I almost put this is Misc as it is really about a larger issue)
The Utah Prairie Dog is listed as a threatened species under federal law, but if you ask some people in Iron County, it's not nearly threatened enough.
http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kuer/n....Species.Battle
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Grand Canyon National Park News:
Ranger awarded highest National Park Service honor
Grand Canyon National Park Supervisory Park Ranger Lisa Hendy was awarded the National Park Service’s 2011 Harry Yount National Park Ranger Award on Oct. 26.
http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive...-service-honor/

Huge development planned near Grand Canyon
Just before tourists reach the entrance to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, they see Tusayan, a tiny town with a scattering of modest hotels, restaurants and gift shops that could be getting a lot bigger.
http://www.trivalleycentral.com/articles...13213386447.txt
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Misc. National Park News:
Chair Of House Subcommittee On National Parks Calls Parks, Other Federal Lands Unconstitutional
U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop, who chairs the House subcommittee that oversees national parks and other federal lands, says it is unconstitutional for the federal government to own those tracts.
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/201...stitutional8960

National Park Service chief outlines goals of feasibility study
Local sentiment for and against a new national park would be considered, but Congress, the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service would determine the uses of the 70,000 acres conservationist Roxanne Quimby proposes giving to the park service in 2016, according to a letter from the park service’s top official.
http://bangordailynews.com/2011/11/01/ne...udy/?ref=latest
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Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
Greater Yellowstone grizzlies 'the road to recovery'
A grizzly bear takes five near Indian Pond in Yellowstone National Park. The grizzly bear population in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem has enjoyed a remarkable recovery in recent decades. But, with the recent spate of grizzly bear attacks on humans, officials and others plan to escalate the bear safety message hoping to curb nasty encounters with the bruins.
http://www.powelltribune.com/news/item/8930-greater-yellowstone-grizzlies-the-road-to-recovery

Many Yellowstone roads set to close for the season Nov. 7
If you’re still considering a fall trip to see Old Faithful or to get that perfect photo of the Lower Falls from Artist Point, you’d better go soon.
If you’re still considering a fall trip to see Old Faithful or to get that perfect photo of the Lower Falls from Artist Point, you’d better go soon.
http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/new...1cc4c03286.html

Yellowstone’s North Entrance Traffic Plan Approved
A new plan designed to relieve traffic congestion and improve safety at Yellowstone National Park's historic North Entrance has been approved.
http://www.oldwestnewwest.com/2011110157...n-approved.html
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Yosemite National Park News:
On busy days, more than 8,000 cars pass through Yosemite Valley in the nation's third most-visited national park. But, there are only 1,100 parking spaces.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45121091/ns/travel-news/
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Bryce Canyon National Park News:
Bryce Canyon National Park to Initiate the Public Scoping Process for a Multimodal Transportation Plan
The National Park Service (NPS) is conducting a transportation planning study to evaluate the transportation needs and infrastructure requirements to serve visitors to Bryce Canyon National Park.
http://www.kcsg.com/view/full_story/1626...e=home_stories2
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Everglades National Park News:
16-foot python devours deer in Florida
A Burmese python slithering through the Everglades proved that her eyes weren't bigger than her stomach, swallowing intact a 76-pound deer.
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/01/us/florida-python-deer/
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Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Great Smokies Mountains National Park winter schedule
As cold weather settles in, many facilities in Great Smoky Mountains National Park will either shut down or be put on an abbreviated schedule until spring rolls around.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/02/great-smokies-mountains-national-park-winter/

