Looks like we are about to enter the dog days of Summer. As always, links to thinks we missed are appreciated.

James

Acadia National Park News:
North Maine Woods a largely hidden New England gem (Not really Acadia, but certainly appropriate due to geography)
Few would argue that the 205,000-acre Baxter State Park isn't a national treasure, but there is another — largely hidden — jewel in the forests of Maine.
http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090802/SPORTS/908020348/-1/NEWSMAP

Acadia among 'unique stories' in new Burns film
The renowned documentary maker will speak in Maine about his new series airing on PBS.
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=274450&ac=PHnws
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Big Bend National Park News:
Big Bend National Park Announces Fee Free Weekends 8/2/09
Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar has announced that the National Park Service will offer three fee-free weekends this summer to encourage Americans seeking affordable vacations to visit these national treasures.
http://www.cbs7kosa.com/news/details.asp?ID=14067
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Glacier National Park News:
ALERT faces short-haul dilemma
A Canadian helicopter was called in July 25 to rescue a 15-year-old Whitefish girl off a Glacier National Park peak due to U.S. regulations that pose a Catch-22 for the ALERT helicopter using its short-haul rescue capability.
http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/...mp;page=0#24632
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Misc. National Park News:
Meet Ranger Johnson, Ken Burns' new documentary star
Ken Burns' films often shine the light of fame on their participants — what Burns himself calls "The Shelby Foote Effect," named for the beloved historian of The Civil War.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2009-08-02-press-tour-burns_N.htm
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Olympic National Park News:
Of the 12 fires sparked by lightning last month in the park's wilderness, half have burned themselves out and three cover less than an acre -- but the largest fire, the 350-acre Constance fire about 15 miles west of Brinnon, continues to grow.
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20090802/news/308029996
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Outside the US/Canadian Park System:
Uganda: What is Driving the Gorillas Out of Bwindi National Park?
Kampala — Until a decade ago, it used to be home to the Batwa, the pygmies living in south-western Uganda and the DR Congo. Even the small-scale gold miners and timber loggers had to hang up their tools. This was done to create a homeland for Mountain gorillas to save them from extinction.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200908030182.html
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Agreement Sought On Griz Hunts, But None Planned
An agreement proposed between Montana, Idaho and Wyoming calls for the three states to coordinate any future public hunts for grizzly bears, although no hunts are immediately planned.
http://cbs4denver.com/wireapnewswy/3.state.agreement.2.1111394.html

Yellowstone bear lawsuits going to federal court
Now that mediation has failed, the government's decision to take Yellowstone's grizzly bears off the list of threatened species will be decided in federal court.
http://billingsgazette.com/news/opinion/guest/article_70add892-7f08-11de-a5eb-001cc4c03286.html

Ash falls on Cody as fire pushes east
An evacuation advisory has been lifted for the Elephant Head Lodge near the Gunbarrel fire between Cody and Yellowstone National Park.
http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-an...7969f2abe5.html

Sequioa National Park News:
Sequoia National Park officials plan 42-acre burn Tuesday morning in Crescent Meadow area to help enhance giant Sequoia tree habitat
A 42-acre portion of the Crescent Meadow area of Giant Forest within Sequoia National Park will be control-burned Tuesday starting at 9 a.m., park officials reported today.
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article...ia+tree+habitat
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Take back the park
The fewer snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park, the better. Better for wildlife, better for park visitors trying to escape noise and pollution, and better for the overall health of the fragile park.
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_12984937

Yellowstone National Park seeks public input on new project
Yellowstone National Park is planning to reconstruct a section of the road which links Norris and Mammoth Hot Springs. The project involves 15.4 miles of road from north of Norris Junction to Golden Gate.
http://www.westyellowstonenews.com/articles/2009/08/03/news/news4.txt

Livestock disease meetings planned
Livestock officials in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho are planning a series of meetings to explain new rules proposed for the animal disease brucellosis in the area around Yellowstone National Park.
http://www.kpax.com/Global/story.asp?S=10842635

