| Page 1534 | National Parks Traveler

There's no escaping it. Whether practiced on elk, bison, feral hogs, or white-tailed deer, the use of firearms for the "lethal reduction" of wildlife populations in or near our parks is a bloody business. Some animals meet a violent end, and even if it is for the greater good, that is certainly a very sad thing.

Dec 11th - 21:32pm | Anonymous

Kudos to Superintendent Vaughn Baker and the Rocky Mountain NP staff for the courage to use the science to make a difficult decision in favor of the resource. Supt. Baker also did that last year on air quality issues. While no one wants to see elk killed, what is more at stake is the vegetation and ecological community structure that too many elk destroy.

Dec 11th - 15:38pm | Anonymous

I think the first line of your report speaks volumes - Incroaching civilation and lack of predators. I know something needs to be done, but if you are spending that much money, why not just move the elk to other areas, such as MO., KS., or Minnesota, that has the grasslands to support them. Just don't kill them cause man needs more room. These are God's creatures, too.

Economic Greed Tarnishes Our National Park System

Dec 16th - 08:20am | Lone Hiker

I just love a good cynic! Careful there Bob, some people are going to misinterpret your closing line as though you actually DO support corporate charges within the system. I've tried "leaving it between the lines" before, and rarely does anyone read the intent, only the words. Whatever happened to interpretative thought anyway?

Dec 16th - 05:30am | Bob Janiskee

Selfishness. Greed. Consider that these might be exactly the words to use here. They are human dispositions, and for some they are the most powerful driving force in life. Me! Me! Me! Me! More! More! More! More! You have thousands of miles of miles of groomed snowmobile trails that you can use on private property and in the national forests and the state parks.

Dec 16th - 05:27am | Billy

Gerald, your statements are for the most part on the mark. One exception; National parks are basicly set asides for "preservation" while other public lands are to be managed for the good of all and for economic purposes that benefit the nation, not just a few. Radical greenies , rather than good public policy, have dominated public lands issues for decades.

Dec 15th - 21:29pm | jsmacdonald

I'm glad here that we are talking about the history of the parks - and Yellowstone, in particular - in terms of the harsh reality behind their birth and their present.

Dec 15th - 18:47pm | Lone Hiker

It appears to this observer that the real sticking point lies within the phrase "varied use of the parks", which like the terms "federal" and "national" can be defined to reflect the intentions and peronsal interests of the beholder.

Dec 15th - 18:26pm | Anonymous

Aldo Leopold was a hippie socialist. What "Bush slant" did he use?

Dec 15th - 15:59pm | Anonymous

Gerald, give me a example of "good science" and give me a example of "junk science" in regards to you comments (without the Bush slant). It appears to me you have no concept in what your talking about, instead you go on this anti-environmental tirade of nonsense.

Dec 15th - 15:42pm | Merryland

Wyoming is a damn big state -- there's plenty of snow to snowmobile elsewhere without abusing the National Parks. Lots of National Forests and lots of BLM land in Wyoming and surrounding states, and Wyoming is the least populous state per square mile, so there's room to rumble just about anywhere they are. The National Park belongs to the entire country, not just Wyomingites.

Dec 15th - 15:12pm | Bob Janiskee

What Gerald seems to be proposing is that the national parks should function like the national forests, national grasslands, and BLM lands when it comes to accommodating recreational use. I submit that Congress knew exactly what it was doing when it ordered the National Park Service to adhere to a higher standard of resource protection than that which prevails in these other public lands.

Dec 15th - 14:18pm | Gerald

The abundant extractive resources that exist in these parks are already off-limits to the American people (yes, the corporations are the American people via the fact that most of us own mutual funds in mining, oil, & timber companies). But that's O.K....we want to see them pristine...to a common-sense point.

Cape Lookout National Seashore Visitors Seem to Prefer Things Rustic

Dec 15th - 23:50pm | Merryland

That's exactly what I love about Okracoke Island -- not a lot of people, cold showers at best, and not much else but sand, beach grass, and the incessantly pounding surf. how can you "improve" on something like that? Commercial Services -- BAH HUMBUG!

Are The National Parks Not Part of Our Federal Lands?

Dec 15th - 22:24pm | Anonymous

I don't remember the mission statement saying "Make available for a fee". Your homework for this week includes: 1. How many parks have suffered from budget cuts? (look up the numbers) 2. How much money does each park recieve from fee demo? 3.

