Hey Everyone,

I added a break between each park (in addition to another space) to help break up each park and make it easier to find news interesting for individual park interests. I hope this makes it easier to find things.

Cheers
James

Channel Islands National Park News:
New Visitor Center Opens at Channel Islands National Park on Scorpion Ranch
It takes about an hour from the nation's second largest city to drive the 101 Freeway to the Ventura Harbor. With another hour by boat and you're inside one of the less visited National Parks in the country.
http://laist.com/2009/04/09/new_scorpion_ranch_visitor_center_o.php
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Cuyahoga National Park News
Brecksville: Rail repairs will cause delays in Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Those travelling around Cuyahoga Valley National Park through the end of this month can expect some delays and detours due to railroad repairs
http://blog.cleveland.com/suncourier/2009/04/brecksville_rail_repairs_will.html
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Glacier National Park News:
A funny thing happened on the way to Glacier
Last year, my husband Greg along with our two Directors of Barketing, Zoey and Mattie, took a trip to Montana to sniff out properties for purpose of review. We enjoyed Yellowstone National Park for the first time and came back home to Idaho with a new fondness for Montana. So it came as no surprise that we jumped at the chance to take another excursion to Montana, this time heading to Glacier National Park.
http://www.examiner.com/x-7554-PetFriend...-way-to-Glacier
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Misc. National Parks News:
How climate change may be threatening national parks
Thriving forest pests and melting glaciers may make parks a warning system for climate change effects.
http://features.csmonitor.com/environmen...national-parks/

ATV: Utah's trails, dunes among best in U.S. (Note, only peripherally about Bryce Canyon)
Defining what makes a good all-terrain vehicle riding area depends on the type of experience it offers.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_12083706

In the Economic Downturn Destination Websites Become Even More Important (Note - not really at all about the parks, but it has some very interesting ideas that I think makes this article an interesting read).
YellowstonePark.com – designed to inspire people to choose the Yellowstone region as a vacation destination – has been voted the world’s No 1 tourism site, with 4 million page views, and 2 million unique visits annually. Among other things, visitors to the site spend about 14 minutes exploring the site’s “trip notes”. Not bad for a niche business operating out on what is still considered the Frontier …so what can other travel websites learn from them?
http://hospitality-1st.com/PressNews/EyeforTravel-040909.html
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Moccasin Bend National Park News:
Alexander, Wamp Push Moccasin Bend Park
Sen. Lamar Alexander and Congressman Zach Wamp got a briefing today as they viewed the park from the deck of the River Gorge Explorer.
http://wdef.com/news/alexander_wamp_push_moccasin_bend_park/04/2009
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Olympic National Park News:
Olympic National Park
Every summer, for the last 2 years now, we’ve been going to the scenic Olympic National Park with family and friends.
http://www.examiner.com/x-6159-Seattle-City-Insights-Examiner~y2009m4d9-Olympic-National-Park
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Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Colorado Officials Celebrate Rocky Mtn. National Park Wilderness
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar joined members of the Colorado congressional delegation and local officials Thursday to dedicate the Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness Area, nearly 250,000 acres within the park that will be permanently protected from human impacts under the newly enacted Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/apr2009/2009-04-10-091.asp

Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park becomes a wilderness
Rocky Mountain National Park and other Colorado sites protected
http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20090409/NEWS/904099964/1062

Leave No Trace
There’s a major problem that many visitors to National Parks around the country don’t understand. When you step into a park like Rocky Mountain National Park or Yellowstone or Yosemite, you’re stepping into the homes of many plants and animals.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4483-Rocky-Mountain-National-Park-Examiner~y2009m4d8-Leave-No-Trace
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Yellowstone NP advanced reservations down - your opportunity
Our first glimpse of destination locations are coming in with the reports showing a drop in advanced reservations. The attached article shows that Yellowstone bookings are down 13% from last year. For those of you who have put off seeing this national treasure because of the crowds, this may be your opportunity.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4792-Denver-RV...our-opportunity

37 griz killings spark worry
A significant spike in grizzly bear mortalities last year has prompted bear managers from around the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem to gather in Bozeman next week to find solutions to the problem.
http://www.jhguide.com/article.php?art_id=4459

Can Government Scientists Save the Planet by Nuking Yellowstone National Park to Halt Global Warming?
Of all the hare-brained ideas about climate change I've heard in the last few years, this one takes the grand prize: John Holdren, the new science advisor to President Obama, is actively considering radical geoengineering ideas in order to halt global warming.
http://www.naturalnews.com/026021.html

Bryce Canyon National Park News:
Museum puts wildlife exhibits in natural settings
A Canadian lynx snagging a duck out of the air, a coyote about to pounce on a quail and a pair of wolves about to drag down a caribou. Those are just some of the displays featured at a wildlife museum near Bryce Canyon National Park.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12111561
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Denali National Park News:
Denali Park Road opens to Savage River on Saturday
The opening of Denali Park Road, not the arrival of the first Canada geese, is a sure sign of spring in Denali National Park and Preserve, which means spring must be right around the corner.
http://www.newsminer.com/news/2009/apr/10/denali-park-road-opens-savage-river-saturday/

Would You Sky Dive at Denali?
Incredible Adventures, based in Sarasota, Florida, is promoting a "six-day, five-night adventure based in Talkeetna, Alaska" centered around skydiving over Mt. McKinley - the tallest peak in North America. Too extreme? Well, you haven’t heard the price.
http://usparks.about.com/b/2009/04/10/would-you-sky-dive-at-denali.htm

