The National Park Service released a winter use plan for the next two seasons. The plan was the result of an environmental assessment and public review last fall. Under this new plan, Yellowstone National Park will allow up to 318 commercially-guided, Best Available Technology (BAT) snowmobiles, and up to 78 commercially guided snowcoaches per day in the park. Motorized oversnow travel over Sylvan Pass and the East Entrance road are also allowed.
The average number of snowmobiles entering the park during the 2008/2009 winter season was 205 per day, with a peak of 426 on December 29.
The National Park Service will conduct a new Environmental Impact report over the next two years to develop a long-term strategy.
Published by Muir under Hunting on
October 15, 2009
The authorized wolf hunt in Montana was a bit too effective this year. Hunters killed nine wolves in the state wilderness area along the northern border of Yellowstone National Park. Four of the wolves killed were from the park’s Cottonwood Pack, including the pack’s breeding female and the state’s celebrity wolves. The dead even included radio-collared wolves that were part of Yellowstone’s wolf studies and were featured on PBS and Discovery Channel programs.
Wildlife commissioners suspended the wolf hunt last week after state officials became concerned about the heavy killing in the area. Critics point out there is no livestock in the wilderness area, meaning the wolves are being slaughtered for no good reason.
“We’ve missed the mark a little this first year,” said Carolyn Sime, lead wolf biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Turns out that killing wolves was easier than expected.
A new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization says that Zion National Park and the Colorado river basin is warming at a faster pace than any other spot on the planet outside the arctic. The report says that will affect snow and water levels and possibly lead to the loss of plants and wildlife in the area. All of Utah’s national parks are in danger, though Zion faces the most immediate problems.
Warmer temperatures are melting glaciers at alarming rates, causing sea levels to rise and threatening coastal parks such as Acadia, Cape Hatteras and Everglades. But the repercussions don’t end there. Hotter and drier conditions, and extreme storms and flooding, put plant communities everywhere at risk. With habitats and food sources devastated, wildlife are already struggling to survive.
Expedia is partnering with the National Park Foundation on a new website to help travelers planning trips to national parks. The site was launched to coincide with Ken Burns’ new documentary on PBS, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.”
The site includes downloadable park maps, lodging and other content from the National Park Foundation. The site uses Expedia travel reservations to book reservations outside the parks, but it cannot reserve campsites or lodges within the parks. For in-park stays, you need to visit the National Parks website.
The site also includes suggestions for long weekend getaways and a series called “Can’t-Miss National Parks.” The first five parks featured in the series are the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Glacier, Olympic and Yosemite.
The National Parks: America’s Best Idea is a six-episode series directed by Ken Burns and written and co-produced by Dayton Duncan. The series took more than six years to film at America’s most spectacular natural sites – from Acadia to Yosemite, Yellowstone to the Grand Canyon, the Everglades of Florida to the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska.
The story is not just about a couple of white men, like John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt, who of course were instrumental in saving these pristine lands. The series also chronicles important people from every conceivable background – rich and poor, famous and unknown, soldiers and scientists, natives and newcomers, idealists, artists and entrepreneurs. These people were willing to devote themselves to saving some precious portion of the land they loved, and in doing so reminded their fellow citizens of the full meaning of democracy.
Ken Burns talks with CNN about his new series:
Note the six episodes of “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea” are available to watch online one day after they air on PBS. But don’t wait too long, as the episodes will only be available to watch online through October 9.
Published by Muir under Crime on
September 25, 2009
A man tossed over 3,000 golf balls from his vehicle into Joshua Tree National Park for more than a year. Douglas Jones also tossed tennis balls and park literature, and left fruit and vegetables scattered along park roads.
Park rangers cited the 57-year-old Jones for abandoning property, littering and feeding wildlife. Rangers spent 370 hours cleaning up after his mess, for a total cost of $9,000.
Rangers finally caught Jones last month and arrested him. Jones claims the golf balls were to honor deceased golfers, and the food was for stranded hikers.
A Kentucky woman received a $5 million settlement from the National Park System for the deaths of her husband and daughter who were killed when they washed over a waterfall in Haleakala National Park near Maui, Hawaii.
