National Park News

Park seeks public comment on proposed “Enabling Restoration of Northeast Shark River Slough”
Environmental Impact Statement – Public Meeting June 2, 2009

Sixty-nine year old Robert A. Williams of Surprise, Arizona has not been located, and search efforts have yielded no additional clues as to his whereabouts.

Gerald Focha, 76, of Danville, California died from what appear to be natural causes at the Alaska Railroad Denali Deport on Wednesday, May 27, in spite of the lifesaving efforts by personnel on scene, park rangers, and the local fire department.

Another fire was detected in Denali NP.

Grand Canyon National Park search and rescue personnel are now focusing their search for Robert A. Williams on the Hermit Basin area west of Grand Canyon Village.

Shenandoah National Park will be hosting “The Basics of Family Camping” seminar on Saturday and Sunday, June 27-28, 2009. This overnight seminar coincides with the national Great American Backyard Campout, a national event that encourages individuals, youth, friends, and families to camp out together for one night.

Destinations with picnic and interpretive exhibits will eventually provide visitors with opportunities to experience the park's history.

The North Cascades Environmental Learning Center – a uniquely designed and constructed facility created by the partnership of Seattle City Light, North Cascades National Park and the North Cascades Institute – has earned the U.S. Green Building Council’s "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" or LEED® Silver certification. The award was presented at the celebration and free picnic on May 30th at the NC Environmental Learning Center.

Channel Islands National Park Superintendent Russell E. Galipeau Jr. announced today the availability of the Prisoners Harbor Coastal Wetland Restoration Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for public comment. The National Park Service (NPS) is proposing to restore a portion of the coastal wetland and associated stream channel at Prisoners Harbor on Santa Cruz Island.  

Shared Missions and Shared Challenges: Notes from a trip to the southern end of the Continental Divide.

Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) and the Boulder Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) have completed the Highway 7 Recreation Improvements Plan and Environmental Assessment which proposes changes at Lily Lake and the Longs Peak Trailhead in RMNP and the Meeker Park Campground in the Roosevelt National Forest.

Grand Canyon National Park (GRCA) search and rescue personnel are currently searching for a man last seen outside of the park's Backcountry Information Center on Saturday, May 23, 2009.

Remote camera documents four fisher kits in Olympic National Park wilderness.

On Saturday, June 13, the Cades Cove Loop Road and Laurel Creek Road to Cades Cove will be closed to the general public starting at 12 noon to accommodate the 75th Anniversary concert performed by the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra (KSO) in the Cable Mill area of Cades Cove.

After several weeks of setting up a base camp and staging materials construction has begun to replace the pier at Bechers Bay on remote Santa Rosa Island. During construction the pier will be closed to the public with completion planned for December 2009.

The active search effort for solo climber Dr. Gerald Myers was scaled back on Tuesday afternoon after search managers determined that further air operations were unlikely to locate him.  There has been no sighting of the solo climber or his gear during six days of aerial and ground searching. 

Mill’s water supply to be protected during Elwha River restoration.

The Elkmont entrance road will be closed to motor vehicles and pedestrian use every night from at 5:00 p.m. until midnight, June 6-14, except to registered campers staying at the Elkmont Campground. The closure is to accommodate transportation service for visitors planning to spend the evening viewing the natural-occurring, synchronous firefly beetles at Elkmont.

After five days of aerial and ground searching on Mt. McKinley, there has still been no sighting of Dr. Gerald Myers, nor any evidence of a fall or disturbance on the snow surface. 

David Crook, age 21, from Salt Lake City, Utah, was discovered to be not breathing and unresponsive when his roommate returned to their dorm room and attempted to wake him up at approximately 10:45 a.m. today, May 24.

What happens when summer temperatures and blue sky days linger over Alaska? Throw a heat source, either lightning or human-caused into the mix, and wildland fires appear.  Two fires in Denali mark the beginning of the Alaska National Parks wildland fire season.

In the ongoing search for missing climber Dr. Gerald Myers, aerial spotters on board two U.S. Army Chinook helicopters were unable to view elevations above 17,000 feet on Sunday, May 24.

Officials at Zion National Park have temporarily closed Middle Echo Canyon to recreational use due to recent incidents in which canyoneers have become stranded and required the assistance of park rangers to get them out. 

A short term increase in river flow from the Luis Leon reservoir will effect the depth of the Rio Grande in the park.

The search continued on Saturday for Dr. Gerald Myers, a climber who has not been seen or heard from since his solo summit bid on Mt. McKinley earlier in the week.  Favorable flying conditions in the Alaska Range permitted more extensive aerial searching and photo-documentation of zones previously obscured by clouds.

Aerial searchers on Mt. McKinley discovered no new leads today as to the whereabouts of missing solo climber Dr. Gerald Myers. 

Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park opened around 9 a.m. yesterday, May 21.

2009 Lyceum Series – Celebrate our Natural World: Artists Who Are Inspired by the Environment

Local students assist the Badlands with tipi set-up

The National Park Service is now accepting comments on mule operations and stock use in Grand Canyon National Park as the agency begins to develop an environmental assessment.