Sky Diving at Denali National Park? A Florida-Based Company Thinks It's a Great Idea
Denali National Park and Preserve is home to the highest mountain in North America, a distinction that inevitably attracts mountaineers and sightseers from all over the world. Now a new twist in possible activities at Denali is under discussion: sky diving.
http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/200...-its-great-idea
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Grand Canyon National Park News:
Navajo want in on Grand Canyon rafting tours
The largest American Indian tribe in the country would like to run rafts down the Grand Canyon in an effort to create some jobs on the reservation, whose unemployment rate hovers around 50 percent by some counts.
http://zoniereport.com/2009/04/navajo-want-in-on-grand-canyon-rafting-tours/

Self-Described "Permit Outlaw" Sentenced for Threatening Grand Canyon Park Ranger
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (LAWFUEL) – Gary Clayton Palmer, 53, most recently living in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, pleaded guilty today to Threatening, Intimidating or Intentionally Interfering with a Grand Canyon Park Ranger. Palmer was also sentenced today by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark E. Aspey to three years probation during which Palmer is banned from all National Parks in the U.S., including a 10-mile radius around the Grand Canyon National Park. He is also banned from the campus of Northern Arizona University.
http://lawfuel.com/show-release.asp?ID=21303
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Grand Teton National Park News:
Grand Teton visits for 2008-09 winter down
Grand Teton National Park is reporting only a slight decrease in recreation visits for the 2008-09 winter season, despite a poor early season snowpack and a struggling regional economy.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=4467
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Misc. National Park News:
A program for National Park novices
Home from his summer job as a seasonal ranger at Katmai National Park, a young man named Brad Carlquist pitched the case for more Alaska parks to then-U.S. Rep. Al Swift, a self-described "great indoorsman."
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/archives/166212.asp

Grant awarded for park
Pahrump has been awarded a technical assistance grant from the National Park Service's Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program to prepare a conceptual design for Last Chance Park, a rugged landscape that provides open space, habitat for wildlife, and areas for recreational use.
http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2009/Apr-10-Fri-2009/news/28001107.html
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Outside the US/Canadian Park System
Launch of national park's patrol units
OPERATION Ironworks, the six-month initiative aimed at tackling anti-social behaviour within Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park is being launched today (Friday).
http://www.stirlingobserver.co.uk/stirli...51226-23352593/

Police search for woman in Victoria's Alpine National Park
UPDATE: 3.20pm A HIKER missing in Victoria's rugged Alpine national park has been found safe and well
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25319619-661,00.html
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Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Shopping for rocks and fossils in Estes Park
It seems like every time we visit Rocky Mountain National Park, Drew finds a rock or two that he wants to take home. After we explain the age-old adage "take only pictures, leave only footprints," Drew always leaves his precious finds behind. He isn't totally out of luck, however, as nearby Estes Park offers opportunities to purchase geology souvenirs -- even on an kid's allowance-size budget.
http://www.examiner.com/x-6813-Denver-Fa...s-in-Estes-Park

Snowshoe Adventure
Rocky Mountain National Park reveals hidden winter ecology
Driving up the Big Thompson Canyon on a recent weekday morning, the only snow visible was in the mountains looming to the west. But when you reach those mountains, areas boast 4-5 feet, or more, of snow, plenty for a quiet day of snowshoeing.
http://durangoherald.com/sections/Features/Outdoors/2009/04/10/Snowshoe_Adventure/


Hiking News: Rocky Mountain National Park gets wilderness designation
Rocky Mountain National Park is a protected area because of its National Park status. But that’s not enough to stop another Trail Ridge Road from being constructed or other projects.
http://www.examiner.com/x-2520-Denver-Hi...ess-designation

Why should urban renewal be extended another 25 years? (Editorial)
The first in a series
Urban renewal, the Estes Park Urban Renewal Authority or EPURA, was created in October of 1982 after the Lawn Lake Flood wreaked havoc in downtown Estes Park. Improvement to downtown Estes Park, a place people tolerated to get through to Rocky Mountain National Park, was talked about prior to the flood; however, the flood was an impetus to actually doing something to improve downtown.
http://www.eptrail.com/news/2009/apr/10/why-should-urban-renewal-be-extended-another-25-ye/

Estes Valley Land Trust presents program on local geology
There are many lenses through which to view our incredible surroundings in the Estes Valley. This spring, the Estes Valley Land Trust invites you to try a geological perspective for at least an afternoon.
http://www.eptrail.com/news/2009/apr/10/estes-valley-land-trust-presents-program-local-geo/

The lasting impact of the New Deal's CCC
A new book looks at one spectacular legacy in the Colorado Plateau
In 1933, the United States was in the throes of the Great Depression. Just hours after taking office, freshly sworn in President Franklin Delano Roosevelt launched the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) to serve two functions: relieve unemployment and implement progressive natural resource conservation.
http://crosscut.com/2009/04/10/west/18892/
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Utah Parks (Misc, non-specific):
America’s Outback: Southern Utah
IF the name Dry Fork Coyote Gulch doesn’t give fair warning that this is not your average hike, then the haunting drive to the trailhead will remove all doubt. The sandy Hole-in-the-Rock Road is one of the few routes that even attempt to enter the biblical expanse of desert in southern Utah called the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and when I made a pilgrimage there last summer, I didn’t pass a single car, let alone a sign of human habitation.
http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/travel/12outback.html?hpw
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Wolf lawsuits grow
The wolf lawsuits keep piling up.
A loose coalition of agriculture, conservation, sportsman, outfitter and other interests are the latest groups to announce their intent to file a lawsuit challenging the federal government's final rule for removing wolves from the endangered species list.
http://www.trib.com/articles/2009/04/09/news/wyoming/b9b3bfd0d1fb368087257593007ddf00.txt

