National Parks Traveler

Run a breathtaking, and alarming, video of brown bears about to be slaughtered and there's an outpouring of emotion, angst, and vitriol against the National Park Service for allowing such a hunt. Mention that the National Park Service is fully behind snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park, where science has demonstrated they're a blight on the landscape, and there's a collective shrug of the shoulders. Has apathy settled in on this issue?

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 9th, 2007 12:02pm

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NPS' Washington Headquarters Supports Snowmobiles in Yellowstone

The decision by Yellowstone National Park officials that up to 540 snowmobiles a day should be allowed in the park come winter is supported by the National Park Service's Washington headquarters, which more than likely means another round of court battles is in the offing.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 8th, 2007 11:45am

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Glacier National Park Is Not As Pristine As It Appears

Drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road through Glacier National Park and you're immediately struck by the alpine beauty of this national park. Shimming lakes, waterfalls that seem to dangle from cliffs hundreds of feet in the air, glaciers off which the sun glints. But appearances can be deceiving.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 8th, 2007 9:18am

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Bryce Canyon's Navajo Loop Trail, Closed by a Rock Slide in 2006, Is Reopened

It took more than a year, but crews at Bryce Canyon National Park have been able to reopen the Navajo Loop Trail, which had been closed by a rock slide in May 2006.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 8th, 2007 4:00am

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Katmai Bear Hunt: Outfitter Says It's No Walk in the Woods

An outfitter whose clients at close range gunned down brown bears in Katmai National Preserve contends the hunt is not akin to "shooting fish in a barrel." And Jim Hamilton claims those who filmed portions of the hunt ruined the hunters' experience.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 6th, 2007 10:24am

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Centennial Projects: Fighting Mosquitoes in Grand Teton National Park

Fighting mosquitoes is one of the ways the folks at Grand Teton National Park want to mark the National Park Service's centennial in 2016. Really.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 5th, 2007 11:00am

3 comments

Biologists Count Fish In Olympic National Park's Elwha River -- Under Water!

In case you were wondering, there are more than 7,000 rainbow trout, not to mention 26 pink salmon, 215 bull trout, and 539 adult Chinook salmon in the Elwha River in Olympic National Park. Park officials know that because a team of snorkel-spouting biologists swam the river's 42 miles specifically to count the fish.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 4th, 2007 3:34pm

Haleakala National Park Officials Institute Moratorium on Bike Tours

Officials at Haleakala National Park in Hawaii have decided, in the wake of the death of a woman last week, that more time is needed to review commercial biking tours in the park.

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By Kurt Repanshek - October 4th, 2007 9:00am

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Is the Centennial Initiative Really Needed to Drum Up Support for the Parks?

Is there really a need for the Centennial Initiative to generate private dollars for the parks? That doesn't seem to be the case for the Yellowstone Park Foundation, which is recently raised $3 million for things like trails improvements, fisheries work, and curatorial work with park archives.