Archive for the ‘Good News’ Category
Posted by Muir on
September 17, 2009
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.
Story at FoxNews
Posted by Muir on
July 27, 2009
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in Yosemite Valley today to commemorate the arrival of four hybrid electric/diesel tractors that will be used in the popular Yosemite Valley Floor Tours.
The state of the art tractors cost $150,000 each and pull trailers for the two-hour tour narrated by a National Park Ranger. The new tractors replace propane powered vehicles used to pull the trailers. Approximately 70,000 visitors take the Yosemite Valley Floor Tour each year.
“We are very proud of these new vehicles and take great pride in leading by example. Going green is incredibly important to the park,” said Acting Superintendent Dave Uberuaga.
The new tractors will reduce emissions by 85% and get 800% better fuel economy than the previous vehicles. They complement Yosemite’s fleet of 16 hybrid shuttle buses.
Story at NPS
Go Green
Posted by Muir on
July 4, 2009
The National Park Service has opened the Statue of Liberty crown again beginning today, July 4, 2009. The crown has been closed since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
The statue by artist Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi was a gift to America from the people of France in 1886. It was designated a National Monument in 1924 and a United Nations World Heritage Site in 1984.
Crown reservations must be made up to a year in advance through the Statue Cruises website or by phone at 877-LADY-TIX (877-523-9849). Each customer may make only one reservation for four tickets in a six month period. All names must be provided, and photo ID will be required. Additional restrictions apply.
The National Park Service warns that it takes a strenuous climb to reach the crown: 354 steps in an enclosed, cramped area with high temperatures. All crown visitors must be able to climb up and down the 354 steps unassisted. There are no rest rooms inside the statue itself. Reservations are already booked through September, so don’t wait to make your reservation!
Story at The Examiner
Posted by Muir on
June 24, 2009
On May 26, park visitors flagged down Yosemite National Park Ranger Dan Abbe while he was on his way to work in Yosemite Valley. The visitors informed Abbe there was a vehicle on fire over the side of the road and some people were trapped inside the vehicle.
Abbe rushed to the vehicle about 30 feet below the road and saw a pickup truck on its side with a trailer upright behind it. The truck’s engine was on fire. Abbe was able to remove the two park visitors who were stuck the truck, and he led them downhill to safety.
The visitors then told Abbe that the truck was filled with 70 gallons of gasoline and had an extra 50-gallon gas container, and the trailer had two full propane tanks. So Abbe led the visitors further away from the vehicle through thick brush and back up to the roadway. At this point, the truck filled with smoke and soon became fully engulfed in flames, starting a small brush fire that burned a quarter acre.
Fire officials arrived and extinguished the flames. Abbe and the park visitors were transported to Yosemite Medical Clinic where they were treated for smoke inhalation and released. The truck and trailer were a total loss.
The park visitors credit Ranger Dan Abbe with saving their lives and will return to the park to present him with a plaque to show their appreciation.
Story at NPS.gov
Posted by Muir on
April 8, 2009
The National Park Service has released an overview of the terrific Public Lands Bill that the U.S. Congress and President Obama recently approved. Here is the official NPS press release with details:
WASHINGTON–A waterfall that helped power the Industrial Revolution, a battle that became a turning point of the War of 1812 and a presidential birthplace in a place called “Hope” will soon be added to the National Park System. The new parks are just part of a wealth of public lands protections made law this week in the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. “We are in a time of deep uncertainty and economic pain, but for Americans, moments of crisis are opportunities to rebuild, renew and restore the places we cherish,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “With a stroke of his pen, President Barack Obama has ensured that treasured landscapes and places of historical and cultural importance will be protected and honored as part of our National Park System.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Muir on
March 30, 2009
President Obama signed legislation today designating 2 million additional acres of public wilderness areas. The federal “wilderness” designation provides the highest level of government protection from logging, mining and other forms of commercial use and development.