Montana Musicians play for Wild Buffalo
On Saturday, April 11, seven musical acts will perform a benefit concert for Buffalo Field Campaign, a West Yellowstone-based front-lines wild bison advocacy group that works in defense of America's last wild bison, the Yellowstone population. The benefit is being co-sponsored by Buffalo Allies of Bozeman, a local group of concerned citizens who aims to help wild buffalo and those who work in their defense.
http://indiancountrynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6152&Itemid=118

Monitoring Yellowstone earthquake swarms
The Seismological Society of America (SSA) is an international scientific society devoted to the advancement of seismology and its applications in understanding and mitigating earthquake hazards and in imaging the structure of the earth.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-04/ssoa-mye040309.php
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Yosemite National Park News:
Queen's Inn by the River: Serenity in Southern Sierras
If life is making you crazy, pack your bags and head to the Sierra foothills' Gold Rush-era town of Oakhurst, near Yosemite National Park. Here you will discover the area's newest lodging experience — Queen's Inn by the River.
http://www.mercurynews.com/travel/ci_12108798

Hey Everyone,

Lots of news today - both local and international. Hope everyone enjoys.

James

Alaska Misc. National Parks News (Non Specific):
Ned Rozell reminds readers of his love of Alaska wilderness
Regular readers of the Daily News-Miner are familiar with Ned Rozell’s weekly column, “Alaska Science Forum,” that presents current research in clear and compelling language...
http://newsminer.com/news/2009/apr/12/ned-rozell-reminds-readers-his-love-alaska-wildern/

Reader Travelogue: Alaskan Adventure
Northern expanses inspire exploration beyond ship, shore
We have all heard about the magnificent beauty of Alaska. Last fall, my wife, Cindy, and I took a long-awaited trip there.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/apr/12/reader-travelogue-alaskan-adventure/
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Bryce Canyon National Park News:
Bryce Canyon City set for future growth (only peripherally related to the Park)
One of Utah's newest towns now has its own streets and addresses.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12128347
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Canadian Rocky Mountains News:
Avalanche kills snowmobiler in Canadian Rockies
A 24-year-old snowmobiler was killed in an avalanche in western Canada's Rocky Mountains, police said Saturday.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i_vahdXCXGOJWOs4Tc915Y6eQ3YQ
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Glacier National Park News:
Adventure runs deep for cave club
Bigfork group pitches in for Glacier monitoring
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/articles/2009/04/12/news/local_montana/news_8760577004_02.txt



Grand Canyon National Park News:
An Old-Fashioned Train Trip to the Grand Canyon
Taking the Kids
It's that rare vacation moment when everyone is happy at the same time. And all it took was an old-fashioned train in a remote Arizona town and a singing cowboy leading the kids in a spirited rendition of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm."
http://www.smartertravel.com/travel-advi...html?id=2878218
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Grand Teton National Park News:
Grand Teton visits for winter down little
GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (AP) Grand Teton National Park in northwest Wyoming is reporting a slight decrease in recreation visits for the 2008-09 winter season.
http://www.kxmc.com/News/359485.asp
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Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Kentucky hiker, 73, dies in Smokies after fall
A 73-year-old Kentucky man hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park fell and later died Friday at University of Tennessee Medical Center.
http://www.thedailytimes.com/article/20090412/NEWS/304129968/-1/FRONTPAGE

Man dies after fall in Smokies
A Kentucky man died Friday after a fall while hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200990411018
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Misc. National Parks News:
Permit outlaw’ banned
A National Park scofflaw who lived in Jackson Hole and described himself as a “permit outlaw” has been banned from all national parks after threatening a ranger, federal officials said.
http://www.jacksonholenews.com/article.php?art_id=4469

How to navigate the national parks with dog in tow
Seven days. Two thousand miles. Five Utah national parks. One four-legged friend.
It sounds more like something from "The Amazing Race" than a vacation. We'll visit southern Utah's five national parks, plus a national monument.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/ladi-park-road-2360860-national-canyon

Park ranger enjoys developing programs
Park ranger Tracy Shives became a curator for Monocacy National Battlefield a few years before the new visitors center opened in 2007.
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/display.htm?StoryID=88866
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North Cascades National Park News:
Fish stocking ban looms at Wash. national park
Every summer, Sandy McKean and volunteers lug plastic jugs full of baby trout into the rugged wilderness of North Cascades National Park and plant them in alpine lakes for anglers to catch.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i5_8qclNL7Q2sC6mEPDc8o-nTANAD97HEBN80
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Outside the US/Canadian Park System:
12 species of bat uncovered in Nui Chua National Park
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/tech/2009/04/841654/

Body found: believed to be missing bushwalker
Police have located a body in the Royal National Park on the New South Wales south coast, believed to be that of a doctor missing for two weeks.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/04/13/2541329.htm

The Great Himalayan National Park in Himachal - The Road Ahead…
Not many of us know that just 60 kms away from Kullu town lies a 765 sq km area known as the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP). As management students we were given the task to build a sustainable model for ecotourism in the park but when we started our project on the its promotion of we were clueless about the complexities of the issue at hand.
http://himachal.us/2009/04/12/the-great-...m/places/gautam

