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Chair Of House Subcommittee On National Parks Calls Parks, Other Federal Lands Unconstitutional

Nov 2nd - 09:14am | Anonymous

Lee, I agree, Rep. Bishop hasn't been a 100% supporter of NPS but then Billy Malone isn't either.  There is a dark side to most things and some of the darker elements of both NPS and really/especially, the DC culture.  A tried and effective way of hiding the darkness is to use any number of popular poll tested disguises/words to grease things.

Nov 2nd - 08:46am | Lee Dalton

I just sent the following email to Rob Bishop: 

Nov 1st - 13:22pm | Anonymous

Who's Bozos, yours or mine, lol?

Nov 1st - 13:13pm | Kirk Giloth

How do these bozos ever get elected?

Nov 1st - 13:03pm | Anonymous 9:08

Obviously, Lee, they have little in common, especially their governing political parties.  One might ask Orin Hatch what he would do with Michigan.  Certainly wouldn't get a PC response but the answer would get to the core of the problem.  A decent and respected leader who is probably heartbroken to view this country as it is now but could still muster the drive to remain hopeful.

Nov 1st - 12:52pm | Lee Dalton

Anon at 9:08 -- there's a huge difference between Utah and Michigan.  Utah was not an industrial state dependent upon pretty much a single industry.  There is no way you can compare the two in any way.

Nov 1st - 10:08am | Anonymous

Maybe you can explain how Utah has managed to be at the other end of the spectrum (economically and in other ways also) from such states as Michigan, New York and California (with the 7th biggest economy(I believe) if it were a country.  I'd think there is something they have been doing that might be looked into if one is willing to look past there own failed policies.

Nov 1st - 08:46am | David Dutton

I'm pretty sure that the Constitution doesn't have provisions in it either for the formation of say...The Department of Labor or the National Endowment of the Arts.  I guess there are still some "Sage Brush Rebellion" archtypes still hanging around.  Unfortunately for Utah, Mr. Bishop happens to be one.

Nov 1st - 02:20am | Anonymous

Guantanamo Bay is a National Park, right? And those Republicans sure wouldn't want to go emulating Teddy Roosevelt!

Nov 1st - 01:17am | Anonymous

What next from the party of no? Rep. Don Young chairing the House Committee on Ethics? The selective reading of the Constitution by conservatives is second only to the selective reading of the bible by evangelicals as perhaps the most asinine behavior from those of that ideological bent. 

Oct 31st - 19:05pm | Anonymous

Agreed as well. When I read the title, I had to read though. There HAD to be more to the story!

Buy A Starry Print, Help Friends of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Nov 2nd - 09:06am | Carol B

The NPTC Annual Convention in 2012 is here at Apostle Islands Natl Lakeshore.  What an awesome night sky!  Reason enough to go. www.parkstamps.org

National Park Mystery Spot 30: Just Answer These Questions

Nov 2nd - 08:22am | Bob Janiskee

Sorry, ed-123; it's not Furnace Creek, and it's not in Death Valley National Park.

Nov 2nd - 08:02am | ed-123

Furnace creek , Death Valley N.P.?

Nov 2nd - 07:20am | Bob Janiskee

Eric has nailed it too.

Nov 2nd - 06:47am | Bob Janiskee

Congratulations to Aron.  He solved this one quickly, submitting the correct answer at 7:33 AM. We'll embargo the solution until tomorrow and see how many other Traveler readers can figure it out.

Yellowstone National Park Receives Green Light To Redesign Traffic Flow Through North Entrance

Nov 2nd - 07:45am | MRC

"The gateway long has been one of the park's most popular because of the Roosevelt Arch..." no. The northern entrance was long popular because Gardinaer was the train station. Only when the car took over, West-Yellowstone became the most important entrance to the park.

President Obama Uses Antiquities Act To Create Fort Monroe National Monument

Nov 2nd - 00:23am | Anonymous

Even in a bad economy, it might be important to preserve pieces of American history.

Nov 1st - 18:03pm | Dottie

Anon 4:31, you just plain miss the point.  They drop one entity and start another.  What is the net loss or gain? 