Bears broaden horizons due to severe food shortage
Cohabitation with black bears is a way of life for residents near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. However, this year the amount of animals throughout Sevier County is cause for pause.
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Maine Woods National Park News:
Maine Groups Oppose National Park Study
The Maine Forest Products Council today officially joined the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine and the Maine Snowmobile Association in opposition to both a proposed Maine Woods National Park and a park feasibility study.
http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineNewsArchive/tabid/181/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3475/ItemId/18730/Default.aspx
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Everglades National Park News:
Mixed reception in Washington for Everglades refuge
The proposed federal refuge north of Lake Okeechobee, which calls for putting some 100,000 of pasture land under permanent conservation and buying another 50,000, is touted as way to preserve both wildlife and ranches
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/03/2486111/mixed-reception-in-washington.html#ixzz1clffJPvp
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Grand Canyon National Park News:
Grand Canyon uranium mining battle heats up at Washington hearing
A bill that would open 1 million acres near Grand Canyon National Park to new uranium mining was hailed Thursday as an economic boon and derided as a threat to the park’s wilderness and tourism value.
http://cronkitenewsonline.com/2011/11/gr...ington-hearing/
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Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Cades Cove controlled burns continue next week
A spokesperson with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park says the prescribed burns in Cades Cove will extend into late next week. However, no burns will occur this weekend.
http://www.wbir.com/news/article/189993/2/Cades-Cove-controlled-burns-continue-next-week
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Misc. National Park News:
The 101 top conservation projects identified by Interior Department
Here are the 101 top conservation projects identified in a new Interior Department report released Thursday as part of the America’s Great Outdoors Initiative:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/e...9liM_story.html

President Obama Lays the Groundwork for His Conservation Legacy
Administration Moves to Protect Historical Sites and Lands
For many conservationists and lovers of the great outdoors, it was not obvious at first how President Barack Obama, with his urban Chicago roots, would make his mark on the vast expanse known as the public estate
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2011/11/obama_conservation.html
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Outside the US/Canadian Park System:
More Than 200 Alleged Rhino Poaches Arrested In South Africa In One Year
total of 214 suspected rhino poachers were arrested in South Africa between April 2010 and March 2011, according to the 4th National Compliance and Enforcement Report (NECER), released here by the Department of Environmental Affairs.
http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/newsworld.php?id=624719
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Rocky Mountain National Park News:
More snow falls on the Park
Additional snow predicted for the weekend
A nother snowstorm passed through Rocky Mountain National Park last night, Nov. 1 and early the morning of Nov. 2.
http://www.eptrail.com/ci_19248724

Program: Wolves in the willows
Shining Mountains Group presents program
Diners can wolf down a buffet dinner, while learning about the prospect of wolf reintroduction and the historical role of naturalness in the management of Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) at the Shining Mountains Group annual dinner, Saturday, Nov. 12, from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Crags.
http://www.eptrail.com/ci_19249261


Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
Weekend’s grizzy attack in Grand Teton used to raise opposition to long-standing Park elk hunt
Latest chapter in a thick book of controversy over hunt is being written-
http://www.thewildlifenews.com/2011/11/02/gtnp-griz-elk-hunting-maul/

Close elk feeding grounds, make elk migrate, avoid disease disaster
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been found in elk, deer, and moose in several areas of Wyoming and has been moving ever closer to the already brucellosis infected elk herds that use feeding grounds in northwest Wyoming.
http://www.thewildlifenews.com/2011/11/0...ke-elk-migrate/

Acadia National Park News:
Acadia’s sweet season (Note: Not News, but interest)
For hardy souls, late autumn on Mount Desert Island is a study in stillness, solitude
The sun rises over Sutton Island and the Cranberry Isles. I’m walking by myself, following the carriage roads, circumnavigating the shore of Little Long Pond at the base of Sargent Mountain and Penobscot Mountain on the south side of Acadia National Park.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/tra...CJgI/story.html
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Denali National Park News:
Denali National Park and Preserve Forum: Park Road open to Mile 13
The contractors working on the culvert replacement project have finished for the season, and the Denali Park Road is now open to the Savage River Campground at Mile 13, weather permitting. The road will close at park headquarters (Mile 3) when the next snowfall occurs.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g14...rve_Alaska.html
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Grand Canyon National Park NEws:
Grand Canyon uranium fight heats up in D.C.
Environmentalists, businessmen battle over mining plan
http://www.tucsonsentinel.com/local/repo...ht-heats-up-dc/
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Misc. National Park News:
Wildlife contraceptive may help control numbers, disease
As some presidential candidates denounce federal funding for birth control, researchers are studying the benefits of a government-developed contraceptive vaccine for wildlife.
http://helenair.com/news/local/state-and...1cc4c002e0.html

National parks boost economy
The 13 percent unemployment rate in San Bernardino County has taken a heavy toll on families, businesses and communities. But an often overlooked source of revenue for our county is that generated by our California desert national parks. Since the beginning of the recession in 2008, Americans may have curtailed plans for international travel, but tourism has actually increased at Joshua Tree National Park from 1.3 million visits in 2008 to 1.4 million in 2010.
http://www.sbsun.com/pointofview/ci_19278644

