| Page 23 | National Parks Traveler

My concerns have to do with HUMANS as they seem to continue to think that they can control & eliminate every problem that occurs with non-humans anywhere. This is the first time that this issue with these Majestic Horses have been brought to my attention....As difficult as it is for human beings to admit, all life forms have similar ways of being.....All wish not to be harmed and instincti

Apr 20th - 13:51pm | Celilo

Perhaps Cumberland Island resident Carol Ruckdeschel and any of the otherr plaintiffs should be removed from Cumberland for their disruption of the environment? What a stupid and deceitful lawsuit.

Apr 19th - 17:53pm | Mary Skirving

Please save them

Apr 19th - 10:25am | Lisa McCune-Noll

My concern is if they are successful, next they'll go after the Chincoteague ponies, which A) seem far more adapted to their island life, B) are successfully managed on Assateague Island, and C) are speciallized enough that they are recognized as their own breed of horse/pony.

Apr 19th - 08:47am | Marcia

They have been there since the 1700's, and now you want them o all be removed? How about culling to herd to half the number? Is there a monetary motive in this law suit?

Traveler's View | Rethinking National Park Access

Apr 22nd - 01:59am | Mike B.

This is a good idea, at least for some parks. A few years ago, after winning an NPS lottery, I took a ranger-led overnight backpacking visit to a site called Crack in the Rock in the backcountry of Wupatki National Monument. It was wonderful, not just the site but the hike getting there. I shudder to think what some bozos might do to this relatively intact site if access were not controlled.

Apr 21st - 12:28pm | John A.

Some areas within National Parks have required "guides" to access for many decades. Examples being many caves and archeological sites such as Mesa Verde.

Apr 21st - 09:23am | snochasr

Sounds more like a reasonable request for more Rangers to simply be present at the main sites to police the few people who are incapable of policing themselves-- throwing trash, harassing wildlife, straying off trail. Don't punish the many responsible visitors to curb the few idiots.

Surveys Point To Public Satisfaction With Arches National Park Reservations System

Apr 21st - 16:15pm | Fred

It's not clear whether people who did not receive a reservation were interviewed and whether they were satisfied with the reservation system. If only people who received a reservation were interviewed then it's not surprising that they were satisfied. if this is the case you conclusion of the popularity of the reservation system is a misrepresentation of the reservation system.

Greater Bicycle Access To National Parks Coming With New Revisions to NPS Bicycle Plan

Apr 20th - 07:43am | Randy Zylstra

I have a different angle to pursue. Is there talk about encouragi g bicycles as alternatives to cars ENTERING the parks? So if I decide to bike into the park, must I enter the mile long line of cars in order to do so? Might it encourage better environmental impact to encourage more convwnient bicycle access? Randy

National Park Service Continues To Score Low In Best Places To Work Survey

Apr 19th - 20:22pm | Leah

It's a similar issue to teaching. You have to be educated and get into college debt for many of these jobs, and many are actually highly skilled. However, the salaries are low and there is an expectation of working seasonally for quite some time. This is very challenging for many people and leads to massive turnover. The lack of consistency harms teambuilding and workplace dynamics.

Mystery Photo 60 Revealed: You're Heading For Laramie Peak!

Apr 19th - 07:04am | Erin Lassley

I watched a video on youtube where a guy zooms in with his camera and sure enough - you can see Laramie Peak and Chimney Rock. With the naked eye - not so much.

Federal Agencies Directed To Develop Policies For Migratory Corridors

Apr 18th - 15:30pm | Bob Fisher

Federal Agencies Directed To Develop Policies For Migratory Corridors article. A hopeful story, but the map used, is alarmingly inaccurate in one major respect: The Central Flyway for migratory birds suggests they go nowhere near to southern portions of the Great lakes, whereas the S end of Lake Michigan sees as much as 0.5 billion nocturnal migratory birds in spring.

Fatal Fall from Angels Landing in Zion National Park

Apr 18th - 09:32am | Johnny boy

My son and I did the hike the same day and were told about it the next day while hiking in Bryce Canyon by a couple we had met the previous day on angels landing. We did the hike the following year and there was yellow caution tape along a stretch of the saddle where one might be tempted to walk the sandy path.

Traveler's View: À La Carte Parks?

Apr 16th - 23:00pm | sajohnson

As taxpayers, we all pay for plenty of things we do not benefit from -- not directly anyway. If everything was "fee for service" public transportation (currently subsidized) would be a lot more expensive; libraries would charge a fee; public schools would charge tuition, etc. Of course there would be people who could not afford to pay.

Apr 7th - 09:53am | snochasr

A fair point, but having the NPS operate these systems involves them in something they are not best qualified to do, AND the costs are distributed to every taxpayer, not just those who are using it and getting the benefit.

