| National Parks Traveler

Surely the most logical way to present this story would be with a BEFORE and AFTER shot, wouldn't it?... What might have been interesting additional relevant information would have been a report on wear and tear from tourists, total annual number of visitors....people climbing all over the arch for photo ops etc and so on

Aug 12th - 14:14pm | M douglass

Obviously natural changes would have an impact.

Aug 12th - 13:51pm | y_p_w

There's no way of knowing what happened here, which the Superintendent makes clear. I would suspect that this was not an arch that a lot of people could climb on or under. However, it might help to understand that Lake Powell is hardly a natural lake, where the flow of water affects the sandstone.

Aug 12th - 12:24pm | Anonymous

Don't be an idiot. It's being blamed on Lake Powell which is certainly a change in the supporting rock in the last several decades. Not global warming.

Aug 12th - 12:04pm | Glyde E

Sooo.... gravity make airplanes crash? The denilists are like having a pilot in the cockpit who accelerates the plane when he discovers that the plane s heading to the ground!

Aug 12th - 12:02pm | Vic Neumann

Seasons in the Sun~ Father Time is still Undefeated

Aug 12th - 10:33am | RRR

Sandstone anything lasting 190 million years? Not likely.

Aug 12th - 10:19am | Loud House Nana

Park Superintendent DID NOT say that human activity contributed to the collapse, as she clearly stated that they did not know the cause. She simply reminded the public that human activity CAN have an impact on these treasures, fulfilling her responsiblity as an advocate for the park.

Aug 12th - 10:04am | LVboater

It was sandstone . . . very susceptible to erosion. Hopefully not related to any type of vandalism, but . . . as Aron Rawlston reminded us, geologic time includes now.

Aug 12th - 10:00am | Anonymous

No matter the cause, it's kind of sad to see it's gone. That sandstone was 190 Million years old. It was probably the dinosaurs walking on it that weakened it.

Aug 12th - 09:38am | capnbuttchicken

time eventually erases all this. there is no such thing as forever just for now.

Aug 12th - 09:27am | Rick Morris

"While we don't know what caused this collapse" Let's just blame it on what "can be influenced or damaged by manmade interventions," Sure, why not....

Aug 12th - 07:23am | cynicalme

It seems so difficult for some folks here to deal with the truth, eye witness observations, and science.

Aug 12th - 07:20am | Steve C

It's quite possible that over time the sand and rock supporting it changed and weakened due to rain, vibration, wind and manmade activity. Natural formations do fail eventually given the right conditions. This one looked like it could give way eventually due to its extensive overhang with no support. I am not any kind of expert but it seems logical to me.

Aug 12th - 07:01am | B

After many many years of it being there gravity decided to randomly pull it down? Cool, cool.

Aug 12th - 06:56am | Lea Wiggins

Time, wind, rain, erosion. All things eventually come to an end.

Aug 12th - 06:50am | Tad Schell

IMHO, the Park Superintendent should not have made an unsubstantieated claim that human activity contributed to the collapse of the arch. Her statement should have said that we don't know what caused the collapse as yet, and leave it at that.

Aug 12th - 06:17am | they will spin it

This will be blamed on climmat change mark my word. Not natural events that caused the erosion.

Aug 12th - 05:55am | Richard D

Global Warming? Climate Change? Donald Trump mean Tweets? None of the above......SHlT HAPPENS!

Aug 10th - 11:09am | A. Johnson

Cause of collapse: uh, gravity?

House Funding Decisions For National Park Service Show Contradictions

Aug 12th - 12:09pm | Kurt Repanshek

Well, don't forget that many of those non-federal programs that the NPS supports were created by Congress, as are new units of the park system (along with monuments the president creates through The Antiquities Act).So, is it really the Park Service that needs to be reformed, or Congress and presidents?

Aug 12th - 12:01pm | A. Johnson

It has been the inability of the Park Service to stay on top of routine maintenance that contributes to the maintenance backlog. Normal folks would think that a "construction" fund would well, fund construction. At the NPS, "construction" is fungilb.

Aug 12th - 11:52am | Kurt Repanshek

Your comment begs elucidation, AJ. What reforms would you like to see?

Aug 12th - 11:48am | A. Johnson

Until the NPS makes significant reforms, cut the allocations to $0. Enough is enough.

Wildfires Continue To Plague National Parks

Aug 12th - 08:10am | Fire Captain

Being that fire is a natural part of the environment, and that these are all fire-adapted ecosystems (which are unfortunately out of sync due to various human influences) I don't believe "Plague" is the appropriate term here.

German Visitors Cited For Paintballing Joshua Tree National Park

Aug 9th - 18:02pm | Anonymous

I think they should be made to clean it up. Did they say why?

PEER: House Interior Department Budget Would Further Gut NPS LE Rangers

Aug 8th - 19:41pm | Glad2bretired

I think "One Man's Opinion" about NPS mismanagement has merit. Indeed, I think the NPS has branched out into too many side projects which take money and resources away from its core mission. This isn't just the Agency's fault, but that of Congress (sometimes supported by NPS non-profit charities) adding new responsibilities without funding them.

Aug 8th - 15:56pm | Kurt Repanshek

T Burt, this was mentioned in a Congressional Research Report on FY25 spending for NPS:

Aug 8th - 15:50pm | T Burt

I would like to see some ideas on how to fund this. We're in debt up to our eyeballs. What programs would you support cutting in order to add funding to the NPS? I can only really speak for GSMNP, but at least in this park.it's more an issue of poor management and an enabling association.(read Smokie Life) Just one mans opinion.

