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Bigger Boat Tours Coming to Voyageurs National Park

May 10th - 16:42pm | ironranger

Kurt and Kelly have great points and information, it helps fill in some of the gaps in the story. I said "detest" in an earlier post about the local attitude towards Voyageurs. The reason being that VNP is still a rather new park, and locals have a very long memory. Many people in this neck of the woods are skeptical of the government in general, and the Feds especially.

May 10th - 09:38am | Kelly at VNPA

Voyageurs National Park is a beautiful, wild park where you can travel the historic water trails used by Native Americans and fur trappers. It’s also a place where you can hear wolves howl, see bald eagles soar, and catch walleye with your kids.

May 9th - 19:24pm | FrankC

The tour boat will be designed with the latest “green” technology, according to Rep. Oberstar, who says it will be "equipped with highly efficient engines that operate on bio-diesel fuel."

May 9th - 09:58am | Kurt Repanshek

Sabattis, Better interpretation is definitely a plus. My concern is that the system for funding the parks is out of whack. Too often it comes down to whose congressperson is more adept at earmarking legislation or calling in favors for support.

May 9th - 07:16am | Anonymous

Argh! Can someone tell me why ironranger said that "the locals detest Voyagers"??

May 8th - 21:00pm | Sabattis

Allow me to play Devil's Advocate for a moment. The NPT has long argued for increased funding for interpretation services for the Parks. Well, most of Voyageurs National Park is covered in water - what kind of interpretation can really occur there without a boat? Thus, I'm surprised that this development is treated with such skepticism.

May 8th - 12:00pm | Stephen L Martin

I could see why private tour boats would do well in some areas, such as Fort William Henry on Lake George, NY, and not in others such as Voyageurs. Lake George is associated more directly with American History and is easily accessible for all demographics. I've never been to Voyageurs but it seems more of a remote location, and lacks the easily distinguished tie-in to the historical?

May 8th - 11:55am | Anonymous

I'm guessing, then that no one knows why locals 'detest' the park, as ironranger said earlier....

May 8th - 10:03am | ironranger

Here in Minnesota, we will bring our own boats whether there was a tour boat or no. Boating is a very significant cultural activity, and many Minnesotans own boats or have access to one through family or friends. However, those visiting the park from outside the local area often rent boats and hire guides to get to the best fishing, or the best scenery.

May 8th - 09:10am | Kurt Repanshek

Perhaps this case points to a larger question across the National Park System: Just what does the National Park Service owe communities surrounding parks, and what do those communities owe those parks?

May 8th - 07:31am | Anonymous

Why do most locals detest Voyagers?

May 8th - 06:22am | Sabattis

Are there no boat tours because most visitors bring their own boat, or do most visitors bring their own boat beacuse there are no boat tours?

May 7th - 11:26am | ironranger

Being a House Committee Chair (Transportation) Rep. Oberstar has been bringing home the pork to Minnesota for quite a while now. It keeps him in office, seemingly indefinitely. I'm sure this funding is most likely seed money for a private-public partnership.

May 6th - 21:24pm | Sabattis

I'm curious as to what the source of this funding is - the first paragraph makes it sound like a Congressional earmark, but the last part sounds more like a private charitable donation. Perhaps the most surprising thing, however, is why hasn't the Park Service entered into an agreement with a private concessionaire to offer tour boat service?

Ken Burns' National Parks Documentary: Where Does it Stand?

May 10th - 10:35am | Anonymous

Ken Burns is amazing!!

Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park

May 10th - 07:16am | Dorothy

This shot took me right back to our Glacier trip three years ago. I will never forget its beautiful sites, especially the hike to Grinnell Glacier. After seeing this, I spent the morning looking at the pictures we had taken when there. Beautiful shot! Thank you for sharing!

May 7th - 08:22am | Smoky Mtn Hiker

That's a great shot! Glacier National Park is greatest place on earth!

Groups Sue Park Service Over ORV Use in Big Cypress National Preserve

May 10th - 00:04am | erik

I have a few things to say one is that i know many OVRer and 98% of them care more about a trail then most vistor because that is there backyard i have seen it from south florida to the northwest. I have lived all over the US and they are in every state and are great people and most adhear to the treadlightly plan.

