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07/15/2008 - 2:46pmProposed Redesignation of Golden Gate National Recreation Area to Golden Gate National Parks Worries Dog WalkersWe have a country in the midst of a housing crisis, a fiscal crisis, an exchange rate crisis, an energy crisis, and a banking crisis. We're in the midst of a war nobody likes, the real enemy has slipped out of our grasp, and we're rattling sabers with someone else. ...
07/09/2008 - 7:32pmMan Bitten at Saguaro National Park by Gila MonsterCan I post the word "dumbass" on this website? Because I can't really describe this any other way ... ================================================== My travels through the National Park System: [url]americaincontext.com[/url]
07/05/2008 - 6:15amDo You Care About Energy Exploration Near Our National Parks?I want to point out that solar energy farms are not viable for electricity generation and pose real hazards of their own to the environment. The electrical output per acre of solar panels is surprisingly small, so to meet the energy needs of a city like New York you'd need ...
07/04/2008 - 6:46amDo You Care About Energy Exploration Near Our National Parks?The harsh fact is it will take decades to develop truly reliable alternative energy solutions that meet our needs, even with conservation. The goal should be to reduce fossil fuel use, for sure, but there are no clear-cut solutions. Wind farms run into NIMBY-ism. Solar is a poor source of ...
07/02/2008 - 3:01pmNPR on the National ParksI'm just happy they are doing the reports at all. If it increases interest & visitation, then maybe these other problems will come to light. I am still hopeful, there's still a couple more days of their coverage coming. Maybe they have a wrap-up program covering these admin issues?? ================================== ...
06/28/2008 - 6:55am“10 Best National Parks”? National Geographic, You Have Got to be Kidding!I haven't seen the article myself, but if what you say is true, and they made a Top Ten list without any published criteria, then shame on them. People look for different things in the parks. Some look for convenience with majesty, others look for remoteness & untouched nature. I'm ...
06/27/2008 - 3:27pmPark Advocates Rallying Around Theodore Roosevelt National ParkI've been to over 100 NPS sites, and I have to say, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is my favorite. I put it over Denali and Yosemite which, although incredible beautiful and wonderful places in their own right, have crowding and access issues that make them trying at times. TRNP, on ...
06/24/2008 - 5:26pmDeal to Close Sugar Plant and Preserve 187,000 Acres Should Benefit Everglades National ParkThis is absolute wonderful news, probably the most significant environment preservation action of the year, if not the last ten years. It's not without economic impact: between the loss of jobs at U.S. Sugar, the debt load on the State of Florida, and the possible increase in the price of ...
05/10/2008 - 6:16pmKen Burns' National Parks Documentary: Where Does it Stand?Sounds great! ===================================== My travels through the National Park System: [url]americaincontext.com[/url]
05/08/2008 - 2:26pmNational Park System Quiz 1: Are You Centered?9 out of 10. :-) Never heard of St. Croix National River. :-P ================================================== My travels through the National Park System: [url]americaincontext.com[/url]
04/20/2008 - 6:06amShould Canyon de Chelly Be Given to the Navajo Nation?Removing Canyon de Chelly would be a tremendous shame. I hate to say this, becuase it's not entirely PC, but the Navajo nation is part of America, and all native tribes (those still in existance and those who were wiped out by European migration) are part of American history. Understanding ...
04/02/2008 - 7:31pmWho Visits Alaska's National Parks?I certainly hope to head back to AK this summer. I hope to visit the remoter parks (Krusenstern, Kobuk Valley, Noatak), even though getting there is a tad more difficult (and expensive). ========================= My travels through the National Park System: [url]americaincontext.com[/url]
03/30/2008 - 5:49pmOur Endangered National ParksOne can only hope that the "green" movement can be enlisted to protect the parks. Their voice and political clout is increasing, if saving the parks can be considered a green initiative, maybe that will turn the tide. =========================== My travels through the National Park System: [url]americaincontext.com[/url]
03/24/2008 - 5:51pmWhatever Became of the Decommissioned National Parks?Based on encroachment, gentrification, motorized recreation, and other threats to natural and historic treasures, I'd love to see [i]more [/i]NPS involvement, not less. The answer to an underfunded and over-worked NPS is to properly fund and staff it, not knuckle under pressure to decommission sites. BTW, an absolute NO to ...
03/15/2008 - 4:06pmHouse Parks Committee To Hold Hearing On ORVs on Federal LandsPersonally, I feel ORVs are a bigger danger to the parks than guns. They damage the flora, muck up the trails, and increase erosion. They're noisy and they disruit & scare off the wildlife. A gun-toter can still responsibly enjoy the parks and not threaten anyone or anything. There is ...