Apr 7th - 08:32am | GLA

Where necessary, I support both reservations and lotteries, because I feel that managing over-crowding does help to preserve the resources and to enhance the experiences. However, I think both making, and cancelling, reservations as well as signing up for lotteries should be free and run by the NPS and not a for-profit business.

Apr 6th - 10:11am | snochasr

The normal way to allocate scare resources is by price-- those who can afford it purchase whatever it is, and those who cannot do without. There is a great amount of park experience available for just the entry fee, and that is probably small compared to the cost of getting there. Most of the rest of the fees, though, are for experiences that most do not have the time nor ability to take anyw

Valles Caldera: A Diamond In The Rough?

Apr 16th - 14:25pm | Anonymous

Many of the issues discussed above I believe are the result of mismanagement that are directly related to the superintendent's decisions. The superintendent often says what is palatable--for example, he wishes to preserve the parks values while also increasing visitation. However, his actions are very different.

Fishing Closure Extended On Elwha River And Tributaries In Olympic National Park

Apr 14th - 09:57am | Rodney

The upper Elwha had a healthy trout population prior to the dam removal. It's was the best trout fishing in western Washington.

Mammoth Cave National Park Harbors More Than A Few Ghost Stories

Apr 12th - 09:41am | Obama

Highly recommend.

UPDATE | Lawsuit Alleges Recreation.Gov Is Cluttered With "Junk Fees," Seeks Refunds

Apr 10th - 10:29am | Barney Rubble

Be mad at the Government for structuring the contract this way. In case you don't understand how federal contracting works, bidders typically bid to terms and conditions written by the Government and have to include a statement that they agree with all terms and conditions of the solicitation.

Mar 18th - 12:02pm | Fee was more th...

I paid $7 for my campsite at The Bank campground of Shelf Road in Colorado. I was charged $8 in junk fees from Booze, totaling $15. His fees were more than the campsite itself and I talked with the BLM who's land it's on, none of those fees go back to the land.

Fossilized Tracks Stolen From Death Valley National Park

Apr 10th - 07:47am | Vicky

We're the people an/or tracks eve found?

Are Deer Disappearing from Cade's Cove?

Apr 6th - 20:54pm | Tommy Kirkland

Social media is periodically posting videos of predators attacking cervids (deer, mule deer, etc.); and or deer defending against predators and domestic dogs in suburban America. As for the coyotes attacking deer fawns in the wild, the majority of these videos are where deer and other animals (raccoons, predators, etc.) feed within close proximity, primarily with supplemental feeders.

At New River Gorge National River, an Iconic Bridge Attracts Suicide Jumpers

Apr 6th - 07:53am | Mary Biercewicz

I am so sorry for your loss. My son in-laws car was found on the bridge on Sunday 4/2/23 with evidence on the coastline that he jumped but no body as of yet. My daughter just had their first child in Novembe. It's all so devastating. He had attempted suicide in February but was unsuccessfu. He was hospitalized for 4 days and sent home with medication. The system totally failed my family.

Woman Falls to Her Death in Yellowstone

Apr 5th - 16:15pm | Susan Drewke

Alex Chamberlin. I believe that might have been your mother. if so, I am so very sorry for the loss of your mother, and for what your family has suffered. I have no ability to understand how you deal with this kind of horrific loss. But I do know how to empathize. I apologize on behalf of my fellow human beings for the insensitive comments I have read here.

Creature Feature: Some Squirrels Really Can Fly

Apr 3rd - 21:31pm | Lucas Adams

I saw one in Kings Canyon, which is near Sequia National Park, it was about 4 or 5 years ago.

The Trouble With Horses On Cumberland Island

Apr 3rd - 14:41pm | Maureen

I just got back from a visit to the island with the main motivating purpose for traveling there was to see those horses. I unlike the people you described did not leave with a warm fuzzy feeling. I have been since dreaming of what I would do if I had money to take the newborns at least from the island and bring them to a new and more nurturing home.

What Does Four Million Visits Mean To Acadia?

Apr 2nd - 16:18pm | Kka

I have been coming to Acadia for over 30 years, almost always in the off season. Over the past several years, the number of people on the trails has skyrocketed. today I was on a trail that used to be primarily known only to locals, may Park employees. It used to be a barely discernible path thrPugh the woods.

Boulder Dam National Recreation Area – Forgotten but Not Gone?

