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Wilderness At Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument: A Challenge To Manage These Days

Jan 9th - 10:15am | anonymous

So, Lee, what you are saying is to allow the drug and human smugglers to freely mix with the citizens that might like to experience our Wilderness and not intercept the illegal activity until they reach I-10 or would it just be more environmental friendly and less confrontational to just make I-40 our Southern Border?

Jan 9th - 09:00am | Lee Dalton

The attacks on ORPI's wilderness by Cong.

House GOP Expected To Resume Push To Exempt Border Patrol From Environmental Laws Across National Parks

Jan 9th - 10:05am | anonymous

I've said before that Congressman Bishop is the flip side to the same coin that has unreasonable environmental idol worshipers as his counter.  You live in that world and Bishops are what you get.  Having a little (a lot is needed) concern for the whole country including the parks as a whole would seem to be what's needed.

Jan 9th - 09:02am | Lee Dalton

The attacks on ORPI's wilderness by Cong. Rob Bishop are just one small part of his declared war on federal land ownership -- and especially wilderness -- in the west. Bishop won't be satisfied until all federal land either has an oil well on it or has been privatized and handed off to ownership by powerful development interests. (I know

Traveler's View: A Time To Pause In the Parks

Jan 9th - 09:08am | Anonymous

Kurt, I commend you for a very well written article that expresses much outrage as well as deep compassion for Ranger Anderson and her family regarding her brutal untimely death. Such a tragic waste of human life that had so much to give to the world and to the national parks.

Jan 8th - 22:36pm | Lk

This is a really sad incident, but I would like to remind the author that homicidal criminals dont tend to follow gun laws.

Jan 8th - 22:33pm | y_p_w

ecbuck: BTW - what is a "military-caliber" weapon? A 38? 9mm? 45?.  I'm pretty sure that Kurt meant a military-style weapon that few people would ever need for hunting or normal shooting sports.

Jan 8th - 20:26pm | Rick Smith

Thanks for a balanced look at this issue. What we should concentrate on is memorializing the committment to public service that Ranger Anderson and her husband demonstrated. RIP Rick

Jan 8th - 13:27pm | Rick B.

Thanks for the thoughtful piece, Kurt.

Jan 8th - 13:00pm | ecbuck

"they have too many loopholes and allow too many military-caliber weapons to land in the wrong hands." Loopholes?  The only undebatible fact is that criminals will get the guns no matter what the law.  Heck - they can buy them from our government (Fast & Furious). BTW - what is a "military-caliber" weapon?  A 38? 9mm? 45?.

Jan 8th - 11:13am | Lee Dalton

Thank you for a sensible look at this tragedy, Kurt.  This is only a very small part of a much, much larger multiple-faceted problem in our society that we have been afraid to address for too long. How many more tragedies will it take before we finally muster up the collective courage to openly and honestly face the challenges posed by violence and weapons in our society?

Jan 8th - 10:59am | Anonymous

How did the regulatory change "foisted" upon the NPS have anything to do with this tragedy?  This man commited crimanl acts and turned to the wilderness of our national parks for sanctuary.  Does anyone honestly believe that if the 2009 change had not been enacted this tragedy would not have happened?

Traveler's Checklist: Guilford Courthouse National Military Park

Jan 9th - 09:06am | HREpp

Hi Danny,

Statue Of Liberty's 125th Birthday Feted, Then Lady Liberty Was Closed For Renovations

Jan 9th - 08:49am | Kurt Repanshek

Good catch, Clint. Obviously, we were involved in too many team sports growing up;-) It's fixed now.

Jan 9th - 08:33am | Clint Carbon

     With all due respect, I believe the word "teaming" describing "shore", should be spelled "teeming" -- two Es as opposed to the "EA" duo that appears in your text.  It makes more sense with the "EE" spelling, and I believe that if you check it against the original text, you will find it as I suggest.

