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Setting Precedents in the Parks

There's a passage in Director's Order 53, one of the many documents that guide National Park Service management decisions, that warns of proverbial icebergs ready to assail superintendents who truly believe their mission is to "conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."

RS2477 And the National Parks

The other day a federal judge tossed out a lawsuit that aimed to open Surprise Canyon in Death Valley National Park to ORV traffic. That post generated a lot of debate over the propriety of a road in that rugged canyon. Those who filed the lawsuit claimed they had a right to the road thanks to a Civil War-era statute known as R.S. 2477. Well, Death Valley isn't the only park that could suffer from this statute.

Y2Y On Display in Seattle

Seattle-area residents who've heard about the Yellowstone to Yukon initiative but want to learn more have a golden opportunity from now through the end of the year. A collection of Florian Schulz's photographs that captures the heart and soul of Y2K are on display at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in Seattle.

Art Allen's Parkland Watch

Looking for more news about the National Parks? Art Allen has created a new email list / discussion group / news service which brings park related news from around the country into one easily accessible format. Art had provided the same service as a private list, but has just reconfigured the settings to make this list available to everyone.
  • By jersu - July 30th, 2007 2:37pm

Website Administrative Note about Comment Spam

Over the weekend, our website was swamped with something called 'comment spam'. Like the unwanted stuff you get in your email, this spam is just as annoying and difficult to get rid of. The best solution so far has been to run comments from unregistered visitors through an approval queue. These 'anonymous' comments will be filtered for spam, then released onto the web a short time later.
  • By jersu - September 25th, 2012 4:04pm

And, Speaking of Volcanoes ... Audio Story at Lassen Volcanic

Ever hike to the top of a volcano? Typically, this is a pretty tough activity, but at Lassen Volcanic National Park, this goal can be accomplished through a 2.5 mile strenuous hike. It's a pretty popular activity, but, if you'd like to avoid the crowds, listen to this story about backcountry hiking opportunities within Lassen Park.
  • By jersu - September 24th, 2007 12:39pm

Mt St Helens as National Park?

A recent article suggests that four representatives for Washington State would like to see the Mt St Helens Volcanic Monument moved from management under the US Forest Service to the National Park Service. The objectives of the Parks make more sense for the monument, but will moving the mountain from one cash starved agency to another cash starved agency make a difference?
  • By jersu - July 27th, 2007 2:20pm