“This legislation guarantees that we will not take our forests, rivers, oceans … monuments, and wilderness areas for granted, but rather we will set them aside and guard their sanctity for everyone to share,” Obama said at a White House signing ceremony. “That’s something all Americans can support.”
The 2009 Omnibus Public Land Management Act is a compilation of over 160 separate legislative proposals, extends across nine states. It establishes 10 new National Heritage sites, creates 21 new wilderness areas, expands 19 existing wilderness areas in 10 national forests, and grows several national park boundaries. One of the largest newly protected wilderness areas is 380,000 acres in the eastern Sierra Nevada and San Gabriel Mountains in California.
President Obama’s Speech
Following is President Obama’s speech, as provided by the White House:
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Muir on
March 28, 2009
Next week President Barack Obama is expected to sign legislation that will create a new national park to protect a 77-foot high waterfall in New Jersey and 35 acres of historical sites around it. This will be the first national park Obama will designate during his presidency.
The “Great Falls” waterfall was featured in a philosophical poem by William Carlos Williams. Beyond its intrinsic beauty, the waterfall and the surrounding community of Paterson, New Jersey are rich in history as one of the key starting locations for America’s Industrial Revolution.
However, the designation has been criticized as not having national significance and that the money used to create and maintain a new national park could be better spent elsewhere. No doubt the Paterson community will see an increase in tourism. But will such a small park diminish the national park brand?
The Bush administration thought so and had previously declined protected status for Great Falls. The Washington Times notes that “a 2006 National Park Service study said the site is neither suitable nor feasible, the park system already includes enough waterfalls and similar cultural sites, and Paterson is already well-protected by the state. The study noted that Niagara Falls has never been designated a national park because it is protected by New York.”
Story at EcoWorldly
Posted by Muir on
March 26, 2009
Burned ash from a wildfire last July that scorched 34,000 acres outside Yosemite National Park is now providing the perfect nutrients for hundreds of acres of California poppies and other wildflowers to bloom this spring.
The wildflowers blanketing the Merced River Canyon have brought thousands of gawkers to the Highway 140 passage where the Telegraph Fire. Jan Van Wagtendonk, an emeritus researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey, says he has not seen such a brilliant display of wildflowers in four decades.
Scientists say the wildfire opened up barren places where the flowers could grow without competition. February’s rainstorms brought moisture at the perfect time for the flowers to bloom.
Story at Mercury News
Posted by Muir on
March 16, 2009
South Carolina’s only national park is getting ready to grow. Congaree National Park will use $2.69 million of federal stimulus money pay for the latest installment in the purchase of the 1,840-acre Riverstone tract. The new land will expand Congaree National Park to about 26,500 acres and provide wildlife with a 30-mile natural open corridor to the Wateree River.
“It’s just taking us one step further to protecting that entire corridor,” said park superintendent Tracy Swartout. “Protecting this land for future generations is the best way we can have an impact.”
Story at The State
Posted by Muir on
February 10, 2009
Last December, the Sierra Club and a coalition of environmental groups filed suit to stop 77 oil and gas leases for drilling on 103,000 acres of Utah wilderness, much of it surrounding iconic treasures like Arches National Park, Canyonlands, Dinosaur National Monument and Nine Mile Canyon. Last week, the Interior Department announced that it would cancel the leases.
“The Obama administration clearly understands that instead of allowing the oil industry to destroy places like Arches National Park,” said Sierra Club Deputy Director Bruce Hamilton, “we should be investing in the kind of clean-energy-solutions that curb global warming and leave our natural treasures intact.”
As reported by RedGreenAndBlue: The original lease auction was held on December 9th amid intense protest from environmental groups, conservationists, outdoors enthusiasts, the National Park Service, and members of Congress. Perhaps the most effective protest came from Tim DeChristopher, a University of Utah student who made winning bids on 13 of the 77 leases with no intention of paying the $1.8 million in bids. The ensuing chaos creating by DeChristopher’s bids threw the entire process into doubt, and delayed the auctions long enough for the Obama administration to invalidate them.