Recalling What Winter's Supposed To Look Like In Yosemite National Park

Jan 9th - 04:34am | Preston Filbert

"Supposed to look like" may be the wrong phrase; how about "usually looks like"? Who are we to put a judgment on the earth?

National Park Service Reviewing West Virginia Site For Possible National Park and Preserve

Jan 8th - 22:47pm | Anonymous

Agree entirely.  If this idea does go anywhere, be sure to stay tuned to public comment periods so can comment and strongly oppose. Wilderness and NWR are the most protective uses of federal land and largely what we now have. A national park must by law promote much more human activity and will destroy these areas.  Leave it as is, those who take the time and effort already do so.

Jan 6th - 15:34pm | Anonymous

Seems fine the way it is!  NPS is just gonna bring more crowds and ruin it for all. Doesn't have anything to do with how the land is used now.  Hunter or Hippy, we all go to CV get away from the Resort (WISP) and NPS (Shennendoah) crowd. Thanks but no thanks NPS! 

Can Blackwater Falls Area of West Virginia Support A National Park?

Jan 8th - 17:09pm | Michael

Everybody wins with the multiple use policy for the land proposed for this national park. A national park can end up shutting down hunting and proper managed timbering; bring on the spector of eminent domain for local residents, and the possible reintroduction of wolves onto land already overrun with coyotes.

National Park Road Trip 2011: Yellowstone National Park Lodges, Part III

Jan 8th - 16:28pm | Jeff

Do the Pioneer Cabins have the coffee makers as well?  Is the Frontier Cabin much better than the Pioneers?

Memorial Service Set For Mount Rainier National Park Ranger Margaret Anderson

Jan 8th - 11:29am | Kurt Repanshek

Art and Tahoma, folks at Mount Rainier say [email protected] is the correct email address. I did double-check how it's embedded into the story, and it looked like there was an extraneous "_" at the end of the address. I've removed that, so try it again.

Jan 8th - 10:19am | tahoma

The Tacoma News Tribune lists  [email protected]  as the address.

Jan 7th - 21:34pm | Art Farash

All correspondence, including requests for information, resource offers, and condolences, should be sent to [email protected] email address is invalid and bounces back, can anyone come up with a MRNP email address thyat works please?

By the Numbers: Homestead National Monument of America

Jan 7th - 21:06pm | Osensible1

How about a facktoid of  "how many Native American Tribes were displaced by the homested act?"

Latest Studies On Yellowstone National Park's Wolf Packs Shows Stable Population

Jan 7th - 14:32pm | Paul Lueders

 The relationship between wolves and moose on Ilse Royale NationalPark has been continuously studied for over fifty years, and continues today.  I think all you wolf haters should also do some studying.  A good place to start would be reading the Isle Royale Wolf/Moose annual reports published on line every year.  Some of the above comments are truely hilarious!  

Forest Fire Burns Across More Than 50 Acres At Cumberland Island National Seashore

Jan 7th - 12:35pm | Kurt Repanshek

Fresh off inciweb this morning, Lee.

Jan 7th - 12:29pm | Lee Dalton

Are those photos both from this fire?  Sure doesn't look "slow moving" and "smoldering" from here.

Free Cave Tours At Wind Cave National Park Over Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Weekend

Jan 7th - 12:21pm | Bruce

Interesting to see here, and on the Mesa Verde post, the idea of "Hoping to boost visitation during the slow winter months . .

CAPTCHA Woes Strike The Traveler

Jan 6th - 18:36pm | Kurt Repanshek

CJT, you raise a legitimate point. I can tell you spammers are trying to get past the CAPTCHA just about every hour of every day. But I'll take up your suggestion with the tech staff. We certainly don't want to make it overly difficult to contribute your thoughts.

Jan 6th - 18:28pm | CJT

This the first comment I've made in several months. I stopped making comments after tiring of having to use Captcha after having logged (with a different email address and name). I don't see why one should have to use Captcha after logging in to National Parks Traveler.

