You are here

Home

All Recent Comments

Attendance Shortfalls at Steamtown National Historic Site Prompt Calls for Privatization

Sep 15th - 09:20am | Ted Clayton

Anonymous said; "... it's not like STEAM has much of an impact on the national economy" Just to clarify here, our civilization would promptly collapse, without steam. Steam drives our economy, our industry, and our military.

Sep 14th - 23:50pm | Anonymous

Hah! You could be describing the mortgage industry as well! Ironic that there's not much outcry over bailing about big banks who screw up but there is over relatively small things like Steamtown (then again, it's not like STEAM has much of an impact on the national economy)

Sep 14th - 23:01pm | Sabattis

I've previously visited this Park, and while I enjoyed my experience here - I also felt like it missed the mark.

Sep 14th - 22:55pm | Merryland

Hey, you're looking at a new Vice President who was born in Scranton -- so don't expect that Steamtown will wither on the vine and die. Eight more years to get its act together...

Sep 14th - 22:10pm | Ted Clayton

Superheater; I have a considerable affiliation with your interest in historical steam and railroad operations, and empathy for the preservation effort you support. I cringe a bit, that so many aspects of our 'progress' 'discredit' formerly outstanding technologies.

Sep 14th - 20:58pm | Barky

I didn't realize it was so bad. I visited there a couple of years ago, and didn't feel disappointed. Yes, I was disappointed there weren't more visitors, but I didn't visit during the peak season anyway.

Sep 14th - 20:16pm | Marylander

My family and I go out of our way to ride in steam powered trains. For example, we never miss the Durango Silverton line when passing through Colorado. It is like stepping back in time, just magical. Bottom line: If my family can't ride the train -any train- for a awesome excursion, we are not going to make the trip.

Sep 14th - 15:31pm | Superheater

As a Steamtown volunteer, I posted the following comment to the article in the Scranton Times: Mr. Singleton:

House Subcommittee Considers Bill to Relax ORV Rules for Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Sep 15th - 08:23am | dapster

Powerful words by Mr. Clayton: Essentially, the ESA is used by NGOs to effect legislation through the courts that is properly enacted only through Congress. That's wrong, it's a problem, and it is recognized in Congress that steps should be taken to stop it.

Sep 13th - 12:25pm | Ted Clayton

Anonymous (Sept 13) references: "The General Authorities Act of 1974 says all NPS units regardless of designation will be managed the same... " Actually, however, there are wide, dramatic & diverse variations in how the resources of many NPS units are handled.

Sep 13th - 11:26am | Anonymous

It doesn't matter if you call it Cape Hatteras NSRA (a NPS designation that doesn't exist) or NS. The General Authorities Act of 1974 says all NPS units regardless of designation will be managed the same, responsible to the same management policies, and will still have to obey all federal law including the NPS Organic Act, ESA, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, NEPA, etc.

Sep 12th - 16:49pm | Ginny

Quote: Leoabnto To the extent possible the law was intended to interject the Fish and Wildlife Service into this "unintended" ambiguity with explicit science and actions and strategies to FORCE a change in destructive activities. Right, and the ESA was followed and Fish and Wildlife Service issued a no jepardy opinion on the management plan SELC challenged and changed.

Sep 12th - 15:51pm | Ted Clayton

Lepanto et al,

Sep 12th - 15:08pm | dapster

Oh, come on Lepanto! The endangered species act was a desperation move, to absolutely stop extinctions by forcing changes in human activities that threatened those species.

Sep 12th - 13:43pm | Lepanto

Oh, come on Ted Clayton. The endangered species law was EXACTLY written to do this because it was the last gasp of the effort to stop America from destroying its diversity of species. Real laws of nationwide land use, habitat destruction or releasing chemicals into the environment were too little too late.

Prime Location and Varied Habitat Help Make Point Reyes National Seashore a Biodiversity Treasure Trove

Sep 14th - 22:58pm | Merryland

Now if they could only keep the pot-growers out of Point Reyes...

Sep 13th - 20:16pm | Bob Janiskee

Grasslands and "open scrublands" that have been grazed for several centuries are anything but natural. To get the best grazing for cattle, you artificially hold the ecosystem in the early, fast-growing stage of ecological succession that many call the "weedy" stage.

Sep 13th - 19:24pm | Ted Clayton

Very nice background, Bob - thanks! I have not determined - is the 'open-scrub' ecology there a natural feature? That's what drew the original Spanish settlers - 'open fields' they could see from the water?

Sep 13th - 19:01pm | Bob Janiskee

Here is some background for the comments that Barky and Ted made. I hope you'll find them useful. Bear in mind that this national seashore is a 111-square mile area, only part of which is occupied by dairy farms. Also recall that the article I wrote focused on biodiversity, not scenic values or recreation opportunities, per se. Point Reyes is a marvelous place by any reasonable measure.