Galapagos Volcano Erupts
National Park officials notified that the La Cumbre volcano has started spewing lava, gas and smoke on the uninhabited island Fernandina.
http://www.javno.com/en-world/galapagos-volcano-erupts_250524

Galapagos volcano erupts, could threaten wildlife
Ecuador officials say a volcano is erupting in the Galapagos Islands and could harm unique wildlife.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hheGrNES2Vt8HI02HkxazZZxVLtwD97GIF6O0

Pico Bonito National Park
Jungle Gym
Welcome to Bigfoot's winter hideaway, where unclimbed mountains, roaring whitewater, and a new luxury eco-lodge await you
http://outside.away.com/outside/destinations/200112/200112_honduras_1.html

National park warden leaves British cricket team stranded in Monzo
The British cricket team on a mission to set world record by playing a cricket match at the Everest Base Camp has been left stranded after Sagarmatha National Park denied entry on Saturday.
http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=3743
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Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Hiking News: Rocky Mountain National Park Entrance Plans
There may soon be a faster way to get into Rocky Mountain National Park at the West entrance.
Hiking News: Rocky Mountain National Park entrance plans
http://www.examiner.com/x-2520-Denver-Hi...-entrance-plans

Students take learning out of classrooms and to the outdoors
The brilliance of the Rockies takes your breath away as you climb the winding roads into the Rocky Mountain National Park. You reach for your cell phone to take a picture and remember that you’ve left it at home on purpose. No distractions on this trip. That’s not what this is for. You’re seeking inspiration, and understanding. You’re learning. This is not vacation, this is class.
http://www.thegriffonnews.com/2009/04/11...o-the-outdoors/

Where are all the grizzly bears?
Most Rocky Mountain Front grizzly bears still haven't emerged from their high-elevation dens, according to flight observations conducted this week by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, breaking with a recent trend of earlier awakenings.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090411/NEWS01/904110304
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Visit Yellowstone this summer minus the crowds
According to tourism officials, advance bookings at Yellowstone National Park are down 13% this year which means that this summer would be a great time to put gas into a vehicle and head west.
http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/12/visit-yellowstone-this-summer-minus-the-crowds/

Federal study of bear denning planned
Scientists intend to study whether climate change delays hibernation by Yellowstone National Park grizzly bears.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/04/12/news/state/50-bears.txt

Will Wyo get federal wolf funds? (Beware Annoying Commercial)
GREEN RIVER -- A new federal program enacted into law recently aims to compensate ranchers in Wyoming and elsewhere for livestock killed by wolves, but it's not certain when it will begin.
http://www.trib.com/articles/2009/04/12/news/wyoming/3d5abd16010da4a68725759500211130.txt
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Yosemite National Park News:
U.S. parks an alternative to behold
Greatness -- even grandness -- still exists. The notion is easy to forget when teetering banks, faltering housing and disappearing jobs dominate the news.
http://dispatch.com/live/content/travel/index.html

A relatively slow news day today...having said that, there was some news in more places I had never heard of today, which is great. This includes the misc. parks news which has a host of accessible car-free islands, and the outside the US/Canadian parks section.

James


Grand Canyon National Park News:
Road to Grand Canyon's North Rim to reopen May 15
The main roadway leading to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon is set to reopen for the summer season on May 15.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09104/959568-37.stm
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Great Falls National Park News:
Paterson's Great Falls' new national park status is just a drop in the bucket
It's the perfect time for the designation of the Great Falls National Historical Park in Paterson. As longtime park advocates have said, Paterson now has a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reverse the course of urban decline that the city has suffered over the last 50 years.
http://blog.nj.com/njv_guest_blog/2009/04/patersons_great_falls_new_nati.html
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Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Visit Kilauea volcano and Hawaii's growing island
The largest and southernmost of the Hawaiian islands is shaking, spitting, and stretching as it slowly expands into the ocean.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09104/959550-37.stm
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Misc. National Parks News:
Exhausted your vacation options? Take a trip to a car-free island
Get out from behind the wheel and experience a true sense of calm.
Need a break from traffic, pollution, gas prices, and all the other stresses related to the internal combustion engine? Visit one of the handful of US islands where motor vehicles are banned. These protected havens (most are national parks or seashores) are often only reached by boat and have no paved roads. But unlike exotic destinations such as Bali and Tahiti, they’re both affordable and accessible—if you’re up for a little adventure.
http://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/travel/stor...car-free-island
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Mount Rushmore National Park News:
New chief ranger named at Mount Rushmore
Superintendent Gerard Baker has named Don Hart the new chief ranger at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. Hart began his new position March 16 after seven years as one of the park’s supervisory rangers in the Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services Division.
http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2009/04/12/news/top/doc49e269e0a35f4504919094.txt
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North Cascades National Park News:
Ken Schram: Nothing's fishy about trout policy (Editorial)
I take no joy or embarrassment from the following: I’ve never been fishing.
http://www.keprtv.com/features/commentaries/42911102.html
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Outside the US/Canadian Park System:
THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS, MAGIC ON EARTH Part 2
Ninety-seven per cent of the Galapagos Islands are designated as National Park and a World Heritage Site.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4791-SF-Intern...-Islands-Part-2

Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia
Explore secret Africa on an alpine wildlife safari.
Talk about off the map: This chain of 14,000-foot mountains might as well be off the planet. And this 83-mile, eight-day trek hits the trifecta of adventure travel: Mind-boggling scenery, exotic wildlife, and fascinating culture.
http://www.backpacker.com/march_2009_wor...tinations/12828
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Winter usage and bears studied in Yellowstone
In news coming out of Yellowstone National Park, the bears are to be studied and a new book examines winter usage.
http://www.ktakradio.com/news/2009/apr/13/winter-usage-and-bears-studied-yellowstone/

May sentencing set in wildlife case
A Gallatin Valley man awaits sentencing in May for poaching wildlife.
http://www.kxmc.com/News/359787.asp

Glacier National Park News:
Glacier super pushes for wilderness designation
Glacier National Park's superintendent says he wants most of the park to be designated as wilderness as part of its centennial celebration in 2010.
http://www.kxmb.com/News/360292.asp

GNP Superintendent speaks in Missoula
The Glacier National Park Superintendent addressed the issue of why wilderness designation is a good idea.
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=10177314&nav=menu227_8



Grand Canyon National Park News:
More parking spaces to be added at Grand Canyon
Construction is under way to make parking easier at the Grand Canyon.
http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/stori...g.b11cd62f.html


Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii rocked by 5.1 quake; no tsunami expected
The Big Island was jolted by 5.1-magnitude earthquake around 12:45 p.m. today, the largest in the state of Hawaii so far this year.
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20090414/UPDATES01/90414028



Lake Clark National Park News:
Ash from Redoubt adds a twist to mountaineering season
Mount McKinley awaits climbers
http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/758761.html

Misc. National Park News:
Travel Read: Road Trip USA
Avalon Travel writer Jamie Jensen traversed the nation several times, testing various two-lane highways in the process, to bring road trippers the best (really, it's the BEST) road trip guidebook for the U.S. to date.
http://www.gadling.com/2009/04/14/travel-read-road-trip-usa/

$6 million to improve 93
Kootenay-Columbia MP Jim Abbott, on behalf of Environment Minister Jim Prentice, last week announced $8.5 million in funding for infrastructure in Kootenay, Yoho and Glacier national parks.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/kootenay_rockies/invermerevalleyecho/news/42922907.html


Outside the US/Canadian Park System:
Lava and smoke have flooded Fernandina Island, threatening unique wildlife. The eruption calls attention to an area already trying to balance conservation efforts with heavy tourism.
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/envi...Galapagos-.html



Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Grand Lake considers spraying, fertilizer restrictions near water
Grand Lake may pass a law that regulates the use of pesticides and fertilizers close to water.
http://www.skyhidailynews.com/article/20090414/NEWS/904149977/1079&ParentProfile=1067



Utah Parks (Misc)
Visiting Four National Parks in the Western US State of Utah
Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce and Zion offer great beauty and a chance to explore the results of natural forces billions of years ago.
http://www.voanews.com/specialenglish/2009-04-14-voa1.cfm



Yellowstone National Park News:
Yellowstone announces road openings
Visitors will once again be able to drive into portions of the interior of Yellowstone National Park starting this weekend.
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=10182182

Federal appeals court blocks mine expansion
A federal appeals court has temporarily halted the expansion of a phosphate mine in southeastern Idaho that opponents say would damage roadless areas near Yellowstone National Park.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/IDAHONEWS/story/730642.html


Zion National Park News:
Weekend promotes going green
In January, Springdale town operations got another boost to "get off the (power) grid" with the installation of solar panels at the town's sewer lagoons.
http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20090415/NEWS01/904150322

Acadia National Park News:
Park visitor critical after fall
A 55-year-old Connecticut man remained in critical condition Thursday after he fell on the rocks near Otter Cliffs on Wednesday, opening day at the park.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/103969.html
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Big Bend National Park News:
Will the dream of a giant park on the border be revived on Obama’s visit to Mexico?
The Big Bend Park is not complete. There may now be some movement to finish the job started in the 1930s to create one of the world's significant natural protected areas. And it's only four hours east of El Paso.
http://www.newspapertree.com/opinion/368...visit-to-mexico
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Everglades National Park News:
Everglades celebrates National Park Week, Earth Day
National Park Week and Earth Day activities are planned at Everglades National Park.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/communities/south/story/1000275.html
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Glacier National Park News:
A walk in the parks
It’s too early for civilians. As dawn’s first light falls on the jagged peaks, creeps down the dwindling glaciers and glides across glass-faced Swiftcurrent Lake, most of the tourists in the Many Glacier Hotel are still snoozing.
http://www.democratherald.com/articles/2009/04/15/lifestyles/travel/trav01.txt
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Great Basin National Park News:
Great Basin National Park called ‘significant resource' by conservation association
Great Basin National Park is a “significant resource” in the national park system, according to a new assessment issued by the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association's Center for State of the Parks. The report outlines the significance of the park and analyzes the park's overall resources and threats.
http://www.elynews.com/articles/2009/04/16/news/news04.txt
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Olympic National Park seeks to curtail pollution
If you're an industry spewing 12,310 metric tons of carbon into Earth's atmosphere via a fleet of dump trucks, helicopters, passenger cars and other fossil-fueled operations, you'd be called a major polluter.
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090417/NEWS/304179995

New weather tower approved for Olympic Nat Park
The National Park Service has approved a new 30-foot weather tower at Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park to improve forecasts for floods, winter storms and avalanches.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_wa_olympics_weather_tower.html
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Outside the US/Canadian Parks System:
The fragile Galapagos struggles with a wave of tourism
Minutes after clambering onto the blindingly white beach that lines Española's Gardner Bay in the Galápagos Islands, Suzanne Newman settles into a transfixed crouch.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-04-16-galapagos-islands-tourism_N.htm

