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Hovenweep National Monument

Episode 6: The Dark Ranger And The Other Half Of The Park System

Kevin Poe, the original "dark ranger" of the National Park Service, discusses the dark, starry skies high over the National Park System in this week's episode of National Parks Traveler's podcast series. Contributing writer Kim O'Connell shares some insights from her research into how Venezuela's national parks are faring during these times of social and political turmoil in that country, and host Kurt Repanshek concludes the show with a look at some of the park system's "devilish" places.

Extreme Fire Conditions Prompt Tighter Restrictions On Fires In National Parks, Other Public Lands

Southeastern Utah is experiencing hazardous fire conditions due to prolonged drought and extremely dry vegetation. Weather forecasts and wildland fire prediction models point to increased fire danger. As a result, on Friday all Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, State of Utah, and unincorporated private lands in the following areas will increase fire restrictions:

Ruminating On Interior Appropriations, Bishop's PLI, And Political Convention Platforms

In its rush Thursday to take the rest of the summer off, Congress left behind a pile of unfinished work, some of which reaches into the National Park System. There's the Interior appropriations bill, which would roll back some environmental protections, and a controversial Public Lands Initiative for Utah that quickly drew fire. And then there's the draft platform for the Republican Convention, which holds freight aimed at fleecing federal lands and tying presidents' hands.

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