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Several "Firsts" in the Civil War Occurred at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina

Feb 14th - 17:36pm | Bobby Edwards

My ancestor, Lacy Edwards with Co K of the 17th North Carolina was detached to an assignment of Co A and K of the 17th North Carolina on Ocracoke Island, with the other Companies being at Fort Hatteras and Fort Lamb.

Federal Judge Refuses To Block Yellowstone National Park Bison From Being Slaughtered

Feb 14th - 17:28pm | Spirit Coyote

The judge held that "bison should not be allowed to '"reproduce prolifically beyond the capacity of its range.'" Wow, I didn't realize that the Great Plains (or for that matter, the old bison range that included almost all of North America) could only sustain 3,000 wild buffalo. Oh well, I guess only hippies believe that there might be some value to a functioning ecosystem.

Traveler's View: The National Park Service Failed Its Mission With Plan For Addition Lands at Big Cypress National Preserve

Feb 14th - 16:58pm | Ryan

Eric, who's traditional use and and what traditional cultures are you referring to?

Feb 14th - 16:02pm | Christi M

Frank, I was just in Big Cypress in November and damage from the ORV's was shameful. It was shocking to see our national lands being ripped up by boys (and girls) playing with their toys. It was also dangerous as MANY vehicles with ORV trailers were simply parked on the side of the road as the parking lots were full! Kurt's article is spot-on, the truth is hard to face.

Feb 14th - 15:59pm | Eric Kimmel

The writer of this article is in need of a history lesson of the Preserve, or a least write his own article. This article was very repetitive of the same misinformation that has been spread for a good number of years. The paragraph below for example is completely false even before the designated trail system we had access to less than .o5% of the preserve. Now we have even less.

Feb 14th - 14:28pm | MikeD

You're right I missed it. Maybe my eyes look for something with the word opinion in it, but definitely that makes it clear, my mistake. Maybe the other poster missed it too.

Feb 14th - 13:58pm | Kurt Repanshek

Mike, I think the headline specifies the op-ed nature, ie. "Traveler's View."

Feb 14th - 13:55pm | MikeD

All I think you should do is add the words "Op-Ed" to the title of the article. In fact you should do more op eds. But I think it would be reasonable to add it to the title to distinguish it from articles that are not opinion.

Feb 14th - 13:10pm | Frank Denninger

Kurt I am somewhat disappointed in your above article. Having spoken with you on the phone quite a while ago and read many of your articles here I got the impression you were an honest and reasonably balanced reporter of issues.

Updated: National Park Service Budget Would Grow by $138 Million Under President's FY12 Proposal

Feb 14th - 15:46pm | Lonely in Botown:)

Yes, it's a parallel universe that this bunch lives in. Maybe that funding should be considered a loan and be paid back, LOL! Could the end be near if this budget were to be passed? Or, is it just an effort to hold their base support knowing it can't realistically/morally be passed? Somewhere between delusional and criminal or, just the biggest/damaging con in history.

Public Comments Run Against Extension of Oyster Company Lease at Point Reyes National Seashore

Feb 14th - 11:50am | Anonymous

Yes, it would be better to acknowledge if one was a PR Specialist in this case. How many PR Specialists are on the NPS payroll? I'd guess just the officially designated salaried Public Relations Specialists that NPS has on staff number in the many hundreds then add on all those associated employees that further the message, has to be in the MANY thousands.

Feb 14th - 11:39am | Anonymous

So WHAT is the message that is being sent across the country with the MANY examples of slanted or absent factual informations put out by NPS. It really IS an epidemic everywhere you look (NPS is but one example here). Those people and their aquaculture are the ones grounded here and you'll know it by visiting with them, coming away the better for it, really.

Feb 14th - 11:25am | Anonymous

Could this be yet another jobs killing action that always seems to be aimed at the private sector? Those that live and work in concrete jungles pointing fingers at people who live and work out in it. Thought we're in a national effort to create, sustain and in the words of President Obama,"Jobs Saved." How does any of this, the way it's going, help the country ?

Feb 14th - 11:20am | y_p_w

Kurt Repanshek: Now, as far as obligations, perhaps you should identify yourself as a PR consultant? As such, you have an obligation to say whether you're being paid by the oyster company to search the Internet for stories on Drakes Bay, or whether you're doing it pro bono.

Feb 14th - 11:16am | y_p_w

Didn't the least (actually a reservation of use I think) clearly have a renewal clause in it? That's been a subject of contention as to whether subsequent law would allow it, but it was definitely there in 1972. I'd just point out that I have no financial or other considerations other than being a fan/customer of DBOC and a semi-frequent Point Reyes visitor.

Feb 14th - 11:06am | Kurt Repanshek

Sarah, I admire your moxie, but I respectfully disagree with your points. * As you note, without Sen. Feinstein's amendment, the NPS would not be doing an EIS on this issue. Indeed, as the solicitor's opinion notes, the NPS was within its rights to simply close the door on the oyster operation in November 2012.

