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Deadly Threats You Never Heard of Lurk in Our National Parks

Jan 11th - 10:40am | Bob Janiskee

Tom, I'm afraid I'm not familiar with the disease threats at Isle Royale. I trust that you've already thought of directing your questions to the park superintendent and your research program manager(s). They ought to feel some sense of obligation in this matter.

Jan 11th - 08:44am | Bob Janiskee

Bill, I've got a story about the Saline Valley hot springs in the works, and if I can clear some of this backlog I'll finish it and post it in the near future. Meanwhile, I've never heard of anyone being harmed by infectious disease lurking in the water there. Your signage suggestion put a smile on my face.

Jan 10th - 20:19pm | Tom Price

I'm curious - are there other "gotcha's" one should worry about in the northern parks / states? The Isle Royale National Park (Island) in Michigan has had an ongoing wolf / moose - predator/prey study that has been going on for 50 years (as of 2008).

Jan 10th - 19:56pm | Bob Janiskee

Better bring lots of ammo, Hobblefoot. Naegleria fowler is a single-cell organism and kinda on the small side.

Jan 10th - 19:47pm | Hobblefoot

Fortunately with the new rule changes regarding guns in the park, I'll just blast those little amoebas to peices!

Jan 10th - 18:36pm | JimB

I agree that none of these perils should discourage visits to parks, but they are a good reminder that prudent measures are a good idea - for visitors and employees. This article also brought to mind a humorous personal experience (although it probably didn't seem so at the time):

Jan 10th - 17:52pm | Kurt Repanshek

Geez, Bob, are you trying to take all the fun away from a park visit? As for plague, we shouldn't forget that it killed an NPS wildlife biologist in Grand Canyon National Park in 2007.

Jan 10th - 15:56pm | Bill R.

What a story. I have enjoyed the warm springs in Saline Valley over the course of three days and broke all of the rules of safety as did others with me. Suppose we were lucky. Hope there are signs posted now. Beautiful area and aside from a few people that like to play their stereo full blast, it was very nice. Think signs would be out of place? I know the loud music was.

Muir Woods National Monument is More than Really Old, Really Big Trees

Jan 11th - 10:28am | Bob Janiskee

Some might take exception to your "gift from President Theodore Roosevelt" remark, Jim. If the Kents hadn't rescued a big tract of pristine Coast redwood forest from the loggers and donated 295 acres of it to the Federal government, there would have been no national monument to proclaim.

Jan 11th - 09:26am | Bob Janiskee

Thanks, Scott. In a former life I wrote the instructors manuals for the early editions of America's leading college text on environmental quality management. That, and regularly teaching a course called Human Impact on Environment, encouraged me to learn a lot about ecological concepts and principles.

Jan 10th - 18:41pm | JimB

A wonderful site, made even more so by its proximity to San Francisco. Many other large cities should be so fortunate. Another gift to all of us from President Theodore Roosevelt.

Jan 10th - 16:20pm | Scott Bradford

Yes, you are definitely forgiven. We were just there on Tuesday (visiting from Utah) and loved it. Your excellent write-up provides great background for one of America's treasures.

Jan 10th - 14:05pm | Bob Janiskee

Does this mean I'm forgiven for getting the centennial year wrong?

Jan 10th - 13:54pm | Jimi

One of the most beautiful places on earth - makes San Francisco worth the trip.

Jan 10th - 01:51am | Scott Bradford

Uh, Bob, did you forget to buy a new calendar? That Centennial was one year ago. [Ed: My bad; it's been fixed. Now, here's some weaselspeak -- a limp excuse, to be sure. When you go to the Muir Woods website, which has not been properly updated, you'll see at one point this statement;

Park Rangers, Active and Retired, Lament Change in Gun Rules for National Parks

Jan 11th - 10:19am | Bob M

Anonymous,

Jan 11th - 06:52am | Bob Janiskee

Gerald, the 1999 murder of Carol Sund, her daughter, and her daughter's friend did not take place in Yosemite National Park. The murders occurred at a nearby place called El Portal. Seems to me you're implying that parks are unsafe because people may be killed while on their way to a park, while on their way back from a park visit, or while staying at a motel near a park.

Jan 11th - 00:59am | Gerald

Oops, sorry Kurt...you are just the messenger...I guess the three lobbying groups you mentioned are the drama queens I was referring to!