Dr. Holly Brown of Louisville was vacationing with her husband Kevin, 11-year-old son Clayton and 8-year-old daughter Elizabeth in 2003. They were hiking off-trail toward Makahiku Falls, a popular destination for tourists that requires wading across the normally placid Palikea Stream. An electronic sign warning of high water wasn’t working that day.
The husband waded out to help his family across the stream. He first helped his daughter, but they both slipped on the slick rocks. Then, a 6-foot wall of water from a flash flood pulled both Kevin and Elizabeth Brown headfirst over the precipice of Makahiku Falls, and they both plunged 184 feet to their deaths.
“They had no reason to think walking across those rocks was dangerous,” said family attorney John Cox. “This wall of water came around the bend and got them.” Park officials said there have been nine deaths at the falls since 1983.
The settlement does not require the government to admit wrongdoing or fault in the deaths. And that’s because the government didn’t do anything wrong.
Our condolences to the Brown family for their tragic loss. But a national park is not Disneyworld — it’s a wild open space full of wonder and danger. The government should be responsible for the visitors centers. It should have less liability on park roads and established trails. But for everywhere else in the park, people should enjoy it at their own risk. You cannot bubblewrap nature and remove all threats of animal attacks, poisonings, falls, floods, storms, etc. People need to take responsibility for their own safety. And sometimes bad things happen to good people.
If you read this blog regularly, then you already know that our U.S. national parks represent some of America’s greatest treasures. Our national parks offer hardcore hiking trails and wilderness of unparalleled beauty, where you can hike, bike, run, raft, kayak or climb. WebEcoist has started a series looking at the outdoor recreations to be discovered in the wild at U.S. National Parks. It starts with 12 rugged, untamed, unique National Parks for travelers to explore and enjoy new adventures in nature.
Take for example the Petrified Forest National Park in the Four Corners of the Southwest. Here, you can find one the world’s most colorful and largest collections of petrified wood. The Arizona sunlight can dazzle your senses as it paints the land in sweeping colors. The northern part of the park is called the Painted Desert and includes areas of the multi-hued badlands, while the southern part of the park contains heavy concentrations of fossilized wood and American Indian petroglyph sites. Some visitors have stated that the area is like a moonscape.
The bison population in Yellowstone National Park continues to rebound after a massive die-off in the herd two winters ago. More than 1,600 Yellowstone bison were killed in 2008 as they attempted to migrate to lower elevations in Montana in search of food.
The summer 2009 population show 3,300 bison, including 2,800 adult and yearling bison and 500 calves. That’s up from a total of 2,900 bison at the end of last winter.
Animal control official capture and slaughter bison who leave Yellowstone park to prevent the spread of the disease brucellosis, which can cause pregnant animals to miscarry. Unchecked, the disease can be devastating to the cattle industry.
Published by Muir under Death on
September 11, 2009
“Going to the Sun Road” (or “Sun Road” for short) is one of the world’s most spectacular highways. The 53-mile-long road runs west-to-east across the middle of Glacier National Park. But for all its beauty, Sun Road is a challenging drive given the elevation, winding highway and volume of vehicles.
A 51-year-old Canadian motorcyclist discovered this the hard way when he plunged to his death off Sun Road at about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday as he drove eastbound toward the town of St. Mary.
The man was travelling with about two dozen other motorcyclists from Alberta, Canada. One of the bikers looked in his rear-view mirror and noticed his friend wasn’t behind him anymore. The bikers stopped and discovered he’d gone off the edge of the road. Park rangers found the man dead about thirty feet below the roadway. It was a clear and sunny day, but the road is winding in that area.
“Whether you are on a motorcycle or in a car, or even on a bicycle, it’s a road that demands a driver’s constant attention,” said park spokesman Wade Muehlhof.
The National Park Service released a winter use plan for the next two seasons. The plan was the result of an environmental assessment and public review last fall. Under this new plan, Yellowstone National Park will allow up to 318 commercially-guided, Best Available Technology (BAT) snowmobiles, and up to 78 commercially guided snowcoaches per day in the park. Motorized oversnow travel over Sylvan Pass and the East Entrance road are also allowed.
A new report from the 
Expedia is partnering with the National Park Foundation on a 
