Hurricane damage, tribal co-stewardship, toppled beach houses, and suffering horses were among the top stories from around the National Park System this past year. Here, in no particular order, is a look back at some of those stories.
Bison management is a key part of some of the co-stewardship agreements signed between tribes and the DOI / NPS
Interior Department Signed 69 Tribal Co-Stewardship Agreements In 2024
Nearly 70 co-management agreements between tribes and the Interior Department were signed this year, bringing to 400 the number of agreements signed by the Biden administration. However, the National Park Service said it could not provide details on all those agreements.
In a related story, an internal document suggesting national parks work to develop co-management agreements with tribal partners was drawing concern and raising questions about the legality of the National Park Service calling for co-management.
While sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina are being reopened, the economic damage to towns along the parkway won't be as easily overcome/NPS file
In The Aftermath Of Helene
By Kim O'Connell
While sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina are being reopened, the economic damage to towns along the parkway won't be as easily overcome.
Troubled Waters: Cruise Ship Controversy Hangs Over Acadia's Gateway
By Marcus Wolf
Cruise ships are viewed as both bounty and burden in Bar Harbor, Maine, where the ships’ passengers boost the town’s economy but leave some locals worried that they’re losing control over their hometown.
Grinding Away
By Kim O'Connell
At Cape Hatteras, coastal erosion creates costly challenges for residents, tourists, and the National Park Service.
Returning Grizzlies To The North Cascades Spurs Clashes Between Conservation, Cultures, And Communities
By Alex Murphy
Returning a 600-pound apex predator to the North Cascades Ecosystem excites those who see grizzly bears as being integral to wildness, but it concerns some of those who will have to live with the bruins.
National Park Service Struggling To Improve Diversity Among Superintendents
By Lori Sonken
Despite years of promises, diversity among the superintendent ranks of the National Park Service remains lacking.
Why Melting Permafrost Is Turning Alaskan Streams Orange
By Rita Beamish
A troubling sign of climate change are the nearly 600 miles of rivers in Alaska's Brooks Range that have been stained orange.
Foot Soldiers In The Digital Gateway Fight
By Kim O'Connell
Local advocacy groups are fighting efforts to locate a large data processing center next to Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia.
Struggling To Maintain Cultural Resources Against Climate Change Impacts
By Lori Sonken
Wildfires, drought, sea level rise, more frequent and intense storms, and warming oceans are sometimes destroying and occasionally improving or allowing cultural resources to emerge at national park units.
Traveler's View: No One's Talking
By Kurt Repanshek
The National Park Service has a toxic problem that no one wants to talk about, and that’s a problem.
President's FY25 Budget Request For National Park Service "Disappointing"
By Kurt Repanshek
Cuts in visitor interpretation and education, not enough money for employee pay raises or to replace jobs lost by past years' cuts, and less money for replacing worn out equipment are troubling areas of President Biden's FY25 budget request for the National Park Service, which continues to see visitation rise and additional units for the agency to manage.
The Battle For The Skies Over National Parks Drags On
By Lori Sonken
Air tour operators, politicians, and conservationists are pushing back against air flight management plans crafted by the National Park Service and Federal Aviation Administration.
Government Seeks To Dismiss Lawsuit Over National Park Service's Cashless Policy
By Kurt Repanshek
A lawsuit challenging the National Park Service's move to eliminate cash in visitor transactions should be dismissed because the plaintiffs have failed to prove they have been harmed by the policy and because federal regulations don't require the agency to accept cash for its services.
Alaska Poised To Resume Aerial Shooting Of Wolves And Bears
By Justin Housman
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is again planning to shoot hundreds of bears and wolves, many from the air.
NPS Ordered To Temporarily Halt Removal Of Elk Fence At Point Reyes National Seashore
By Justin Housman
Just days after the NPS began removing a controversial fence separating elk from cattle in Point Reyes National Seashore, a federal judge blocked the fence's removal.
Lawsuit To Remove Feral Horses From Cumberland Island National Seashore Dismissed
By Kurt Repanshek
A federal judge, though sympathetic to the plight of feral horses at Cumberland Island National Seashore, has dismissed a lawsuit asking her to order the National Park Service to remove them to a more suitable home.
National Park Service Passes On Wilderness For Big Cypress National Preserve
By Kurt Repanshek
The National Park Service, although identifying more than 190,000 acres that would qualify as official wilderness at Big Cypress National Preserve, has passed on recommending any of it for official wilderness in its Backcountry Access Plan.
Grizzly 399 Was A Bear For The Ages
By Wendy Keefover and Cindy Combs
Grizzly 399 symbolized our remaining wild and spectacular places. Her passing is a wake up call to protect grizzlies in the face of disappearing habitat, increased traffic, and shootings.
Jemez Pueblo Retains Rights To Hunt Within Valles Caldera National Preserve
By Kurt Repanshek
The settlement Interior Department officials reached with the Jemez Pueblo over Banco Bonito within Valles Caldera National Preserve allows the pueblo to hunt, gather plants, wood, and other natural resources, and hold traditional religious practices there.