Feral goats infesting Kalbarri National Park have been targeted in a culling operation to protect fragile plant and animal communities in the unique Murchison Gorge system.
http://fw.farmonline.com.au/news/state/a...rk/1489345.aspx

The power of Patagonia
Trekking in Los Glaciares is anything but a walk in the park
El Chaltén, Argentina–The wind must have howled, the rock and ice deathly cold as they defied gravity and scaled the granite wall.
http://www.thestar.com/Travel/article/618212
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Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Mountain News: Snowmobilers died high-marking
Yet more evidence arrives that all the tools in the world might not save you if caught in an avalanche. Snowmobilers both in Idaho and British Columbia died in recent weeks, and the stories were remarkably similar.
http://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/pique/index.php?cat=C_News&content=Mtn+news+1616
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Yellowstone wolf found dead in northwest Colorado
A gray wolf that was tracked to western Colorado this winter after wandering about 1,000 miles from the Yellowstone region has been found dead.
http://www.examiner.com/a-1963635~Yellowstone_wolf_found_dead_in_northwest_Colorado.html

Response to grizzly deaths: bear spray, education
Public land managers and biologists say more hunter education and increased use of bear spray are needed to reverse a spike in grizzly bear deaths in the Yellowstone region.
http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=10191454&nav=menu554_2_2

National Geographic Launches Yellowstone National Park Geotourism MapGuide
The wonders of Yellowstone National Park and neighboring Grand Teton are only the starting point of National Geographic's newest Geotourism MapGuide.
http://www.urlwire.com/news/041509.html
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Yosemite National Park News:
Yosemite ceremonial dance case dismissed
A federal judge has tossed the conviction of a Sonora filmmaker who was accused of trespassing and doing business inside Yosemite National Park without a permit after he shot American Indian ceremonial dances there.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12149691

Acadia National Park News:
Priest critical after fall in Maine park
An Episcopal priest from Connecticut who fell 15 feet while hiking in Acadia National Park remains in critical condition after being airlifted to a Bangor hospital.
http://www.newstimes.com/ci_12163659

Farmington Pastor Out Of Surgery After Maine Hiking Fall
The Rev. Jeffrey S. Dugan, pastor at St. James Episcopal Church, is recovering today from surgery after suffering a broken thigh bone Wednesday in a fall at Acadia National Park in Maine.
http://www.courant.com/community/news/fv/hc-farmington-fall-0418.artapr18,0,3938168.story
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Grand Canyon National Park News:
Central Falls athletes, students learn life lessons on trip to Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon can make hikers out of athletes and athletes out of hikers. Just ask Don Blais.
http://www.projo.com/sports/mikeszostak/mike_szostak_0417.e4ce68f5.html
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Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
In the Land of Blue Smoke
75 Years On, Echoes of a National Park's Appalachian Past Can Still Be Heard
In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it's easy to get lost in the past. The nation's most-visited national park has nearly 80 historic buildings scattered throughout its 800 square miles, evidence that until the 1930s children attended school there while their parents coaxed corn from the hardscrabble soil of the southern Appalachian Mountains.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/17/AR2009041701360.html
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Misc. National Park News:
Obama Administration Agrees (Note- From the Brady Campaign, a partisan group)
To Halt Rule
Allowing Guns In National Parks
In response to lawsuits filed by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and conservation groups, the Obama Administration today agreed to halt a rule implemented days before President Bush left office that allowed loaded, concealed guns in national parks and wildlife refuges. The Obama administration had initially defended the rule in court, before the Brady Campaign prevailed in its motion for a preliminary injunction of the rule.
http://www.bradycampaign.org/media/release.php?release=1131

Jr. Ranger program fosters ownership, appreciation
Interpretive Ranger Josh Boles takes his Junior Ranger program seriously. But at the same time he realizes it's all about having fun and experiencing everything Montezuma National Monument has to offer.
http://campverdebugleonline.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&subsectionID=1&articleID=22844

What the Omnibus Public Land Management Act does for you
Almost a century ago President, Teddy Roosevelt said, "I recognize the right and duty of this generation to develop and use the natural resources of our land; but I do not recognize the right to waste them, or to rob, by wasteful use, the generations that come after us."
http://www.examiner.com/x-3121-Denver-Su...ct-does-for-you

On Thin Ice
Seventy-five percent of the world's fresh water is stored in glaciers, but scientists predict climate change will cause some of the world's largest glaciers to completely melt by 2030. What effect will this have on our daily lives? With global warming falling low on a national list of American concerns, it's time to take a deeper look at what could be a global calamity in the making.
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/516/
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Outside the US/Canadian Park System:
Hoteliers oppose invasion of Tsavo National Park by herders
Tourism industry stakeholders are opposed to invasion of the Tsavo National Park by livestock herders.
http://www.eastandard.net/InsidePage.php?id=1144011836&cid=14&j=&m=&d=
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Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Rocky Mountain National Park roads closed
Rocky Mountain National Park closed the roads on the east side of the park at the Beaver Meadows Entrance and the Fall River Entrance Friday evening as snow was falling too heavily for park snowplow operators to make progress. Park spokeswoman Kyle Patterson said that between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. an additional 12 inches of snow fell at Bear Lake, making a total of 34 inches.
http://www.reporterherald.com/news_story.asp?ID=22662

