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Piping Plover Production Up At Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Jan 8th - 09:45am | Dave

You are right about the animals, sadly it happens everyday at the Cape Hatteras National Recreational Seashore. However, within the next few months the killings will really pick. So will the non-science buffers and zero access to historic places like Cape Point. Don't ever think it's just a ORV issue....it means for CLOSED EVERYONE PERIOD!

Jan 8th - 08:44am | Jeff Johnston

Kurt, you're obviously an intelligent guy. It must be difficult to be in your position and have to spread this propaganda. These posts are dead on...no pun intended. Even the NPS has documented over 1400 animal "kills" to protect what, 8 pairs of birds, who are nesting out of their range anyway. And the human cost because of it is outrageous.

Interior Secretary Sets Aside 17 Fee-Free Days Across the National Park System

Jan 8th - 00:10am | Megaera

I have to agree with sabattis and anonymousD. The parks need the revenue. And with that in mind, something needs to be done to get fees for the Great Smoky Mountains. It's been free 365 days a year for far too long, and it's a drag on the rest of the park system.

Jan 6th - 09:13am | AnonymousD

I agree with the point made by Sabattis and would like to take it a bit further. This is, let's face it, marketing of a sort, in the face of an ongoing economic downturn. But we need to keep the revenue stream at the parks, since Congress underfunds them, and maybe the way to do that is to entice more people to visit. And entice them in completely new ways.

Jan 6th - 06:09am | Sabattis

I do wonder, though, how this lost revenue for the Parks will be made up - since the Parks get to keep those entrance fees, doesn't waiving the entrance fees mean less money for the Parks?

111th Congress Did Well When it Comes to National Park Wilderness, But It Could Have Done Better

Jan 7th - 17:34pm | Anonymous

Actually Craters of the Moon has had designated wilderness since 1970 - it was one of the first wilderness areas administered by the NPS. http://www.nps.gov/archive/crmo/wildpurpose.htm

Jan 7th - 17:22pm | y_p_w

Kurt Repanshek: Has the senator's rider fundamentally changed things? It doesn't direct the Interior Department to extend the lease, but only gives it the authority to do so.

Jan 7th - 16:40pm | Kurt Repanshek

Has the senator's rider fundamentally changed things? It doesn't direct the Interior Department to extend the lease, but only gives it the authority to do so.

Jan 7th - 15:43pm | y_p_w

Kurt Repanshek: y_p_w, I cut-and-pasted the docs in their entirety, and linked back to them, to avoid charges that I selectively edited them.

Jan 7th - 13:30pm | Kurt Repanshek

y_p_w, I cut-and-pasted the docs in their entirety, and linked back to them, to avoid charges that I selectively edited them. As to whether there was a renewal clause out there, that seems pointless in light of the Solicitor's Office position that any violation of the conditional use provisions allows the Park Service to sever the contract before it runs its course.

Jan 7th - 13:06pm | y_p_w

I would note that the 1972 RUO with Johnson's did include a renewal clause which either wasn't mentioned in the docs you cite or that could have been edited by Kurt. Whether that would have been overridden by the 1976 Point Reyes Wilderness Act is subject to debate, although some Interior Dept opinions are that it is. In any case, Sen Feinstein's legislation changes everything.

Jan 7th - 09:38am | Kurt Repanshek

Sarah,

Jan 7th - 07:05am | Sarah Rolph

Kurt, the record shows that Congress expected the oyster farm would continue as a pre-existing non conforming use within wilderness. I am certainly not the only one who holds this opinion. This fact is found in the congressional record, and was provided to you by Jeffrey Creque.

American Indians in the Civil War? Petersburg National Battlefield is Part of the Story

Jan 7th - 17:11pm | Artfd

There is no one document that gives adequate coverage to Co. K, 1st Michigan Sharpshooters. I have created a QuickTopic page to put links I have found most useful, here: http://www.quicktopic.com/45/H/kWBSkXrMZycKa Anyone who subscribes to it will be notified by email of new postings.

Jan 7th - 10:15am | jlkitch

My Great, Great Grandfather (of Cherokee & Shawnee descent) fought in Lee's army for the duration of the Civil War. The story is that he was no great fan of the US probably due to the family's forced removal to Indian Territory in the 1830s. I don't know whether he was born in what is now Oklahoma or was born after they returned to Georgia.