Vet Removes Snare From Neck of Wolf in Denali National Park and Preserve

May 9th - 09:59am | Lone Hiker

Neil-

May 9th - 09:13am | Kurt Repanshek

Neil, What we aim to bar are comments that take direct personal attacks on others. We prefer to see comments rise above that level. Do we always succeed? Perhaps not as best we can. But some comments are so blatant in their personal attacks that the decision not to let them go through is easy.

May 8th - 22:12pm | Neil

Lets see...so you can bar the comments of the people who disagree that wolves lives are more valuable than ANY humans...even the trappers. But gleefully post the comments by the wackos who think a person should be killed because a wolf got caught in this trap. Yep, I certainly see how you welcome different viewpoints!!

May 8th - 15:55pm | Anonymous

This article made me so very sad, even with the GREAT news that one of the two wolves was able to be cared for.

May 7th - 11:06am | Bob Janiskee

Many people think it's wrong to protect wolves and a total waste of time and money to provide medical treatment for injured ones. I can certainly understand that these people may be dismayed and angered when some wolf enthusiasts declare that people who harm wolves are utterly contemptible, or that wolves are more deserving of life than wolf-hating humans are.

Protest Against American Revolution Center at Valley Forge National Historical Park Planned for May 15

May 9th - 09:39am | Ryan Balas

God. Another protest to protect our esteemed blah blah blah blah. I am an evironmentalist. I walk to shop, donate to causes, pick up litter in the parks, etc. But, I don't see anything wrong with building something to enhance the visitors experience and bring in a little money to help support the area those people are screaming and protesting about keeping the same.

National Park Quiz 1: Are You Centered?

May 8th - 20:53pm | Sabattis

Got 9 out of 10 myself... I had to flip a coin between Glacier and Yellowstone, since I've never been to Wallace, ID and figured that since Yellowstone National Park is actually *in* Idaho, that was the better bet...

May 8th - 17:51pm | Bob Janiskee

Nice job, Barky; I'm impressed. Maybe you should be writing these quizzes instead of me? The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway (not River; I've corrected the typo) was one of the original eight Wild and Scenic Rivers. The lower part of the park/riverway, the St. Croix River, forms the border between Wisconsin and Minnesota.

May 8th - 17:26pm | Barky

9 out of 10. :-) Never heard of St. Croix National River. :-P ================================================== My travels through the National Park System: americaincontext.com

Traveler’s Delightful Dozen: Windshield Touring Trips in the National Park System

May 8th - 16:46pm | Anonymous

Edward abbey is rolling in his grave over this post...

May 6th - 21:31pm | Sabattis

In fairness, despite the comment about the "generally neglectful attitude", it should also be noted that the Bush Administration / Republican Congress (I list both only because I'm not sure which took the lead in this proposal) passed a law in 2005 that created a new grant program for "Alternative Transportation in Parks and Public Lands" that uses transportation dollars to fund transit options

May 6th - 09:35am | Bob Janiskee

I see your point, Anon, but I think you’re a bit off the mark in implying that we are part of the problem instead of part of the solution. All of us here at Traveler agree that reducing vehicle-related air pollution in our national parks is a high priority goal.

May 6th - 07:19am | Anonymous

I can't help but find it the teeniest bit ironic that NPT sometimes publishes articles about climate change and the parks, yet is also publishing an article about driving around (read:burning gasoline, contributing to climate change) for the sake of driving around...hopefully, there'll be something on public transit in the parks :)

Where Are the Best Sunrises in the National Park System?

May 8th - 10:13am | pkrnger

I would vote for sunrise (and pre-sunrise) at Canyon Overlook above the Great Arch of Zion in Zion National Park, looking west at Bridge Mountain and across Zion Canyon into Oak Creek Canyon. There is a dramatic change of color on the Great West Temple, the Temples of the Virgin and Alter of Sacrafice before the sun rises in the east.

May 8th - 08:39am | Anonymous

Best Sunrise: from the top of Mt. Dana, Yosemite National Park overlooking Mono Lake. Most glorious in color among the mountain dew.

May 8th - 07:16am | Mike W.

I've seen spectacular sunrises at all the parks I've visited, but will agree that probably the best were at (and in!) the Grand Canyon. We did a rafting trip in May '03 from Lee's Ferry to Phantom Ranch, and hiked out. The hike started before sunrise at 5:30am, and it was amazing watching the sun come up and illuminate the canyon.

May 8th - 05:56am | Stephen L Martin

I didn't realize that Haleakala was a National Park when I had a chance to visit in 1989. It was cloudy for me too, but the bike coasting down the mountain afterward made it all worthwhile. We stopped frequently to remove a layer of clothing. I couldn't believe that anywhere on Hawaii would it get that cold.