Dec 15th - 11:48am | Gerald

You are right on, Lone Hiker. An individual park yearly pass is a pittance to pay for what the visitor gets...at a cost of one meal for two in your average restaurant. Two meals for the America the Beautiful Pass. Keep the fees. User pays. Low income folks spend lots of money on beer and cigarettes, so no lame excuses there either.

Dec 15th - 09:37am | Bob Janiskee

Lone Hiker is right on target with that complaint about government officials using important words like "federal" and "democracy" without due regard for their nuances of meaning.

Dec 15th - 07:55am | Lone Hiker

I sure there's a reasonable explanation, something akin to nobody in government being aware or making public admission of the nuances separating the terms "federal" from "national" and "democracy" from "republic". These four terms are bandied about freely and without concern for the distinct differences between the two ideals.

Dec 14th - 21:03pm | Anonymous

This comment will probably not be added to the website (its too political): If we have money to take care of Iraq, why don't we have money to take care of America?

Dec 14th - 18:31pm | Dan Liddle

If you want to be taxed only once then you need to pay a true cost the first time. The problem comes from cutting the budgets and expecting improvements at the parks. This forces the park to behave like a private entity that charges at the door. This one example of privatizing public assets through the unending call for "small government".

Dec 14th - 10:22am | rscottjones

I hear what you're saying, but it seems like the first step in rolling back all these user fees should be eliminating them in the remote, "non-destination" areas. At least in national park units you usually get at least some "added value," whether that's ranger led-hikes, a bookstore, or at least a visitor center with a map.

Secret Service View Teddy Mather As Protestor, Not Presidential Material

Dec 14th - 19:41pm | Lone Hiker

If I may steal these immortal words from one of our country's supposedly noble "presidential material"....... Let me make one thing perfectly clear.

Dec 14th - 15:43pm | jsmacdonald

So does the Secret Service (SS) become the arbiter of what's whacko speech? Is that relevant to the free speech issue?

Dec 14th - 12:51pm | Anonymous

Welcome back Gerald, you never did say what your so called Ph.D. was in. Look's like NASA recent photo's and weather research reports on global warming doesn't reflect the work done by a bunch of whackos (expert climatologist). Pretty conclusive evidence that global warming is mostly man induced. Now, you wouldn't be working for the coal industry would you?

Dec 14th - 11:57am | Gerald

As long as so-called "conservationists" keep talking the "global warming" hoax, NO ONE is going to take them seriously. They will just been seen as a fringe group of whackos. PARK ISSUES are what they (NPCA) should be focused on. Better campgrounds, better roads, repaired infrastructure, better interp displays.

Dec 14th - 09:30am | haunted hiker

My apologies Lone Hiker, I misread, the intern got in. Still, being "off put" by a comment doesn't make it law suit worthy. The bear got bluff charged. He'll get over it.

Dec 13th - 16:01pm | Lone Hiker

One of us missed something hh-

Dec 13th - 11:20am | haunted hiker

Teddy Mather should be grateful to the Secret Service. Now he's actually interesting. At least for 15 minutes. This is a funny story. I love it. But some of you are taking this WAY too seriously.

Dec 13th - 10:21am | Anonymous

Right on Lone Hiker! Incidentally, did you watch that piece by ABC-TV news last night (12/12/07) on the big Christmas dinner bash that the lobbyist put on for the Washington bureaucrats? Talk about special interests, big money and corporate pimping. I'm sure all the jet boat and snowmobile companies were well represented. Yap, Rome lives well in DC! Oink! OinK! here piggy, piggy!

Dec 13th - 08:14am | Lone Hiker

I just want to let you know that we’re going to let you in, but we’re watching you. We know who you are. We know you’re with the bear. Any funny stuff and you’re going to be arrested. This is federal property and it won’t be pretty

Dec 13th - 06:25am | jsmacdonald

What's sadder still is that protesters of all kinds are treated like this. This is a typical, if fairly mild version, of what I have experienced hundreds of times.

Dec 12th - 21:12pm | p.scott rattermann

It' sad to think that a person in a bear suit representing OUR national parks is escorted out of a political event. what has this world come to? if one of the current candidates had only 1% of the insight of Teddy Roosevelt i would vote for that person. but for now the bear is the best thing going. give em hell teddy you've got my vote.