Feb 14th - 10:37am | Sarah Rolph

This is a terribly dishonest post. It is not true that the oyster farm is or was slated to be removed when its lease expires in 2012. The lease is renewable.

Feb 14th - 06:09am | Al Sunseri

I'm from New Orleans, Louisiana and own the oldest continually operating oyster company in America. My mother and a number of Aunts, Uncles, and cousins are from there and live there. So my comments are made for the love of the State of California and the citizens who utilize Drakes Estero.

Budgeting Woes Likely To Hit The National Park Service

Feb 14th - 11:19am | Anonymous

MORE PARKS (for the masses), LESS PORK (for the hyper-rich and the military-industrial complex). May as well put in my partisan two cents.

Feb 13th - 23:11pm | Anonymous

Just a short mention of the John F. Kennedy tax cuts and the Ronald Reagun tax cuts. It would appear that they had much more in common ( real stimulus for one) with resultant success with the economy and on the World stage. Just something noteworthy, I thought.

Feb 13th - 21:07pm | Anonymous

There is a lot of "fat" in the NPS budget and it is time to get rid of it. Back to basices and focues on the mission of "Service" in Park Units. Also, time to get rid of some of the junk Congress has given us over that last 30 yrs. We need a "Park Closing Commisison" to rid the US tax payers for runing what at best are State Parks.

Feb 13th - 12:30pm | Anonymous

Yes, I am certain now that the Federal Government is the most efficient, cost effective, completely devoid of fraud or ill-intent and knows supremely what is best for us. There is so much evidence out there that supports this minority movement.

Feb 13th - 10:35am | Anonymous

Even the sharpest reduction of Federal spending will make little difference overall -- the only thing DC could have done toward realistically reducing the deficit was to rescind the Bush tax cuts for the very wealthy. And they didn't do that. So we're stuck with this Kabuki theater of cutting back Federal programs in a pretense that it will make a difference. It will not.

Feb 13th - 09:59am | Anonymous

Fun game - Guess which Republican will be the first one to say the President's budget is "dead on arrival."

Hard Choices Ahead: Are New NPS Areas Compatible with Calls for a Balanced Budget?

Feb 14th - 10:19am | Anonymous

Until the military, social security and Medicare are part of the discussion there will never be a balanced budget. And a balanced budget requirement has no place in the constitution. (The same people who favor such a mandate will fuss the most when it is implemented, I suspect.)

Raffle of Some Of Montana's Best Photography Will Benefit Glacier National Park, Waterton Lakes National Park

Feb 14th - 09:52am | Tony Bynum

Thank you Kurt for posting this wonderful event. I've had the pleasure of presenting here in the past and the people are wonderful. The images will surprise even the most traveled among us. I hope that people attend, it's a lot of fun and a great place to meet new people and mingle with some Montana's best photographers.

How to Survive a Fall Through the Ice – Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Offers Timely Training

Feb 13th - 18:45pm | Rich T

This IS a great thing they're doing, in many ways! Having been in a boat rollover in Alaska and the frigid waters to have that seed planted as to what to do and not completely freak is critical. I was amazed in the change in me having made the correct decisions or fixations really becoming a machine for survival when my brain was telling me to "hey, this is kinda nice!"

House Natural Resources Committee Plans Keen Oversight of National Park Service, Other Land-Management Agencies

Feb 13th - 13:06pm | Keeper

I thought I'd pick up the ball from Anonymous.

Feb 12th - 10:15am | Kurt Repanshek

Anonymous, if you're going to go down that road, I think you need to present some examples. Where is access growing less? You want a deeply transformational opportunity? Climb the Grand Teton, float the Colorado through the Grand Canyon, visit one of the national parks in Alaska...or one in the Rockies or the high Sierra. The list goes on and on.

Feb 12th - 09:39am | Anonymous

Freedom to access the land? The path seems to be less access and fewer deeply transformational opportunities. Just look but don't get to close. Educating those that want to enter (ongoing) but don't take the attitude (some do) that the masses are inherently bad. Opportunity for the learning curve to take place is very good. Today's public need that more than ever.

Feb 11th - 21:50pm | Anonymous

Okay, justinh, you pay the Chinese for your gate fees at the Park, LOL, not really funny, really!

Feb 11th - 17:08pm | justinh

Hey Anon @ 5:27am, I'm a member of the public AND a happy co-owner of Alaska's national parks and wilderness areas. I'm glad that the NPS is preserving my freedom to access the land I already co-own.

Feb 11th - 06:27am | Anonymous

http://naturalresources.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Ray_Kreig_testimony_3.31...

Believe it or Not, Yosemite National Park Once had a Zoo

Feb 12th - 18:25pm | Steve Brown

Jay Bruce was my grandfather. I would appreciate if you would contact me. Was Will your grandfather?

