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NPS Director Jarvis Allows Parks To Ban Disposable Plastic Bottles

Dec 15th - 10:23am | duh

if you were a Superintendent criticizing the NPS on a website do you really think you'd use your real name?

Dec 15th - 09:42am | Bob Janiskee

I have assumed all along that "J Longstreet" is an alias, and that it is also a reference to Confederate General James Longstreet. Longstreet's Assault -- better known (albeit inappropriately) as Pickett's Charge -- was the climactic event of the Battle of Gettysburg. Perhaps "J Longstreet" is a Civil War buff or a person working at a Civil War park? Just a thought.    

Dec 15th - 09:29am | anonymous

Gee, at least I and others on here are truthful about who we are:).  Paranoia (even paranoids are right sometime) is alive and well.

Dec 15th - 09:16am | Anonymous

Hold on, there's no "Longstreet" listed in NPS's online personnel directory. 

Dec 15th - 06:03am | Anonymous

We visited the Grand Canyon and Zion, along with several other parks this summer. We were thrilled to see the water refilling stations. Most people still do not get the need to conserve our natural resources.

Dec 15th - 00:30am | Bruce

My previous post sound naive?  Of course it does.  Sure, I know what else is likely to be going on behind the scenes, such as Coca Cola support for the National Park Foundation perhaps.  However, sometimes I prefer to step back and be just a bit naive when it comes to important issues like the preservation of our National Parks.  Then it becomes easier to get to the heart of the is

Dec 15th - 00:17am | Bruce

I agree with Superintendent Longstreet.  On what possible basis, other than profit, could Coca Cola possibly raise a legitimate issue here?  Please do not tell me that it was concern for public welfare.  For them to even be mentioned in this article as having had a recognized position and an effect on National Park Service policy in this matter is revealing and disgraceful.

Dec 14th - 20:03pm | J Longstreet

I'm increasingly embarrassed by the national leadership of my agency. This policy --which did not go through the normal review channels inside the NPS-- seems to be an attempt to save face, saying "of course we support the environment" but then making it excessively onerous to do so.

Dec 14th - 19:06pm | Danny Bernstein

What is so difficult about bringing your own water bottle? Bring a quart bottle and keep refilling it. Where? In the bathrooms. If you have water in bathrooms, you can keep refilling it. Besides, how many water bottles can you carry? If you forget to bring a reusable bottle, the park visitor center will be happy to sell you one or more? Danny Bernstein

Information Sought In Case of Deer Poached At Monocacy National Battlefield

Dec 15th - 10:03am | anonymous

Didn't see here that just the meat was salvaged or left.  Knowing that it was a 12 point buck would have to mean that the antlers were left.  Can accept this more (but not altogether) than someone taking the antlers and leaving the meat.  Is this action "economy" related?  Hunter/Gatherer gene showing itself?

Reader Participation Day: Which Is Your Favorite "Historical" National Park?

Dec 15th - 08:10am | Perry

I like Jamestown Island. A historic chuch, archeological digs, the original fort outlined, a great visitor center, and a even greater museum. It's a favorite of my children and grandchildren. Hint: Senior - buy your Golden Age Passport and visit all the National Parks without visitor fee.

Reader Participation Day: Is April A Good Time To Mark National Park Week?

Dec 15th - 06:16am | confluence park...

To celebrate National Park Week, which runs from April 16 to 24, we will be highlighting several of those parks, as well as a few of their cousins in other countries. For its part, the National Park Service will mark the same event by waiving admission fees, so now’s the time to visit.

National Park Mystery Spot 32: At the Mouth of a Feeder

Dec 15th - 05:19am | Bob Janiskee

Sorry, the mystery spot is not Bent's Fort.

Dec 14th - 21:22pm | Mellosy

Is it Bent's Fort ?

Dec 14th - 16:57pm | Lee Dalton

Well son of a gun! I usually never win anything.  The only thing I ever won before was a 50 pound bag of dog food and we didn't have a dog.  (But the neighbor's dog enjoyed it.)

Dec 14th - 15:58pm | Bob Janiskee

Lee Dalton had a dawns-the-light moment and came up with the correct answer. Nice going, Lee.

Dec 14th - 15:06pm | Lee Dalton

And in the meantime, I have no idea whatsoever, other than maybe a wild guess that it involves Knife River??????? Whoa!  The Mandan lodges at Knife River?  Circles . . . . Tributary rivers . . . . Hmmmm.

Dec 14th - 14:09pm | Bob Janiskee

Eric Nelson has nailed it. Nice going, Eric.

Dec 14th - 13:16pm | Eric Nelson

I'm going to go with earthlodges at Knife River Indian Villages NHS.

Dec 14th - 12:25pm | Bob Janiskee

RoadRanger has figured it out too.  That makes three.

Dec 14th - 12:13pm | RoadRanger

The mystery spot is the earthlodge at Knife River Indian Villages NHS in North Dakota. Had an interesting long visit there on a beautiful, warm day in late September 2009. Highly recommended stop on the Lewis and Clark Trail.

Dec 14th - 11:08am | Bob Janiskee

RangerLady has also nailed it. That makes two so far.