Conservation Groups Urge National Park Service to Reinstate Jet Ski Bans

Dec 14th - 08:59am | Bob Janiskee

Every single person who contributes comments to NPT is a resource -- somebody with experiences to share, insights to offer, questions to challenge us with. Consider J Longstreet, for example. Isn't it great that a park superintendent wants to share in our forum?

Dec 13th - 22:31pm | Anonymous

Frank, it's your constant scab picking at that NPS that irritates. We understand your grievances run deep and hard, but your losing your point by the constant brow beating on the parks. The less said, the better the impact! I think you're being a bit overly sensitive about Kurt's comments about slowing the constant negativity. You have made your point many times over.

Dec 13th - 06:36am | Anonymous

If people tell you that your negative energy sucks the life out of a room when you enter it, it's time to take a long, hard look at the way you relate to others.

Dec 12th - 22:08pm | Anonymous

Frank and Beamis, I don't read every post; I browse NPT selectively. I'm nonetheless pleased to see that we agree on some things and that you've on occasion been complimentary to NPS employees. It's a nice side of you guys; you should try using it more often.

Dec 12th - 18:42pm | Rick Smith

Good evening--

Dec 12th - 10:46am | Anonymous

Geez, I hate to see these four guys working in the same park: Longstreet, Beamis, Frank and Merryland! Could be utter chaos! With each quoting something from Muir to Bernard Shaw, all trying to out do each other rhetorically, if not poetically or politically in words or deeds. Amazing bunch! Long Live The Parks! P.S. I think Longstreet is on to something positive.

Dec 12th - 05:34am | Merryland

And yet, every once in a while, criticism and cynicism are inextricably linked...

Dec 11th - 21:16pm | Anonymous

I have spent a good portion of my career in water parks, Beamis, but I am not going to tell you which one I work in right now. All I will say is that I'm proud of what has happened under my tenure and the resource has come out consistently first in my decisions.

National Parks Contribute Holiday Ornaments to White House Christmas Tree

Dec 13th - 13:34pm | Glenn Scofield ...

Oh my God. There really IS an Andersonville Prison NHS Christmas Tree Ornament! I thought Beamis was being sarcastic! Read about it here: http://www.daltondailycitizen.com/statenews/cnhinsall_story_345145913.html. Unfortnately, there's no photo...

Park Service's Top Investigator Pleads Guilty To Theft

Dec 13th - 10:09am | MDI Man

It's not just the NPS. There seems to be a moral and ethical decline in our society. I dealt with Pat on another business level and I found that she was not completely honest. This is something I have been experiencing this with increasing frequency with clients. To generalize, I think it's a two fold problem.

Big Cypress National Preserve: The Latest Battleground Over ORVs in the Parks

Dec 12th - 10:27am | Anonymous

It is the Big Cypress NATIONAL Preserve! Not the "Handfull Of People Who Want To Lock It Up And Bar Everyone Preserve"! I am a Moderate Thinker! I try to always see BOTH sides of an argument. I believe a balance can always be struck. While I'm not for destroying the land, I am for USING the land!

Birds Songs From Around The World

Dec 12th - 10:08am | Linda O'Neal

Haunted - thanks for the AuTrain link. I could spend an entire day going through all the information. As an aside to Kurt, where it says "Listen Here", there is nothing to listen to.

Dec 11th - 10:39am | haunted hiker

Oooooh! I SO want this book for Christmas! Thanks for telling us about it. Here's a link on the Au Train Bird Song Trail http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/hiawatha/recreation/hiking/au_train_song...

Entrance Fee Repeal Legislation Would Have Little Impact on National Parks

Dec 12th - 05:30am | Bill Roberts

Totally agree with the bill. I'm don't think Americans should be taxed twice for enjoying the great outdoors. Some of the heavily visited parks ... yes. Yosemite has to have it's own jail because the traffic is so heavy!

Big Cypress National Preserve: Is More ORV Access In Bear Island Unit Wise?

Dec 11th - 12:26pm | Tom

I have to comment on the photo displayed. This is exactly what a "ORV" trail looks like, but as an "ORV" user I've seen these trails many times at their worst and came back the following year and could hardly tell there was a trail there.

Grand Canyon Officials Release EA on Bright Angel Trailhead Improvements

Dec 11th - 07:54am | Tracy

I recently hiked The Bright Angel Trail out to Plateau Point... very proud of it since I hadn't done anything like that before! : ) Goodness was it beautiful! And I got fabulous photos too... although I don't know who wouldn't! It would be hard to get a bad one.

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