| Page 1045 | National Parks Traveler

Look around and see what not considering economics has brought us to the brink of. Many cases seem like an example of getting a loan to go to the Candy Store. Ah, to live in the Environment Bubble. In the 60's I dreamed of such a bubble but have since embraced reality after some hard lessons. How glorious it would be to stay in the womb. Some politicians have discovered that angle.

Nov 9th - 08:14am | ecbuck

Ecominics should always be a consideration. And I said "a" not "the". But if the economics are so favorable to the local economy, then it would behoove the "locals" to create the park like environment. The Park Service's (federal) resources shouldn't be used just to help a local group.

October Visitation To Yellowstone National Park Was Good, But Not Record-Setting

Nov 9th - 22:19pm | Anonymous

This begs the question--is "record setting" monthly attendance a good thing??

National Park Mystery Photo 38: Not an Ordinary Donkey

Nov 9th - 16:53pm | Kurt Repanshek

Hmmm, an interesting guess ed-123, but wrong.;-)

Nov 9th - 16:47pm | ed-123

This appears to be coral, so i'm guessing Virgin Islands National Park

Nov 9th - 11:34am | RangerLady

I decided to do a Google image search to see if I could find this. I typed in "Donkey" and "National Park" and up came a picture of Jon Jarvis. I don't think I like google now...lol

Nov 9th - 11:08am | Anonymous

I also connected the Donkey image to the Grand Canyon in particular and possibly someplace in the SW. Brighty is long gone (sad way Brighty went) but the connection for many with Donkeys/Mules and Grand Canyon NP is alive even with the elimination of the Donkeys and reduced opportunities for visitors to experience the Mule Ride into the Canyon.

Nov 9th - 10:23am | Kurt Repanshek

Good thinking, Ranger Lady, but, unfortunately, incorrect...

Nov 9th - 10:20am | RangerLady

The only thing I can think of is Brighty of the Grand Canyon, but I don't remember seeing that anywhere and it certainly doesn't look like the statue at the North Rim.

Hunter, Thinking He Was In National Forest, Kills Bison Inside Grand Teton National Park

Nov 9th - 16:23pm | y_p_w

I'm pretty sure that hunters like hunting near protected areas because the animals can be really good specimens when they spend most of their time in those areas. It seems like one heck of a risk though, given that it's too easy to lose track of where the boundary line is.

Creature Feature: The Desert Tarantula Looks Big, Hairy, and Scary

Nov 9th - 10:23am | Bob Janiskee

The tarantula described in this article is the desert tarantula (Aphonopelma chalcodes).

Nov 9th - 10:05am | Anonymous

Tarantulas live all over the united states, not just desert.

Four Men Given Jail Time For Digging Up Gingseng In Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Nov 9th - 09:13am | y_p_w

Daivd: Ginseng isn't endangered. It's grown all over the world. Depends on the species. Wild ginseng fetches a premium price, and often they're getting scarce. One species in China is listed as an endangered species.

Nov 9th - 04:38am | dave

I remember seeing it when I was a kid. In the fall? With its red berry pods. I wonder how much logging affects it? Everybody seems to log around here as soon as the trees are the minimum size.

Nov 8th - 20:39pm | Daivd

Ginseng isn't endangered. It's grown all over the world.

Nov 8th - 16:43pm | Anonymous

Ginseng is the Appalachians’ most valuable legal crop, with the best profit potential. It could make forests profitable while owners wait for high-value timber to grow, but theft makes farming it impossible. The Appalachians are a poverty area because people can’t trust their neighbors to respect personal property and honest labor.

Study Points To Great Economic Beneft Of Arches, Canyonlands National Parks and Surrounding Recreational Lands

Nov 8th - 21:37pm | Wulverine

We did our part this summer. We were in Moab for 3 nights (Gonzo Hotel) and went to Canyonlands and Arches, a winery, Dead Horse Point State Park, Castle Rock, Big Bend Recreational Area, and had multiple dinners. I would say we contributed $750 to the local economy. Well worth it.

Nov 8th - 08:07am | Lee Dalton

I'll email this article to Bishop's office. Might even print it off and take it to them personally. Thank you, Kurt.

Nov 8th - 05:41am | Danny Bernstein

What incredible scenery!! It's so otherworldly. That's where we're going next summer. Danny Bernstein www.hikertohiker.com

Nov 8th - 05:20am | Utah's Second

Unfortunately Representative Bishop is an embarassment to the entire state and his stupidity knows no district boundaries.

Chair Of House Subcommittee On National Parks Calls Parks, Other Federal Lands Unconstitutional

Nov 8th - 19:14pm | d-2

We should be blunt about Bishop and his kind that are flooding the cable networks and beginning to elect their clones to congress. Bishop fundamentally opposes the constitution of the United States.

