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Holiday Showdown With Republicans? Will President Obama Move to Protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from Drilling?

Nov 23rd - 13:30pm | Concerned Taxpayer

ANWR should be open for drilling as we need the oil and the jobs this would create. Oil from Alaska does not cost any more to transport than oil from Mexico or Canada as stated above. Oil is not like steers where you can identify which steer is yours by the brand. Once in the pipeline, oil becomes a commodity and is sold to consumers along the line.

Nov 23rd - 12:50pm | y_p_w

I don't know about "dependence" on foreign imports pe se. It costs more to transport oil and finished petroleum products to the US mainland from Alaska than it would to Asian markets. Oil is also a fungible commodity where prices are based on overall world supply/demand, and it makes sense to buy from the closest sources if you need to import.

Nov 23rd - 10:34am | Anonymous

Kudos to Sen. Begich for using common sense. The frozen tundra that is the coastal plain has probably never been seen by the 25 fools that signed this letter.

Nov 23rd - 07:43am | Kurt Repanshek

Very good point, Stampling. That entirely slipped by me (of course). That said, in theory he could make the declaration, and the Democratic majorities in both houses could sign off on it before the session ends. I'll make that point in the above story.

Nov 23rd - 07:32am | stampling

Kurt, Can President Obama use the Antiquities Act in Alaska? Following Jimmy Carter's use of the Antiquities Act to create several National Monuments in 1978, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act was passed and requires Congressional ratification for the use of the Antiquities Act in Alaska for withdrawals of greater than 5,000 acres.

A Typical American's Income Tax Contribution Towards National Parks Is Little More Than The Cost of A Latte

Nov 23rd - 13:26pm | Jon Merryman

Better latte than never...

Nov 23rd - 10:35am | Truth and Freedom

I understood the point of this article as well as this particular point but wanted to respond to the goofy statement by Dr. Pitcaithley about self-defense by law-abiding citizens in national parks being a "goofy idea by any measurement."

Nov 22nd - 14:39pm | Ryan

Bernie, Hum, must be about 300 million biologists that visited th parks last year...hooray for science!

Nov 22nd - 13:30pm | Bernie McCants

If the NPS/DOI continues with turning our Parks and Seashores into nature preserves and playgrounds for biologists, then I'm comfortable with $4.27.

Nov 22nd - 12:21pm | Julie

I think "Truth & Freedom" kind of missed of the point of the article. And missed the point of the statement about guns. Dr. Pitcaithley was simply making a point about American priorities and how political lobbying works...pointing out that it's ridiculous.

Nov 22nd - 11:54am | Truth and Freedom

Self-defense with a firearm in national parks for carry license or permit holders is a "goofy idea by any measurement?" What a goofy statement from an apparent elitist. Do such law-abiding citizens become violent once they enter national parks? Did criminals suddenly start obeying the "decades-long NPS policy (banning) guns in parks" and voluntarily disarm themselves?

Nov 22nd - 11:28am | Dave Crowl

I am all for paying more to the parks;through taxes and entrance fees. If I earned $34K /year with a family of 4, I might think $4.27 was about right. The math on someone making more goes up in a higher tax bracket because the first $20k or so would be exempt. What we should be mad about is some of the things we spend more on than our parks.

Nov 22nd - 07:39am | Lee Dalton

Won't do any good for me to tell my representative anything. It's Rob Bishop!

Nov 22nd - 05:58am | Jon Merryman

Kurt, you're living a sheltered life if you can still find a first-run movie for $6.00! Most of the populated areas in the country are paying $9.00-$10.00 for a ticket, and sometimes more. $4.27 is about the price of a large drink or a medium popcorn. And a single bolt on the Osprey probably costs more than all of these combined.

Nov 22nd - 04:34am | tiltrotors

The V-22 Osprey is considered the ultimate vertical lift aircraft by the USMC fighting in Afghanistan. Double the speed and triple the range of the aircraft they replaced!! Ask a Marine, I don't tink he would use the word "flawed"!! Unfortunately they are incredibly expensve -- I've heard they are $56 mil off the shelf now (not cheap!)

Mark Your Calendars: Holiday Open House At Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site

Nov 23rd - 10:57am | Dottie

This question is in relation to this historic site. I have the screen saver slide show of the National Parks, and one of the screens shows a (I really don't know what to call it) small rotunda and identifies it being from Grant-Kohr. It looks more like it belongs in Virginia somewhere. Can anyone who might also have the screen saver, identify the site, please? Thanks.

