When Rocky Mountain National Park reopens this week, you might need a reservation/Kurt Repanshek file
While Rocky Mountain National Park officials plan to reopen their park on Wednesday, they're hoping to control visitor traffic through a reservation approach that must be approved by Interior Secretary David Bernhardt.
Under the proposal, which Estes Park's Town Board unanimously supported, Rocky Mountain would use a timed entry system to reduce park visitation by 40 percent for the immediate future. As explained to town officials earlier this month, the approach would require visitors to reserve a time slot via recreation.gov for entering the park.
"The goal of the proposed timed entry system is to increase park access while providing the public a reasonable opportunity to comply with health guidelines and to avoid scenarios where a re-opening visitation surge results in stakeholders inside and outside the park demanding the park to re-close," park spokesperson Kyle Patterson said Friday in an email.
"If this is approved, permits would be managed by recreation.gov, with the initial opening phase allocating ~60 percent of the park’s maximum parking capacity (13,500 visitors per day, or 4,800 vehicles)," she added. "The park will monitor our ability to operate with present health guidelines and adapt the system accordingly."
National park officials across the country have been using a variety of approaches to improve visitor access. Most are allowing only day-use activities, although there are some exceptions that are permitting backcountry overnight travel.
At Zion National Park in Utah, the shuttle system hasn't been running into Zion Canyon, and so once all the available parking spots are filled, vehicle access to the canyon is closed. Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona has been experimenting with three-day opening schedules for the South Rim to gauge how much visitation they receive and how visitors practice social distancing. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming has allowed unrestricted access, but only through Wyoming via its South and East entrances, as Montana has yet to lift its requirement that out-of-state travelers self-quarantine for two weeks. In Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park, which is allowing access beginning Sunday (May 24), is not allowing visitors to tour cliff dwellings. Congaree National Park in South Carolina is allowing paddlers to return to the park's waters but only for day trips.
You can see how other parks are approaching reopening on this page.
Yosemite is, like Rocky Mountain, talking about using a reservation system of sorts to limit visitation. Under a plan outlined earlier this month to park stakeholders, the goal is to limit visitation to about 3,600 cars per day into the park, or half of what was counted last June. A story in the Fresno Bee said overnight visitors won't need a permit to drive through the park, but day-use visitors will need to obtain one.
No date has been set for opening Yosemite, as park officials are taking their lead from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and this three-phase reopening plan.
Comments
Lots of details missing on exactly how this would work but maybe one positive to come from this pandemic is that the NPS will find a way to finally deal with the problem of overcrowding.
I do fear this could come with massive fee increases for anyone wishing to spend any length of time in the parks.
Fees absolutely should be raised. Most parks don't even charge entrance fees. Visitor centers are closed, so people can't buy souvenirs. Revenue to fix up the parks has to come from somewhere. It makes sense that the people using the parks should pay for their upkeep. Raise the fees please!
The time to improve your health was BEFORE the virus, not after. If you are healthy and under the age of 65 you have virtually nothing to worry about. If you are not and are unwilling to take the risk - stay home.
Kurt, this might be a good opportunity to remind you of what I wrote about levels of human focus; about folks whose thinking is stuck down at that personally focused, self-centered, level; about how folks at these lower levels of Maslow's Hierarchy find it hard to focus on community topics that go beyond personal issues; and how these folks, being so personally focused and essentially self-centered, can't often be generous toward others, even when they have plenty to spare. They're just along for the ride and don't really care about public resources, other than to fight against having to pay their share. I would be surprised to see them make any serious contributions without a quid pro quo expection of some sort.
"Good grief, I thought it was bad when the rightwing scum started calling Americans "sheeple" just because we wouldn't immediately bow down and kowtow to whatever pea-brained nonsense"
Actually it's the leftist that DO kowtow to whatever mush they are fed by Hollywood and the media along with the social media threat of being shunned - that's why they are rightly called "sheeple" .
In counterpoint to, and inrepugnance of, the non trained "medical experts" out there commenting, I will include a list a physician friend of mine compiled and posted on memorial day.
