Chance Finegan


Biography

I am a member of the University of Tennessee at Martin Class of 2012, where I am majoring in natural resources management and minoring in history. I hope to become a ranger with the National Park Service after university, and later I'd like to go into environmental law and politics. I believe there is inherent value in the environment, and the observation of nature in a setting removed from the hectic world of day-to-day life uplifts the human spirit. I also believe there is value in our history – without history, there is nothing to base neither one’s understanding of the present nor one’s dreams of the future. These resources – natural, cultural, and historical – are found in communities throughout the world. Their intrinsic worth is beyond monetary value, and I so value these things that I intend to protect them, even in the face of insurmountable obstacles, so that all citizens, rich or poor, may enjoy them forever. I served as the president of CHS SPEAK (CHS Students Promoting Environmental Action and Knowledge) and the founder and president of the CHS Campus Greens during high school. I am also a Campus and Community Organizer for the Sierra Student Coalition, and a member of the SSC Conservation Committee and SSC Publishing Group (www.ssc.org/resources). I also serve on the Stop I-3 Coalition's (www.stopi3.org) Volunteers, Supporters, and Affiliates Committee.

The views and materials contained in my comments and posts are not, and should not be construed as, those of the National Park Service, the Department of the Interior, the United States Government, the University of Tennessee at Martin, the UT System, the State of Tennessee, or as those of any entity other than myself except where expressly stated. And yes, my statement of values is pretty darn close to that of the Tennessee State Park System, because our state parks are amazing, even if TDEC does some strange things every now and then.



Chance's Most Recent Comments (view all)
  • 9/25/2008 11:34 am - Archaeological Survey At Big South Fork River National River and Recreation Area : Mr. Mutch, I certainly understand what you are saying. Indeed, I have witnessed firsthand several surveys that are only taking place because of NEPA regs or some other project. However, having lived and worked this summer with many of the individuals cited in this piece, I can assure you that ...
  • 9/11/2008 2:02 pm - House Subcommittee Considers Bill to Relax ORV Rules for Cape Hatteras National Seashore : I stand corrected, but it is interesting that NPS does not refer to CAHA as "Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreational Area" on its website (although that's not to say that I couldn't have overlooked a mention of the additional name).
  • 9/11/2008 1:08 pm - House Subcommittee Considers Bill to Relax ORV Rules for Cape Hatteras National Seashore : Not to stir the metaphorical pot, but CAHA is NOT a national recreation area. It is designated as a national seashore. This might sound like a minor detail, but an NS designation does give a little bit more protection to park resources than a straight-up NRA does, even though the ...
  • 8/11/2008 6:54 am - Collapse of "Wall Arch" Proves Gravity Does Work at Arches National Park : SaltSage236, Thanks for correcting me. This is particularly useful information for me to have since I volunteer and sometimes give interpretive programs at BISO.
  • 8/10/2008 6:43 pm - Collapse of "Wall Arch" Proves Gravity Does Work at Arches National Park : There is one park in the system where you are allowed, and are encouraged to, walk atop some sandstone arches - Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, on the Tennessee/Kentucky line. It is 7/10ths of a mile to Twin Arches in the western side of the park via ...
  • 6/01/2008 6:29 am - Traveler's View: Concealed Weapons Have No Place In Our National Park System : I always find it ironic that pro-gun people say the gun control crowd has been duped/misled/confused of the truth by the Brady Campaign, when the pro-gun people have been 'duped' just as much by the NRA....
  • 5/21/2008 1:54 pm - NPS Retirees Oppose Carrying Guns in National Parks : Rick, I'm not trying to debate about guns in the parks or nitpick...but I do think it's worth pointing out that the links you provided are to reports/studies, etc that were done several years ago. The FBI, CDC, DOJ and PA links all referenced documents published no later than 2006. ...
  • 5/16/2008 5:52 pm - Coal-Fired Plants Obscuring National Park Vistas : OK, so I could go on a massive anti-coal rant the points out the many ills of said nasty, foul energy, and the merits and truth behind how we can power America on renewable energy, but I won't. No, I'll keep my mouth shut (mostly) and be brief... Coal plants ...
  • 4/25/2008 11:49 am - Are Blue Ridge Parkway's Historic Guardrails At Risk? : I think it's worth to point out that this isn't just about guardrails. The FHWA wanted a 12 foot clear zone, which would have meant that NPS would have been responsible for removing anything in that 12 foot zone. Trees, rocks, rock walls built by the CCC, etc would have ...
  • 3/17/2008 6:48 am - Snowmobilers Continue to Roam Illegally Into Yellowstone National Park : No one is acting like with nutzo, environazi, quais-religious zeal. Indeed, we are *trying* to have intelligent discourse about the issue at hand, and us liberal crazies have so far refrained from name-calling (sad I can't say the same about others...) As Kurt says, there are more than 450 million ...