State officials seek comments on grizzly bear management
Montana wildlife officials are seeking public comment on a proposed agreement between Montana, Wyoming and Idaho on shared management of grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone area.
http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2009/08/02/news/50bear.txt
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Yosemite National Park News:
Yosemite National Park Celebrates Arrival of Hybrid Tractors
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in Yosemite Valley, Thursday, July 23, to commemorate the arrival of four hybrid tractors that will be used in the popular Yosemite Valley Floor Tours. Acting Superintendent Dave Uberuaga and DNC Parks and Resorts at Yosemite, Inc. Chief Operating Officer Dan Jensen cut the ribbon as 60 park visitors were embarking on their tour of Yosemite Valley.
http://www.extranomical.com/NEWS/YOSEMIT...actors_363.html

Park officials to remodel deluxe Yosemite hotel
The landmark Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park is due for its first major remodel and seismic upgrade since the stately Art Deco lodge opened 82 years ago.
http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_12983952?nclick_check=1

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Zion National Park News:
One fire contained, one still burning in Zion
Firefighters on Saturday contained a wildfire burning in the Kolob Canyon area of Zion National Park.
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12982605
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Yellowstone NP seems to be the big winner today with a bunch of news stories - however, there are lots of interesting pieces. The story about the bear in Bryce and FWP study of wolves in Yellowstone are very interesting to me and I am of course, interested in seeing how they resolve the griz issue in Wyoming/Idaho/Montana.

James


Bryce Canyon National Park News:
Garfield County cabin owner kills large male bear
Another black bear perceived as a threat was killed early Wednesday when a cabin owner shot a 300-pound male in Johns Valley north of Bryce Canyon National Park.
http://www.sltrib.com/outdoors/ci_12998656
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Everglades National Park News:
Growing problem: A new series exploring the creatures that live in Southwest Florida’s backyard
There are plenty of evil snake movies to make you paranoid about the Burmese pythons that now live in Florida’s swamps.
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/aug/05/growing-problem-new-series-exploring-creatures-liv/

Don't block historic chance to restore Everglades (Editorial)
Former Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne called the South Florida Water Management District's purchase of land from U.S. Sugar Corp. for Everglades restoration a "historic turning point for the largest watershed restoration project in the world." Environmental groups and newspapers from Miami to Pensacola, as well as others across the nation, agree that this is "fresh hope"- in the opinion of The New York Times - for protecting and restoring America's Everglades.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2009/08/05/wednesdaywebletters0805.html
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Glacier National Park News:
St. Paul boy, 13, rescued after kayak capsizes in Glacier National Park
Boy swam to shore, stayed in hollow log to keep warm
A St. Paul teenager vacationing at Glacier National Park was rescued Tuesday night after his kayak capsized in 6-foot waves and he was plunged into a frigid mountain lake.
http://www.twincities.com/allheadlines/ci_13001415?nclick_check=1
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Grand Teton National Park News:
Beetle-killed trees make fire unpredictable
Wildland firefighters look to protect homes on forest boundary.
At the bottom of Teton Pass, near the mouth of Black Canyon, Bridger-Teton fire experts Andy Norman and Martha Williamson walk in forest that, once ignited, could become a firefighter’s nightmare.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=4907
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Olympic National Park News:
Heatwave Complex threatens structures in Olympic Natl. Park
It's officially known as the Heatwave Complex - a dozen fires burning nearly 1,100 acres mostly in the Olympic National Park.
http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_080509WAB-olympic-natl-park-fires-KS.aef02430.html
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Yellowstone reports record number of visitors in July
A record number of people visited Yellowstone National Park in July.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-08-05-yellowstone-visitors_N.htm

FWP study finds multiple factors in wolf-elk relations
Wolves are a relatively new guest at Montana's big-game banquet table, but state Fish, Wildlife and Parks research shows they aren't hogging the food.
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/08/05/news/mtregional/news10.txt

Construction To Close Part Of Yellowstone Loop
A section of Yellowstone National Park's Grand Loop Road linking Madison and Norris on the park's west side will be closed to traffic starting Aug. 17 because of construction.
http://cbs4denver.com/wireapnewswy/Construct.to.close.2.1113758.html