Reader Participation Day: Are You Heading To A New Park This Year? Which One, And Why?

Feb 11th - 17:20pm | justinh

Congaree (hope there's decent paddling in mid-April) Shenandoah Great Basin Lassen Volcanic (hope there's only a little snow in early July) Crater Lake (thanks for the recent article) Redwood

Feb 11th - 17:12pm | Kurt Repanshek

Your timing couldn't be much better, Janet, as Saguaro's vegetation should be in full bloom. You can find a shot from last April at this page.

Feb 11th - 17:07pm | JanetinNoKy

I am heading to Southern Arizona in late April to see some Saguaro cactus at Saguaro National Park! I've always wanted to see them and now I'm getting the chance. I plan to try to see Organ Pipe Cactus NM and a few other sites in that area.

Feb 11th - 10:06am | Laurel

I'm planning a spring visit to Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. Since moving to the Four Corners, I've explored a lot of the Ancestral Puebloan and southwest parks. Now I'm looking forward to some shifting sands, as opposed to all this sandstone.

Feb 11th - 08:58am | Anonymous

We're taking a spring break trip to the Everglades and looking forward to warmer weather! We're driving and hope to have time to visit other NPS sites along the way.

By the Numbers: Carlsbad Caverns National Park

Feb 11th - 17:03pm | JanetinNoKy

I have to comment on the 'best' bat flight being in July and August .... I was there and went to the evening bat program in October and found it amazing! I am someone who had an admitted prejudice against bats PRIOR to the program and following the program I am transformed. I now recognize bats at home when I see them and tell anyone who'll listen what great neighbors bats are.

Feb 11th - 11:00am | K Norwood

And we, in southeastern New Mexico are very proud of "our" Caverns! Thank you for the great article! Everytime we go to the Caverns we see something new because there is NO WAY you can really see it all in one trip. And don't forget the surrounding area! The Guads are gorgeous and so much area to explore, then on the north side of Carlsbad is the Living Desert...another beautiful area.

Half Dome Permits Available For Reservation Beginning March 1

Feb 11th - 16:58pm | y_p_w

I understand where you're coming from, but I think 95% might be an overstatement. When I did it, it was part of my backpacking trip. I talked to people on a Thursday, and there were quite a few backpackers although easily more day hikers. I went with a family camping near my backcountry site. They asked for my help because their camera battery just died and they didn't have a spare.

Feb 11th - 15:51pm | R Stefancik

I would venture 95% or more of the folks who went up with me on a Thursday in August of 2004 were day hikers like myself. Backpacking is not an option for me unless I go by myself. Mark my words, the casual day hiker who is in the park 2-5 days is the usual person making the trip up to Half Dome. They are either staying in the valley or in a motel just outside of the valley.

Feb 11th - 12:14pm | y_p_w

For R Stefancik - there are alternatives. One could go as part of a backpacking trip. My understanding is that the "100 per day" quota for wilderness permit holders isn't a hard and fast number. What I've heard from people who asked about it is that 100 is just an average number, and the NPS doesn't actually hold a strict quota if you're already on a backpacking trip.

Feb 11th - 11:46am | R Stefancik

I think this has the potential to cause more harm than good. Why? In my own case, I planned on going on a given day, but postponed my trek one day because there was a 20% chance of thunderstorms, and the chance of storms was essentially zero the next day. We all know that in July and August, thunderstorms are a potential threat almost every afternoon.

Traveler's Checklist: Crater Lake National Park

Feb 11th - 16:28pm | Kurt Repanshek

Why, Mari, the Traveler is a national publication. We reach more than 1 million readers a year in more than 160 countries! Help us expand our reach by sharing the link with your friends or emailing the story directly to them.

Feb 11th - 16:04pm | Mari Gath

Mr. Hoffman, great article-even better than the Forbes one last year: http://www.forbes.com/2010/12/08/inspirational-vacation-places-lifestyle... Be great if you could submit it to a national publication or the Discover Channel.

A Short History of the Flat Hat's "Lemon Squeezer" Pinch

Feb 11th - 14:42pm | Anonymous

Too bad the hats aren't waterproof.

Alaska's U.S. Senators Want To Run Natural Gas Pipeline Through Denali National Park

Feb 11th - 12:00pm | Anonymous

Re: Randy Maybe you should read and comment on one submitted just a few before your own. Might explain why motivations are such to want to "break done the Parks," your words. Take a look. It was submitted a little after 5am this morning. /2011/01/house-natural-resources-committee-plans-keen-oversight-national-park-service-other-land-management-a7528

Feb 11th - 11:01am | Randy

The National Parks are a protected national asset. There are people all over the country that are just waitng for a precedent to break done the Parks. Don't give them the opportunity to destroy the people's parks.

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