Almost 50 years ago, Congress decommissioned Fossil Cycad National Monument as a unit of the National Park Service, in large part because most of the fossils that had originally earned the monument its distinction had been pilfered from the area.
Fortunately, preservation of NPS units has improved greatly since the 1950s. Still, there was a distressing story in the Christian Science Monitor the other day recounting how theft of artifacts from national parks and other federal holdings continues to be a problem.
According to the story, more than $500 million worth of artifacts are stolen each year from national parks, battlefields, museums and private collections.
The problem is increasing in national parks in part because ranger
ranks are being depleted by funding woes. "We're woefully
understaffed," Tim Canaday, an archaeologist with the U.S. Bureau of
Land Management who worked on a multi-agency investigation with the
Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, told the newspaper.
Pilfering the Parks and Other Historic Places
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The Essential RVing Guide
The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.
This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.
You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.
So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.
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