When border security trumps the environment (Editorial)
How does waiving the Endangered Species Act in Glacier National Park help secure the border? Simple. It doesn't.
http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20111107/COLUMNS/111109873/1078&ParentProfile=1055
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Mount Rainier National Park News:
Mount Rainier volunteers donate $1.6 million of time and energy
For an investment of almost $26,000 this summer, Mount Raininer National Park received more than $1.6 million in volunteer help. That is the assessment of Kevin Bacher, volunteer and outreach coordinator at the park, in his report on the summer volunteer program.
http://www.theolympian.com/2011/11/05/1865998/mount-rainier-volunteers-donate.html
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Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
Yellowstone spill to cost Exxon $135M
Exxon Mobil Corp. said it expects to incur costs of about $135 million from an oil pipeline break beneath Montana’s Yellowstone River that triggered a massive effort to limit damage to the scenic waterway.
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2011/11/07/yellowstone-spill-to-cost-exxon-135m/

Yellowstone National Park sets winter-use plan
National Park planners say finalization of an environmental study for Yellowstone National Park will enable the park to open for motorized oversnow travel as scheduled on December 15.
http://summitcountyvoice.com/2011/11/07/yellowstone-national-park-sets-winter-use-plan/

Yellowstone Bison relocation delayed
A decision on a plan to relocate up to 160 Yellowstone National Park bison onto state and tribal lands has been postponed after ranchers raised objections, wildlife officials said Wednesday.
http://nativetimes.com/news/environment/6312-yellowstone-bison-relocation-delayed
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Bryce Canyon National Park News:
BLM Releases Report on Controversial Strip Mine Expansion
The Bureau of Land Management is taking public comments on a proposed coal strip mine expansion outside of Bryce Canyon National Park.
http://kcpw.org/blog/local-news/2011-11-...mine-expansion/
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Glacier National Park News:
Glacier to continue boat inspections through winter
Summer may be over, but Glacier National Park managers are going to continue their watch for harmful aquatic plants and animals that could contaminate the park's pristine lakes.
http://www.kpax.com/news/glacier-to-continue-boat-inspections-through-winter/
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Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Smokies park adopts long-term elk plan
Great Smoky Mountains National Park has a new plan for managing the park's elk population.
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/nov/07/smokies-park-adopts-long-term-elk-plan/

Four Men Given Jail Time For Digging Up Gingseng In Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Jail terms ranging from 15 days to 120 days were handed to four men convicted of digging ginseng.
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/201...tional-park8994
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Joshua Tree National Park News:
Joshua Tree National Park free Friday through Sunday
Friday through Sunday are free days at all national parks, including Joshua Tree National Park.
http://www.mydesert.com/article/20111108...-through-Sunday
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Misc. National Park News:
National Park Entrance Fees Waived for Veterans Day Weekend
To commemorate Veterans Day, the National Park Service is offering free admission at all park units Friday, Nov. 11, through Sunday, Nov. 13.
http://www.kfyrtv.com/News_Stories.asp?news=53220
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Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
Yellowstone National Park roads close to cars for winter; Snow travel to start in December
Roads to popular destinations in Yellowstone National Park are now closed for the season.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/755008f90963470e97bf29165493d5e0/WY--Yellowstone-Roads/

Oil-fouled logjam from ExxonMobil spill to be torched along Yellowstone River
Montana officials have set fire to an oil-tainted logjam along the Yellowstone River - the last of dozens of contaminated debris piles from a 42,000-gallon Exxon Mobil pipeline spill.
http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/ar...l#ixzz1d8rXOtjs
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Acadia National Park News:
Bar Harbor rejects cell tower zoning changes
Residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of three out of four proposed land use ordinance changes on Tuesday.
http://bangordailynews.com/2011/11/08/ne...ges/?ref=latest
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Denali National Park News:
Alaska National Park testing propane-powered vehicles
Though Alaska’s known for its vast supply of oil, its National Park vehicles may soon be powered by propane. The government has been testing autogas maintenance vehicles at Denali National Park and Preserve in an attempt to lower spills from conventional liquid fuels like diesel or gasoline.
http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/thinking...d-vehicles/9242
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Joshua Tree National Park News:
'Base Jumper' Injured in Joshua Tree National Park News:
A 23-year-old "base jumper" whose parachute was blown into some rocks in Joshua Tree National Park was lucky to be alive today.
http://www.myvalleynews.com/story/59763/
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Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
Yellowstone National Park continues to attract record numbers
It was no trick that more than 175,000 visitors to Yellowstone National Park last month were treated to unseasonably beautiful fall weather, yielding the park's second highest October visitation numbers on record and securing the park's second highest annual record.
http://www.kxlf.com/news/yellowstone-national-park-continues-to-attract-record-numbers/