Horse Butte controversy spills into court
Cattle producers argued a Bozeman court Tuesday that allowing untested bison onto Horse Butte Peninsula near Yellowstone National Park poses a danger to the Montana beef industry and asked a judge to force the state to remove bison from the area more quickly than in recent years.
http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2009/08/05/news/10bison.txt

How Will We Hunt Grizzlies?
Wildlife agencies in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming are looking for feedback about future grizzly bear hunts, in case the bruins' population swells.
For people who have an opinion about grizzly bear hunting, the time to speak up is now.
http://www.newwest.net/city/article/should_grizzlies_be_hunted_in_the_future/C8/L8/
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Yosemite National Park News:
Yosemite National Park's Ahwahnee to get a redo after more than 80 years
It seems a complete renovation of the historic Ahwahnee in Yosemite National Park may finally become a reality. At least the preliminaries are about to begin.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4661-National-...e-than-80-years

Yosemite trees in decline; climate change is lead suspect
Yosemite National Park has fewer large trees than it did 70 years ago. Researchers believe climate change is behind the decline.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2009/08/yosemite-trees-declining-climate-change.html
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Crater Lake National Park News:
Group threatens lawsuit over proposed Crater Lake helicopter tours
An environmental conservation group is threatening a lawsuit to stop a proposal by Bend-based company to fly helicopter tours over Crater Lake National Park.
http://kdrv.com/page/136949
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Denali National Park News:
Alaska's Denali National Park stands tall as a last frontier
The six-seater Cessna 206 takes off from a small gravel airstrip in the 9 p.m. summer sunlight and soon is buzzing like a gnat around the imposing snow-covered tallest peak in North America.
http://www.nwpphotoforum.com/ubbthreads/...mp;page=0#24632
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Glacier National Park News:
BEST IN THE WEST: GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
One of the purposes behind these many months of travel has been to find the best spots that are still preserved in Western United States. In other words, places that aren’t too crowded, polluted or overdeveloped yet.
http://www.santaynezvalleyjournal.com/archive/7/32/4903/

Boy found after Glacier National Park search
Glacier National Park officials say several factors led to the successful rescue of a 13 year old Minnesota boy reported missing on Lake McDonald, where high winds churned up to six foot high waves.
http://www.montanasnewsstation.com/Global/story.asp?S=10852720&nav=menu227_1
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Misc. National Park News:
Benchmark glaciers' shrinking at faster rate, study finds
Climate change is shrinking three of the nation's most studied glaciers at an accelerated rate, and government scientists say that finding bolsters global concerns about rising sea levels and the availability of fresh drinking water.
http://www.kansascity.com/444/story/1368991.html


Plan urged to save national parks from global warming effects
Climate change could result in the catastrophic loss of wildlife, a report says. The National Park Service is called on to create a system to manage animals and plants.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-national-parks7-2009aug07,0,7287363.story
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Death Valley National Park News:
Boy dies after getting stranded in Death Valley
An 11-year-old boy died in the intense heat of Death Valley National Park after he and his mother became stranded in one of the world's most inhospitable areas and survived for several days on bottled water, Pop-Tarts and cheese sandwiches, authorities said Friday.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h8B3QtNKD974PokDDXFIEUlpGIcwD99UB6780
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Grand Canyon National Park News:
Grand Canyon plan would upgrade tribal housing
A Grand Canyon housing area for members of an American Indian tribe displaced by the national park is in desperate need of repair.
http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2009/aug/07/bc-az-grand-canyon-camp/?features&travel

The President and First Family will visit Grand Canyon National Park next weekend
During today's press briefing at the White House, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs announced that President Obama and the First Family will be visiting Grand Canyon National Park next weekend.
http://www.examiner.com/x-5374-Phoenix-G...rk-next-weekend
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Obama to visit Yellowstone
President Obama and the first family will visit Yellowstone National Park on Aug. 15 as part of a three-day, four-state swing through the West, White House Press Secretary Robert Gates said Friday.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=4915