Jan 11th - 00:48am | Gerald

"How will families with youngsters feel about attending interpretive programs in national parks when the person next to them might be armed? Will the National Park Service have to install metal detectors in parks to ensure gun owners don't enter buildings with their sidearms?"

Jan 10th - 19:13pm | Carl in Chicago

Warren: Check out this brief that was filed on behalf of Dick Heller in the US Supreme Court. Those folks, you will see, fight not only for their enumerated right to keep and bear arms, but also for their penumbral right to gay marriage.

Jan 10th - 19:02pm | Carl in Chicago

Mr. Wade and McElveen's comments are unnecessarily alarmist and have little basis, if any, in evidence coming out of states where shall-issue right-to-carry has been law for a decade or more. First, the majority of the US population lives in shall-issue states, so people and their small children are already in proximity to lawfully armed citizens.

Jan 10th - 12:45pm | Fred Miller

It's been awhile since I've chimed in on this issue. My viewpoints haven't changed and I don't think anyone else's have either. I think it is immoral to require someone to disarm themselves when they cross a line on a map. How my concealed pistol will "scare" someone is beyond my wildest comprehension. It's like saying that they're offended by the color of my underwear!

Jan 10th - 12:03pm | Kurt Repanshek

Ted, I should know better, but.... * "Disproportionally"? Disproportionate to what? To Hispanics, to Asians, to African-Americans, to AARPers, to twenty-somethings, to white males, to white females, to black bears?

Jan 10th - 11:24am | Ted Clayton

Kurt, There was no sarcasm in my observations about the high level of gay usage in the Olympic Peninsula backcountry.

Jan 10th - 11:12am | Anonymous

When I went to Yellowstone, I had a .44 Mag. revolver in my back back when I hiked and camped in the wilderness areas. At that time a young woman 3 weeks earlier had been attacked by a grizzly bear, I felt I had the right to protect myself! I have a CCW for Minnesota, the left wing said it would be like the wild west, there would be gun battles on Main St., we haven't seen any of that.

Jan 10th - 11:02am | Kurt Repanshek

Ted, I'm starting to worry about your efforts at sarcasm....or, if you're being serious, does this impression overly concern you?

Jan 10th - 10:53am | Ted Clayton

Warren & Kurt viz Parks, Gay Rights, and Drift Kurt cracked the door: "Perhaps someone can spin [(gay) civil rights] in a fashion that does tie it to the parks, and I'd be curious to see that one." I believe that gays are over-represented on the 'intermediate to advanced' backcountry trails.

Jan 10th - 10:12am | Ted Clayton

Hobblefoot,

Jan 10th - 10:10am | Warren Z

Right on, Kurt. I am completely aware of my drift away from the source of the topic, and I thank you keeping the discussion on track. (Though I am very curious to see response to my last post, I totally understand if it doesn't make onto the site.)

Jan 10th - 09:36am | Ted Clayton

vince K., I have seen folks use the quote (uncited): "An armed society is a polite society." There is good merit in it.

Jan 10th - 09:06am | Kurt Repanshek

Warren, You're encouraging some serious thread drift here, which concerns me in that it's directed AWAY from national park-related topics.

Jan 10th - 08:54am | Warren Z

Kurt, You do an awesome job with this site, I for one appreciate the breadth of coverage, and the amount of content, and the sometimes alternative viewpoint you present for debate. So far I've only found myself posting comments related to the legal carry in National Parks issue. (What can I say, I enjoy a good debate.) Keep up the good work!

Jan 10th - 06:30am | Anonymous

As I have stated before. I carry a gun on my RV for protection. I consider this my home space and I will continue to carry the gun onboard legal or not. I see no reason to carry concealed . If someone thinks they need protection while out on a trail, carry bear spray. In my opinion it will do as good on a man or beast as a handgun.

Jan 10th - 01:18am | Hobblefoot

Ted, you are probably correct in your assumption that many of these comments were made to bait the Pro-Gun folks, but I suggest that it is not the only reason for the comments.

Jan 9th - 20:53pm | vince K.

I guess that your name is on the page so you get the glory and the blame. I've enjoyed the Traveler and I'm a person who believes that we would be more respectful of each other if there was the possibility that someone was armed. You make a point that people rant and rave across the internet at you. They wouldn't be so brave in a face to face situation.

Jan 9th - 20:16pm | Ted Clayton

The first line of my previous comment is: "Kurt presents a list of firearms-concerns assembled by former Park-employee groups." Kurt presents a list. Of firearms-concerns. Assembled by former Park-employee groups. Read the sentence again. The concerns are "assembled" by former Park-employee groups. Kurt "presents" a list of them.

