National Park News

The Superintendent of Denali National Park and Preserve has determined that there is adequate snow cover for the use of snowmobiles for traditional activities in areas of the 1980 park additions that are south of the crest of the Alaska Range, except for the park lands between the Bull River and Windy Creek at the north end of Broad Pass near the town of Cantwell. These areas do not have adequate snow cover.

With funding from Alaska Geographic, the Murie Science and Learning Center is awarding scholarships to teachers for accredited trainings and seminars taking place in Denali National Park and Preserve.

Everglades National Park to provide Fire Media Workshop December 16
“How to safely report on prescribed fires”

Great Smoky Mountains National Park officials have rescheduled the hemlock tree spraying operation in Cades Cove to Thursday, December 10. During that time, a partial closure of the 11-mile Cades Cove Loop Road will be imposed while Park forestry technicians finish treating the adelgid-infested hemlock trees.

The National Park Service and the Murie Science and Learning Center (MSLC) are seeking applicants for two research fellowships that are available to individuals wishing to conduct research in Denali National Park and Preserve and other national parks in Alaska.

With snow already falling and a winter storm warning in effect through the evening of Monday, December 7, winter driving conditions have arrived in Grand Canyon National Park.

Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Steve Martin today announced the award of a contract for the operation of Grand Canyon’s South Rim visitor transportation system.   After an extensive evaluation process, Paul Revere Transportation, L.L.C. was selected as the contractor. 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park announces the 34th annual Festival of Christmas Past celebration scheduled Saturday, December 12, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., at the Sugarlands Visitor Center. The event, sponsored in cooperation with Great Smoky Mountains Association, is free to the public.

Wind Cave National Park will use hunting of elk on public and private lands outside the park to reduce and maintain the park’s elk population. Ernest Quintana, Regional Director for the Midwest Region of the National Park Service, recently signed the Record of Decision for the Final Elk Management Plan/ Environmental Impact Statement.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Tom Strickland today joined officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the State of Florida and the South Florida Water Management District to break ground today on a 1-mile bridge on the Tamiami Trail.

Wind Cave National Park is seeking volunteers for their annual Christmas Bird Count planned for Sunday, December 13.

Wind Cave National Park is seeking volunteers for their annual Christmas Bird Count planned for Sunday, December 13.

The repair and construction of the scenic drive in the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park has been completed.  Construction started on June 22 and continued throughout the summer.  The project involved the complete rebuilding of 5.4 miles of the road and the double chip seal of the remaining 8.5 miles.

Annual sale to be offered December 11 through December 24.

The Tioga and Glacier Point Roads in Yosemite are closed for the season.  These roads close each fall and remain closed throughout the winter months until weather conditions permit reopening in the spring next year.

Draft General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement available for review. 

Zion National Park is looking for volunteer birders to participate in the annual Christmas Bird Count to be held on Saturday, December 19, 2009.