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Politics Raise A Potential Roadblock to Creation Of A "Maine Woods National Park and Preserve"

Jun 22nd - 16:13pm | Michael Kellett

Although Mr. Anonymous, who has posted above, won’t reveal his name, his true identity is obvious to those of us who have followed his long, anti-government crusade. He has repeated the same flimsy claims – almost verbatim — for more than 20 years.

Jun 22nd - 13:58pm | Anonymous

Ryan is still making promises he has no business asserting.  No one faced with NPS abuse can stop it by claiming "Ryan promised you wouldn't do this". 

Jun 21st - 14:53pm | Ryan

Anom, Of course the feds will "control" it once it become a park, that's the point.  The land will not be taken, just can't happen, I promise you.

Jun 21st - 13:23pm | Anonymous

Ryan on June 21, 2011 - 8:15am: "The feds will not be 'taking over' anything. That may have been the case in the past, but would never happen today. If this were to happen it would be from donations and willing sellers."

Jun 21st - 09:45am | Kirby Adams

Anonymous, you're quite articulate and obviously very passionate and willing to fight for your position in this matter. Why not tell us who you are as Mr. St. Pierre has? Like it or not, anonymous attacks don't carry much weight in rhetorical battles.

Jun 21st - 09:15am | Ryan

The feds will not be "taking over" anything.  That may have been the case in the past, but would never happen today.  If this were to happen it would be from donations and willing sellers.

Jun 20th - 23:04pm | Anonymous

Jym St. Pierre, who posted above, was one of the Wilderness Society lobbyists behind the NPCA Federal park takeover agenda in Maine that failed miserably when it was rejected by the people affected by it decades ago and ever since.  He has since made a "career" out of continuing his extreme promotions through the radical "Restore" organiziation split off from the Wilderness Society by St.

Jun 20th - 18:42pm | sarcastic

Let's see if I'm getting this correctly read on the west coast: People of Maine will no longer be coming to Yosemite, Crater Lake, The North Cascades. These are lands reserved for people on the west coast and Mainers, not willing to anti up for the good of the whole country won't be expecting other states to set asside parks for them. Pretty sad.

Jun 20th - 18:03pm | Anonymous

Tea Party Republican!!

Jun 20th - 13:27pm | An

The youth deserves a voice in this matter, we who have recently entered into this insecure job market (and will remain in it a good deal longer than the rest of you) should be able to say whether we want to preserve this land in the form of a national park and explore new job opporunities, or save this land for private timbering.

Jun 20th - 13:02pm | Jym St. Pierre

This anti-national park resolution does not represent the views of most people of Maine.

Jun 20th - 12:50pm | Anonymous

Which K Street "think tank" does June 19, 8:19 pm, Anonymous represent?  I suspect I already know the answer.

Jun 20th - 11:25am | Ryan

Well, that's one way to put it.  Another is that individual citizens of this country have been fighting to protect areas like this for years.  Without thier passion and commitment to these types issues we would not have many of the beutiful parks we have today.  But, maybe that's the way some folks want it.

Reader Participation Day: Have Campground Or Lodging Reservations Gotten Too Hard to Obtain In Some National Parks?

Jun 22nd - 16:01pm | Jim M

If you are trying to do a short notice trip, I can see how this would be a problem.  I tend to plan my major park visits at least six months out.  I will plan longer if I am going during peak season.  I prefer to do the edge seasons, myself.  I actually made a reservation for Yellowstone a couple of weeks ago but it was for right after Labor Day. 

Jun 22nd - 15:08pm | Carol B

IT'S ALL ABOUT PLANNING & DECISION MAKING.

Jun 22nd - 13:21pm | Anonymous

It's a good problem if people are getting out and using the parks. As long as the process is fair and doesn't favor anyone else - it's no different than making reservations at Walt Disney World. I made reservations for Yellowstone in January for late summer. I didn't get first pick but then I could have made reservations earlier.

Jun 22nd - 10:52am | Gaelyn

There is such a thing as a carrying capacity at many National Parks. Do we really want to love them to death or pave them over? It's not the NPS's job to provide beds. Support the nearby communities for overnight accomodations. Or get out and hike into the backcountry.

Jun 22nd - 07:39am | AnonymousD

Of course this situation is going to exist. The parks are increasingly popular, and we cannot give over more and more of their land to lodging and campgrounds. If we want to both maintain and visit the natural spaces of the parks, we visitors need to be prepared to make compromises: secure reservations well in advance, or stay outside the park.