Fish And Wildlife Service Says ORV Plan for Cape Hatteras National Seashore Could Be Helpful to Plovers, Sea Turtles

Nov 23rd - 05:38am | Anonymous

One just wants to be a part of nature and enjoy the experience of CAHA oblivious to the consequences of their actions and the other side wants to preserve the historical flora and fauna of the Park for present and future visitors to experience. Yes, I can tell why the reg/neg was not successful.

Nov 22nd - 13:25pm | Ron Saunders

MAN. You did it again Kurt. Did you have to put in that " Vehicles can, and do, run over ..........." Look at what that started. Reminds me of Neg Reg all over again. Can you tell why it wasn't successful. There is only one distinct difference between the two sides.

Nov 22nd - 10:50am | Crotalus

There actually has been physical documentation of recreational vehicles running over other species of bird chicks at Cape Hatteras, there's just not documentation of plover chicks being ran over.

Nov 21st - 06:39am | Anonymous

Matt "Without documentation you have no real science, just the 'maybe', 'probably', and 'possibly' junk science that is passed off as 'best-available science'.

Nov 19th - 19:06pm | Redford

Submitted by Redford (not verified) on November 19, 2010 - 6:05pm. Anonymous says: Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on November 18, 2010 - 2:45pm. "Without documentation you have no real science, just the 'maybe', 'probably', and 'possibly' junk science that is passed off as 'best-available science'. Again, without documentation you have NO science."

Discovering Grizzlies and Wolves at Yellowstone National Park

Nov 22nd - 21:16pm | Anonymous

Mr. Watson appears to be the type that slept through history, biology, and current events class. First off I will call upon one of the most lacked skills these days and it is called "common sense".

Group Warns About Move To Cut Funding for National Parks

Nov 22nd - 18:55pm | Kurt Repanshek

For what it's worth, here's a look at some of the legislation that was introduced in the past week: * H.R. 6405 (Thompson, D-MS) – To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the Medgar Evers House, located in Jackson, Mississippi, and for other purposes.

Nov 22nd - 18:31pm | Anonymous

Here is the ultimate problem, the government is like an alcoholic. They know that they must stop the spending, but in the end they are unwilling to actually do it. Hopefully they don't have to drive their car into a tree before they figure it out.

Nov 22nd - 17:34pm | Barky

The big issue I have with treating the NPS like a business (as Smoky Mountain Hiker suggests) is the goal will then become "expanding visitorship to increase revenues as much as possible". The key goal of the NPS ... preservation ... flies in the face of this.

Nov 22nd - 15:30pm | Smoky Mtn Hiker

I agree that a portion - large or small - of funding for parks should come from public coffers. However, I would argue that the people who want and use national parks should be expected to pay more - in the form of entrance fees, camping fees, or activity fees.

Nov 22nd - 13:20pm | Mike Painter

One problem with treating Parks as self-contained units is that they belong to all Americans. No one ever knows where they'll be in the future and whether they'll have the chance to visit a particular park.

Nov 22nd - 11:41am | Dave Crowl

Its unfortunate That Smokey Mountain National Park cannot charge entrance fee by Law. They do not get that luxury that many other parks get and thus take money from the other parks to make up this gap.

Nov 22nd - 11:34am | Kurt Repanshek

Dottie, The headline was intentional to attract readers. And to show things, at least budget-wise, aren't that different between England and the US. As for where are today's philanthropists, they're certainly out there, but there are many more issues, and extended hands, today than there were a century ago.

Nov 22nd - 11:18am | Dottie

Actually, the "celebrities" are not from Hollywood. They are supposedly well-known climbers who wrote the letter referred to in the headline, and it was to England's government, not our's. That's all a celebrity is: a well-known person. Very misleading headline. As for the rest of Smoky Mtn Hiker's comments, he hit the nail on head.

Nov 22nd - 11:11am | Gaelyn

It's time to bring back the CCC!

Nov 22nd - 08:06am | Smoky Mtn Hiker

Let's be honest, the tax payer is tapped out. Horrible economy, persistent high unemployment, and the specter of higher taxes in a variety of forms is the new reality.

Reality TV Comes to Everglades National Park. Will It Help With Diversity?

Nov 22nd - 05:50am | Jon Merryman

Helga, a little closer to home for whale watching, there are cruises out of Boston harbor that will take you right to the whales in just a few hours. Having done both Alaska and Cape Cod whale watching tours, I can tell you it's just as thrilling in either spot. Three years later and my daughter still sleeps with her little foot-long whale stuffed animal from our Boston trip.

Nov 22nd - 00:18am | Jane S

This story reminded me of running across kids from the inner city in Boston who would be taken out to the Harbor Islands for week-long camps. For them, being away from the city for the first time, and exposed to night sounds or squirrels, was an entirely new experience — one that was, at times, unsettling.

