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Whatever Became of the Decommissioned National Parks?

Mar 24th - 21:48pm | Eric

If you are interested in the topic, it is well worth checking out Dr. Alan Hogenauer's interesting, fun and well researched article "Gone, But Not Forgotten: The Delisted Units of the U.S. National Park System" in The George Wright Forum, Volume 7, Number 4, 1991 You can download a copy here: http://www.georgewright.org/074.pdf

Mar 24th - 20:51pm | Barky

Based on encroachment, gentrification, motorized recreation, and other threats to natural and historic treasures, I'd love to see more NPS involvement, not less. The answer to an underfunded and over-worked NPS is to properly fund and staff it, not knuckle under pressure to decommission sites.

Mar 24th - 20:02pm | Anonymous

Regarding the comment about the site devoted to the fur trade, Bent's Fort NHS already does the job. But, as a "faithfully reconstructed" Fort on the footprint of the original fort I might question its national significance.

Mar 24th - 11:25am | pkrnger

Due to the powerful economic forces of modern-day tourism, as well as community pride in local green spots on the map officially designated as part of the NPS, I think it will be very difficult, if not impossible, to decommission any unit of the NPS.

Mar 24th - 09:49am | robmutch

I wonder if this argument of decommissioning National Park Service (NPS) units doesn't buy into the hands of those who want to privatize our public lands and sell them off. Wouldn't this be giving them what they want? The problem is not a National Park Service that is too large, but, a philosophy of complete free trade that will cure all our ills...a very bad idea.

Mar 24th - 09:24am | Ellen F Fisher

I am uncomfortable with the idea of turning over any of the historical National Parks to the Department of Defense. I have been very positively impressed by the neutral position taken by National Park interpretive rangers, when providing information about sites where people may have strong, differing, points of view.

Mar 24th - 07:52am | MRC

And while I am at it:

Mar 24th - 07:37am | MRC

The National Park System evolved over time. All those units were seen as of national relevance at one time. And the scope of the National Park Service changed: The very first National Park was founded as a playground or park for the enjoyment and benefit of the people. Since the Organic Act conservation moved into the fore ground.

Missing Cavers at Great Smoky Mountains National Park Ill-Prepared

Mar 24th - 20:48pm | Anonymous

Hey guys...I have been caving and cave diving all of my life. Caving is like climbing a mountain...Most of the careless misstakes happen on the way out or down. In this case "Out and Up!"

Mar 23rd - 22:49pm | S. White

This story reminds me of a preacher from small town Ohio who took a group of people from his church on a wilderness trip to Alaska, TWICE! Both times they had to be rescued. Kids trying to negotiate glaciers in tennis shoes, wearing cotton, and peeing orange from dehydration. Of course he had all the proper gear. These guys are lucky anybody found them, let alone alive still!

Mar 22nd - 11:31am | Anonymous

adventures are fun, but rule of thumb always be prepared for the unseeable, waterproof matches,dry packaged food or drink, blanket, proper clothing. When will people learn? So many deaths could have been prevented in mountains caves and other places if only a little time spent studying and preparing.These kids were lucky this time.

Battle Mounts Over Off-Road Vehicles at Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Mar 24th - 19:42pm | eringale

As a lifelong North Carolinian, I have worked on the outer banks and members of my family have been going to Hatteras and Ocracoke for over 50 years. Being able to drive on the outer banks is one of the things that makes it special. However, we do need to take steps to preserve this precious resource.

Mar 20th - 15:07pm | Big EL

"Harp (not verified) On March 19th, 2008 A Quote by martin luther. Come now. I have been to the previously mentioned beaches and hate all the vehicles there. I think they should limit the amount of vehicles per day. We are caretakers of the earth but not at the expense of ourselves."

Mar 20th - 10:34am | Big EL

I agree with you Snowbird06. Unfortunatley this is typically what happens when outlandish claims are responded to with intelligent and accurate facts. Peace

Mar 20th - 09:10am | Snowbird

Snowbird06 Geez you guys stop the nit picking and get on with resolving the problems at the Cape with some concrete solutions.

Mar 20th - 03:51am | Anonymous

Ship, So you're saying they shot a second fox which they did not report? Are your photos online anywhere? Can you post them?