Nov 1st - 17:40pm | Anonymous

It appears (to many) what is happening is that the economy must be destroyed to then build the country into a vision that is not going to be good.  It's been tried before and failed, everywhere it's been tried.  Not going to work and the Parks will flounder.  I'd like to think I'm wrong but I don't think so. Respectfully

Nov 1st - 17:31pm | Anonymous

Whether it's 3 or 3000 it's still a good thing.  And if it's only one new job that's more than the previous occupant of the WH and his party have created in the past 10 years. Just IMO.  I still plan to visit the fort next year (unless the tea party has succeeded by then in its attempt to destroy the economy completely).  And, no, no links from me.

Nov 1st - 16:22pm | Dottie

There is so many people with the same name on this spot that you have to resort to identifying them by the time they posted.  So, Anonymous 1:23, I read the political disclaimer.  It is a cryin' shame the White House didn't check into that firgure and/or state up front that it was the Governor of Virginia making the 3,000 jobs claim.  I think Ft Sumter / Fort Moutrie runs with a steady staff of

Nov 1st - 14:23pm | Anonymous

More on Ft. Monroe from the Beltway: http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/11/01/carney_obama_declaring...

Nov 1st - 14:20pm | Dottie

Is this really going to create 3,000 new jobs?   Really?  

Nov 1st - 13:52pm | Anonymous

Good news.  I hope to visit it next year.

Celebrating Wilderness In Shenandoah National Park

Nov 1st - 20:39pm | Jordan Jeffery

This was very useful for my essay and it gives very important info

Grand Teton National Park Officials ID Bear Victim, Investigation Ongoing

Nov 1st - 20:24pm | Anonymous

Please the bears are in the river bottoms eating whatever food they can find, anyone hunting in a national park especially in those river bottoms with ample veg & berries better be ready to encounter bears, It is not a hunting season on bears.....they eat elk to.   You might want to have your spray ready, like I did at LSR around noon on Sunday, oh yes I saw a grizzy along the river and lef

Nov 1st - 17:01pm | RacmUp

Thank you Lee.  Mr. Smith is rulebook oriented when it covers his point of view.  

Nov 1st - 12:55pm | Lee Dalton

You may not want to drop a loaded rifle under normal circumstances, but when a bear is charging that's not normal.

Nov 1st - 09:34am | Dave Smith

During hunter education classes, instructors will never train people to drop a loaded rifle and reach for bear spray. When crossing fences and other obstacles, hunters are taught to unload their rifle, put it under the fence, cross the fence, then pick up the rifle and reload. You don't drop a loaded rifle. Period.

Nov 1st - 05:18am | Wm Bova

So all you need is a muzzleblast to deter a grizzly?  Grizzlies are so amped up when charging many wouldn't know the difference between a muzzleblast miss or hit for quite sometime.  Do you take that chance.  Once the bear knows it's injured that just keeps the adrenaline plugged in to the wall socket, and more than likely you will end up severely mauled or dead...plain and simple.  Mr.

Oct 31st - 20:14pm | Anonymous

"Here's a better two-hand rule: Two hands on your steering wheel as you drive to a hunting area outside the park." Yep those bears are darn smart and NEVER venture outside of NPS boundaries

Oct 31st - 17:58pm | Anonymous

Ah, yes, Dave, because all bear encounters are created equal, aren't they. Mr. Hix had barely any time to do much of anything, firearm OR bear spray. When he realized that, he did exactly the right thing and rolled into a ball and played dead, and came

Popular Swimming Area At Capitol Reef National Park Closed Due To Dangerous Conditions

Nov 1st - 16:35pm | Anonymous

http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/plants/uteladiestress/

Science Takes A Hit In President Obama's 2012 Budget

Nov 1st - 16:20pm | Dottie

Hey Lee, they drop this, but Obama has the money by Executive Order, no less, to add a new fort to the national monuments yesterday.  What do you suppose that will cost?  What was the annual cost of running the Federal Biological thing?  Or better yet, which one was more important?!?  I'm not going to answer that.  Probably get kicked off of here.  

