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South Dakota Loses Bid To Shower Mount Rushmore With Fireworks

Aug 2nd - 18:33pm | Rob Richmond

Really?  Americans can't celebrate the birth of America within a National Park which honors those who made it happen?  Because the park is on sacred land?  Did I get that right?

Jul 28th - 18:55pm | chris...

To be clear- i agree with this foundations opinion- fireworks should be banned on NPS land.  I just want to see it enforced nationally at all parks.    

Jul 28th - 17:53pm | chris...

Hypocrite- I believe you are trying to say that all public lands are equal but some public lands are more equal than others and as such deserve special regulations that the other is exempt from.  What could go wrong with such thinking?    

Jul 28th - 17:01pm | Hypocrite

Yes, are both public lands, but there are no forests to catch fire in DC and I don't know where sigh dakota is, but it is obviously a purely political place.

Jul 28th - 09:49am | Chris...

It's all public land . Our land. The ruling is flawed. If it's not open to anyone on public lands it should not be open to anyone. The difference between dc and sigh dakota is purely political 

Jul 28th - 06:11am | Hypocrite

Totally different environments, no one is a hypocrite.

Jul 27th - 19:35pm | Rick B.

I'm in agreement with the decision, not only for fire hazard, but also based on how many fireworks injuries I've seen over my medical career.

Jul 27th - 19:00pm | chris...

Washington, DC, Fourth of July Celebration https://www.nps.gov > subjects   The National Mall provides prime viewing for the annual fireworks display, which promises to be one of the most spectacular in recent memory. ‎Things to Do * ‎Maps * ‎Prohibited Items

Yellowstone Flood Recovery Update

Aug 2nd - 18:00pm | chris...

Its ridiculous that to visit OUR national lands you must go to the private for profit recreation. gov.   Thats a joke and every reader should contact their local reps to complain about the privatization of our public lands

Aug 1st - 07:55am | Loui

So I take it they are going to station rangers @ Tower Junction to check tickets?  Will be interesting to see if they can reopen the road to Cooke City before Chief Joseph Hwy to Custer closes for the winter....

Op-Ed | New York Times Promotes Logging In Yosemite National Park

Aug 2nd - 17:59pm | chris...

Its not vegetation change.. those photo's show the effects that commericial sheep herds had on the land. Perhaps we should just bring back the sheep herds as it would be cheaper, more environmentally friendly, and less corrupt than the for profit logging plan...  

Aug 2nd - 16:22pm | Michael Kellett

Well said. I could not agree more.

Aug 2nd - 11:43am | Alfred Runte

What a splendid, informative piece. I have spent decades in the fire literature of Yosemite and really seen few articles like it. Certainly, the debate has been ongoing for 150 years--all the way back to military management. As for management today, it is sadly deficient in historical understanding, and therein lies the problem for so many parks.

Vandalism Closes Cavate on Pueblo Loop Trail At Bandelier

Aug 2nd - 17:29pm | Wes Wilson Denv...

Thank you NPS for closing Cave Kiva for its protection, please consider a permanent closure with photos on a kiosk for visitors.    

A Hike To The World's Tallest Tree Could Cost You $5,000 And Jail Time

Aug 2nd - 16:50pm | Rob Richmond

DON'T GIVE IT A NAME.  This tree (or its predecessor) was featured in National Geographic Magazine years ago, but had no name.  Look what happened to "Delicate" Arch after it got a name.

Aug 2nd - 11:26am | Bill

History will not look kindly on this period of social media where 'influencers' try to outdue themselves with ever more dangerous or exclusive content.  This is yet another example of social media creating something that was not really a big deal before and is driving people that do not know how to respect the environment to find it.

Exploring The Parks: Fort Larned National Historic Site

Aug 2nd - 12:55pm | Michael Kellett

I have been to Fort Larned NHS several times over the years on cross-country trips. It is one of my favorite NPS units. The history is interesting and, as Kurt notes, it is easy to envision what it was like for soldiers living at the fort.

Rush To The Outdoors Has Challenged Recreation.Gov

Aug 2nd - 07:57am | Cate

The system feels like a scam. We just put in and had to pay for two permits in a lottery for an off season hike, and didn't get one of them. Feeling ripped off As there is no refund. 

Jul 30th - 01:06am | Melissa Duffy

I am one of the many disgruntled campers using the Recreation.gov interface. I checked for months, called the Ranger and found out exactly when it was six months before I could reserve a campground at Panorama Point.

Mount Rushmore National Memorial Superintendent to Oversee Indian Relations For National Park Service

Aug 1st - 19:50pm | Dan Alpert

I worked at Theodore Roosevelt NP South Unit when Gerard was District Ranger at the North Unit. I got to know him fairly good. I didn't work directly under him but his Back Country ranger and I controlled noxious weeds together for a few weeks. So I did work along side him. He then went to the Forest Service where I ran into him on a fire in the Jewel Mountain range in Western Montana.

Mystery Photo 62-Roughing It

Jul 30th - 23:09pm | Karthik

valley forge national historical park

Jul 27th - 12:30pm | Anonymous

I'll go with Josie's cabin, too.

Jul 27th - 10:25am | Bart

Kolob Canyons?

Jul 27th - 09:54am | Matthew M

I agree. I believe that it is the Josie Morris pioneer home in Dinasour National Monument 

Jul 27th - 07:46am | Holly S

Dinosaur National Monument

Jul 27th - 07:31am | Margaret Nowak....

This is the Josie Morris cabin in Jensen, Utah. Dinosaur national monument. She was an amazing woman. 

