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

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

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

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 There are more than 19 trails into the Grand Canyon, originally made by deer, bighorn sheep, American Indians and prospectors.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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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