Memorial Day - in addition to remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice in the military, today I would also like to take time to remember the frontline healthcare works who have lost their lives due to Covid-19
(the list is not comprehensive. Compiled from various online sources)
Dr Frank Gabrin - Emergency Medicine, NJ/NY
Dr James Mahoney - Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, University Hospital of Brooklyn/SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
Dr Arthur Turetsky - Pulmonary and Critical Care, Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Dr Ronald Verrier - Trauma Surgeon, St. Barnabas Hospital, Bronx, New York
Dr Tomas Pattugalan - Internal Medicine, Nassau University Hospital, NJ
Dr. Lorna Breen - Emergency Medicine, New York-Presbyterian and Columbia Irving Medical Center, NY
Dr Reza Chowdhury - Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease, Westchester Medical Healthcare, Bronx, NY
Dr Ashraf Abdo - Primary Care, NYC
Dr Nancy Ajemian - Family Medicine, Beaumont Hospital, Grosse Point MI
Dr Glenn Barquet - Cardiology, Mercy Hospital, Miami FL
Dr Doug Bass - Medical Director, Drug and Alcohol Treatment, NYC
Dr Joseph A. Bonjiorno - Psychiatry, St. Joseph Hospital (affiliated), Chicago, IL
Dr Sina Zaim - Cardiology & Electrophysiology, Hackensack University Medical Center, Hackensack, New Jersey
Dr Jesus Zambrano - Pediatrician, Mt. Sinai South Nassau, Oceanside, New York
Dr Luis Caldera-Nieves - OB/GYN, UM Health Clinic, Miami, FL
Dr Ricardo Castaneda - Psychiatry, NYC
Dr Charlie Chin Song Chen - Family Medicine, Joseph P. Addabbo Family Health Center, NYC
Dr Kenneth Conte - Family Medicine, Garfield, NJ
Dr Jeffrey Escher - Geriatrician, Westchester County, NY
Dr Jessie Ferreras, - Primary Care Physician, Waldwick, NJ
Dr Chris Firlit - PGY6 Oral-Maxillofacial Surgery Chief Resident, Ascension Macomb Hospital, Detroit, MI
Dr Louis Edouard Fontaine - Internal Medicine, Brooklyn Hospital Center, NYC
Dr Michael Giuliano - Family Medicine, Mountainside Medical Group, Nutley, New Jersey
Dr Jay Galst - Ophthamologist, New York
Dr James T. Goodrich - Pediatric Neurosurgeon, Montefiore Health System, NYC
Dr Nisar Quraishi - Internal Medicine, Clinical Assistant Professor, NYU Langone, NYC
Dr Harvey Hirsch - Pediatrics, CHEMED, Lakewood, NJ
Dr Mitchell Horowitz - Radiologist, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, NYC
Dr Alex Hsu - Internal Medicine, Northwest Medical Center, Margate, FL
Dr Victor de Jesus - Pediatrician, Hospital HIMA, Caguas, Puerto Rico
Dr Satyender Dev Khanna, - General Surgery, Clara Maass Hospital, Belleville, NJ
Dr Priya Khanna - Nephrologist, Khanna Nephrology, Glen Ridge, NJ (daughter to Dr Satyender Dev Khanna)
Dr Francis "Frankie" Molinari, - Internal Medicine, Clara Maass Medical Center, Belleville, NJ
Dr Angelo Patsalis - Family Medicine, Henry Ford Medical Group, Detroit, Michigan
Dr Tomas Pattugalan - Internal Medicine, Queens, New York
Dr Steven Perez - Internal Medicine, Medical Center of Annandale, Annandale, Virginia
Dr Barry Webber - General Surgery, Mount Sinai Hospital, Queens, New York
Dr Bredy Pierre-Louis - Family Medicine, Brooklyn, New York
Dr Mark Respler - Urologist, Ahava Medical & Rehabilitation Center, Brooklyn, New York
Dr Barry Sakowitz - Pulmonary Medicine, Paramus, New Jersey
Dr Elliott Samet - Pediatrician, St Mary's General, Passaic, New Jersey
Dr Gary Sclar - Neurologist, Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens, New York City
Dr Steven J. Huber DMD, - Orthodonist, Jefferson City, MO
Dr Peter Sakas, - Veterinarian, Niles Animal Hospital, Northbrook, Illinois
Cpt Douglas Linn Hickok, PA-C - Lehigh Valley Poconos
