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Owen Hoffman
BiographyFormer NPS Park Ranger-Naturalist, Crater Lake National Park (1966-68), Zion National Park (1969), Yosemite National Park (1969-71).
Member of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees (www.npsretirees.org)
Member of the Board, Crater Lake Institute (www.craterlakeinstitute.com)
President and Director, SENES Oak Ridge, Inc., Center for Risk Analysis (www.senes.com)
Owen's Most Recent Comments (view all)
- 11/06/2009 8:49 am - Reader Participation Survey: What Was Your Most Fascinating National Park Interpretive Program? : Tom, Thanks for commenting. I am proud to have had the chance to work with you during those critical times in the park's history. I am also proud to have had the chance to have known and worked with Gary Hathaway, who resided in the Mather Ranger Club of Yosemite ...
- 11/04/2009 4:00 pm - Reader Participation Survey: What Was Your Most Fascinating National Park Interpretive Program? : Has anyone encountered Stewart Fritts at the Grand Canyon? I still remember a talk he gave to our group more than 22 years ago. It was a brilliant presentation with rapid transitions of scenic mood slides shown while reciting a long thread of pertinent quotes from the works of Shakespear ...
- 11/02/2009 8:51 am - Visiting Zion National Park in November? Here’s the Fall Schedule for the Free Park Shuttle : Two weeks ago, parking conditions were quite crowded in Springdale, UT and the availability of the shuttle buses helped a lot. Many buses were filled to capacity and had standing room only available. Now that the Zion shuttles are being reduced to a voluntary system only, I worry that traffic ...
- 10/25/2009 1:03 pm - Yosemite National Park Says "No Thanks" to Major Cycling Race : I wonder to what extent organized sporting events are permitted in other national parks? Crater Lake has a Rim Run. I believe marathons have been held in other parks as well. Which have held, or allow through travel for, bicycle races? Personally, I'd rather see parks managed for the enjoyment ...
- 9/09/2009 2:06 pm - Reader Participation Day: What "Must Have" Article Do You Pack for a National Park Visit? : I'll be visiting the great parks of the southwest in a few weeks. I'll be sure to take my 10" Dobsonian telescope and tripod-mounted 10 X 50mm binoculars for night sky viewing, along with a green laser pointer to show anyone I meet just where in the sky they would ...
- 9/08/2009 7:59 am - National Parks Lost A Strong Advocate With the Passing of Art Allen : I've been a participant in Art Allen's Protectnationalparks@yahoo.com and Parklandsupdate@googlegroups.com listserves since 2003. His efforts in developing these listserves have brought many former National Park Service employees and managers in close contact with each other. He managed these two listserves as "free speech zones" but discouraged commentary that amounted to ...
- 8/26/2009 9:01 am - Reader Participation Day: What Indelible Image Best Reminds You of the National Parks? : Iconic national park images that I relate to would be: (1) my first view of inner caldera of the collapsed Mt. Mazama revealing the deep blue of Crater Lake and the exposed cinder cone of Wizard Island, (2) Zion's Great White Throne, (3) Zion's Great West Temple and Temples and ...
- 8/25/2009 9:01 am - Do People Who Get Lost Really Walk in Circles? New Research Offers an Answer : My own adventure is rather recent. I decided to try my luck at night hiking along the River Bluff Trail near Norris State Park, downstream of Norris Dam along the Clinch River in East TN. My goal was to start the hike at dusk and, if it became too dark ...
- 8/24/2009 3:12 pm - What Lurks Beneath the Surface of National Park System Waters, A Diving Guide : Thank you Rick for an outstanding article. It was a very interesting and informative read. Owen Hoffman Oak Ridge, TN 37830
- 8/24/2009 3:05 pm - Black Bears Racking Up Property Damage In Yosemite National Park : In 1993, while backpacking and camping above Vogelsang Lake in the Yosemite backcountry, a bear had its way with the contents of our food cache, which we made sure to tie up high above ground, beyond reach of anything on two or four legs. We had no trouble with this ...
Owen's Most Recent Articles (view all)
Two weeks ago, on Earth Day, I had the opportunity to visit Shenandoah National Park. The drive along
I attended yesterday's National Park Service first "listening session" on the needs and goals for the 2016 NPS centennial. The meeting was held at the Mills Auditorium near the Gatlinburg Convention Center in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, a major gateway community to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.












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