Poor Choice For Target Practice in Dinosaur National Monument

Jun 22nd - 14:56pm | Lee Dalton

Just someone exercising his Second Amendment rights.

Jun 21st - 08:31am | Anonymous

You have to wonder what kind of jack-ass whould do such a thing??( please exuse my french)

Cow Elk at Olympic National Park Killed After Becoming Too Brazen Around Park Visitors

Jun 22nd - 14:27pm | Anonymous

Whatever happened to the concept of the national park protecting wildlife from trigger happy hunters even if they were in an NPS RANGER DISGUISE ?  AFTER 9/11

Jun 21st - 21:03pm | Banana Slug Wrangler

So what would really be the answer for a non reality based environment where everything is protected.  OK, bring in the wolves and keep your children inside:)?

Jun 21st - 15:48pm | Anonymous

Couldn't we just tranq it and move it to a more remote area?

Mammoth Cave National Park Offers Rewards For Crime Stoppers

Jun 22nd - 12:56pm | MRC

Please, Kurt, let all content flow into the category News again. I thought there was no noew content since Janue 13, when sou stopped feeding the News-Page with new stuff. I usa that as starting page for the traveler, because there I could get all content in the most simple list format. Thanks in advance.

Some Numbers To Keep in Mind When Reviewing Yellowstone National Park's Winter-Use Plan

Jun 22nd - 12:45pm | Kurt Repanshek

YNP4everyone, the varying use of "average" and "maximum" levels is a reflection of the different comments and statements made on the park's winter-use planning efforts, not something I made up.

Jun 22nd - 01:19am | YNP4everyone

Kurt first I want to let you know that I respect you for your research into your articles but we have different opinions on the subject so we are looking at your article from a different viewpoint.

Jun 21st - 10:37am | Kurt Repanshek

YNP4everyone, curious, but where do I use averages when comparing snowmobiles to prior years? Those are Park Service numbers for entries for 2003-03, 2004-05, and 2005-06, not averages. I also wouldn't say the above numbers story is "slanted at getting rid of snowmobiles." The numbers seem to support daily snowmobile entries at 250 or fewer per day, not an outright ban.

Jun 21st - 10:19am | YNP4everyone

Conversely John this debate is about those that want to shut down Yellowstone in the winter time to people to view the park by two methods of transportation, snowcoach and snowmobile.  Sure Kurt brings up valid points but it is all slanted at getting rid of snowmobiles. No mention that snowcoaches aren't the saint that groups trying to get rid of snowmobiles say they are.

Jun 20th - 11:33am | John

This whole debate is because business owners who rely on park visitors for $$$$ want more and more vistors to Yellowstone they could care less about the impact the visitors have on the park.  These same business people want the federal spending reduced but for some one else not the parks that provide them $$$$.

PEER Still Wondering What Happened to 40,000 Acres of Potential Wilderness in Big Cypress National Preseve

Jun 22nd - 12:06pm | Chris B.

It amazes me that a handful of (folks) who have nothing to do than destroy the earth and pollute the air have so much sway. If they want to carry out such reckless behavior, they should do it on their own, private land. This comment was edited to remove gratuitous language.--Ed.

Cute, Ain't He?

Jun 22nd - 10:23am | David Crowl

Great Picture! I have enjoyed reading about your road trip.

Deep Snow Delaying Opening of Sunrise Area at Mount Rainier National Park

Jun 22nd - 00:08am | Megaera

Holy cow.  I've been living at the foot of Mt. Rainier for eighteen years and I've never seen photos of Sunrise that looked like that this late in the season.  Looks like my annual wildflower pilgrimage had better be postponed till August.

Interior Secretary Extends Temporary Withdrawal of 1 Million Acres Near Grand Canyon National Park From Uranium Mining

Jun 21st - 22:38pm | Lee Dalton

As might be expected, this has set off a furor in southern Utah and along the Arizona strip.  According to Salt Lake newspapers, the militia is ready to march.

Jun 21st - 15:55pm | y_p_w

I think it's one thing for my neighbor to do stuff on his own land if it doesn't affect me. Where I live, neighbors get in serious disputes involving views.

Jun 21st - 15:22pm | Anonymous

While I certainlly support all effforts to protect all land within the borders of this and all other parks, federal, state and local, I find little reason to protect or restrict other land just because it's near a park or in sight of a park. If such protection is needed, the land should be incorporated in the parks' boundaries. Otherwise, we're simply meddling.