Sep 13th - 18:41pm | Ted Clayton

Thank you, Barky - I was going to be 'nice'! ;-)

Sep 13th - 18:05pm | Barky

Oh my God, are you completely kidding me? When I went to Point Reyes, all I could think of was "what a ruddy sh*thole!"

Alaska Regional Director Responds To Outrage Over Katmai Preserve Bear Hunt

Sep 14th - 18:49pm | Ted Clayton

Anonymous (Sept 14 '08) Hey, the most recent comment preceding yours is from last November - almost a year ago. There was a whole bunch of other comments, and we can't tell which one you are responding to. The original post says straight out:

Sep 14th - 16:00pm | Anonymous

Real man huh? I would love to walk within feet of a bear rather then live anywhere near your inconsiderate self. The point is there is no sport in murder. If they need to be thinned out let the state decide which bears need to be shot. You just want that bear trophy to hang on your chair like miss Sara.

Sky-High Ginseng Prices Boost Illegal Harvest in Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Sep 14th - 18:29pm | Ted Clayton

Anonymous (Sept 14),

Sep 14th - 17:12pm | Anonymous

horse pucky!!!i hunt ginseng i live in towsend i have just recently taken up looking for it ive never been in the park and have harvested about 2 lbs in the last 2 weeks..

Bear #399, And Other Grizzlies, Are On the Prowl In Grand Teton National Park

Sep 14th - 15:17pm | Paul & Kim

We saw 399 and one of her cubs this past week around Pacific Creek area - it was so special. We saw the cub first, foraging for berries on the bank above the road, and then a few days later saw 399 herself digging up grubs etc. Both attracted a small but respectful audience with 399 being kept an eye on by a ranger - who told us she had been out of sight for a couple of months.

Greening the National Parks: Environmental Achievement Awards Highlight Sustainable Design, Energy-Efficiency, and Recycling

Sep 14th - 12:45pm | Ted Clayton

Most of the greening-initiatives mentioned in this post seem like commendable recognition for doing what's basically only right, but certainly will benefit from the encouragement & reinforcement.

The Essential Olympic

Sep 14th - 00:04am | Random Walker

“..

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Hosts 150,000 Weekenders and a Hells Angels Poker Run

Sep 13th - 18:29pm | Ted Clayton

Beamis quoted Dylan: "To live outside the law you must be honest." ... And to that I will add the comparable observation: "An armed society is a polite society." .

Sep 13th - 17:06pm | Schoolteacher

I hope law enforcement personnel wrote thank-you letters to the Hells Angels and their events promoter ! The thank-you is appreciation for giving them "job security" and probably "overtime pay." Law enforcement hired to assist at Lake Mead over Labor Day weekend should include thanking the Hells Angels for providing colorful and quality material to work with! Ride on...

Management Shuffle Yields New Superintendent for Shenandoah National Park

Sep 13th - 16:07pm | Anonymous

Wow what a great story. I would like to hear more stories about our Park Supers. This is my first time to this site. I live near Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Celebrates the 75th Anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps

Sep 13th - 14:45pm | Smoky Mtn Hiker

I ran into an interesting film the other day regarding the CCC in the Smoky Mountains. The film was produced by the U.S. Department of Interior back in 1936 and appears to be a newsreel type production. In addition to a few scenic shots, the film shows CCC corp men building the Newfound Gap Road and a couple of trail bridges. It also has a little bit of footage on the CCC camps.

Visitation Decline at Great Smoky Mountains National Park Has Area Businesses, Residents, and Governments Worried

Sep 13th - 11:53am | Bob Janiskee

I agree that the Alaska fall colors map is not very helpful, but you just can't show much detail on small scale maps like this. The colors peak at different times in various parts of this huge and climatically variegated state. About the best you can do is indicate that peaks throughout Alaska tend to come "early" by Lower 48 standards.

Sep 13th - 10:18am | Sabattis

I was disappointed to see that Alaska got the same color on the leaf-color map as South Florida. I"m guessing that's because Alaska's leaf color peaks even before Late September - but surely they could have had their own color for that!

Sep 12th - 14:12pm | Sabrina

So, I realize that this is not good for businesses however I bet the resources are seriously enjoying the break!! I was in the Smokies again this year and was mortified (once again) to see visitors chasing a Black Bear, trash on the highly visited trails and people just having no respect for nature.

Black Bear Attacks Child at Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Sep 13th - 10:56am | Ted Clayton

Anonymous Sept 12 laments: "I don't understand why there are so many black bear attacks these days." This is happening, because mama bears are no longer teaching their cubs that humans are to be feared & avoided. Mama bears no longer know that humans are dangerous, because they are no longer hunted.