Dec 14th - 10:48am | RangerLady

Adding to my previous comment (I had to google to find the name of the lodge!) The lodge is the Hidatsa Indian Earthlodge

Dec 14th - 10:09am | Bob Janiskee

Sorry, Anon 10:36; the mystery spot is not in Arches National Park. And anyway, the mystery spot would never be anything as nebulous as "the arches" in a park that has more than 2,000 arches. :o)

Dec 14th - 10:07am | RangerLady

Sakakawea Village site at Knife River Indian Villages NHS. I'm guessing the actual structure is that big lodge behind the visitor center? I did go onto NPS.gov to make sure I spelled things right. The spelling for the village still looks a little odd to me...

Dec 14th - 10:06am | Bob Janiskee

Congratulations to celbert, who was the first to solve today's mystery spot puzzler. Anybody else?

Dec 14th - 09:36am | Anonymous

the arches in arches national park?

Reader Participation Day: Rewrite a National Park Warning Sign

Dec 14th - 23:53pm | y_p_w

Dec 14th - 19:50pm | Pscansetzer

Please, lets not dumb this down,  those who can't read - well should stay at home

Dec 14th - 18:57pm | Danny Bernstein

These are great poems and haikus. I'm going to distribute them around the web, with full attribution, of course. Keep them going. Danny Bernstein www.hikertohiker.com

Dec 14th - 13:51pm | Anonymous

The trail is closed. Lick the granite if you must. The trail is still closed.

Dec 14th - 12:46pm | Random Walker

Yosemite ...

Dec 14th - 11:39am | Ranger Marianne

Human poo must go So take your dumps to the dump Be brave! Do it now. The sign simply said:  RV Dump Station, at the Madison Campground, Yellowstone.

Dec 14th - 11:13am | NatureGirl

"Hunting a species to extinction is not logical" Spock, Star Trek IV I always thought that would be great to ward off hunters. ;) to keep people on trails: Strangers you'll never meet Spent ages to create this trail To keep the Wilderness safe from YOU.

Dec 14th - 09:54am | Canyon fossil

Condors eat your trash This gives them bad tummy-ache Carry it out, Dude.

Dec 14th - 09:50am | Jena

you have entered a place of wonder a natural beauty so fair the time has come for us to warn "Please, dont feed our bears" I dont have a specific sign, but I know in many parks people feeding bears indirectly (ie. leaving a mess at campsites) and sometimes intentionally is a major problem. Hopefully, this catchy rhyme will make them think again.

Congressman Dusts Off 1913 Law In Battle To Get Yosemite National Park's Hetch Hetchy Valley Drained

Dec 14th - 19:43pm | Pscansetzer

I like this - fighting laws with laws.

Dec 14th - 15:48pm | anonymous

Be an interesting fight.  The most liberal area in the country against an element that is greatly influenced by Liberal discourse and activism.  They'll probably join forces and bang on some ranchers or farmers somewhere.  They are evil you know:).

Dec 14th - 15:25pm | Sam Rivers

Sen.

Dec 14th - 13:38pm | anonymous

I just imagined the image of Nancy P. being shamed and had to laugh.   The idea is fine just don't have the tax payers foot the bill.  Any of it.

Dec 14th - 13:17pm | Anonymous

His motives may just be to point out the flaming hypocrisy of San Franciscans who are usually so sanctimonious when it comes to the environment, but if it shames them into advancing the cause of eventually removing the dam and restoring Hetch Hetchy, I'm all for it.

Dec 14th - 10:26am | anonymous

Why consider motives at this point if the end justifies the means.  It is an interesting concept, though :).

Dec 14th - 10:09am | y_p_w

I'm a little bit suspicious of Lungren. He's hardly an environmentalist. He also well known as being a carpetbagger who moved to a part of Sacramento where he thought he might be electable. If anything I think he'd love to "stick it" to San Francisco.

Dec 14th - 09:53am | justinh

I hope Lungren is successful.  I'm glad he has an abiding love for Yosemite (and that the Dry Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant abuts his district).

Dec 14th - 09:52am | anonymous

Anon 8:23: Believe you to be correct, Anon.  Different story when the problem is in their own nest (SF). Always a difficult decision and much harder than attacking someone else's business.  Not a good moneymaker either (It is about the money).

Dec 14th - 09:23am | Anonymous

You know that this administration is not going to sue San Francisco for violating the Raker Act.  The Sierra Club or some other environmental activist organization should, but they won't because they are on the same side of the political fence. 

Dec 14th - 08:45am | anonymous

Good that someone's noticing (usual roles).

Dec 14th - 08:39am | Lee Dalton

This sounds like a reversal of the usual roles of those for or against national parks. Verrrrrry interesting indeed.

Biologists Studying Cascade Fox At Mount Rainier National Park

Dec 14th - 10:15am | tahoma

Doesn't "a study...to determine just how damaging this behavior is to the foxes" have bias built in from the start? This roadside begging has obvious short-term advantages for the foxes, despite their being run over occasionally. And what about the 'damage' foxes have done to other species?  

Obama Administration Proposing Worrisome Change In Endangered Species Act

Dec 14th - 09:28am | justinh

MRC,

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