Yellowstone’s grizzly bears and other wildlife at risk from climate change
Imagine Yellowstone National Park without grizzly bears roaming through its forests. Or desert bighorn sheep missing from the landscape of Arches or Canyonlands.
http://www.examiner.com/x-18809-Yellowst...-climate-change
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Acadia National Park News:
2 park rangers cleared of excessive force claim
Two rangers from Acadia National Park will not face disciplinary action or federal prosecution following accusations that they used excessive force in breaking up a party atop Acadia National Park's Day Mountain last year.
http://www.wgme.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.me/3cbea150-www.wgme.com.shtml
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Death Valley National Park News:
Fatality in Death Valley prompts warning
A spokesman for Death Valley National Park says the recent death there of an 11-year-old boy highlights the California-Nevada desert tourist site's dangers.
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/08/09/Fatality-in-Death-Valley-prompts-warning/UPI-37791249845031/
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Denali National Park News:
Burrow shows crayfish lived in Denali Park
A few days ago, Steve Hasiotis found a crayfish burrow in Denali National Park and Preserve. The discovery was somewhat unusual, because the nearest living crayfish is now jackknifing through a stream in southern Ontario.
http://www.adn.com/life/alaskana/story/892331.html
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Grand Teton National Park News:
Grand Teton park reconsidering speed limits
Grand Teton National Park has been reviewing speed limits on roads within the park to prevent cars from killing animals.
http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=10871441&nav=menu554_2_2
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Hawaii Volcanoes National Park News:
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park closes trails before storm hits
The National Park Service said today that it is closing all backcountry trails and campsites within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park because of Tropical Storm Felicia.
"We are taking the necessary steps now to ensure that our visitors and employees stay safe," said Chief Ranger Talmadge Magno in a written news release.
http://www.starbulletin.com/news/breaking/52844022.html
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Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Man who spent night in Rocky Mountain National Park with broken leg rescued by helicopter
A hiker who spent the night on a mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park has been rescued.
http://www.kdvr.com/news/sns-ap-co--fallenhiker,0,597832.story

RMNP studies possible bike trail system through park
It takes plenty of foot power to explore Rocky Mountain National Park's backcountry, and park officials are hoping a bike trail system could one day encourage people to use foot power to get around the park's most developed areas, too.
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/200908...++through+park+
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Quarantined bison from Y-stone attract interest
Wildlife officials say a Montana Indian tribe, an Illinois zoo and a North Dakota landowner are seeking to take a small herd of wild bison that have been held in quarantine outside Yellowstone National Park.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-mt-returnofthebuffal,0,2054917.story
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Zion National Park News:
California woman falls to her death at Zion National Park lookout
A California woman died Sunday after falling about 1,000 feet from the north side of the Angels Landing observation point in Zion National Park.
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_13027860
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Everglades National Park News:
Strategies are under way to control invasive reptiles
Florida and federal officials are attacking the python problem with an approach that includes legislation, technology and public-private partnering.
http://www.news-press.com/article/20090809/GREEN/908090370/1007
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Grand Canyon National Park News:
Tests: Plague killed Grand Canyon biologist
Tests done by federal health officials have confirmed that a wildlife biologist at Grand Canyon National Pa rk died from the plague.
http://www.sunjournal.com/node/102359
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Grand Teton National Park News:
Throng hails wild river law
A crowd of 200 or more gathered on the banks of the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park on Sunday to celebrate its protection as a wild and scenic river.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=4918