Traveler's Checklist: A Winter Trip to Kings Mountain National Military Park

Jan 6th - 15:41pm | Danny Bernstein

Hi Cheyenne:   Thanks for your question. I don't know if any branch of the family ever visited Ferguson's grave since he died over 200 years ago. The second question is easier to answer. He was the only Brit in the battle. The rest of the men were loyalists, i.e. Americans who fought on the British side and wanted to stay colonists.

Jan 6th - 13:48pm | Cheyenne Thomas

After seeing this on the battle where Ferguson is buried, I was wondering if any branch of his family decades later came to view where he is buried? Does he languish there alone, no other grave? What happened to the rest of the British soldiers killed in that battle? Thank you for taking the time to read my questions. cheyenne thomas Texas

Updated: Suspect In Mount Rainier National Park Shooting Found Dead

Jan 6th - 12:34pm | JLA

Lee, You are correct, the question is HOW?  We, all of us, need to keep striving to find an  effective answer.  Thanks for your thoughts!

Jan 6th - 11:02am | Lee Dalton

JLA, the simple answer is yes.  The more difficult question, as you point out, is the issue of HOW?  In reality, there is probably no real answer anywhere.

Jan 6th - 10:06am | JLA

Lee Dalton:

Jan 6th - 09:28am | Lee Dalton

It turns out that while the young man in Ogden had been in the army, he had not served in combat nor anywhere near it. 

Jan 6th - 09:18am | Lee Dalton

New Mexico and Nevada will no longer recognize Utah CCW permits.  There were some others but I couldn't find that information this morning.  I think Ohio was one of them.

Jan 6th - 08:36am | anonymous

JLA:

Jan 6th - 08:31am | ecbuck

Lee - could you tell us what states recently decided to refuse to recognize Utah CCW's?  Colorado doesn't require range time either and I am not aware of any state that has dropped recognition of the Colorado CCW. And what is the gun show "loophole" for getting a CCW?

Jan 6th - 08:11am | Anonymous

"The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."  The Second Amendement never says this.  It says a "well-regulated militia" shall not be infinged.  When you start removing commas, you change what the Constitution actually says. 

Jan 6th - 07:46am | JLA

Kirby Adams makes an excellent point about the "elephant in the room".  We do not do enough in this country to deal with mental illness.  After all it costs money and people don't want to pay for it.  But in the process we are all doing a great disservice to ourselves, those in law enforcement who often have to deal with the mentally unstable, and to those we have sent off to fight wars for us

Jan 6th - 01:45am | Anonymous

The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.  Doesn't mention anything about having a right to fire them.

Jan 6th - 01:07am | Anonymous

I have a right to keep and bear arms.  I use my shoulders to do this.  Not much to interpret here.  It's right there in black and white.  

Jan 5th - 22:31pm | Lee Dalton

Several states just decided not to recognize CCPs from Utah because no range time is required.  And the gun show loophole still exists and is widely exploited.

Jan 5th - 19:41pm | Kurt Repanshek

EC, let's just say we agree to disagree and keep it at that.

Jan 5th - 19:37pm | ecbuck

Kurt - there is "interpretation" and there is "ideology" and there is what the document says.  Doesn't seem to me there is much to interpret in "the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed".

Jan 5th - 19:35pm | ecbuck

Zebulon - and cars kill far more than guns.  Just saying.....

Jan 5th - 19:33pm | Kirby Adams

I believe the best way to memorialize Ranger Anderson would be to focus on how this country fails in the recognition, treatment, and long-term care of those with mental illness - particularly those whose illness may very well have been caused by trauma sustained while in service of this country.

Jan 5th - 19:32pm | ecbuck

"In Utah anyone able to walk a few steps may qualify for a concealed weapon permit. It's not even necessary to prove they know how to safely use the weapon and they are not required to even have fired the thing."

Jan 5th - 19:25pm | Zebulon

One needs to take lessons and pass a test to drive a car, but apparently just about any moron can buy an assault weapon.  Just saying...

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