Panel of Wyoming lawmakers recommends approval of wolf plan that could lead to delisting
A panel of Wyoming lawmakers voted Tuesday to recommend approval of a plan that could remove federal protections from gray wolves in the state as soon as next year.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/6ebeed86c9a44f51baf43b5d93535805/WY--Wolves-Wyoming/

Hunter, Thinking He Was In National Forest, Kills Bison Inside Grand Teton National Park
It was a good shot, and a good kill, but the Idaho man who thought he was hunting inside the Bridger-Teton National Forest actually was inside Grand Teton National Park when he killed the bison. And hunting bison in the national park is illegal.
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/201...tional-park9008

Can elk migration routes be restored?
Pronghorn and deer still make the trek, but elk unlikely to follow.
Perhaps no conservation story has been celebrated recently in Jackson Hole as much as that of the Path of the Pronghorn.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=7920
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Bryce Canyon National Park News:
Bryce Canyon to accept public comment on transportation study
The National Park Service (NPS) is conducting a transportation planning study to evaluate the transportation needs and infrastructure requirements to serve visitors to Bryce Canyon National Park.
http://www.stgeorgeutah.com/news/archive...ortation-study/
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Glacier National Park News:
Finding a Trail in Glacier National Park Just Got Easier
Just in time for the arrival of the vacation planning season, HikinginGlacier.com launched a new website today that gives hikers interested in Glacier National Park a robust source of trail information at their fingertips.
http://www.jagsreport.com/2011/11/finding-a-trail-in-glacier-national-park-just-got-easier/
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Grand Canyon National Park News:
Parks Chief Blocked Plan for Grand Canyon Bottle Ban
Weary of plastic litter, Grand Canyon National Park officials were in the final stages of imposing a ban on the sale of disposable water bottles in the Grand Canyon late last year when the nation’s parks chief abruptly blocked the plan after conversations with Coca-Cola, a major donor to the National Park Foundation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/10/scienc...e-ban.html?_r=1
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Misc. National Park News:
National Park ranger set to mark 90th birthday
Betty Reid Soskin regularly shares insights on history and social change with visitors to Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond, drawing on her own experiences living through the years before, during and after the war.
http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_19300684

Get ready for Art in the Park opening Saturday
A tip for newcomers to the Revelstoke visual arts scene: Art in the Park is an annual event hosted by Parks Canada that takes groups of artists into remote locales in the parks to study and create works of art.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/entertainment/133572778.html
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Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
Idaho hunter cited for killing bull bison in Grand Teton National Park
A 48-year-old Idaho hunter is accused of illegally killing a bull bison in Grand Teton National Park.
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/faffdf47f1f443a99c2c50311c264f74/WY--Grand-Teton-Bison-Killed/
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Cuyahoga National Park News:
A project to conserve as national park space nearly 600 acres at the summer home of the Cleveland orchestra has been completed.
http://www.wtam.com/cc-common/news/secti...2#ixzz1dQj6f4ib
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Denali National Park News:
Kantishna Land Exchange and Denali Pipeline Right-of-Way Pass Key Committee
U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today won approval from the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for two lands bills that will help facilitate energy projects in Alaska.
http://www.alaska-native-news.com/articl...Committee/23642
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Glacier National Park News:
Winter storm warning in effect for Friday night, Saturday
The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm warning, in effect from 8 p.m. Friday to 5 p.m. Saturday, for the Bitterroot and Sapphire mountains, the West Glacier region and Glacier National Park, and the Potomac/Seeley Lake region.
http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-reg...l#ixzz1dQjKO6Zt