02/23/2008 - 5:31pmInterior Secretary Opens Door for New Gun Regulations in National ParksI'm becoming more and more ambivalent on the gun issue. Gun lovers are going to carry no matter what. I suspect many already carry in the parks now, who would know? There is also crime in the parks. The Everglades, for example, were once notorious for drug runners (not sure ...
02/23/2008 - 5:23pmClinton, McCain, Obama Answer Questions on National ParksI suspect McCain's heart is in the right place. The NPS is integral to Arizona's economy and is very important to its voting public. He couldn't have been an AZ senator all these years without hearing that from his constituency. ------------------------------------------------ My travels through the National Park System: [url]americaincontext.com[/url]
02/11/2008 - 5:21pmNational Park Visitation Debate -- Here We Go AgainI have a hard time envisioning reduced attendance at the parks. Seems to me that yes, a lot of teens are hooked on video games, but it also seems that a lot of young adults are also hooked on adventure, rock climbing, hang gliding, surfing, snow boarding, and other outdoor ...
02/09/2008 - 7:17amU.S. Sen. Coburn Runs Poll On Whether "Concealed Carry" Should be Allowed in ParksInternet polls are the lamest way of either finding public opinion, or of making decisions. Senators should know better.
02/06/2008 - 6:56pmWhat Are Your Priorities For the National Parks?Yeah, guns are one of those "flame bait" issues that simply distract us from the real problems. I'd like to see the following: -- Revitalization of educational displays in all the parks. The parks represent such learning potential, in this age of "no child left behind", the parks' educational programs ...
02/04/2008 - 5:45pmPresident's 2009 Budget Proposal Lacking for National ParksWow. $172 million is such a small number when compared against the vastness of the National Park System. This whole "economic stimulus" -- the rebates to taxpayers -- is such a joke and a terrible waste of government resources. The feds would do much better by simply investing in our ...
01/11/2008 - 7:47pmNPS Retirees Oppose Carrying Guns in National ParksWell, I'm not going to get into the gun debate itself, but this part of the quoted portion of the original post intrigued me: [quote]Information gathered by State and Federal wildlife management organizations throughout the country overwhelmingly indicates that both people and wildlife are safer when guns are not the ...
01/10/2008 - 6:13pmPark History: Wind Cave National ParkI think that tiny little Wind Cave NP is my favorite National Park of the whole system (that I've seen so far, that is). It's not so much the caves as it is, as Paul says above, for the wildlife of the park. Ever since the early part of the ...
01/07/2008 - 5:07pmNational Park Service Retirees Outline 2008 Goals for Park ServiceThere is a glaring ommission in the retiree wish list. None of their items are even vaguely possible without clear, loud, unwavering support from our elected officials. Who in Congress is an outspoken advocate of the parks themselves? Many are trying to find ways to make money off the parks ...
01/06/2008 - 1:42pmSegways in the National Parks: Do We Really Need Them?Let's be realistic here. Segways are not an off-road vehicle. I doubt they can even go on a lawn, much less a trail. So, that limits their use to the following: -- roads -- sidewalks -- paved or well-graded interpretive trails I made my visit to Yosemite this past fall, ...
11/26/2007 - 1:13pmDon Barry Describes Starving the BeastThis is so very true. And what Mr. Barry doesn't mention is the public also sees that the government is incapable or incompetent, and they, too, want programs eliminated or outsourced. Perhaps not those directly affected, but definitely others who say "why do we fund Project X? It's a disaster!" ...
07/29/2007 - 7:47amStatue of Liberty May Once Again Open to TopI visited the crown 5-6 years before 9/11, and it was a wonder to behold. Yes, it was only a quick stop (due to the long lines and crowds), but it was worth it. You really get a feel for the place when you're crawling around inside it, and even ...
07/28/2007 - 10:26amAnd, Speaking of Volcanoes ... Audio Story at Lassen VolcanicI have not been to Lassen yet, but I completely agree with your Devils Tower comment. The 5 mile loop is terrific. The beauty of these "hidden trails" is that you not only you see more of the actual landscape, flora, and fauna than on the well-traveled trails, but you ...
07/28/2007 - 10:19amMt St Helens as National Park?My original comment: "This was the most momentous volcanic eruption on the continental United States in the history of the country." Beamis' comment: "If I'm not mistaken the eruption of Lassen Peak on was equally powerful. Any vulcanologists out there know which was bigger?" I wasn't eluding to the power ...
07/27/2007 - 2:26pmMt St Helens as National Park?Mt. St. Helens absolutely needs to be a National Park. First, there's just the overall beauty and remoteness of the site. Second, there's the preservation of an ecology in repair. There is a fascinating naturalist tale to be told at St. Helens: how the land recovers from trauma. Third, it's ...