Jan 7th - 08:10am | Karen

Good day. Thank you for the article. I am a genealogist and it has been shared with me that I have American Indians that served in the Civil War (on both sides). I am still searching for them and the article has been informative in my research strategy. Thank you for sharing!

Jan 7th - 08:05am | Karen

Good morning, This is a great article. I am a genealogist and have been told that my American Indian Ancestors served in the Civil War (on both sides). The information was most informative. Thank you!

What Are The Top Issues Confronting The National Park System?

Jan 7th - 14:25pm | Grizz

Anti-federal government rhetoric is higher than I can recall. It ramped up starting when Reagan declared that the federal government is the problem. Current rhetoric from the tea party types is that the federal government can't do ANYTHING right. Joe Miller, the tea party candidate from Alaska thought Denali should go to the state.

Jan 7th - 09:20am | Chief Ranger

From the inside looking out I'd say recruitment is a significant problem, we recruit for the wrong reasons and then scratch our heads and wonder why we have a retention problem. 2-3 year funding authorities would save the NPS billions.

Jan 6th - 19:55pm | Ron Saunders

Not sure I follow that, Grizz.

Jan 6th - 17:45pm | Grizz

Over the years park attendance has been increasing. A large part of that has been possible because the number of people in the middle class was also increasing, including an increase of minorities in the middle class. But the trend now is for a massive movement of wealth toward the rich, corporations moving more and more jobs overseas.

Jan 6th - 17:34pm | Ron Saunders

Strange isn't it, when you are not personally responsible for repaying, sure makes it easier to spend. Our Government has been notorious for unnecessary spending. They study things to death, review it when its dead, hire consultants to investigate why it died, have overlapping agencies, Assistants to assistants who then have assistants, You know where I'm going with this.

Jan 6th - 14:45pm | George Orwell

No comment but Tim Geitner just announced that $14 Trillion in DEBT isn't enough.

Jan 6th - 13:37pm | Bman

Bureaucratic and regulatory overload that has lead to inertia. Even the simplest things seem to be in the too hard to do category. Leaders, decision-makers and managers that are far too risk averse and afraid to make even the simplest decision without having consensus. Too much CYA.

Jan 6th - 12:23pm | George Orwell

Just hire the best and allow those that got the positions realize they got it because of their own achievement and not diversity quotas. There's much evidence that opportunity is available for everyone given that one realizes that it's not a right but determined by their own efforts. That's a cultivation method I could embrace.

Jan 6th - 11:37am | Kurt Repanshek

Another Ranger and George, the reference to diversity in the workforce was not to imply rules or standards should be weakened in hiring, but rather that the NPS somehow find a way to cultivate a more diverse pool of qualified candidates system-wide in all fields within the NPS.

Jan 6th - 11:26am | George Orwell

I liked your comments, Another Ranger! You represent the thoughts of a broad swath of the middle ground that voted in November. It's so logical and fresh....it's threatening to many that embrace and have prospered in the disfunction :). Rock On, Rangers!

Jan 6th - 11:13am | Matt Stubbs

Why is there a need for more rangers with enviros wanting to restrict national park access to the non-handicapped, in perfect shape, adult only environment.

Jan 6th - 10:07am | Another Ranger

"* Employee recruitment. Surveys have shown that NPS staffing, overall, is tilted toward white males. If visitor diversity efforts are to succeed, it would seem that diversity in staffing is important, too."

Jan 6th - 09:43am | George Orwell

Barky has a great idea! "I so wish the entire NPS could be turned over to a public trust away from the federal government." I suggest not stopping at just the NPS turning away from the Federal Government. The implications are euphoric :):) !

Jan 6th - 09:12am | Lee Dalton

Wow, Barky (Submitted by Barky on January 5, 2011 - 6:17pm. ), you sure hit one on the head there! Although I have more confidence in NPS as now constituted, maybe your idea,

Jan 5th - 19:58pm | Anonymous

Employee morale. Lack of funding.

Jan 5th - 19:51pm | John Tymochko

Tear out every single paved road.