Interior secretary seeks to protect BLM land near Helena, in other states
America's wild lands got a lot of congressional interest on Thursday, including two proposed wilderness areas for the mountains north of Helena.
http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-reg...l#ixzz1dQjUpAuY
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Grand Canyon National Park News:
Ex-Grand Canyon head: Bottled water ban ended after talks with Coke; Park Service says not so
A plan to ban the sale of plastic water bottles at the Grand Canyon was scrapped after talks with Coca-Cola, which is a donor to the national parks system and a bottled water distributor, a former park superintendent who worked on the plan said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/e...Nj9M_story.html
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Misc. National Park News:
NPCA Report Paints Somber Portrait Of An Underfunded National Park Service
In an increasingly crowded and fragmented world, national parks provide much more than a refuge from the crush. They are, in many ways, a last stand for biodiversity, an incredibly rich collection of ecological assets that contribute both value-laden natural resources and direct economic gain.
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/201...ark-service9011
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Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
Yellowstone National Park completes winter use EIS
Yellowstone National Park issued a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Nov. 4 that ensures the park opens for motorized oversnow travel as scheduled on Dec. 15.
http://www.laureloutlook.com/news/article_7402534a-0bbc-11e1-9f6e-001cc4c002e0.html

Small quake recorded near West Yellowstone
A small earthquake hit the area near West Yellowstone early Tuesday morning. But the quake was pretty small. And unless you were right on top of it you probably wouldn't have noticed.
http://www.kpax.com/news/small-quake-recorded-near-west-yellowstone/
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Everglades National Park News:
Conservation committee could remove restrictions
Sea trout, redfish and some sharks could be vulnerable for more harvesting if the rules are passed.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/13/2499894/conservation-committee-could-remove.html#ixzz1digtwxoU
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Glacier National Park News:
Snow piles up in parts of western Montana
This weekend's snow event may not seem like much to write home about for folks living in the valleys of western and northwestern Montana, but some higher elevation areas saw a pretty good dumping of the white stuff.
http://www.kaj18.com/news/snow-piles-up-in-parts-of-western-montana/

Study: Trout inhibited by temperature (Note: Annoying ad)
A recently published research paper suggests that maintaining natural temperatures on the Flathead River system may inhibit the movements of invasive lake trout to upstream waters.
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_b954828e-0db9-11e1-a49f-001cc4c002e0.html
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Grand Canyon National Park News:
Trashing the Grand Canyon
Corporations that help subsidize some national and state parks might have undue influence over park policy.
Every year, more than 4 million visitors come to see the awesome majesty of Grand Canyon National Park — the soaring rock formations, the mighty erosive power of the Colorado River, the plastic bottles strewn along the trail, the chipmunks chewing on twist-off bottle caps....
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-coke-20111114,0,226560.story
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Great Falls National Park News:
New national park in NJ (Note: Beware annoying ad)
A waterfall in one of New Jersey's largest cities that has been featured in everything from a William Carlos Williams poem to an episode of the televison show "The Sopranos" became the nation's newest national park Monday.
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20111113/WDH04/111130357/New-national-park-NJ
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Misc. National Park News:
Conservation group worries about park funding cuts
The National Parks Conservation Association is sounding an alarm over the potential impacts on parks if the so-called congressional “supercommittee” fails to develop a plan for trimming $1.2 trillion from the federal budget over the next 10 years.
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_f360a142-0db9-11e1-8b97-001cc4c002e0.html
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Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Wind levels trees in Rocky Mountain National Park
Extremely high winds and micro bursts on Saturday evening through early Sunday morning blew down numerous trees in Rocky Mountain National Park, according to park officials.
http://www.timescall.com/news/longmont-local-news/ci_19332090
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Yellowstone (and Grand Teton) National Park News:
Light snow to continue
A fast-moving Pacific storm system left more than 5 inches of snow on Jackson as of Sunday afternoon, and forecasters predicted more accumulation in the week ahead.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=7930

Feds plan public meeting on Wyoming wolves
Some environmental groups say they intend to press the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to expand protections for wolves in Wyoming when the federal agency takes public comment next week on a wolf management plan.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20111113/NEWS01/111130303/Feds-plan-public-meeting-Wyoming-wolves?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage
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