National Parks Traveler

At Yosemite National Park, concern for a river led to a staggering court ruling against the National Park Service. At Grand Canyon National Park, fears of radiation have led to congressional action to protect the park. At Yellowstone National Park, the buzzing of snowmobiles has caused science to be overlooked.

Read more about Our Endangered National Parks

By Kurt Repanshek - March 29th, 2008 10:18am

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FY2008 Budget Provides Seasonal Increases At Glacier National Park, But Hamstrings Other Operations

The good news from Glacier National Park is that there will be more seasonal employees on the ground this year. The bad news is that cyclic maintenance projects will continue to suffer.

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By Kurt Repanshek - March 28th, 2008 9:45am

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Appellate Court Rules Against Yosemite National Park

In a ruling that stands to have wide implications, a federal appellate court has ruled against Yosemite National Park officials and their Yosemite Valley plan. Today's decision, say park officials, not only will halt more than $100 million in construction work on the valley floor but could lead to visitation limits in the scenic valley.

YOSE-9th Circuit Ruling.pdf

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By Kurt Repanshek - March 27th, 2008 8:01pm

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Encyclopedia of Life Debuts

Though not specifically about national parks, there's a new web portal out in cyberspace that I thought you not only would enjoy, but find useful. It's called the Encyclopedia of Life.

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By Kurt Repanshek - March 27th, 2008 3:07pm

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Decommissioning National Parks: Some History, And Some Ominous Clouds

My recent post on decommissioned national parks drew fairly good readership on the Traveler, but it garnered much more outcry on a private listserv delivered to retired National Park Service employees. Which spurs a number of questions, foremost among them being the obvious "Why?"

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By Kurt Repanshek - March 27th, 2008 8:30am

4 comments

Virgin Islands National Park: Another Park Threatened By Inbounds Development

Valley Forge National Historical Park isn't the only unit of the national park system threatened by development on private lands that fall within its borders. Far from it. The latest case involves Virgin Islands National Park, where development on roughly 1,400 privately owned acres within the park's borders is harming the park's resources.

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By Kurt Repanshek - March 26th, 2008 5:50pm

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Group's Lawsuit Says Wolves, Not Bullets, Should Control Elk at Rocky Mountain National Park

Wolves, not bullets, should be used to cull the elk herds that move through Rocky Mountain National Park, according to a lawsuit filed against the Interior Department and National Park Service.

WildEarth Guardians-ROMO Wolves.pdf

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By Kurt Repanshek - March 25th, 2008 7:10pm

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Valley Forge: Once Again A Battleground, This Time Pitting History Against Development

More than two centuries after General George Washington and his Continental Army somehow endured a bitterly cold and exacting winter at Valley Forge, the landscape is again in turmoil. On one side is a national historical park, one that helps preserve the memory of America's birth. On the other, an organization whose questionable motives could sully that landscape.

VAFO-ARC Briefing Statement.pdf

VAFO-ARC Implications.doc

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By Kurt Repanshek - March 23rd, 2008 7:31pm

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Whatever Became of the Decommissioned National Parks?

Once upon a time, there was a national park unit centered around fossilized plants. And there was another -- the country's second national park -- that was located on an island in Lake Huron. But no more.