Tag Archives: national park service

National Forests, National Parks

Record of Decision available for Mariposa Grove Plan

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The National Park Service (NPS) at Yosemite National Park is pleased to announce that the Record of Decision for the Restoration of the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias Final Environmental Impact Statement (Mariposa Grove Final EIS) was approved by the Regional Director on December 10, 2013. The Record of Decision (ROD) formally selects Alternative 2, South Entrance Hub for implementation. Alternative 2 was identified as the park’s Preferred Alternative in the October 2013 Mariposa Grove Final EIS. The Selected Action in the Record of Decision is substantially the same as described for Alternative 2 in the Final EIS.

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National Forests, National Parks

Isn’t it MORE expensive to add more armed goons to close down our National Parks?

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

FINALLY!  It seems that some have figured out that this is a question that needs to be addressed!  According to The Blaze:

The Obama administration is considering allowing some national parks to be maintained by states during the partial government shutdown, but is still withholding information from Congress and the public about the cost of closing so many open-air monuments and parks.

“It would appear logically that the cost of barriers and security could cost more than simply leaving open,” House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) told TheBlaze. “We’ve asked the National Park Service and unfortunately we haven’t gotten answers.”

The Natural Resources Committee and House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a joint investigative hearing Wednesday on why 401 national parks and monuments were closed across the country during the shutdown.

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National Parks

Has the National Park Service Gone Completely Insane?

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

As an avid outdoor enthusiast, I have a great deal of respect and fond memories of my interactions with Park Rangers.

Those feelings, however, are eroding.  During the government shutdown, the National Park Service seems to have completely lost it’s little hive mind in various parts of the country:

  • Locking veterans out of the World War II Memorial, but allowing an illegal alien rally;
  • Using armed guards to detain tourists into their rooms at Yellowstone;
  • Refusing to allow the same tourists to stop at public restrooms as they were bussed out of the part;
  • Erecting barricades to keep people out of Mount Vernon – a privately owned and privately managed venue;
  • Removing handles from drinking fountains to stop people from drinking the valuable (and free) water;
  • Using many more resources to keep people OUT of parks than it takes to keep them open in the first place.

According to a widely-published quote from an Park Service Ranger, “We’ve been told to make life as difficult for people as we can. It’s disgusting.”

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National Parks

Yosemite Ranger Notes: Stewards of Stone – Stabilizing Yosemite Cemetery

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

There’s a place in Yosemite that I’ve only ever been to once in all my trips to Yosemite: the Yosemite Cemetery.  For whatever reason, I didn’t expect to find a cemetery here.  Yet, at the west end of Yosemite Village, past the museum and across the street, there is a quiet place where many of Yosemite’s earliest residents found their final rest – including many who added to the rich history of the valley.

The Yosemite Conservancy has put up a grant this year to help repair and refurbish the cemetery’s gravestones and monuments that have been neglected for year years.

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National Parks

Happy 97th Anniversary National Park Service!

Posted on by Shawn E. Bell

The National Parks Service will mark its 97th anniversary on Sunday, Aug. 25. Most of the parks will be celebrating by offering FREE ADMISSION!  Get out there and visit your national parks!

From the NPS website:

Since 1916, the American people have entrusted the National Park Service with the care of their national parks. With the help of volunteers and park partners, we are proud to safeguard these more than 400 places and to share their stories with more than 275 million visitors every year. But our work doesn’t stop there.

We are proud that tribes, local governments, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individual citizens ask for our help in revitalizing their communities, preserving local history, celebrating local heritage, and creating close to home opportunities for kids and families to get outside, be active, and have fun.

You can find out more about the National Park Service – and find a National Park near you – on their website HERE.