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Wanderings From Cable Mountain In Zion National Park

Jan 21st - 10:38am | David Lawrence ...

David A Flanigan was my grandfather.  He had four sons but I am his only grandson with the Flanigan name.  One son died in a fire at a young age, and just daughters were born to uncle Alma.  Don Flanigan had no children.  My father, Orville, was 41 years old when I and my twin sister were born.

Rush To The Outdoors Has Challenged Recreation.Gov

Jan 21st - 09:32am | Jmr

I totally agree! How about half and half! 

Grizzly Bear Shot and Killed By Hikers In Denali National Park and Preserve

Jan 20th - 19:08pm | Harmon Everett

I think your first statement is false. There have been human fatalities caused by bears in Denali. I was backpacking there in 1977, and we were asked to stop hiking and camp at the campground because of a fatal bear attack the previous day. A nature photographer had been hiking by himself when a bear attacked him for apparantly no reason and tore him to shreds.

Former NPS Chief Historian Robert Utley Passes At 92

Jan 19th - 17:05pm | Castle McLaughlin

Bob Utley was a superb historian and a steller human being who steadfastly stood up for what was right. The NPS and the world at large needs more people like him. 

Should Horses And Cattle Be Removed From Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Jan 19th - 12:38pm | Marie29

You are so right!!  TRNP has removed several horses over the years and have people working hard to get them all adopted when they are removed.  Theses people have worked wonders and the horses have thankfully found wonderful homes.  The park also culls elk every few years - I think in 2022 they opened applications to injured military for the culling program.  I believe they also relocated 100 b

Jan 16th - 12:26pm | Bob Eckes

    Some 10 million years ago, up to a dozen species of horses roamed the Great Plains of North America. These relatives of the modern horse came in many shapes and sizes. Some lived in the forest, while others preferred open grassland. ( https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/horse/the-evolution-of-horses )

Jan 14th - 10:08am | Ernst Pijning

thank you for asking for public comments. I hope you will be able to keep the horses. Wasn't it Theodore Roosevelt himself who loved horses so much? What would it take to keep them?

Jan 13th - 17:00pm | Angela

They are not 'feral'. This is a derogatory term. They are a wild, indigenous sepcies. Yes, indigenous. The horse is native to North America. This is now being proven with DNA. If you want to cling to your outdated, cattle-industry bought 'studies', you are falling for lies. These horse are magnificent and benefit the environment, the cattle do not and the cattle shoud be removed.

Jan 12th - 22:25pm | Theresa johnson

Horse have been in this beautiful natural habitat for a century as have the cowboys & Indians, this is ND pride, keep and preserve our great herirage!

Dec 30th - 22:05pm | Peg Anderson

Removing cattle and horses is not a good idea because you need the grazing in order to balance the natural ecosystem. If you remove them completely, you will start seeing invasive species of plants. also, grazing helps sequester carbon. The key is to manage the herds. This is a win/win situation for tourism profits and the environmental impacts. 

Dec 25th - 13:11pm | Anonymous

Removing the horses will not end problems it will just create new problems.  Yes there is competition for food throughout the year but that's not due to the horses being there.  It's a balance that has been there now for decades.  Without horses the native animals will begin to over populate and then what will be done, a culling of native animals.  Right now across the board there should be a a

Dec 16th - 05:35am | DRS

Remove them. With ongoing deteriorating range conditions, the native animals take priority. lt is a park for wildlife, not livestock.

National Parks Traveler: What We're Not

Jan 18th - 08:26am | y_p_w

Loui: One critical service you do offer that you didn't list is that you provide John Q Public an opportunity to be heard by park employees and other shareholders about the pressing issues facing the Service. Way better than the comment card box at each park!

Dec 16th - 20:23pm | Loui

One critical service you do offer that you didn't list is that you provide John Q Public an opportunity to be heard by park employees and other shareholders about the pressing issues facing the Service. Way better than the comment card box at each park!

The Challenges Of Recreation.gov

Jan 15th - 20:40pm | Elizabeth

I agree, it appears someone hack the reservation system.   It is ridiculou!!!

Dec 20th - 09:48am | Karen Hahn

It really stinks that we try to book and all of the electric/water sites are full... so we book a primitive and get there and half of the electric/water are open... we are told by the ranger that they are booked and sit empty because people book extra days before they actuakky need them just to get in on the dates they want and then don't show up until they actually want the site...

Parking Reservations Coming To Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Jan 14th - 15:09pm | Ray Retired at 70

Just like at the University of Tennessee. You pay for parking and then no parking space available. It's not stated what the parking fine is if people stay longer than 15 mins. How to make the 98% of out of state people pay any fine for over parking?