Apr 2nd - 14:36pm | Ken cole

I have visited almost all of the federal parks in the lower 48 states this year I will visit the lake mead Boulder recreational area I'll be coming from Florida on my trip west

Take A Virtual Tour Of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park With This Video

Mar 30th - 07:54am | Kathy

The lava flowing like that was so satisfying

Booz Allen Seeks Dismissal Of Recreation.Gov Lawsuit

Mar 29th - 00:05am | More drunk Booz...

Since the federal government sets the fee scale, not Booz Allen, the plaintiffs have failed to state a valid claim.

Mar 28th - 23:33pm | James

If you have experience with these agencies. You probably know that RFPs. Especially federal RFPs, aren't always have to be neutral or fair. In fact.

Mar 28th - 20:29pm | Booz is drunk, ...

Yes. Do you think a federal contractor is really doing this out of a benevolent civic duty? It's to make money off the government and public. The contract is highly redacted unfortunately but we can see that Booz wants to drive transactions and proposes their own fee schedule BACK to the government and we the public cannot even see it nor be engaged in the accountability of it.

Mar 21st - 15:12pm | Anonymous

So let me get this straight, a federal agency creates an RFP, outlines what kind of system they want, what they want it to do, how it should operate, financially how the contractor who builds and operates it will be paid. A contractor bids on and wins that contract, performs the work to the government's liking, and operates under the terms outlined by the government.

Mar 15th - 20:31pm | ecbuck

I agree with Kurt. We need to see the contract before we cast aspersions. Thanks Kurt for pushing for the transparency.

Mar 15th - 17:50pm | Get them under oath

Booz is absolutely trying to obfuscate. It appears they regularly use the language 'fees' as to imply "hey we don't charge the public anything, the forest service says it's $15 to stay at that campsite, that's all we charge" --- "anything else is just part of the contract!"

Mar 15th - 17:18pm | thank you

Thank you for your coverage on this. It is clear BAH is trying to obfuscate to continue keeping their sweet and profitable contract which literally steals from our poorly funded public lands and their poorly paid employees. BAH should be ashamed.

Never Let the Facts Get in The Way of a National Park Promotion

Mar 28th - 01:49am | Janet Stubbs

This tree is actually the "Dead Giant" in Tuolumne Grove. It is a Sequoia. In 1991 we drove along old hwy 120 and through this "tunnel tree". I have pictures. When they rerouted hwy 120 they made a walking trail through Tuolumne Grove and the "Dead Giant".

Enthusiast Builds Website To Collect, Share Free National Park Maps

Mar 20th - 19:54pm | Robert Day

Is there a way to get one from Death Valley. I was there about a week ago and forgot to pick one up at the visitor center.

Op-Ed | Feral Horses Should Be Removed From Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Mar 19th - 11:11am | Castle MCLaughlin

I'd also like to add that another article "The Key to the Feral Horse Issue at TRNP is a Natural Ecosystem," published here on March 8, 2023 cites the superintendent as saying that M.Bovis is NOT an issue there although it has been found on other public lands in the greater Plains region. I could find no source on M. Bovis being found at TRNP other than Wuerthner's claim in this OP-ED.

Mar 18th - 16:26pm | Castle McLaughlin

Neither the author nor most people commenting are familiar with the facts about the Theodore Roosevelt horses or why the NPS has kept them as a "demonstration herd" for over 60 years. It isn't as if the horses just showed up.

Mar 13th - 11:49am | Lucille Carson

Hi Mike, Do you have scientific proof the horses are degrading the habitat? I would really like to use that proof in an article I am working on! Thank you so much! Lucille

Creature Feature: A Fairy Of A Different Sort

Mar 18th - 22:13pm | Emma G.

Capitol Reef also has fairy shrimp. You can go on a short hike to the "tanks" where the water pot holes they call tanks are filled with shrimp. I have seen them there in the spring and fall. Also, your article has been very helpful. I'm getting ready to give an interpretive presentation about fairy shrimp in Capitol Reef in a couple of weeks.

Aramark To Acquire Forever Resorts National Park Operations

Mar 15th - 17:54pm | JOSEPH BILITZO

What you are doing in Mormon Lake, Arizona ia a travesty. You bought into a community and have turned it upside down. You talk big about sustainability and enviromental footprint, but you close the Mormon Lake Waste Management Transfer Station. 600 plus properties in the community relied upon that transfer station to get rid of our garbage and green waste such as pine needles.

The Story Behind A Manitoba Park’s Iconic Log And Stone Gateway

Mar 13th - 09:43am | Glenn Jason

My Grandfather Adam Jason worked at Clear Lake during the depression his initials cannot be found anywhere , but proof of his skill of stone masonry can be viewed at my childhood residence at 353 Frederick Street Brandon , Manitoba which he left as a legacy in the 1950's . He was taught his trade in Poland and immigrated to Canada in 1914 .

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