| National Parks Traveler

Wow, someone heard someone calling for help and did absolutely nothing but tell everyone much later, was it days, months or years, that they heard cries for help. What. The. Fudge. Are we humans that dumb? Unbelievable that someone would ignore cries for help especially where someone can fall off the edge. Omg. I have lost my faith in people. Disgusting.

Traveler's View: The National Park Service's Perplexing Director

Mar 16th - 20:59pm | James Longstreet

Peter Wisner: Issuing a permit for anyone to kill an eagle in an NPS unit for anything other than legitimate research is a clear violation of federal regulations. In other words, it's AGAINST THE LAW. There's no ambiguity there.

Mar 16th - 18:24pm | Peter Wisner

This is an interesting Traveler's View. A lot of it based on hersay, and "sources" and really lack of any substantive information. Like a 5th grade slam book.

Mar 15th - 16:02pm | Mather Forever

The NLC has always been what the Director at the time wants it to be. For Director Jarvis to speak that it is the only place to get field input is disingenous. Director Jarvis had an NLC but he also divided it up into smaller groups of 3-4 DC based/RD staff that made all the real decisions. The Budget Executive Committee and the Executive Committe it what they were called. I would caution

Mar 14th - 15:03pm | Loui

So the bureacrat used the tribe's late application as the basis for eschewing regulations intended to protect NPS resources for all Americans. So if I submit my backountry permit late does that mean I can camp whereever I please?

Actor Pierce Brosnan Fined For Walking In Thermal Area At Yellowstone National Park

Mar 15th - 14:40pm | Loui

So the judge issued a fine 1/10th that proposed by the government. A $500 fine ($1540 total) isn't going to deter a millionaire from doing much of anything. The investigation/prosecution probably cost 10xs that in hours worked, etc. Brosnan probably paid an attorney 20xs that to represent him. The message is clear.

President's FY25 Budget Request For National Park Service "Disappointing"

Mar 13th - 19:47pm | chris...

First- My apologies to Kurt Repashnak and this website- I am an onorus activist for the NPS...

Mar 13th - 16:48pm | Dootlizhshilii

Over the last twelve years I have noticed something that distinguishes the NPS from my previous large-organization experience (the U.S. Army). It appears that few of those who work at the national level (the Washington Support Office and its dependencies) have ever worked in a park. They mean well, but have no visceral understanding of park operations.

Mar 13th - 12:51pm | Phil Selleck

After a 30-year career with the NPS, I can assure you that funding is and was always an issue. As chief ranger, I started my assignment with 25 rangers to patrol. When I left 6 years later, I had 15. It all came down to money. Actually, individual parks, especially highly visible national parks tend to do better for funding.

Mar 13th - 12:05pm | Paul S.

Kurt, Here's brief responses to your comments:

Mar 13th - 10:53am | Joe L

If the outcome of the 2024 elections is a favorable one in terms of the Executive Branch and a Congressional majority therell be smooth waters ahead. If the reins go the dark side you can expect an immediate concerted effort to gut most all agencies and Federal employment protection. That siniist intent and plan has already been stated.

Mar 13th - 09:28am | chris...

Hey Kurt- ever worked for the NPS? The idea of a "promotion" is wildly out of touch with the private sector compared to what the NPS experience is. Many seasonal workers such as myself- will work for half a decade, perhaps even a decade with no hope of promotion. No real increase in wages. No real upward growth or potential for future higher earnings. Mainly your NPS career will be dictate

Mar 12th - 19:50pm | Kurt Repanshek

Paul, perhaps you could point out on the Green Book pages where you found that 21,639 number for FY23 FTEs.The FY24 budget request says the president's budget request calls for 20,759 FTEs. (Page Overview-3)The FY23 budget request says the president's request supports 20,495 FTEs (Page Overview-3)

Mar 12th - 16:54pm | Paul S.

The statement that there's "not enough money for employee pay raises" is not supported by the facts. By law federal employees receive pay increases based upon performance/time-in-grade regardless of their agency's budget limitations. Additionally, nearly every year federal employees recieve annual pay increases, which are separate from performance/time-in-grade status.

Mar 12th - 16:24pm | Tom Kromer

The NPS has no one to blame but itself for this mess. Years of mismanagement and scandalous behavior (Grand Canyon debacle as a case in point) have led to lost confidence, by both the public and Congress.