Madhvi Aya, PA-C - Woodhull Hospital, Brooklyn NY
Alex Bass, PA-C - Coney Island Hospital, Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Yaakov Meltzer, PA-C - Brooklyn, New York
Kevin Graiani NP - Nurse Practitioner, Garnerville, New York
Romy Agtarap RN - Columbia New York-Presbyterian NYC
Felicia Ailende RN - BRIA of Forest Edge, Chicago IL
Aracelli Buendia Ilagan, RN - SICU, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami FL
Kious Kelly, RN - Mt Sinai Hospital, NYC
Freda Ocran, RN - Jacobi Medical Center, NY
Theresa E. Berbano, RN - Montefiore Health, Bronx, NY
Theresa Lococo, RN - Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn NY
Jenni Claire Bartolome, RN - Emerson Health, Emerson, NJ
Mark Leighton Bowen, RN - Highland Care Nursing Home, Queens, NY
Danielle Hedrick DiCenso - ICU Nurse, Palmetto General Hospital, Hialeah, FL
Maria Grace Esteves-Laureta, RN - Critical Care Nurse, Saint Barnabas Hospital, Bronx, NY
Ali Dennis Guillermo, RN - ICU Registered Nurse, Long Island Memorial Hospital, Patchogue, NY
Pamela Ann Orlando RN - ED Nurse, The Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, New Jersey
Aleyamma John, RN - Queens Hospital Center, NYC
Felicisimo Luna, RN - ED Nurse, Trinitas Regional Medical Center, Elizabeth, NJ
Michael "Mike" Marceaux, RN - ER Nurse, Shreveport, Louisiana
Larrice Anderson, RN - New Orleans East Hospital, LA
Divinia "Debbie" Accad, RN - Detroit VAMC, Detroit MI
Joyce Pacubas-Le Blanc, RN - Nurse, Neuroscience ICU, UIC Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
Angeline Bernadel, RN - West River Healthcare Center, Milford, CT
Jerry Alford, RN - Northport Medical Center, Northport, AL
Lisa Ewald, RN - Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit MI
James House, RN - Omni Continuing Care, Detroit MI
Judy Wilson-Griffin, RN - St Mary's Hospital, St Louis, MO
John Abruzzo, RN - Huntington Hospital, NY
Quen Agbor Ako RN - Future Care Nursing Home, Randallstown, MD
Nicanor Baltazar RN - Long Island Care Center, Flushing, NYC
Celia Yap Banago, RN - Research Medical Center, Kansas City, MO
Tamajin Ali, RN - Nursing Supervisor, Centennial Healthcare, Philadelphia PA
Jeffrey Baumbach RN - St. Joseph's Medical Center, Stockton, CA
Yaw Asante RN - NYC Health+Hospitals/Lincoln, NYC
Joyce Brown, RN - Nurse Manager, LIJ Forest Hills, Forest Hills, NY
Gary Alberto RN - Nursing Home Nurse - Andover, NJ
Dorothy Boles, RN - Greenwood, MS
Brittany Bruner-Ringo RN - Silverado Beverly Place, Beverly Hills, CA
Maria Guia Cabillon RN - Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn, NY
Freda Ocran RN - Psychiatric Nurse, Jacobi Medical Center, New York City
Patrick Cain RN - McLaren Flint, Flint, MI
Rebecca Yee - Nurse, Mt Sinai Hospital, New York City
Evelyn Caro, RN - Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Spring, MD
Rosary Celaya Castro-Olega, RN - Los Angeles, California
Betty Lafuente Clemente, RN - Bloomfield, NJ
Maria Lopez, RN - UIC Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Rosemary Coutou-Figaro, RN - Kingsbrook Jewish Hospital, Brooklyn, NY
Robert Tarrant, RN - Registered Nurse and EMS Educator, RWJ Barnabas Health, New Jersey
Karla Dominguez, RN - Hospitals of Providence-Memorial Campus, El Paso, TX
Vianna Thompson, RN - Intensive Care Unit, Reno, Nevada
Celia Lardizabal Marcos, RN, Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
Ellyn Schreiner, RN - Crossroads Hospice, Dayton, Ohio
Raul D. Eslao, RN - Westland, Michigan
Theresa Lococo, RN - Pediatric Nurse, Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn, NY
Livette Plan, RN - Registered Nurse, New York City
Joan Neudecker - Nurse, McAuley Residence Nursing Home, Buffalo, New York