Aug 7th - 18:56pm | Glad2bretired

Just another example of the House of Representatives leadership, from the so-called "Party of Law and Order", failing to walk its talk. With a $200 Million NPS budget cut, law enforcement in the Parks will undoubtedly eat a large part of it. Hopefully the Senate will have a better idea. At my last Park many years ago, law enforcement was understaffed, with signs of burnout and dysfunction.

Aug 5th - 16:07pm | JNKYRDTRK

I am sick to death of putting my Rangers in dangerous positions calling them out with no backup for domestics, assaults, traumatic crashes? Seven different page outs just to get one Ranger able to respond. How long can we abuse and destroy these poor Law Enforcement Rangers and their families ? 16 to 20 hours on shift are the new norm despite any regulations.

Aug 5th - 09:54am | Loui

This is what defunding the police looks like. In the case of the NPS, both visitors and the Resource will suffer.

Re-Routing Of Ice Age National Scenic Trail Will Improve Interpretation

Aug 8th - 15:04pm | Drew H

This is a small step but great news for what promises to be a fantastic new route for the IAT.

How Would A Second Trump Presidency Affect The National Park Service And Parks?

Aug 8th - 07:14am | JacobE

While I agree with the implicit premise that the USA should not casually waste money on just anything, it appears that your goal (and that of the project 2025 folks) is more about concentrating absolute power in the executive branch.

Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Proposing Fee Increases

Aug 7th - 15:33pm | Sandra

No! Please do not raise the rates. In a time when the price of necessities is increasing, there is little left over for recreation. If the fees are increased there will be a lot of people that will mot be able to afford to come visit your lovely park.

Grand Canyon Returns To Water Conservation Measures

Aug 7th - 11:54am | A. Johnson

Is the NPS required to use side-canyon streamwater because it has no right to Colorado River water?

Which Really Is The Most Dangerous National Park?

Aug 6th - 14:15pm | David Kelly

You need to adjust for attendence and stupidty. Ile Royal has Killer Moose and wolfs with far fewer vistors, one death there adjusted to vistors would equal 1000's at the other parks

Aug 6th - 12:44pm | john928gt

"Your own personal safety greatly depends on ensuring your brain isn't also "on vacation" when you visit a park" I'm always amazed when individuals don't understand their personal safety is their responsibility.

Only One Signature Will Be Allowed On America The Beautiful National Parks Passes

Aug 6th - 13:30pm | Tracy Hickson

Our family purchased an annual pass at the gate to Sequoia NP Last week. My husband purchased the pass and now I see that I, his wife, can no longer also have my name on the annual pass. My husband doesn't always accompany me and the kids to the Parks and National Monuments. So why even bother with a "family" pass now? I am absolutrly furious and will be demanding a refund.

Another U.S. Senator Has Questions About Recreation.Gov, Pushes For Investigation

Aug 6th - 06:39am | Deborah in Seattle

When Recreation.gov automatically cancelled my permit a month in advance because a small wildfire in the area currently has the road closed, they kept 24% of the fee for themselves. No way to protest either; it comes from a no-reply email, and their complaint form gets read by bots designed to misunderstand.

Flamingo Lodge is No More

Aug 5th - 17:43pm | Doug Seeley

I was an employee who worked 2 seasons there, 2003-04 and 2004-05. This was just prior to when hurricane Katrina hit in late August 2005 and flooded and destroyed the lodging and Buttonwood Restaurant. I have fond memories of this campy little village resort on the southern tip of Florida. I lived in employee housing on the other side of the canal.

Op-Ed | Privilege: A Required Qualification To Work With The National Park Service

Aug 5th - 14:02pm | Sum Dude

Wow you mean the park service has the same demographics as the country? what a travesty.

Acadia National Park Seeking Three Who Violated Wildlife Closure

Aug 5th - 10:43am | Cyndi

Motion detection traul cams that the Park Rangers monitor in the closed season. They could see if it was human and intervention was needed. Manditory working with wildlife rehab people to see what interference by human causes.

Aug 4th - 17:26pm | Maryland Michael

RIGHT ON DW

Aug 4th - 14:00pm | Larry A

Yes you dip, jailtime would be my recommendation. I wish a grizzly would have showed up and ate the dips. That would have got through to the dense no brain idiots

Aug 4th - 13:25pm | DW

Community service, cleaning trails, helping in rescue centers, latrine duty, 'raking the forest floor' would be a decent learning life lessons punishment

Aug 4th - 09:44am | Plays in mud

These people have no respect. The 1st offense should include a fine of 10k wildlife importance training and banned from all national parks for 1 year. 2nd offense fine, training and banned for 5 years and 3rd offense banned for life.

U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service Urged To Free Asha The Mexican Wolf

Aug 5th - 09:49am | Susan@#$%^&*()

Free this wolf!!! Our gov't is disgusting, capturing this beautiful FREE wolf and holding her hostage bc they want her to reproduce. This is criminal. Did any of them think that if she was out in the wild and left alone, she probably would reproduce? The poor girl is so stressed in captivity, and these gov't idiots are the ones causing her problems. LET HER GO.

Government Wash At Lake Mead NRA Closing To Vehicle Access And Overnight Camping

Aug 4th - 15:14pm | James Wright

I understand why it is being closed but there isn't an explanation of when or if it will be reopened and what steps are being taken to prevent this from happening again. The parks belong to the people and denying access should only be used in extreme circumstances. I belong to a fishing group where many of the members fish the Government Wash area.

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