Preserving History At Salem Maritime National Historic Site

Jun 21st - 22:31pm | Lee Dalton

Wow.  This is wonderful.  Those lucky young people. Worth the money?  To my simple mind, yes, indeed.

Jun 21st - 12:17pm | Rick B.

We visited there last year when in Boston for a family wedding. It has such an unusual feel for an NPS site, as I come from the Pacific Northwest and am more used to Yellowstone or Rainier or such. That broadened my appreciation for the NPS and the scope of their mission. The rangers I met onboard the ship were very helpful, both interpretive and law enforcement. Well worth a visit.

Jun 20th - 18:16pm | Anonymous

I was just here on vacation! It reminded me a bit of New Bedford's historic site.

Independent Review Calls on National Park Service To Bolster Its Natural Resource Stewardship and Science

Jun 21st - 10:21am | Anonymous

here

Glacier National Park Embarking on Long-term Grizzly Bear Study

Jun 21st - 10:15am | Tony Bynum

When will we have enough data to strop harassing grizzly bears?  We stop along the road to watch them feed and get told by the park service to move along, dont bother the bears, but when it comes time to "management" them the NPS uses darts, traps, slings, tapes, and clipboards . . .  I hope people realize that we know enough to know how to deal with grizzly bears.

With Summer Arriving Tomorrow, Don't Find Yourself In National Park Search-and-Rescue Reports

Jun 21st - 07:14am | Danny Bernstein

Please, If you're hiking in the National Parks, please take a map, water and all the other stuff you need. Know where you're going and stay on maintained trails. Rescues are very expensive. Danny Bernstein www.hikertohiker.com  

Jun 20th - 12:48pm | Random Walker

Scary, was thinking of heading up tomorrow to Hurricane Ridge in our Olympic National Park to do some scrambling around...

National Park Service May Reopen the Statue’s Crown at Statue of Liberty National Monument

Jun 20th - 23:45pm | Anonymous

Mainella sounded like a typical bureaucrat. Why is it that she made no effort to request funding to make the staircase safer? I would have fired her.

Jun 20th - 23:37pm | Anonymous

Mainella sounded like a typical bureaucrat. Why is it that she made no effort to request funding to make the staircase safer? I would have fired her.

Collapse of Snow Bridge Traps Hiker At Sequoia National Park

Jun 20th - 23:44pm | Marcia Rasmussen

I am indeed grateful. Abundant thanks to E.B., the two other hikers who found me, and the Park staff who assisted. Other than superficial frostbite to both hands and one knee--and an assortment of bumps and bruises--I have no lasting injuries. I will be back on the trails again soon. Marcia Rasmussen

Jun 20th - 13:51pm | J.R.

Thank you E.B. for assisting with the rescue of my wife. She is very grateful to all of her rescuers. She is doing ok other than a fair amount of pain from bruises all over her body and a raw knee from frostbite. She was disappointed this weekend that she hadn't healed fast enough to make it on a caving trip where we are assisting with a bug inventory.

Yosemite National Park Officials Instituting Reservation Program Changes To Stop Campsite Scalping

Jun 20th - 22:47pm | y_p_w

Anonymous: Stupid capitalism. It's so unfair that people can make money by selling NPS campsites that they've legally acquired. Only the NPS and its monopoly contractor are allowed to do that.

Jun 20th - 22:20pm | y_p_w

I think it's well understood that there are legitimate reasons why someone might want to be able to transfer the name on a camping reservation that doesn't include reselling. However - the situation has been so out of hand that I'm guessing as many as half the reservation nights in Yosemite Valley during the peak season were initially reserved by those looking to resell.

Jun 20th - 17:46pm | randy

While I support the implementation of these new rules, this will also produce some inequitable results.  For instance, say a group of people are going camping.  The person whom made the reservation has to back out.  The rest of the people cannot go because their name does not appear on the reservation.  That's unfair.  Also, say a group of people are going camping and the person whom made the r

National Park Road Trip 2011: Crater Lake Lodge

Jun 20th - 15:04pm | Anonymous

This series of comments began with a California road trip entering Oregon to visit Oregon Caves National Monument.  Here is an update on the expansion proposal many decades after the fact that special ancient Port Orford-cedars have been cut/logged by the adjacent US Forest Service

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