Spring snow shuts down 80-mile stretch of I-70
Wet heavy snow in the mountains and several accidents on Interstate 70 have forced transportation officials to shut down an 80-mile stretch of the state's main east-west highway between Vail and Golden.
http://www.krdo.com/Global/story.asp?S=10205415
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Shenandoah National Park News:
Shenandoah National Park features Junior Ranger Day, Wildflower Weekend events
Shenandoah National Park has special activities planned for National Junior Ranger Day on April 25. The program is designed to help children and families connect with parks in ways that engage them with the theme, “Explore, Learn, Protect: Be a Junior Ranger.”
http://shenandoahvalley.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=585&Itemid=41
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Wyoming group considers brucellosis hot-zone
A Wyoming group that works to control the animal disease brucellosis has mixed opinions about a federal plan to declare the nation brucellosis free except for the greater Yellowstone area.
http://www.fortmilltimes.com/124/story/532484.html

Wyoming brucellosis group examines federal proposal
'Elimination zone' around Yellowstone area receives mixed reviews
Members of the Wyoming Brucellosis Coordination Team and others met Thursday to discuss a federal proposal to declare most of the nation outside the greater Yellowstone area "brucellosis free." The group also reviewed a plan to move bison from Yellowstone National Park to a Wyoming Indian reservation.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/04/17/news/wyoming/18-brucellosis.txt

Yellowstone sees bookings falling
Fewer tourists compared with last year have booked advance reservations to visit the greater Yellowstone region this summer, but industry leaders hope low gas prices will lure people to drive to national parks and other attractions in Montana and Wyoming.
http://www.djc.com/news/le/12005114.html?cgi=yes

Some Yellowstone roads to reopen Friday
Parts of Yellowstone National Park are set to reopen to car and truck traffic later this week.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090415/DC5/904150339

Better late than never. Sorry this is so late today. There will be a lot more for tomorrow's addition.

James


Acadia National Park News:
Rare Bird Alert
This week's arrivals included LAUGHING GULL, LITTLE BLUE HERON, DUNLIN, BARN SWALLOW, NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, and PINE WARBLER with HERMIT THRUSH, KINGLET, PALM WARBLER and CHIPPING SPARROW numbers increasing.
http://maineoutdoorjournal.mainetoday.com/blogentry.html?id=12775
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Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
We have had a few nice threads about the Smokies the last few days, by Randall, a forum member. Here they are:

http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/...mp;page=0#22388
http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/...mp;page=0#22293
http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/...mp;page=0#22253
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Misc. National Park News:
Rising temps threaten national park system
Global Warming | Rising temps threaten national park system
Joshua trees can live hundreds of years in the desert.
News:http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/1533000,CST-NWS-warming19.article

National Parks Conservation Association Applauds EPA’s Finding on Greenhouse Gas Threat to Human Health
April 17 - Statement of Mark Wenzler, Director of Clean Air and Climate Programs, National Parks Conservation Association:
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/04/17-13
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Life Thrives Below Antarctic Glacier (Note: Only peripherally about the park)
If microbes can survive without sunlight and oxygen on Earth, what does it mean for the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe?
The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica are one of the last places on Earth you would expect to find a new living organism. With bitter cold temperatures and only about four inches of annual snowfall, scientists consider these valleys to be one of Earth's most extreme and harsh environments.
http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2009-04/life-thrives-under-antarctic-glacier

Lots of news, as expected. Some of the headlines are ones I missed from yesterday.

James

Big Bend National Park News:
Texas author narrows list of his favorite hikes to 100
Just in time for nice spring weather, E. Dan Klepper has written a book outlining many of Texas' best hiking trails. It's called 100 Classic Hikes in Texas and is published by Mountaineers Books.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/...re.38c1481.html
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Cape Hatteras National Seashore News:
Several special programs are scheduled this week at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore on North Carolina's coast to kick off National Park Week.
http://www.reflector.com/news/state/events-set-at-nc-seashore-for-national-park-week-554846.html
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Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Benjamin: Donation to Caverns 'priceless'
With white gloved hands, Carlsbad Caverns National Park Superintendent John Benjamin carefully drew items out of a box. Like a child at Christmas who has received that prized gift, he finds it difficult to hold back the excitement he feels each time he picks up a boxed item.
http://www.currentargus.com/ci_12175167
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Glacier National Park News:
Parts of Glacier Park's Going-to-the-Sun Road starting to open
Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park currently is open 10 miles to Lake McDonald Lodge on the park's west side, and six miles to Rising Sun on the east side, according to Glacier Park officials.
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20090419/NEWS01/904190307

Work underway at Glacier National Park
Work is underway at Glacier National Park on part of the Going to the Sun Rehabilitation Project at Avalanche.
http://www.kpax.com/Global/story.asp?S=10207860
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Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Smokies park recruiting volunteers to help visitors view elk herd
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is recruiting for its "Elk Bugle Corps" — a volunteer group that helps visitors who want to see the park's elk herd.
http://www.whnt.com/news/sns-ap-tn--smokies-elk,0,1688932.story

Magic in the mist
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which celebrates 75th anniversary this year, will leave you inspired by its distinctively beautiful and rich natural environment.
Overlapping layers of misty blue mountains fill the landscape between dense green forests and pastel skies. A persistent haze threatens to blend valleys and ridges as it hovers over the Smoky Mountains, softening rough edges into a dreamy, impressionistic vision.
http://www.statesman.com/life/content/life/stories/travel/04/19/0419smoky.html
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Misc. National Parks News:
Even one-time naysayers now back national parks
When I was a kid, with my folks working to create the North Cascades National Park, a Seattle Times editorial famously dismissed campaigners to save wild places as "mountain climbers and birdwatchers."
http://www.seattlepi.com/connelly/405297_joel20.html?source=mypi