Noel Sinkiat, RN - Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Howard University Hospital, Washington, DC
Susan Sisgundo, RN - Neonatal ICU, Bellevue Hospital, New York City
Lisa Ewald, RN - Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan
Jenniffer Davis - Care Center Nurse, Meramec Bluffs Care Center, Ballwin, MO
Sonia Roman, 61, Nurse, Hospital Auxilio Mutuo, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Elizabeth B. DelMundo, Nurse, Dover, NJ
Daisy Doronila - Nurse, Hudson County Jail, Kearny, NJ
Obinna Chibueze Eke - Nurse, Irvington, NJ
Mary Ellen Porter - Nurse Manager, Staten Island, New York
Octavia Foxworth - Nurse, St. Clair Shores, MI
Krist Angielen Castro Guzman - Nurse, Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital, Chicago, Illinois
Anjanette Miller - Nurse, Chicago, Illinois
Rose Harrison - Long-term Care Nurse, Hamilton, Alabama
Sheena Renee Comfort Miles - Nurse, Scott Regional Hospital, Morton, Mississippi
Kimberly Napper, RN - Madison, Mississippi
Maria Hernandez Rodriguez, - Nurse, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico
Patricia Frieson - Nurse (retired), Chicago, Illinois
Maria Krier - Nurse, Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley, Littleton, MA
Cynthia "Chi" Mendoza - Nurse (retired) and Hospital Volunteer, Norfolk, Virginia
Karen Cashin Carmello, LPN - Long Island, NY
Barbara Finch, LPN - Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center, Emporia, VA
Hazel P. Mijares, LPN - Amsterdam Nursing Home, NYC
Paul Moise, LPN - Alameda Center, Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Tina Reeves, LPN - Pickaway Correction Institution, Orient, Ohio
Sean D. Boynes, PharmD, Pharmacist, Greenbelt, MD
William Mantell - Pharmacist, Variety Drugs, Rochdale Village, Queens, NY
Patricia Wilke - Pharmacist, Winslow, Arizona
Diedre Heard Wilkes - Mammogram Technician, Piedmont Newnan Hospital, Atlanta GA
Lori Alioa MSW - Healthcare Social Worker, VAMC, Ann Arbor, MI
Cathy Drouin, - Nursing Home Social Worker, Palm Center, Chelmsford, MA
Natasha Ott, - Social Worker, CrescentCare, New Orleans, Louisiana
Jeannie Danker - Director of Radiology, Ohio State University, Columbus OH
Don Batayola - Occupational Therapy, NJ
Mario Salonga - Physical Therapist, Mount Sinai South Nassau, Oceanside, New York
Rina Tagamolila - Physical Therapist, Champlin, Minnesota
Richie Villena - Physical Therapist, New York City
Jorge Mateo - Respiratory Therapist, Coral Gables Hospital, Miami Florida
Petal Williams Richards - Respiratory Therapist, BronxCare Hospital System, Bronx, New York
Andres Benitez - Food and Nutrition Service, Holy Name Medical Center, Teaneck, NJ
Idris Bey - EMT Instructor/Coordinator - FDNY, NYC
Terry Billingham, EMT (retired) - MONOC EMS, Clinto, n, NJ
Billy Birmingham, EMT - Kansas City, MO
Reuven Maroth, EMT - Hackensack, New Jersey
Roy Coleman - EMT, Shreveport, LA
Kevin Leiva, EMT - Dover, New Jersey
Richard Seaberry, EMT - Fire Department of New York, New York City
Solomon Donald, EMT - Trinitas Regional Medical Center, Elizabeth, NJ
Ruben Rodriguez, EMT - Ridgewood Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Ridgewood, New York
Mike Field, EMT - Valley Stream, New York
Scott Geiger, EMT - Atlantic Health System, Morristown, NJ
Greg Hodge, EMT - New York
Rueven Morath, EMT - Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Hackensack, New Jersey
Robert Zerman - EMT and Firefighter, Pioneer Hose Company #1, Robesonia, Pennsylvania
Liana Sa, EMT - Newark, New Jersey
Israel Tolentino, EMT - Passaic, New Jersey
Anthony Thomas - Paramedic, Emergency Medical Services, Brooklyn, New York
David Martin, - Paramedic, American Medical Response, Natchez, Mississippi