Bears Lost Ironic Advocate in Jim Cole

Jan 14th - 07:52am | Ingrid Morgan (Cole)

Having read all of Tim's books and experienced Jim's research tactics first-hand, I am still never in the position to judge another person's heart and character...I can only inspect their behavior.

Big Spring Lodge, Cabins Rehabilitation Lags At Ozark National Scenic Riverways

Jan 13th - 11:42am | MO Mule

Any news on the progression of the updates to the cabins?  No one seems ready to venture an end date to the improvments.  

Archaeologists Recovering Soldiers' Remains From Unstable Ground At Vicksburg National Cemetery

Jan 6th - 13:12pm | thelma Sims Dukes

The article, written in 2020 did or did not know that the burials were in Section J and T.  These records incicate that affected and still at-risk  (January 6, 2023)  in Section J and Section  T of the National Cemetery are predominantly associated with the United States Colored Troops (USCT).  I am not saying this to indicate that I think that their is a problem of race in getting the cemetery

National Park Service Continues To Languish In "Best Places To Work" Survey

Jan 4th - 23:16pm | WaltD

Your comment makes no sense.  Yes, volunteers are mostly happy with their opportunities of working in the parks.  But volunteers are NOT NPS employees.  Nature and beauty only goes so far when the overwhelming percentage of employees have negative views of their agencies.

Great Basin National Park: It's More Than Simply A Cave

Jan 3rd - 18:04pm | student

Used this for my research project on te Great Basin. Facinating indeed!

Two Mountain Lions Found Dead At Santa Monica Mountains NRA

Jan 3rd - 17:05pm | Cacey

This is one of the saddest things I have heard about ecotourism. We have got to stop this! Stand against it, to keep these animals and our environment from suffering even more!

NPS Proposing To Permanently Close Parking Areas At Harpers Ferry

Jan 1st - 14:33pm | Retired Educator

Difficult situation- not a bad problem to have. Too many people wanting to see and the the park, and not having enough parking? put in new lots down on Shenandoah street as close as you can to the attractions and use permeable asphalt. Honestly you're discouraging people from using a National Historic Park when it's your mission to increase park usage and visitation.

National Park Service Proposing To More Than Double Visitation To Cumberland Island

Dec 31st - 08:19am | Elizabeth Jean ...

Please do not allow any additional visitors per day.  Keep Cumberland Island the way it is!!

Some Questions Raised Over Cumberland Island National Seashore's Human Carrying Capacity

Dec 30th - 09:59am | Heidi Benz

I believe To increase the daily visitors to the Island by more than double was never the intent of the this National Seashore. Has anybody studied the impact to the Island just by trash people leave behind? The wildlife including the horses will be the one who pay for all this! At least have a system in place before you allow such increase!

Revealing The 20-Million-Year-Old Secrets Of Agate Springs

Dec 27th - 07:48am | Chris Whitr

Also, don't miss the exhibits of the Cook collection of artifacts he collected from several Indian tribes

RVing In The Parks | Winter Can Be A Great Season To Explore The Parks

Dec 23rd - 11:55am | Lost in Utah

I sold my house in Moab in 2007 and got out. It was becoming unbearable way before that. A lot of locals left - many cherished the landscape. Then the ATV crowd came in, followed by massive tourism encouraged by the Tourism Board who was funded by monies from the resort rental market. Businesses gained overwhelming power by controlling the boards and local politics.

Judge: Commercial Filmmakers Don't Need Permits In National Parks

Dec 21st - 08:23am | Matt Seni

The laws being applied here are considerable when comparing this idea to a major motion picture vs a private party creating content for a small audience, at that point these productions bring in $100-1000 dollars depending on viewership and if that party is even monetizing the video to make profit.

The Challenges (And Rewards) Of Visiting Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Dec 20th - 17:02pm | Rob Richmond

A country with no borders open to everyone and anyone would soon become a "place where the darkest events in human history unfolds".  Have compassion for future generations, they will have enough problems with climate change, overpopulation, etc.

Dec 18th - 17:35pm | ecbuck

Gila, the dark underside isn't the wall which is invisible from the vast majority of the park.  The dark underside is the illegal immigration and drug and sex trade trafficing visible everywhere.       

Dec 18th - 16:40pm | Gila Monster

I was at the park just two weeks ago and asked myself the same questions as the author of this excellent article. How can a place so beautiful as this have such a dark underside?  I hope I will live to see the day that this monstrosity of a wall gets removed again. 