Chance's Most Recent Articles (view all)

North Cascades National Park – Forty Years on the Map, Seventy Years in the Making

Washington’s North Cascades National Park sits peacefully along the Canadian border. The serenity of this park, which marks its 40th birthday October 2, masks the story of a 70-year struggle to protect one of the most indomitable mountain landscapes in America.

Archaeological Survey At Big South Fork River National River and Recreation Area

The National Park Service is seeking to inventory and preserve archaeological sites across the National Park System until funding permits their excavation. With the largest number of archaeological sites in the Southeast, the spotlight is turned on the relatively humble Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.

Park History: Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area

The scenic, recreational Big South Fork River in eastern Tennessee/Kentucky might well have been dammed and flooded. But a national park was created instead, and now Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area offers high quality recreation opportunities of many types.

Getting American Youth More Involved in the National Parks is a Difficult Challenge and a Golden Opportunity

Nurturing broadly-based advocacy for the national parks has never been more critical, and promoting greater youth interest and visitation is a key consideration. Some progress is being made, but much more can be done.

National Park History: “The Spirit of the Civilian Conservation Corps”

The year was 1932, and America was in the midst of the worst economic downturn in history. Unemployment stood at 25 percent; homelessness at two million people. When Americans went to the polls, they overwhelmingly elected Franklin D. Roosevelt president. FDR immediately sought 'relief, recovery, and reform' to rebuild America's tattered economy. FDR was not interested in merely handing out money to people. Instead, he wanted to put them to work.

Creature Feature: The Pacific Treefrog

If you've ever heard a frog doing its “ribbet” thing anywhere along the Pacific Coast, it's probably been a Pacific Treefrog. And if you’ve ever seen one of these little critters up close, you know why many consider it one of the most fascinating of all the amphibians.

Creature Feature: Texas Banded Gecko

Big Bend National Park is remote and dry – not exactly a place that most people think of right away when they plan a vacation. But the desert is full of interesting things, some of them so small that they might escape notice. Take, for example, the ghostly Texas banded gecko.

Creature Feature: The American Marten

The American Marten is a rare North Woods animal that you'll probably never see, save for paw prints in the snow. This brown, bushy-tailed little critter, which looks something like a cross between a mink and a house-cat, was prized for its luxurious fur and darn near trapped to extinction in the United States during the 19th century. Today, despite habitat losses and related problems, the American Marten still inhabits much of its historical range.

Creature Feature: The Red-Throated Loon

The red-throated loon is the smallest, most widely distributed, and most distinctive of the world’s five loon species. Annually migrating from summer nesting sites in the Arctic reaches of North America and Eurasia to wintering grounds in the Lower 48, Mexico, Europe, and Asia, this bird can really move.

Creature Feature: the Many-Colored Fruit Dove

A tiny clutch of islands in the South Pacific harbors not only the National Park of American Samoa, one of the National Park System’s oft-overlooked delights, but also some of the last vestiges of the many-Colored Fruit Dove, a colorful bird that long has captivated those lucky enough to spy it.