Jan 5th - 19:17pm | Barky

I see the biggest threat to be indifference. We have our new Congressional overlords, hell-bent on ruining the government, both in terms of perception ("the government can't do anything worthwhile") and literally through defunding darn near everything the government does (except prisons, the TSA, and war, it would seem).

Jan 5th - 18:02pm | Ron Saunders

"Anyway, this thread should be about how to make the parks better."

Jan 5th - 16:52pm | Tom Vaughan

"Untold stories" is the one that rings my bell, partly because it is so true and partly because it is potentially so easy to answer. Every park, and I mean EVERY park, has many stories to tell.

Snow-capped Mountains Offer a Different Look at Death Valley National Park

Jan 7th - 12:51pm | George Orwell

There are photos of snow at Furnace Creek during the same period. I'll try and post one.

Snowcoach Traffic Up, Snowmobiles Down, As Yellowstone National Park's Winter Season Gets Under Way

Jan 7th - 06:18am | YNP4everyone

I'm glad people are getting out to see Yellowstone. While your comment about snowcoach versus snowmobile costs to see the park may be true per person, the Yellowstone Vacations website shows it to be cheaper for a couple to ride double on a snowmobile to see the park.

Traveler's Checklist: Doughton Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Jan 6th - 21:06pm | BChuck

Great info - I've got to get in better shape - at 51 yrs old, this cabin has fasinated me since the first time I saw it in 1975 (during a 375 mile bike ride on the BRP at age 17). I was planning on a June trek - is that a good time of year? Wanted to avoid too many bugs, and too many chances of falling in a stream. Thanks.

National Park Quiz 90: Cold

Jan 6th - 16:57pm | Lee Dalton

Well, even without a heart, he, she, or it does produce some fun stuff. I always thought I was pretty well informed on park issues and trivia and everything else, but some of your quizzes and other challenges keep proving me wrong. So that had something to do with my being so touchy. On the other hand, I keep learning new things. I guess maybe even I'm not too old.

Jan 6th - 12:23pm | Bob Janiskee

Gosh, Lee. Your story has touched my heart. Whoops; I forgot. The quizmeister does not have a heart.

Jan 6th - 09:04am | Lee Dalton

I'm gonna cry FOUL! I would have had 12 correct except the question specified a "national park" so I dismissed Colorado NATIONAL MONUMENT from my thinking. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Jan 5th - 16:42pm | Bob Janiskee

Arizona's Agua Fria National Monument is an interesting site, for sure, but it's not in the National Park System. It's a Bureau of Land Management Property.

Jan 5th - 16:35pm | les taylor

Technically, yes. But Agua Fria National Monument in Arizona, translated means "cold water." Si?

Reader Participation Day: What is the Greatest Threat To Our National Parks?

Jan 6th - 15:30pm | lyndel meikle

Greetings Kurt I've been reading the comments about the greatest threat and although there have been many valid concerns brought up, each tends to exclude another. Since I'm in the NPS, I'd like to address this as a greatest challenge. Perhaps it is to hold on to who we are. That means making our Organic Act an organic part of ourselves. "Preserve, protect, provide."

Political Lineup For House Natural Resources Committee Sure to Produce Fireworks Over Public Lands

Jan 6th - 09:16am | George Orwell

I do appreciate the thoughtful arguments that National Traveler has facilitated!

Jan 5th - 19:18pm | George Orwell

There was definitely a middle that showed up at the Mid-terms last November. Some would like to paint them as not the middle but I believe they are and they are deservedly pissed. Even John Kennedy Democrats would be considered far right compared to the those that have been in power. :)

Some Special "Sounds of the Season"—Hear the Songs of Humpback Whales Online

Jan 6th - 08:23am | Trilogy Whale W...

Adding to Skott's list: entanglement Education is a large part of what the sanctuary is trying to accomplish.

Medals Stolen From San Juan National Historic Site 18 Years Ago Found Buried at the Park

Jan 5th - 22:39pm | T Lopez

Great story! I think the medals found their own way back. They are not "about" history, they ARE history.

$1,000 Reward Offered In Connection With Crushed Loggerhead Sea Turtle at Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Jan 5th - 18:20pm | Dario

I hope they will find (those responsible) and (they will be) punished for this... This comment was edited.--Ed.

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