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Safety in viewing wildlife is parks priority
The line between the national parks as tourist attractions and the national parks as wildlife preservations is getting ever so thin, a number of park officials believe. “People that are coming into the parks are used to a Disney-like environment that are constructed and managed when in fact they areRead More…
When in season, stone crabs in demand
HOMESTEAD, Fla. — For most Floridians, mid-October signifies the approaching end of the dreaded hurricane season. But for the state’s fishermen, it marks the beginning of their busy season as they embark on eight months of catching one of the state’s most popular delicacies: stone crabs. Weeks before the tablesRead More…
Wildfires pose threat to parks each year
The national parks of our nation are vast and beautiful and open for anyone to visit. Many visitors travel to these hotspots of nature’s glory to experience a place where the land is not disturbed by the innovations of mankind. The parks are centered on witnessing nature in its purestRead More…
Poor air quality diminishes park experiences
Walking through a national park, the last thing a visitor should have to think about is the quality of air that he or she is breathing. This is not the case as air pollution has become a huge issue at national parks throughout the United States. National parks are natural,Read More…
Climate change impacts Alaska parks
National parks in Alaska are responding to the multifaceted issue of climate change through local programs and National Park Service (NPS) programs, monitoring existing changes and utilizing scenario planning to prepare for probable effects of climate change in the future. “The Arctic is more sensitive to climate change than perhapsRead More…
Child safety remains high priority in parks
In every national park across the country, there are important child safety concerns. And while large numbers of parents and children who visit these parks each year know how to stay safe, there are many people who are unaware of some of the most severe safety concerns posed by nationalRead More…
Ozone reaching dangerous levels in parks
Millions of individuals who visited U.S. national parks in 2011 were exposed to dangerous concentrations of ozone (O3). The Environmental Protection Agency’s National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ozone — currently 75 parts per billion — was exceeded on countless occasions during the ozone season. According to the NationalRead More…
Rock climbing popular at Joshua Tree
TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. — Joshua Tree National Park is known around the world for the rock climbing opportunities. With more than 400 climbing formations and 8,000 climbing routes, the park attracts thousands of climbers each year. “Casual climbers could spend 30 years in here climbing,” said Joe Zarki, Joshua Tree’sRead More…
Trust provides support for Florida parks
Most people think that national parks are completely dependent on federal funding. Little do they know that the government only provides budget monies for basic operations of the parks and that there are so many more costs that are not covered. To keep the parks program running smoothly, a littleRead More…
Grand Canyon places focus on visitor safety
Beautiful, but deadly, the Grand Canyon holds the lives of many who fall, accidentally or intentionally, over the edge of its awe-inspiring precipices. Since the 1870s, there have been an estimated 600 deaths for a number of reasons at the Grand Canyon National Park. Two planes collided over the canyonRead More…
Creating new parks takes time for approval
The arrowhead of the National Park Service (NPS) is a well-known symbol in the United States, enough so that attaining the designation of being a national park is a goal for many parks, monuments, and historic sites. National parks can only be created by an act of Congress and mustRead More…
Valley is gem at center of Joshua Tree
TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. – If the mountains, valleys and eerie seclusion and remoteness that embody Joshua Tree National Park were not enough to take in at first sight, pay a visit to the Hidden Valley Trail… a secluded sanctuary with an interpretive trail in the heart of the park, withRead More…