Nov 1st - 15:16pm | Anonymous

It is true the NBII reductions will impact the available data and applications on the Web after the January 15 2012 closure date.  However, USGS still maintains a collaboration with the National Park Service related to vegetetion mapping, standards, and data delivery.

Nov 1st - 09:51am | Anonymous

You know, for the millions of foreclosed on house owners you could shed some tears for also.  From what I see there hasn't been an Obama budget since he assumed the top spot. Interesting the coincidence between the decline in revenues for these projects and the horrific decline in the private sector.  When one is broke it just seems right to stop spending or fix the problem.

Nov 1st - 07:56am | Lee Dalton

I'm afraid this is just the beginning of a very long ordeal.  Especially when we have people like Utah's Rep. Rob Bishop in charge of the bank accounts.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Underrated and Understated

Nov 1st - 14:41pm | Anonymous

Oops, I got so riled up by tea party propoganda I aimed my editorial in the wrong direction.  But it is true the name change came from an omnibus Congressional bill.

Nov 1st - 14:30pm | Anonymous

Actually an Ohio congressman added the designation change to an appropriations bill.  But don't let facts get in the way of your seditious partisanship. 

National Park Quiz 99: Native Americans

Nov 1st - 13:44pm | mcghiever

11 (didn't know #8 or #11)!  I usually scrape out a 3 or 4 on these quizzes; apparently I've found my subject specialty.

Trails I've Hiked: Bechler River Trail In Yellowstone National Park

Nov 1st - 12:53pm | Olympic Peninsu...

It's been so long since I've been in an Alpine environment!  It's been all Grand Canyon for the last five years and with your article, Kurt, I'm hearing the call but don't think I'll ever be through with the Canyon!  Will have to make some forays.  Thanks, Kurt.

Nov 1st - 12:48pm | Kurt Repanshek

That's a great question, Bob, though one I can't exactly answer. I did ask Ranger Stanley if he thought it was wetter than usual (I think this was his third season in that area of the park), but he didn't think so. The big crossing of the Bechler definitely caught our attention, as did that of Mountain Ash Creek...

Nov 1st - 12:43pm | Bob Pahre

Sounds like a great hike, Kurt.  It's been on my to-do list for a long time, awaiting a free September. Do you know whether those are typical September river levels? Or did the heavy snowpack of 2010-11 make the rivers much fuller, much later than usual?

Elk Hunter In Grand Teton National Park Injured By Bear

Nov 1st - 06:13am | Wm Bova

An ex-marine up in Alaska carrying his 30-06 decided to challenge a griz from 20 yds last month.  The bear was hit, but this man ended up severely mauled.  The rangers found the blood trail but elected not to pursue it.

Nov 1st - 00:26am | Lee Dalton

One or two headshots either grazed it or bounced off.  There were a couple of wounds in the fur, but none penetrated.  In any case, it was a very impressive experience.  I carry bear spray now, but hope never to use it.  However, I did think about it one night recently when I encountered a very stoned individual who was trying to break into a neighbor's home while we were waiting f

Oct 31st - 23:42pm | Dave Smith

Dropping a loaded firearm is taboo.

Oct 31st - 23:24pm | Dave Smith

Sorry to bring facts into the discussion again, but when Interangecy Grizzly Bear Study Team leader Chuck Schwartz reviewed bear-hunter conflicts in the Yellowstone region from 1992-2004, not once in 12 years did a hunter "switch" from gun to bear spray.

Oct 31st - 22:52pm | y_p_w

Lee Dalton: That bear covered about 60 feet without a heart! I'm not sure I'd have wanted to stand there with bear spray (it wasn't available back then), but after that experience, I almost think I'd be safer. As it was, I almost wet my pants.

Oct 31st - 18:34pm | Lee Dalton

I was involved along with five other rangers in killing a grizz back in 1968.  Three of us were carrying .357 magnum revolvers loaded with SuperVel.  Three had 12 gauge shotguns all loaded with rifled slugs.  We opened fire after a dart filled with a lethal dose hit fat tissue.

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