Nov 21st - 16:07pm | y_p_w

I remember being at the Shark Valley Visitor Center to ask for directions and/or recommendations. One of the park rangers was obviously Spanish speaking (as is much of the Miami area). I do remember a family that was speaking English, but the ranger noticed that they were likely Spanish speakers and talked to one of the kids in Spanish.

Nov 20th - 22:42pm | ron mackie

Kurt, very positive report. Nice response to the family that camped at the Everglades. I agree with Mr. Owen Huffman, this is just a great way to introduce citizens to our National Parks and other public lands. The family responded accordingly. But, as Owen pointed out it , the message must reflect the purpose of parks and how to take care of them, and it appears this program did that well.

Nov 20th - 20:41pm | Kurt Repanshek

Helga, Thanks for sharing more of your experience. It sounds like you and your family had a fantastic time in the Everglades, one that hopefully will encourage others who have never ventured into the park to head to the Everglades to "try it out."

Nov 20th - 19:50pm | Helga M. tolon

I can definitely say that the weekend spent in the Everglades opened up my eyes to the reality of what amazing things nature has to offer outside of our everyday city life. I learned what many things I missed out on by not experiencing camping as a whole at a younger age. But better late than never. I was born and raised in Miami, Florida and I had never gone camping.

Pancho Villa, the Army Air Corps and Big Bend National Park

Nov 21st - 22:35pm | Joe Syslo

My wife and I will visit the Park for the first time over Thanksgiving 2010, after living in Texas since 1980. I have been studying the military aviation history of Texas and MUST visit Johnson's Ranch. I have read all the literature and am no ready to visit a most interesting area.

Grizzly Bear Shot and Killed By Hikers In Denali National Park and Preserve

Nov 21st - 19:58pm | Deborah

BEAR vs HUMAN? If....I as a Human Being, a Mother, were to say....be picking logan berries from my garden in MY HOME to prepare a pie for my family, and suddenly....two 10 FT. Grizzlies appeared...with a gun...What would I do? Would I feign attack to frighten away my 'would be attackers'?

Badger Pass Icon Nic Fiore Passes; Taught Thousands to Ski At Yosemite National Park's Ski Area

Nov 21st - 13:39pm | Hermann Brunner

I met Nic Fiore at a Ski Instructor Convention in Mammoth Mountain in November 1978. As a certified Swiss Ski Instructor and student without a work permit I wanted to spend some months in the USA and work as a ski-instructor. Nic helped me through all the administration and papers.

Conservation Groups Question Cape Hatteras National Seashore's Preferred ORV Management Plan

Nov 20th - 23:09pm | Anonymous

Save your breath. Kagan has heard from almost every hurting business owner on Hatteras already. That's why she believe it's true.

Nov 20th - 14:38pm | Anonymous

Write Senator Hagan if you believe protection is important. She continues to think these protections have hurt the economy in Dare County which is disproven by a banner year of tourism during 2010. Fact.

Nov 20th - 07:40am | Anonymous

That great Bernie that you picked up trash. I wish more of your fishing buddies that walked and fished on that beach did the same. Too bad you all can't smooth out the knee deep ruts in the beach made by the hundreds of vehicles accessing the beach just south of there.

Decision to Ban ATVs from Little River Canyon National Preserve Rankles Alabama Legislator

Nov 20th - 22:27pm | DirtBike

Yea, cause you walk all over the park to see it. Walking gets you around to where you can see it all Mr. Gore.

Rangers Catch Snowmobilers Riding Illegally in Yellowstone National Park's Backcountry

Nov 20th - 15:03pm | Anonymous

snowmobiling backcountry is no big deal. It is for people who want to have fun. See things you dontgetr to riding trail. as long as you dont make deep holes and rut up the ground the no harm no foul. under 8 feet of snow nothing is going to get hurt. especially on a mountain.

Park Potpourri – A Sampling of Upcoming Events in Parks Around the Country

Nov 20th - 14:52pm | Tim Gilson

Interesting history on the oldest masonic lodge in California.

Omnibus Bill Provides $2.39 billion 08 Budget for National Park Service

Nov 20th - 12:44pm | Rob Williamson

I think these bills are a grand idea. Should have more for folks to buy. Who knows - we might balance the budget on these bills alone.

National Park Mystery Plant 13 Revealed: A Prostrate Little Plant with an Unlovely Name

Nov 20th - 07:47am | Bob Janiskee

Now then, Carol; would you like to buy a "Save the Liverwort!" bumper sticker?

Nov 20th - 06:23am | Carol Light

So that's what's been growing on the north side of our house the past 7 years. Just like your photo. Thanks for the info! It was too unusual to describe, so I'd never tracked down its name.

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