pruning the parks

Pruning the Parks: Shadow Mountain Recreation Area (1952-1979)

The National Park Service once managed a recreation area focused on Shadow Mountain Lake, a West Slope Collection System reservoir located near Grand Lake, Colorado. Transferred to Forest Service management more than 30 years ago, this property is now a component of the huge Arapaho National Recreation Area.

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By Bob Janiskee - March 6th, 2010 3:58pm

2009 in Review: Abolished National Parks Were Highlighted in Park Pruning Series

During 2009, Traveler posted histories of ten of the many national parks that have been abolished/deauthorized/decommissioned/delisted since 1895.

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By Bob Janiskee - January 8th, 2010 1:38pm

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Pruning the Parks: Chattanooga National Cemetery (NPS 1933-1944) Was Born on Christmas Day

For the 11 years it was administered by the National Park Service, Chattanooga National Cemetery enjoyed a distinction among NPS units that we’re unlikely to ever see again. It was, at least in the historical sense, born on Christmas Day.

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By Bob Janiskee - December 25th, 2009 7:08am

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Pruning the Parks: St. Thomas National Historic Site (1960-1975) Left the Park System as Quietly as It Entered

St. Thomas National Historic Site left the National Park System as quietly as it entered. Getting abolished without ever being activated didn’t make it unique, but getting established on Christmas Eve put it in a class of its own.

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By Bob Janiskee - December 24th, 2009 4:00am

Pruning the Parks: Moving the Totems Changed Everything for Old Kasaan National Monument (1916-1955) –

Old Kasaan National Monument was established on October 25, 1916 to preserve an abandoned Haida Indian village site in the Alaska panhandle. The Park Service moved historic totems to a different site, and Congress abolished the park in 1955.

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By Bob Janiskee - March 12th, 2010 1:21pm

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Pruning the Parks: Castle Pinckney National Monument (1933-1956)

The Park Service acquired South Carolina’s Castle Pinckney National Monument in 1933, but was glad to see it abolished and transferred in the 1950s. Lacking a glorious past, and too expensive to restore, the old island fort now sits rotting in Charleston harbor.

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By Bob Janiskee - August 17th, 2015 2:50pm

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Pruning the Parks: New Echota Marker National Memorial (1933-1950) Commemorated the Cherokee Nation Seat of Government

Congress authorized New Echota Marker in 1930, the NPS acquired it in 1933, and Congress abolished it on September 21, 1950. It’s a pity that so few have ever heard of this historic site, now a Georgia state park, because it commemorates a place and events that should not be forgotten.

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By Bob Janiskee - December 19th, 2011 7:15am

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Pruning the Parks: It Took the Park Service Over 20 Years to Get Out from Under the Kennedy Center (1972-1994)

When Congress added the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to the National Park System on June 16, 1972, the Park Service acquired a difficult and expensive set of managerial obligations not fitting well with its traditional functions. Abolishing this NPS unit in 1994 was the right thing to do.

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By Bob Janiskee - December 31st, 2009 10:46am

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Pruning the Parks: Papago Saguaro National Monument (1914-1930)

Proclaimed on January 31, 1914, Arizona’s Papago Saguaro National Monument became the first national monument to be abolished. It was transferred out of the National Park System in 1930, basically because it was being trashed.

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By Bob Janiskee - December 31st, 2009 11:52am

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Pruning the Parks: Whatever Became of Marble Canyon National Monument (1969-1975)?

Outgoing presidents long have made a practice on January 20, their last day in office, of leaving parting gifts. For Lyndon Johnson, his gift to the nation 40 years ago was a national monument that served to protect the Grand Canyon from further dam building.

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By Kurt Repanshek - January 2nd, 2010 6:02am

INN Member

The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.

Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.

You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.