Nov 8th - 17:03pm | Anonymous

If the pendulum would just stop in the middle there wouldn't be a problem. Make all of us in the middle pretty happy as uneducated and as incapable of making smart decisions as we may be.

Nov 8th - 16:12pm | John

Having Rob Bishop as chair of the House subcommittee that oversees national parks and other federal lands is like having the fox as chair of the chicken house. J.

Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park Joins National Park System

Nov 8th - 18:41pm | Jim Pepper

There are several important questions raised by commentors here.

Nov 8th - 15:22pm | Anonymous

I agree with the above comments. But, as I've opined before, it is Congress that makes the final decision after a special resource or new area study. All too often Congress chooses to add a new park of lesser quality while rejecting areas receiving highly positive recommendations from the Park Service.

Nov 8th - 11:58am | Anonymous

Think Rick B has it right in what he posted. I go farther. Just political words of the moment. Deceptive symbolism more than likely but the ends justify the means for many.

Nov 8th - 11:15am | Rick B.

I think the mention of jobs is purely a topical part of the contemporary rhetoric of the moment of the announcement, rather than of the logic or process of how they got there.

Nov 8th - 09:50am | RangerLady

My concern is where the NPS is going to get the money to staff these new places. The 395 sites that we had before were already severely understaffed and most of the staff are underpaid and are quite often put on furlough or even reduced hours due to lack of money in the budget. Where did the NPS find the money for this?

Nov 8th - 08:28am | Kurt Repanshek

You raise a valid point, Chris. The emphasis on jobs would seem to indicate these two parks were created more for their economic contributions than their historical contributions. That's not to say they are unworthy additions, although the past studies on Paterson would seem to indicate its addition to the system was not crucial.

Nov 7th - 19:13pm | Chris

Did anything change from 2007, when the NPS said this should not be made into a national park site? See this NPT article.

Science Takes A Hit In President Obama's 2012 Budget

Nov 8th - 18:23pm | tomp2

I have my issues with what USGS decided to defund in their reorganization, but NBII is a bit old as an information portal. DOI is not getting rid of public access to biological data, but reorganizing and consolidating the access. Everything currently available via NBII will still be available, although based on what USGS did with their geospatial clearinghouse, it may be harder to grab, at le

Nov 8th - 10:22am | Lee Dalton

No, Dottie, you have a very valid point. But I'll bet if we do some digging, we'll find some Congresscritter behind these two new NPS areas (Great Falls, Paterson, NJ, in addition to the fort) who is just bringing home the pork for his constituents.

Nov 8th - 04:28am | Alcachofa

I love outdoor activities like camping, hiking, mountain biking, bouldering etc...I would hate to see all my favorite parks go down.

Hiking the Appalachian National Scenic Trail: It Takes More Heart than Heel

Nov 8th - 15:33pm | Leanna Joyner

I shared this article with friends of mine who are hoping to hike the A.T. in the next few years. It's relevant for any hike, anywhere.

Nov 8th - 13:42pm | Holly Scott

Those hiking through the Smokies can thank the ATC and the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club's Appalachian Trail Maintainers for their volunter labor (of love) to remodel all of the backcountry hiking shelters along the A.T.

Nov 8th - 00:42am | y_p_w

I only mention former Governor Sanford because in one fell swoop he placed the Appalachian Trail a larger American and perhaps international consciousness, and turned "Hiking the Appalachian Trail" into a euphemism. For good or bad, I would think the majority of Americans who have heard of the Appalachian Trail have heard of it because of Mark Sanford.

As A Federal Agent, Carter Niemeyer Killed Wolves For A Living

Nov 8th - 09:50am | Anonymous

"Life is unfair. And it's not fair that life is unfair." --Edward Abbey Thank you too, Todd for a well researched Wolf-Killer story; now, it's time to tell the story of naturalist Adolph Murie who researched the ecological role of wolves in Alaska including Denali National Park while he was greatly

Tourmobile Company Closes Shop After Four Decades of Operation in the Nation's Capital

Nov 8th - 07:54am | Dottie

Who owns the buses? It would be interesting to see the criteria in the Bid, but even more interesting, will be seeing who wins the award. I do hope the Traveler keeps us posted on this.

Nov 8th - 05:43am | Danny Bernstein

Thanks for this story, Jim. What a shame. The tourmobile was such a great boom to millions of weary feet. Danny Bernstein www.hikertohiker.com

Congressman Pushing Legislation To Require National Park Gift Shops To Carry "Made In America" Items

Nov 7th - 21:11pm | Rick B.

Thanks, Tom. That provides a bit of real-world context to it, above the good idea/bad idea arguments.

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