Dec 18th - 14:31pm | ecbuck

Kurt, regardless of the aboslute number or who the administration is, we should have ZERO tollerance for illegal immigration and drug smuggling - not to mention sex trafificing.  And, we certainly should not be aiding and abetting those activites in our National Parks.    

Dec 18th - 13:00pm | Kurt Repanshek

Mike, do you have any citations for your numbers (up to 5 million in the past two years)?According to the American Migration Council, in 2021 the number was 1.5 million. At the same time, Border Patrol agents carried out more than 1,000,000 expulsions and deportations.

Dec 18th - 12:17pm | Mike G

excellent comments Loui.  Our border protects our soverignty and should be and is required by law to be closed to unlimited entry.  The Biden administration has failed miserably in its duties to Americans regarding the border.

Dec 18th - 09:57am | Loui

If you encounter a group of pedestrians in the desert do you think you could tell the difference between the thirsty "migrants" and the armed and dangerous cartel operator who is smuggling them?  Do you think that smuggler wants you around so you can later report the group's location, size and direction of travel to law enforcement? 

Legislation Calls For Range Of Light National Monument

Dec 20th - 16:12pm | Michael Kellett

Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument in Maine is split about 50-50 between an area that allows hunting and one where it is banned. Also, it allows an existing snowmobile connecting trail to remain in use but bans other off-road motorized use. This was done in the presidential proclamation creating the monument. Congress could do the same thing here.

Dec 20th - 12:39pm | ecbuck

Unfortunately Rick, its not an easy answer.  The Antiquities Act falls short of any specific dos and don'ts.  It alllow the President to designate National Monuments but doesn't specify the protections thereby afforded.  Therefore it is left up to the bureaucratic state to act as legislator, executor and judge.   Must they shut the roads and stop hunting?  No.  Could they?  Yes.  There in lies

Dec 20th - 00:50am | Rick B.

Well, Rules Committee, what's the word. Thumbs up or down === are fire roads obliterated from a national monument? Same with hunting - is it forbidden or not? Should be easy answers.  

Dec 19th - 17:53pm | Jenny

The article says that livestock grazing and logging and off road vehicle use would be ended. As a monument, hunting would still be allowed. Monument status would still allow traffic on roads, both emergency vehicles and civilian ones.

Reservation Systems Returning To Arches, Glacier, And Rocky Mountain National Parks In 2023

Dec 20th - 12:54pm | Greg Anderson

The reservation systems for these three parks seem to be working well.  Does anyone know of reservation systems for other parks that have been ended and why they were ended?  Thanks.

Steps Being Taken At Great Smoky Mountains National Park To Halt Illegal Parking

Dec 20th - 00:53am | Rick B.

Sounds like a lot of clutter installed when all you needs is a greedy but authorized towing company.

Dec 19th - 18:41pm | John colles

Tow them, then the towing company and the county gets a kickback

Dec 18th - 22:42pm | Kathy A

GREAT Smokies could think about timed entry into paek during busy periods. I t does help spread out use without having to inrease parking.

Dec 18th - 16:33pm | Hal

Less visitors wouldn't be a bad thing. Definitely need to have parking restrictions people park where ever they want. Very rude and unsafe. Hopefully the admission fees can pay to have people towed that don't obey the proper parking 

Dec 17th - 13:10pm | Glenn

Visitors should plan ahead and come prepared with alternative destinations in case they do not find parking available at desired sites. By carefully choosing the time of day, time of year, and day of the week, visitors can help improve their chances of obtaining a safe parking space within designated, durable parking areas even at iconic destinations. 

Dec 15th - 18:56pm | SmokiesBackpacker

The Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge Chamber of commerce shut down a shuttle proposal for Cades Cove in the 90s. Heaven forbid rednecks would be prohibited from driving one tenth of a mile per hour and stopping at every deer sighting. It would have emptied the go kart tracks and buffets. Your notion would empty the casino in Cherokee.  Follow the money. It's always about money with the NPS. 

Graffiti In Jasper National Park Leads To Hefty Fine

Dec 18th - 11:00am | Jasper Visitor

Glad they were recorded, caught, and fined. They should have ALSO had to participate in the clean-up at their own cost. Vandals are disgusting.  

End of a Curious Era at Mount Rainier National Park

Dec 17th - 16:42pm | D Moulton

The Saucer took an extra 300 - 500 gallons of diesel per day during the winter to heat the roof (Wiki.). It couldn't handle the snow weight. Funny, the Hawaiian architect should have known better.

Beach Driving Permits Going On Sale Soon At Assateague Island National Seashore

Dec 15th - 17:29pm | Leslie

Just wanted to say that your comments about Rec.gov are always spot on.  Hopefully someone in a position of authority will listen to your words of wisdom!

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