Retired park ranger's hobby earns award
Evidence of Erny Kuncl's hobby hangs in almost every room of his home.
http://www.standard.net/live/news/170282/

Obama Administration Won’t Challenge Ruling on Guns in Parks
The Obama administration won’t challenge a court ruling that prohibits visitors at some national parks to carry loaded concealed firearms, satisfying gun control groups.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aylETgvsDpbk&refer=us

Why national parks are a great value
National parks have been called the best idea we ever had. They showcase America’s geology, history and architecture, and are a great vacation value. And according to a TripAdvisor survey, nearly three of every four Americans will visit one this year. But visitors want value for their money. Especially this year, most travelers want to feel that they are spending their money wisely.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4661-National-...e-a-great-value
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Outside the US/Canadian Park System:
Teen 'rang mum before going missing'
David Iredale's parents were sure their high-achieving teenage son would walk out of the bush unharmed after going missing in the NSW Blue Mountains.
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-...90420-ac5k.html

Activist exposed plot imperiling African park
Who: Marc Ona Essangui, 45
Where: Libreville, Gabon
Essangui, the president and founder of the environmental group Brainforest, exposed secret agreements for a Chinese mine project that threatened Gabon's equatorial rain forests.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/04/18/MN59172M4B.DTL
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Rocky Mountain National Park News:
3 rock slides temporarily close highways
Portions of hillsides soaked by up to 52 inches of snow from last week's snowstorm gave way, sending mud and rocks onto three highways and forcing their closures along the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains.
http://www.kjct8.com/Global/story.asp?S=10210880

Snow plows working to clear roads in Rocky Mountain National Park
Park snow plow operators have been plowing the roads in Rocky Mountain National Park since early this morning.
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20090418/UPDATES01/90418013/1002/NEWS01

Giving species a leg up
A boreal toad's eggs look like a strand of tiny black pearls, each about size of the period at the end of this sentence, suspended in a long, clear strand of gelatin.
http://www.denverpost.com/lifestyles/ci_12174455

Snowstorm weakens after closing stretch of I-70
A spring storm was weakening after dumping up to 3 feet of snow on the foothills west of Denver — stranding hundreds of people in shelters and forcing the closure of an 80-mile stretch of Interstate 70.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jx20-ctHOtI0ObWtZDLFpJ3RJ_NgD97KOM100
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Wyo. officials hopeful summer tourism stays strong
Wyoming and Yellowstone National Park tourism officials are optimistic the state's summer tourism season won't take a heavy hit from the national economic recession.
http://www.ktvq.com/Global/story.asp?S=10206788

Bryce Canyon National Park News:
Dark nights, bright future
The impact of light pollution is much more than obscuring pretty stars.
Lighting up the night sky is the bane of astronomers. But it also wastes millions of dollars a year in energy costs and is harming human and animal health.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12184464
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Death Valley National Park News:
Park Service Protests Big Solar Expansion in Nevada Desert
The National Park Service is sounding an alarm about plans for scores of big solar power plants in Southern Nevada, according to an inter-agency memo posted today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). NPS predicts harm to national parks in the region due to water scarcity, habitat disturbance, air pollution, sound pollution and light pollution lightening night skies.
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/04/20-0
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Glacier National Park News:
Glacier Ntl. Park expecting good year
Glacier National Park ranks as the eleventh most visited park in the United States, and officials there say they expect to have a very good season, despite with the current economic crisis.
http://www.kpax.com/Global/story.asp?S=10216721
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Misc. National Park News:
Guns-in-Parks Rule on Hold Indefinitely
The Obama administration will accept a federal judge’s ruling that blocked implementation of a rule allowing loaded firearms to be carried in national parks. While the National Park Service (NPS) goes back to the drawing board, the 26-year-old ban on guns in parks will go back into effect.
http://www.ombwatch.org/node/9908

Junior Ranger programs captivate young park visitors
The best souvenirs are free.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/getaways/04/20/junior.rangers.travel/
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Olympic National Park News:
Olympic National Park wants to become a showplace for green
Wind-powered generators have been installed, and a shuttle bus system is being considered for the park.
http://www.djc.com/news/en/12005162.html
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Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Storm leaves nearly 4 feet of snow in Rocky Park
Parts of Rocky Mountain National Park have nearly 4 feet of new snow from last weekend's spring storm.
http://www.examiner.com/a-1970551~Storm_leaves_nearly_4_feet_of_snow_in_Rocky_Park.html
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Yellowstone unveils wireless communication plan
Old Faithful cell tower would be moved
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/04/20/news/wyoming/15-yellowstone.txt

15 bison die in 3 collisions close to park (A couple of days old, but I did not see it initially).
Maureen Edgerton was "rejoicing" that she was almost home Saturday night after a long drive from Missoula to West Yellowstone when her car collided with a herd of bison on Highway 191.
http://www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/04/16/news/state/26-bison.txt
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Yosemite National Park News:
New cabins available at Yosemite's Evergreen Lodge
New cabins are available for visitors to Yosemite National Park at the 1920s-era Evergreen Lodge.
http://www.mercurynews.com/travel/ci_12183774