Mar 19th - 12:48pm | kevin mc cabe

Once again, all I hear is half the story. The Audubon and DOW collect money from people across the United States to fight their personnal battles by publishing untrue stories and numbers. The Park has done a good job with the shorebirds and no piping plover has ever been run over by an ORV! The picture shown was the most crowed day ever and was taken on the 4th of July I bet.

Mar 19th - 12:11pm | Big EL

Boy, this thread sure has deteriorated. As far as wildlife being eradicated in order to protect selected species the facts are available. It has been done and will more than likely continue.

Missing Cavers Found At Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Mar 24th - 10:20am | NoBrainer

Incidents like this just amuse me. These fools should be fined and should be liable for the payrolls of all involved searching for them because these rescue workers could be off doing their normal jobs instead of saving morons with last minute whims!

Mar 22nd - 07:14am | James

That is why I could not be a park ranger, to risk my life and the lives of other park rangers and rescue personnel to search for a group of nimrods like this. Yet the national park rangers do it every year, throughout our national park system. My hat's off to the brave park rangers, which is more than I can say for the stupid "hikers" that take unnecessary risks and chances.

Critics: Changing Gun Laws in National Parks Would Open a "Pandora's Box" of Problems

Mar 24th - 09:04am | Anonymous

Excuse me Dave! What church do you preach from? I hope these comments of yours aren't coming from the sermon at the mount...if they are I'm aghast!

Mar 24th - 07:09am | Dave

Take this from a retired lawman and current minister:

Should Uranium Mining Be Allowed Outside Grand Canyon National Park?

Mar 22nd - 09:49am | amy

Nuclear energy proponents never bring up the waste issue, that's true. Nor do they ever mention the the vulnerability-to-terrorist-attack issue. But what no one EVER brings up about nuclear is the carbon intensity it actually requires.

Mar 21st - 18:15pm | dennis

If there isn't any visual polution, damage to the landscape, a threat to the wildlife, and finally if there isn't an increase to the air polution, then I don't see any problem with the mining. It might help put some people back to work.

Mar 21st - 18:08pm | Glenn Scofield ...

Those who advocate nuclear power as an excellent alternative to oil never seem to recall the issue of nuclear waste. The words "long-term storage" is entirely inadequate to explain what is needed for the used waste any increase of nuclear energy will produce. What are we talking about leaving to the seventh generation?

Mar 21st - 12:02pm | Anonymous

Yes...we need more nuclear!!

Mar 21st - 09:15am | Joesf

Marylander,

Mar 21st - 01:03am | cheflovesbeer

No

Mar 20th - 14:51pm | Marylander

I am not sure how I feel about this... I have seen the exposed uranium mines in Capitol Reef National Park, which were made previous to the area becoming a National Park, and found it more interesting then scary. I have also seen many mines that quite honestly you would have never known, just driving by, that it was in fact an active mine.

National Park Service Revenues Down $1.3 Million On Transition to America The Beautiful Pass

Mar 21st - 10:11am | Anonymous

This headline of this post seems to be VERY misleading. When I do the math it looks like the NPS ended up with increased revenue for the year. (Almost $8 million dollars) The only thing that was down was the ATB annual pass, all other revenue categories were UP, park pass sales, entrance fees and senior passes.

Mar 19th - 11:58am | Anonymous

I refuse to buy park passes, even though it would save me a lot of money. I feel like I'm robbing NPS of the money it so desperately needs.

The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring

Mar 21st - 02:17am | M. D. Vaden of ...

It is a fine book, and I've read it twice. As you wrote, I did decide to find the Grove of Titans: http://www.mdvaden.com/grove_of_titans.shtml All the images are cropped, stitched and taken from angles that provide no clues aside from anything published already.

Parks and Tribe Establish Plan to Fight Fish Disease in Lake Superior

Mar 20th - 21:31pm | Anonymous

These Great Lakes national parks are some of the hidden gems of the NPS. It's too bad more Traveler readers don't know about them, otherwise I'm sure there would be more comments. Kudos to the NPS for standing up and being leaders to protect these parks, something rare in these times.

Man Drowns During Rafting Trip Through Grand Canyon National Park

Mar 20th - 16:33pm | Chris & Amy

Thanks for the call, Jessica. We've heard lots of info since I first posted this note, which I'm sure you have as well. Chris doesn't have Kellogg's number any more, so if you want to give us a call at the house or on the number I left on your answering machine, we'd love to give him a shout (anyway, not just because of this situation). I'm sure he's bummed, as we all are...

