National Parks Traveler

There's plenty of news around the national park system, if you take a look. Newspapers are questioning Yellowstone planners on their snowmobile decision, politicians are making hey with the Everglades, Glacier is celebrating its Peace Park status, and Valley Forge is facing development on its doorstep.

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By Kurt Repanshek - May 16th, 2008 9:45am

Judge Orders Cross Removed from Mojave National Preserve

Brace yourself, I'm about to delve into one of those public conversation taboos. You know, you don't talk sex, politics, or religion in public. But at times I find the debates spurred by symbols fascinating. And, of course, religious symbols seem to spur the most debates. The one I want to focus on involves Mojave National Preserve, where a federal judge has ruled that a cross can no longer stand atop Sunrise Rock.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 7th, 2009 10:09am

24 comments

Olympic National Park Releases Environmental Assessment on Fisher Recovery

A cat-sized carnivore long missing from the forests of Olympic National Park could soon be roaming the park under a plan drawn up to return the animal to one of its native haunts.

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By Kurt Repanshek - November 7th, 2007 11:36am

GAO: Interior Failed to Provide Park Service With Tools To Cope With Climate Change

Folks for some time have realized that there's something going on with the climate, and whether you believe it's human-caused or cyclical is besides the point. What's key is how we react to it. And the federal government's Government Accountability Office says the Interior Department has failed to adequately help the National Park Service react to those changes.

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By Kurt Repanshek - September 7th, 2007 2:17pm

14 comments

Another Black Bear in Grand Teton Put Down

Grand Teton National Park officials have had to kill another black bear that had become accustomed to linking humans with food. This is the second bear in less than a week that park officials killed because it had become habituated to human food.

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By Kurt Repanshek - September 7th, 2007 9:27am

2 comments

The Secret Life of Drugs in Parks

I was inspired recently to write an article about the problems drugs bring to the parks when I visited Olympic National Park earlier this summer. As recreational visitors to the national parks, we may not be aware of the battle behind the scenes to keep drugs out of the parks. I was told a story by a long-time law enforcement ranger that surprised me, and made me realize the burden to the resource they represent.

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By jersu - October 1st, 2011 10:54am

4 comments

Plan to Expand Civil War Museum Could Bring Artifacts to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania NMP

There's an effort being launched to create a network of Civil War museums across the state of Virginia, and one might be located in Fredericksburg, home to Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park.

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By Kurt Repanshek - September 6th, 2007 9:03am

Marketing Alaska's National Parks; Why Not All National Parks?

I hate jumping to conclusions. But that apparently is exactly what I did when I surmised that the proposed $1.5 million centennial project involving the Alaska Travel Industry Association would benefit the cruise-ship industry more than the parks.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 25th, 2011 6:54pm

1 comment

Federal Real ID May (Not) Be Required For Park Visit

It is hard to imagine at this point, but in just over a year, under a plan developed by Homeland Security, you may be asked to show a special federal identification to enter a national park. I can understand the security need behind having a passport to enter the country, and I can understand the need for important background checks before entering a nuclear facility, but needing the same federal security check to drive through a park? Absurd! -- Note: important update added to original story