Paul Novicki, - Critical Care Paramedic, Detroit, Michigan
Paul Cary - Paramedic (volunteer), Ambulnz, NYC
John P. Careccia, Chief and Training Director, Woodbridge Township Ambulance & Rescue Squad, Woodbridge, NJ
John Redd - Firefighter/Emergency Medical Technician, FDNY, New York City
Thomas Ward - Volunteer Firefighter, New York City
Robert Weber - EMT and Firefighter, Middletown Fire Department, Middetown, New Jersey
Donald DiPetrillo - Firefighter, Chief of Fire Rescue, Seminole Tribe Fire-Rescue, Hollywood, FL
John Ferrarella - Firefighter, Wayne Fire Company 3, Wayne, NJ
James Villecco - Ambulance Mechanic, FDNY, New York City
Patrick Buchannan, CNA - Indianapolis, IN
Maurice Dotson, CNA - Austin, Texas
Derik Braswell - Elmhurst Medical Center, NYC
Rafael Cargill - Medical Records, Brooklyn Hospital Center, Fort Greene, Brooklyn, NY
Priscilla Carrow - Elmhurst Medical Center, NYC
Monica Echeverri Casarez - Surgical Technician, Harper Hospital, Dearborn, MI
Devin Dale Francis - Radiology Technician, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL
John Cofrancesco - Nursing Home Administrator, Family of Caring at Montclair, NJ
Bishop Bruce Edward Davis - Shift Leader/Central State Hospital Forensics, Milledgeville, GA
Elizabeth Edwards, - Phlebotomist, Carolina East Medical Center, New Bern, NC
Deborah Gatewood - Phlebotomist, Beaumont Health Farmington Hills, Farmington Hills, MI
Wayne Edwards, - Elmhurst Hospital Center, NYC
James Footit - Baystate Hospital, Springfield, MA
Clair Marie Fuqua - Receptionist, Pediatrics, Pineville, LA
Sam Green - X-ray Technician, Mount Sinai Morningside, NYC
Alexander Gusev - Medical Technician, Reno, NV
Sandra Hardy-Rogers - Hospital Staff, Community Medical Center, Toms River, NJ
Aaron Hughes, - Mental Health Technician, New Orleans, LA
Pam Hughes, CNA and Med Tech - Summit Manor Nursing Home, Columbia, KY
Valeria Viveros - Nursing Assistant, Extended Care Hospital of Riverside, Riverside, California
Darrell Johnson, - Porter/Transporter, Morristown Medical Center, Morristown, NJ
Kim King-Smith - EKG Technician, Newark, New Jersey
Roger Liddell, - CCU Supply Chain Manager, Flint, Michigan
Lydia Lopez - Laundry Services, Samaritas Senior Living, Saginaw, Michigan
Christopher David Matus, - Medical Examiner Investigator, Swartz Creek, Michigan
Juan Martinez - Surgical Technician, UI Health, Chicago, Illinois
Janine Meritet - Patient Care Assistant, Smithtown, New York
Matthew Moore - Radiologic Technologist, GoHealth Urgent Care, Staten Island, New York
William "Bill" Murdock - MRI Technologist, Miami, Florida
Prea Nankieshore, - Emergency Room Unit Clerk, LIJ Forest Hills, New York
Wendell Quinn - Public Safety Officer, Hurley Medical Center, Flint, Michigan
Nickeen Ross - Maintenance, Advantage Living Center Roseville, Roseville, Michigan
Alvin Simmons - Environmental Services Worker, Rochester General Hospital, Rochester New York
Thomas Soto - Radiology Clerk, Woodhull Hospital, Brooklyn, New York
Jesus Villaluz - Patient Transport Services, Holy Name Medical Center, Teaneck, New Jersey
And no, I don't know or care which of these dead heroes happened to be under or over 65, as if that matters.
Uh, it does matter. People 65 and older have accounted for 80% of the deaths vs 16% of the population. If you don't think age matters you have your head in the sand.
https://www.businessinsider.com/most-us-coronavirus-deaths-ages-65-older...
As to the healthcare worker deaths, they made the choice to work. Nobody forced them. We appreciate their sacrifice. (we also note that many (most?) died of COVID but not necessarily infected by their healthcare activites. )
Kurt --- it is past time to add a BLOCK feature to your software.