Mar 19th - 23:58pm | noeddyflower

Ranko (as I've always known him) was a great boater and a wonderful man. I will never forget the many amazing trips, talks, and times we have had. He is my father's friend and I have known him for my entire life. He gave the most amazing bear hugs and never failed to put a smile on my face. All I can say is, at least he was doing what he loved most when he died.

Mar 19th - 20:17pm | jamie

i know of two people on this trip, gretchin joslin and her husband sean. hope this helps

Mar 19th - 17:08pm | Jessica P.

Amy, get a hold of Greg K. he'll have info.

Crews Remove Garbage From Marijuana Farms in Sequoia National Park

Mar 20th - 16:30pm | RangerTyler

"Ah, what the liberalism of the 60's has wrought...."

Groups Ask Congressmen To Help Halt Killing of Yellowstone National Park Bison

Mar 20th - 10:42am | jsmacdonald

To add to Pronghorn's point, actually the feds are only right now (press release released yesterday) starting to test before they slaughter - a very flawed test at that, which leads to flawed management decisions (for instance, males cannot transmit the disease, no thought is given to herd integrity, treating animals as mere individuals).

Mar 19th - 22:09pm | Pronghorn

kat...the federal government is not playing an active role to stop the slaughter because the federal government is COMMITTING the slaughter...along with Montana. The management of YNP bison falls to the US Forest Svc., the Nat'l Park Svc., USDA/APHIS (all federal), Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and Montana Dept. of Livestock.

Paper Calls For Park Service To Protect Wildlife From ORVs on Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Mar 20th - 09:26am | Snowbird

Snowbird06 Where's all the fire and fury for this article. Looks like the "Raleigh News and Observer" has put some strong emphasis on the need for a good comprehensive plan to resolve the massive beach front traffic at the Cape. Three years to wait for such a plan seems like it's still in mothballs on the drawing boards...so the bickering goes on!

Studies Show Bear Spray More Effective Than Guns Against Grizzlies

Mar 20th - 09:01am | Anonymoustoo

Well bear sprays come in hip holsters, Counter Assault anyway, where you can just shoot from the hip. Also if you are in an area that looks like bears are indeed around you should have your spray out at the ready.

Mar 20th - 05:38am | Anonymous

chances are of getting your gun out, aiming and shooting about the same as getting your spray out aiming and spraying and if the sound of the spray would scare the bear then the sound of a gun would do the same. don't get me wrong, I don't think a side arm would stop a bear only make him mad, unless it's a mini cannon.

Mar 19th - 20:01pm | Eric

To all of those who think you need (or should have the right) to to carry fire arms in the national parks for defense of bears or people let me say this: I personally have witnessed a bear being shot while charging.

Mar 19th - 17:14pm | Anonymoustoo

Just curious, but why do people want to carry an unloaded gun into a park?

Mar 19th - 15:06pm | Steve Sergeant

Fred Miller wrote: This issue isn't about bears. It's about rights I guess I misread Kurt's title of this article: Studies Show Bear Spray More Effective Than Guns Against Grizzlies

Mar 19th - 15:01pm | repanshek

Fred, true, the 1st Amendment gives us the right to speak our minds, but there are laws against slandering folks, inciting a riot, and shouting "fire" in a crowded theater. Keeping that in mind, I don't think it's unreasonable, or an infringement on the 2nd Amendment, to have laws that dictate where weapons are allowed or in what manner they might be transported.

Mar 19th - 14:42pm | Fred Miller

As you know, I am a strong supporter of gun rights. This issue isn't about bears. It's about rights, like we are exercising in this blog. We don't all agree, but we have the right to say what we feel as guaranteed by the 1st amendment.

Mar 19th - 13:03pm | ACole

In response to tom:

Sen. Obama Non-committal on Carrying Loaded Weapons in National Parks

Mar 19th - 11:45am | jsmacdonald

Interestingly, tom, the state regs generally don't apply to Yellowstone National Park, which has its own judicial system and its own history. It could, however, apply to Grand Teton. (For instance, look at fishing regs in both parks). And, yet, those parks, in terms of access, are generally administered together (though sometimes you have to go through gates at both parks).

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