Three Winter Days At Great Sand Dunes National Park And Preserve

Mar 13th - 09:09am | Bill Chapman

Rebecca...It never gets old seeing your pictures and written dialogue! Thanks again!!

Mar 12th - 16:49pm | WaltD

Great photos and story, Rebecca! Thanks!

New Concessionaire Wants To Take Over Crater Lake National Park Concessions

Mar 12th - 21:21pm | pauletteb

ExplorUS ruined Acadia's Jordan Pond House. Service and food have gone downhill; a "pot" of tea doesn't even provide two full cups. Fortunately, the popovers the former concessionaire made famous have moved to the Asticou Inn. If it's popovers you want, go there instead.

Mar 9th - 21:29pm | y_p_w

Ben Thompson: What about us that have lodging reservations there this summer. Will they be honored by the new company, or just canceled? Should be honored. At least that's what the new concessionaire claims.

Mar 8th - 12:16pm | Ben Thompson

What about us that have lodging reservations there this summer. Will they be honored by the new company, or just canceled?

Mar 7th - 11:04am | y_p_w

A. Johnson: Not sure why any company would want to wade into a legal squabble between the NPS and Aramark that's bound to last years

Mar 7th - 09:06am | A. Johnson

Not sure why any company would want to wade into a legal squabble between the NPS and Aramark that's bound to last years Even if Explorus gets the contract, then the company has to deal with the ongoing inability of the NPS to properly fund and maintain the infrastructure at CL, beginning with the water supply, to simply clearing the entrance road...

Discovering Mammoth Cave’s Oceanic Past

Mar 12th - 11:00am | Anita Travis Richter

Very interesting article, Kim. Makes me want to look closer when I go into caves.

Mar 8th - 08:14am | Paul Smithson

Great article. I never knew that sharks and other vertebrates existed in these layers.

Mar 4th - 20:07pm | Rick Olson

Excellent article! It was fun talking with you all as well.ara

NPCA: Compromise Budget Will Cut $150 Million From National Park Service

Mar 11th - 16:49pm | Catherine

Sleeping Bear Dunes park service seems determined to put in a bicycle path to nowhere, that will require felling more than 7,000 trees and building 15' retaining walls along a now-scenic road. NPS could save more than $7M by cancelling this boondoggle.

Mar 10th - 11:39am | Loui

It is high time for the cying, complaining and blaming to end. The NPS and ths NPs before them have been underfunded since the beginning, whatever party was in charge. It's never going to change. Grow up.

Mar 8th - 13:32pm | Tom Ribe

A Johnson: First Congress and the President designate national parks and monuments. The NPS has no control over these desinations and cannot "cut" them. Most Americans support these designations for many reasons. Also the NPS Director already is a presidential appointee. Note that Don Trump did not have an NPS director. His choice and it hurt the agency badly.

Mar 6th - 10:25am | A. Johnson

Wait! An advocacy group thinks that their favorite federal agency is underfunded? That's news? Really? NAme the last time that the NPCA put out a press release applauding the sufficient funding of the NPS! Now THAT would be news!

Mar 5th - 18:19pm | H Miller

Stop the new construction program. With a maintenance backlog of $22 billion NPS doesn't need to continue building new visitor centers. Transfer the 300-400 employees in the Denver Service Center to the parks to help with backlog maintenance. Reduce the hours of operations of Parks. Close Parks during the weekdays.

Mar 5th - 14:16pm | Ben from Virginia

National Park Service funding is important to the nation. The cut to operations and the required pay raise will be painful indeed to the public. Hopefully fees will help pay for essential services. But 419 parks is expensive and Congress needs to do a better job of paying for them, or reducing non-critical historic sites.

Mar 5th - 12:37pm | A. Johnson

Congress should withhold all funding from the NPS, until the NPS is shamed into a complete restructuring. A restructuirng that includes: --prioritizing then downsizing the number of parks, monuments and preserves. We've designated too many sites that just do not qualify for federal protection. Stert with Stonewall--return it to the state.

Mar 5th - 06:12am | Dan Murray

The parks should respond by increasing access fees and Congress should be shamed into approving the requests.