Jan 9th - 18:38pm | Anonymous

"How will families with youngsters feel about attending interpretive programs in national parks when the person next to them might be armed?" They will feel the same way as they do today (whatever that may be) since the person next to them today might be armed. Not everyone follows the rules.

Jan 9th - 18:18pm | Kurt Repanshek

Ted, Thanks for sicing the dogs on the bait. But first things first. Let's make the record clear that *I* didn't "present" those concerns, they were presented by the Association of National Park Rangers. I merely reported on 'em.

Collapse of "Wall Arch" Proves Gravity Does Work at Arches National Park

Jan 10th - 22:33pm | David Mayer in...

I was there on Nov 3rd 2006. Have a great photo, different angle but same pine tree background. This fell almost 2 years later. The Old man in the Mountain in White Mtns NH, Franconia Notch fell 24 months after my visit in May 2001. It fell in May 2003.

Colorado Man Dies While Snowshoeing in Rocky Mountain National Park

Jan 10th - 21:43pm | Barky

Oof, sad. Hearts go out to family & friends. Altitude or cold or exhaustion? ========================================= My travels through the National Park System: americaincontext.com

National Park System Would Gain Official Wilderness Under Omnibus Lands Bill

Jan 10th - 21:33pm | Sabattis

It will be interesting if the Omnibus Public Lands Act doesn't pass today - but the bean counters must be pretty confident, as Senator (and Vice-President-Elect) Joe Biden is apparently off to Asia today, according to the Associated Press - although apparently at least three Senators canceled plans to join him on the trip in order to cast their votes.

Jan 10th - 18:15pm | Kurt Repanshek

Jim, thanks for the update on this measure. Sen. Coburn really is turning into an irritant to some. Though if hindsight is of any help, there more than likely is more than a few servings of pork in this omnibus bill. That said, I'd be surprised if the senator has any luck in derailing this train. There are too many states and politicians to benefit.

Jan 10th - 18:03pm | JimB

An article in today's Las Vegas Review-Journal provides a hint of the upcoming fight over this bill, led by Senator Coburn. He says: "The omnibus bill would withdraw millions of acres of public land from energy development, increase government spending by more than $10 billion and add even greater restrictions to federally managed lands."

NPCA, Park Retirees File Lawsuit to Halt Change in National Park Gun Rules

Jan 10th - 21:28pm | RAH

First of all free men and women have the right to keep and bear arms. Bear arms means exactly that, to carry on their person. There is no logical reason that National Parks should restrict that right as that lawful citizens are are not committing crimes in National Parks. The main impetus was against vandalism and poachers.

Jan 10th - 02:38am | Dustin

Ted: Thanks. I hope you enjoyed your day on the trail. :)

Jan 10th - 00:37am | PavePusher

Why would anyone think they might need to defend themselves from a criminal in National Parks? Well, lets see... http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0808/p03s01-ussc.html

Jan 10th - 00:24am | PavePusher

Warren Z wrote: "My life wasn't threatened, though I did suffer bodily harm. But you know what? I never once thought "I wish I'd had a gun..." The gang that surrounded and attacked me did so swiftly, even efficiently. The lead pipe they used to break my arm and lacerate my scalp almost knocked me unconscious..."

Earthquakes Continuing to Rattle Yellowstone National Park

Jan 10th - 11:09am | Ted Clayton

K Gies, For every "supereruption" there are a thousand "big eruptions", and for every one of those there is a thousand "little eruptions". Neither science nor the government can really tell reliably which of those 'events' a sustained pattern of 'warning activity' will lead to - if anything at all. Most warning-activity comes to nothing.

Jan 10th - 10:26am | K Gries

I would like to know if there is a plan in place to notify those affected if Yellowstone go's. Which is going to be everyone from Missouri/Kansas north and east. Or is everyone going to kept in the dark and our government and FEMA just hoping for the best?

Interior Officials Want to Allow Concealed Carry in the National Parks

Jan 9th - 21:37pm | Dave

Concealed Carry holders are some of the most law abiding most checked "civilians"in the country. It is amazing that the anti-gun folks really seem to believe that since it was illegal to carry a gun that people did not carry a gun. Now the law abiding citizens can carry as well. You can carry concealed in 48 states. Millions of people across the country legally carry concealed everyday.

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