Park path heralded as model for others
The father of a 13-year-old girl who was killed on the Teton Park Road by a motorist 10 years ago heralded completion of an eight-mile park pathway as a model.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/article.php?art_id=4919
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Misc. National Park News:
Parks hosts second Art in the Park event
As we've mentioned a couple of times this summer, the National Park Service has designated several weekends as "fee free", meaning we can get into any and all national parks and monuments without paying the usual entry fees.
http://www.gadling.com/2009/08/11/national-parks-host-final-free-weekend-of-the-summer/
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North Cascades National Park News:
Icefall Kills Well-Known Climber At North Cascades National Park
A giant piece of ice that broke from a glacier killed a well-known Colorado climber at North Cascades National Park on Sunday, park officials said.
http://www.kirotv.com/news/20349935/detail.html
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Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Injured hiker helicoptered off Mount Ida
A 32-year-old man who spent the night on Mount Ida after breaking his leg in a 20-foot fall was flown of the mountain by helicopter to St. Anthony Central Hospital this afternoon.
http://www.denverpost.com/technology/ci_13026565
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Theodore Roosevelt National Park News:
Park officials release elk reduction plan
The National Park Service said Monday it wants to reduce the bloated elk herd in North Dakota's Theodore Roosevelt National Park by using teams of shooters including volunteers.
http://www.newsday.com/park-officials-release-elk-reduction-plan-1.1360825
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Rocky Mountain National Park News:
Rocky Mountain National Park rangers use defibrillator to revive backcountry patient
At 11:15 a.m. Monday morning, Aug. 10, Rocky Mountain National Park dispatch received a call from a family member of a 73-year-old man who was suffering from a possible heart attack on the Flattop Mountain Trail in the Bear Lake area. He had briefly lost consciousness.
http://www.skyhidailynews.com/article/20090811/NEWS/908119993/1079&ParentProfile=1067
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Sequoia National Park News:
Month-old Sequoia National Park fire has burned 62.7 acres
The Horse Fire, discovered burning in the south end of Sequoia National Park July 19, has grown to 62.7 acres in size, officials report.
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20090811/NEWS01/90811019
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Bison management group looks at new plan
A new Yellowstone National Park bison management proposal calls for more aggressive hazing of the animals back into the park and other measures to reduce the number sent to slaughter.
http://www.seattlepi.com/local/6420ap_mt_yellowstone_bison.html?source=mypi

Climate Change Could Endanger Yellowstone Pika
We've been warned for years that global warming could change the face of Yellowstone National Park, and the prediction has already come true when it comes to grizzlies.
http://www.yellowstoneinsider.com/200908...wstone-pika.php
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Big Bend National Park News:
U.S. and Mexico to work on border conservation
When the United States and Mexico talk of cooperation over their shared border, that usually means working to stamp out drug trafficking and gun running. But this week the two neighbors put their shoulders behind a gentler effort: safeguarding a unique area of wilderness straddling the Rio Grande River.
http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/2009/08/12/us-and-mexico-to-work-on-border-conservation/
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Death Valley National Park News:
Boy dies in Death Valley, underscoring danger of summertime heat (I know this was reported on earlier, and that this is essentially an opinion, but there is some useful info in there as well)
A 6-year-old boy succumbs to heat during a camping trip in Death Valley National Park after his mother's vehicle becomes stuck in soft ground on a rarely traveled dirt road. It's the third fatality attributed to the heat -- the other two involved hikers -- inside the park this summer.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts...ummertime-.html
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Glacier National Park News:
Glacier Park Centennial Fundraising Underway
The Glacier National Park Centennial celebration is around the corner. Wednesday, the Glacier National Park Fund unveiled how they're going to raise money for the big party.
http://www.keci.com/Glacier-Park-Centennial-Fundraising-Underway/4993990

Problem grizzlies sought in Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park officials say they are trying to locate and remove from the park's population a 17-year-old female grizzly bear and her two yearlings because they have become too habituated to humans.
http://www.kulr8.com/news/state/53089847.html
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Great Smoky Mountain National Park News:
Salazar to attend national park rededication
Bob Miller, spokesman for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, said Aug. 11 that Interior Secretary Ken Salazar will attend the rededication on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at Newfound Gap.
http://www.blounttoday.com/news/2009/aug/13/salazar-attend-national-park-rededication/
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Yellowstone National Park News:
Trout fishing? Go north to Yellowstone
Fourteen years ago, Dick Greene starting looking west. Along with his partner, Barbara Klesel, he wanted a change of locale -- a move from the Twin Cities -- and a different type of work.
http://www.normantranscript.com/outdoors/local_story_225011556

Obama family to join throng at Yellowstone
When the Obamas visit Yellowstone National Park on Saturday for a first family getaway, they'll be in good company.
http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/13/obamas-wont-be-alone-in-visit-to-yellowstone/

Experts: Hazing, Not Slaughter, Should Be Centerpiece of Yellowstone Bison Strategy
A panel of reps from state and federal agencies is recommending more effort be made to haze wayward Yellowstone National Park bison back into the Park, rather than slaughter them, as an effort is made to create more flexible guidelines in bison management.
http://www.yellowstoneinsider.com/200908...on-strategy.php