Jul 27th - 07:02am | M Gaylord

Josies Cabin, Dinosaur Nm

Jul 27th - 07:02am | Tyler Walker

This looks like the old homestead located in the back of Dinosaur National Monument 

Senate Legislation Stands To Benefit National Park System

Jul 30th - 09:15am | chris...

This stands to benifit private for profit companies.  They are not "reducing" the fuel load in these forests.  they are logging the land for profit.  And they are doing so on a flawed premise- photo's from the 1860's....

The Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks

Jul 29th - 20:38pm | steve arms

i totally agree with you. it's really sad that commercilism is now taking over what once was a carefree, relaxed place. and to make it worse is the fact that you have to get it in e-book style. why not a wonderful hard cover??????? and........................ what's the price you have to pay?????????????????????? again, sandra, i am on your side on this one.

Forest Service Open to Allowing Mountain Bikes on Continental Divide Trail, But What About Park Service?

Jul 28th - 23:49pm | Mike Vandeman

The major harm that mountain biking does is that it greatly extends the human footprint (distance that one can travel) in wildlife habitat. E-bikes multiply that footprint even more. Neither should be allowed on any unpaved trail. Wildlife, if they are to survive, MUST receive top priority!

National Park Service Continues To Languish In "Best Places To Work" Survey

Jul 28th - 00:58am | tahoma

Compare this survey of Park Service employees who have rated their managers among the worst in the federal government for over a decade to surveys of the general public who consistently rank the National Park Service as one of the top federal agencies.  The NPS rank & file are mostly excellent, often highly skilled, civil servants that Americans are lucky to have working in their parks; NPS

Jul 22nd - 22:10pm | Some guy

I'm sorry to hear you can't fill these vital positions at the wages the NPS currently pays. What I'm surprised about this year, as I heard rumblings and have seen the effects of the NPS culture of poor pay throughout the agency on recruiting is that this is not being told to the media or Congress. For far too long agency leadership has complacently avoided telling Congress the hard truth.

Jul 22nd - 16:12pm | Desk ranger

This is good news. Having hundreds of applicants for a job that is as exploitative as a gs-05 with bad or no housing devalues human dignity and leads to abuse.

Jul 22nd - 10:48am | Frank E. Nicholson

Gentle reader, the park service had it too easy for too long. Every entry level permanent position advertised had hundreds of applicants. Seasonal employees would do anything to get permanent. Those days are over. Generation Z does not seem to be interested in the working for the NPS.

Water Conservation Measures Implemented At Grand Canyon’s South Rim

Jul 26th - 21:57pm | Monique

It's hard to see that switching to disposable dishes is a win for the environment. 

Jul 24th - 12:52pm | Kris McGee

It would be very helpful to have the park service project when water will resume on North Kaibab

NPS Seeks Public Comment For Sequoia And Kings Canyon Fire Mitigation EA

Jul 26th - 17:50pm | Carl van Warmerdam

Let the forest regenerate on its' own, just like Yellowstone.

Is NPS Getting Ready To Toss Bluffs Lodge On The Scrap Heap?

Jul 26th - 16:25pm | Ruth Lucas

We stayed at Bluff's Lodge back in the late 50's and early 60's when Bluff's Lodge was in its hey day. I have such fond memories spent out in the meadow.

Groups Want Florida To Purchase Big Cypress National Preserve Mineral Rights

Jul 25th - 20:22pm | Ali

You might reach out to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida to see if they can put you in touch with an organization on the mineral rights.

Jul 25th - 08:53am | debbie stevens

I have mineral rights on a piece of land I inherited.  I would love to donate them to the proper/environmentally friendly authorities.  Can anyone here help me?  Thanks.  

The Challenges Of Recreation.gov

Jul 24th - 12:14pm | Kevin Arave

Would like to know what you have found, we likewise have have felt there is something going on with insider's.?

NPS Proposing To Permanently Close Parking Areas At Harpers Ferry

Jul 21st - 22:39pm | Aargle Bargle

The present day Park Service is just a mess. They no longer serve the parks, they serve themselves.

Jul 20th - 10:15am | Desk ranger

Yes indeed. Covid has been a boon to the NPS. We have been able to use it as an excuse for doing or not doing scores of things.

Indiana Dunes National Park Institutes Entrance Fee

Jul 21st - 22:34pm | Aargle Bargle

The more money the NPS gets for deferred maintenance the more they want. 30 years of steadily increasing money with no result. PS Indiana Funes would make a lovely State Park. 

Jul 21st - 16:24pm | Carol Moenster

A $15.00 entry fee is outrageous, the only thing there is the beach, but not everyone wants to swim.  $15.00 to walk down to the lighthouse is crazy.  You have just ended attendance by most people in the area.

Why Are Mature Sequoias Dying At Kings Canyon, Sequoia, And Yosemite National Parks?

Jul 20th - 20:02pm | Jeff 0098

I can promise you burning tons of jet fuel isn't helping the environment 

Photography In The National Parks: My Favorite Parks For Photography – Part 1

Jul 20th - 15:35pm | Bill Stock

Beauty in so many ways in so many places. Amplified at sunrise & sunset as Ansel said.

More Praise For Selection Of Charles F. Sams III For NPS Director

Jul 20th - 12:34pm | anonymouse

this is why they chose him, they don't want the age old lifer nps employee to get to the top and follow the culture of the service. He is an outsider, yes, but that gives him an advantage in my opinion, he is able to approach the job from a bottom up view, rather than dogmatically maintaining the status quo.

Mystery Photo 60: Which Way?

Jul 20th - 09:16am | No man’s land

SCBL, 100 miles to Laramie Peak, approximately due west

The Essential RVing Guide

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