Sep 12th - 23:48pm | Anonymous

I don't understand why there are so many black bear attacks these days. There are bears in my area in CT and I won't let my 6 year old play outdoors because of recent sightings. CT does not allow bear hunting like our neighboring state, Massachusettes and although I have always felt that wildlife should be left alone, I am starting to have another opinion.

National Park Quiz 19: Trails

Sep 13th - 10:48am | Bob Janiskee

Eight's not bad. The Freedom Trail was dedicated in 1958 (see [http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/]this site[/url]). It's not just us Olde Pharze who are unable to handle simple trails. Obesity has become a prime factor.

Sep 13th - 10:13am | Sabattis

Only 8 right this week.... I guess the Freedom Trail was constructed some time other than the 1930's. I think that the 50% too infirm for the trails figure comes from the fact that so many retirees spend their summers (if not their years) going around visiting National Parks, and so boosting their share of the overall visitation numbers.

It’s Good to be the President When You Visit Gettysburg National Military Park

Sep 13th - 10:33am | Sabattis

Sorry, but I have to agree with the other commenters who have pointed out that this post reads more like a political hack job than a satire... after all a satire is at least supposed to be a *little* funny.... But, let me try and tackle some of the underlying points of this post.

The 9/11 Anniversary Draws Attention to the Flight 93 National Memorial, an Extraordinary Work in Progress

Sep 13th - 10:07am | Sabattis

I don't remember the exact details, but its also my understanding that the NPS normally recommends that a minimum period of time (5 years?) elapse before a National Park is set aside related to a particular event - but the NPS made a special exception in this case in recommending that the Somerset site was clearly deserving of National Park Status. Sabattis

At Big Thicket National Preserve, a Combative Drug Dealer Changes His Mind When Ranger Stafford Shows Him His Taser

Sep 13th - 08:10am | Anonymous

I don't think legalizing marijuana will make problems go away any more than currently legal alcohol has reduced drunk driving deaths and alcoholism. Also, there is a difference between an officer tossing some kid's joint into the creek, and letting 5 individuals with large amounts of weed and pills waltz off into the woods to live happily ever after.

Sep 12th - 17:23pm | Bob Janiskee

Just a point of clarification here. Removing the cartridge from a Taser doesn't incapacitate it. The sole function of the cartridge -- a container of compressed nitrogen -- is to allow the Taser to fire the two electrodes through the air (about 21 feet, I'm told) so the officer doesn't need to get dangerously close to the individual being subdued.

Sep 12th - 16:46pm | Ted Clayton

d-2, Bob Janiskee has recently conspicuously reveled in "satire", even at the risk (in fact, "cost") of flak from the relatively clueless and overly stiff among his readership. He continues to hone his literary artistry, in this very post. Bob describes how one Ranger made gestures;

Sep 12th - 15:11pm | Lone Hiker

I've never heard of a pot-head maxing out credit cards and ravaging bank accounts to support their habit. Crack, coke, junk, PCP, meth, even opiates, yes. But you can't smoke enough pot to clear out your bank account or credit line, unless you have a $500 limit. You'll go broke faster due to alcoholism that due to weed.

Sep 12th - 15:10pm | Lone Hiker

I've never heard of a pot-head maxing out credit cards and ravaging bank accounts to support their habit. Crack, coke, junk, PCP, meth, even opiates, yes. But you can't smoke enough pot to clear out your bank account or credit line, unless you have a $500 limit. You'll go broke faster due to alcoholism that due to weed.

Sep 12th - 13:29pm | d-2

Ted Clayton: I do think you are listing over a little bit on these comments of yours. I did re-read the original post, and read it again, and don't think the facetious tone is there as you suggest.

Lakota Gather Peacefully at Mount Rushmore National Memorial, But Still Insist that the Black Hills Belong to Them

Sep 13th - 03:11am | Mike Graham

AMERICAN INDIAN HOLOCAUST TO DATE The American Indian Holocaust, know as the "500 year war" and the "World's Longest Holocaust In The History Of Mankind And Loss Of Human Lives." http://www.unitednativeamerica.com/aiholocaust.html

Sep 12th - 19:52pm | United Native A...

Historical Video: Indians Invade Mount Rushmore-1970 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Wd1uLgV7mc Also, Check Out This Web Link: http://www.myspace.com/thewashichustolethepahasa

Creature Feature: The American Marten

Sep 12th - 13:23pm | Pennsylvania Wi...

I love storys that show how connect wildlife is with the habbit. this animal servers a role in the whole system. Without them we will be short a worker. I always wonder how people dont see a design in this wonderful world we live in.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.