May 8th - 03:04am | MRC

Joshua Tree: the dry air of the desert makes the moments before the sun gets to the horizon memorable. I've never seen such a serene light before or after. Then, when the sun comes up, the bizarre shapes of the Joshua trees make great silhouettes or look like chiseled out if they are in direct light, while the ground around them still is in the shadows.

May 7th - 16:51pm | Eric

Bryce Canyon anyone? I have seen both sunrise and sunset on many occasions and I do believe they are spectacular.

May 7th - 11:20am | Francis

My pick is Death Valley National Park. There are so many great locales within the park to sit back and enjoy a spectacular sunrise or sunset. My favorite is Dante's View... 5000+ feet above the valley floor and an awesome view of the Panamint Mountains.

May 7th - 07:16am | Bob Janiskee

Marylander, I can sure sympathize. My own dawn visit to the peak of Haleakala -- probably the only one I'll ever get to make -- wasn't rewarded with a glorious sunrise either. It's a good thing that there's so much more to Haleakala National Park than a (sometimes) glorious sunrise witnessed from the mountaintop. What a fantastic place Haleakala is!

May 7th - 06:54am | Marylander

Two years ago I tried for 13 straight days to see sunrise at the top of Cadillac Mountain... only to make the drive and be buried in fog each and every time. So, my vote goes to North Rim of the Grand Canyon. [If we could include areas managed by the U.S.

Report Shows Visiting National Parks Could be Hazardous to Your Health

May 8th - 06:22am | Sabattis

I'd be curious to hear more about the establishment of Steamtown - and what other, more-worthy sites were passed up. Maybe it would be a good NPT article (if it hasn't been one already.)

May 7th - 07:57am | Bob Janiskee

Sabattis, the people who diss Steamtown -- and that is a LOT of park advocates -- have no quarrel with the commemoration of railroading history in the National Park System. The issue centers on the tainted political process that resulted in the selection of the Steamtown site.

May 6th - 21:40pm | Sabattis

I'm a bit dismayed by the comment that blows off "Steamtown" as political pork. Railroading is a very large part of our Nation's historical and cultural heritage - to me it seems only appropriate that there should be a National Park Service Unit devoted to interpreting this historical and cultural legacy.

May 6th - 13:06pm | Lone Hiker

"We the People" ceased to be the government since the onset of the 2-party system, both losers know matter how you define the term. You have no true options any longer when it comes to your representation in Washington. Recently some good men have made the trip, seen the system, refused to play and left after one term.

NPS Retirees Oppose Carrying Guns in National Parks

May 7th - 04:49am | Marcia

Linda, you obviously know nothing about bears. Just ask an Alaskan about bears. People who know about bears will not even put out their garbage without a gun. As people encroach on the space of bears they lose their fear of humans. This in turn increases the likelihood of an attack. And I sorry to tell you my friend but bear spray is virtually useless in most real life situations.

May 7th - 04:40am | Marcia

T-Fly

Lake Powell Expected to Rise 50 Feet This Summer

May 6th - 15:51pm | Lone Hiker

The "sky is falling" amateur climatologists love to point out the increase in man-made carbon dioxide emissions due to the automobile and the mechanisms related to the Industrial Revolution. All well and good. But as Bob pointed out above, our Mother Earth and her environment is a slightly more complicated issue than we would care to imagine.

May 6th - 15:14pm | Anonymous

So you're happier with the theoretical benefit not losing our place on Earth with species extinctions, habitat loss & environmental disasters. If you lived in the southwest, you would have been out of water for the last few years had it not been for Lake Powell. I think we should do all we can to make it easier for humans.

Yellowstone Bison Population Healthy; Montana Priming For Hunts

May 6th - 14:32pm | Sean

If the available range for bison is expanded, it might be nice to be able to hunt them the same as deer or elk. Idaho and wyoming are all about elk feed grounds because they make so much money via outfitters, even if these turn into disease hot-spots.

2008 National Park Service Centennial Projects Run the Gamut, From Traveling Trunks to Biodiversity Inventories

May 6th - 06:39am | Sabattis

From a basic accounting standpoint, expenditures on items that are greater than $5,000 and have a useful life of greater than one year, are typically considered to be capital expenditures, and would not typically be funded out of an "operations budget." At some point, I think it would be good to not be so grumpy.

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