Yellowstone National Park Lands $40 Million Gift For More Employee Housing

Mar 10th - 14:47pm | WaltD

Hmmm. The 40 million dollars is..."expected to pay for more than 70 modular units." Assuming 75 units, that comes to well over half a million bucks per unit. Since the government already owns the land, I trust that there'll be lots of money remaining for other housing-related/infrastructure projects.

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

Mar 8th - 19:23pm | Guy Bowman

So now a family needs to purchase 2 passes if the same family member isn't in the car? In essence you've doubled the price of the pass for us as we live in west yellowstone and share the vehicle. What about Cook city? Us border communities supprt park staff and visitors year round but if we need to cut thru the park or use it we're penalized.

Take A Virtual Tour Of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park With This Video

Mar 8th - 14:32pm | Harley

So pretty I wanted to faint!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Get Your Free National Parks "Owner's Guide" From The National Park Foundation

Mar 8th - 07:31am | Larry 51000 Koenig

Send me the National Park guide, I am travaling this year to UT and other placesC

North Cascades National Park Staffing Issues Spur Petition To NPS Director Chuck Sams

Mar 6th - 05:30am | Joe.P

It doesn't take 18 months for background checks, realistically with urgency, they can be completed in 2 months or less. The original reason given for no rangers this season is slightly misleading. They have not yet even posted the permenant jobs for hire on the hiring websit.

Big Bend National Park Expected To Be Busy During Spring Break

Mar 5th - 19:42pm | Richard Knight

I agree with A. Johnson, above, but I would include all of Texas (along the Rio Grande), and all campgrounds in states (NM, AZ, and CA) that are relatively near the Mexican border. I am surprised that no one seems to be talking about the elevated risk to campers and RV'ers in those states. The danger is real.

Mar 5th - 12:16pm | A. Johnson

I furst visited BBNP in 1995, and again in 2009, & 2012. It was a remote, quiet, and not too busy place. It was a gem. Last visited BBNP in 2017 when I had to chase off a squatter family in my Chiso Basin campsite. It was amazing to watch and hear the squatters lie about reserving the site while my name was on the tag on the post! Amazing & sad.

Petition Asks Interior Secretary To See Rangers Staff Remote North Cascades Outpost

Mar 5th - 11:00am | Martha Bell-Hart

Please continue to have a Park Ranger on staff in Stehekin. This beautiful wilderness area needs a ranger to both educate visitors/backpackers about safety and conservation, and to protect the wilderness from harm from visitors.

Fun Facts And Trivia From The National Park System's Visitation Data

Mar 4th - 17:44pm | Ermige

I knew Great Smoky Mountains was the most visited park, but consistently over 13 million the last few years is just insane!

Feb 29th - 10:52am | A. Johnson

700 miles of toilet paper musing: My experience with the typical NPS toilet paper is that it's not even 1 ply--it's 0.001 ply. I suspect that the NPS has done several studies on just what kind of TP to buy, how much the average user uses, etc., but geez, it's terrible and one winds up using 1/2 mile of 0.001 ply TP per sitting just to do a basic job.

Feb 29th - 10:12am | Kurt Repanshek

Good catch, Will. We fixed the caption.

National Park Service Turns To Forest Service For Help Restoring 19th-Century Schooner

Mar 4th - 14:54pm | Steve Lindsey

Did a better job on that one. After the debacle of the steam schooner Wapama.

Area Of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Closed Due To Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

Mar 4th - 13:16pm | Loui

This might even be more ridiculous than the cave closures following white nose syndrome. Without a single case of a single human infecting a single bat, land managers who never liked cavers in the first place implemented a slew of regulations and indefinite closures. Newsflash: it's the bats infecting other bats. Then came the cloth COVID masks.

Reader Participation Day: What's Your Dream Park Adventure?

Mar 1st - 12:25pm | Christina Gallegos

Perfect trip: Coronado State Park, NM, Petroglyph Ntl Monument, Bandalier, Chaco Canyon, Ghost Ranch-float the Chama River, warm up at Ojo Hot Springs, Rio Grande National Monument, float Rio Grande, Great Sand Dunes, hot springs at Hooper, Co

Feb 29th - 10:56am | A. Johnson

Well, NPT has got me thinking about visits to Organ Pipe and Segauro NPs in AZ sometime soon. It might be tough to accomplish if summer is unbearable. I've done the Grand Canyon NP several times, but it's much higher in altitude. The southern AZ parks are next on the list. March 2025?

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