National Park News

NatureBridge, the largest non-profit residential environmental education partner of the National Park Service, is pleased to name Kristina Rylands as the new NatureBridge director in Yosemite National Park. Additionally, after more than 20 years as a member of the NatureBridge family, the former Director, Leigh Westerlund, branches into a new role as vice president of operations.

Fire managers from Rocky Mountain National Park plan to take advantage of any upcoming winter weather conditions to burn piles of slash from several forest thinning and hazard tree mitigation projects.

Beginning Nov. 7, the public will have an opportunity to attend public meetings on the development of a long-term plan that will determine the timing and volume of water flows from Glen Canyon Dam. Those flows affect hydroelectricity production, beach recreation, native fish and other river-related plants and animals, as well as archeological sites in Grand Canyon National Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Yosemite National Park Fire Managers are planning a prescribed fire in the southern portion of the park near Bishop Creek and Rail Creek along the Wawona Road, on Monday, October 24, 2011. The original burn date was scheduled for Friday, September 30, 2011, but was canceled due to rainy and snowy conditions in the area. Ignition of the prescribed fire is dependent on favorable weather conditions. The total prescribed burn area will include 5,224 acres. The burn area will be broken up into segments, with Segment A being ignited on Monday, and will include 1,400 acres. The remaining acres will be burned at future dates. Fire engines, water tenders, and fire crews from Yosemite National Park and the U.S. Forest Service will be present during all fire activity.

Yosemite National Park announces the Herbarium of the Yosemite Museum has joined the Consortium of California Herbaria (CCH) to provide online access of Yosemite plant specimens to both the scientific community and the general public. It is the first National Park Service herbarium, and the 22nd California herbarium, whose data for vascular plant specimens is included in CCH. This is an online searchable database of herbarium specimen information, and can be found at http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/consortium/about.html.

Pile Burning at WRST

Recent rainfall and colder temperatures have stopped the spread of the fire and no additional spread is anticipated.

Randy King has been selected as the new superintendent of Mount Rainier National Park. King replaces Dave Uberuaga, who was recently named superintendent of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.

WIND CAVE NATIONAL PARK SD – An overflow crowd of neighbors, local residents, and visitors gathered near the historic Sanson homestead in Wind Cave National Park (NP) on Saturday, October 15, to celebrate the acquisition of 5,555 aces of ranchland formerly owned by the Casey family.

The tenth meeting of the Denali National Park Aircraft Overflights Advisory Council is taking place on Friday, October 28 from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. at the Marriott Residence Inn Midtown, located on 1025 E. 35th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska.

Plan to go a little batty and have a lot of fun when attending a special free evening program at Mill Creek Campground Amphitheater on Saturday, October 22, 2011, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Redwood National and State Parks rangers will be presenting a campfire program on those mysterious and fascinating acrobats of the night—bats—followed by a 30-minute night walk to discover other wonders of the night.

Public Encouraged to Help Develop Alternatives for the Plan

Yosemite National Park is currently working on developing alternatives for the Comprehensive Management Plan for the Merced Wild and Scenic River (MRP). This plan will provide the framework for management decisions regarding the Merced River and the Merced River Corridor in Yosemite National Park. The park contains 81 miles of the Merced River, which was designated a Wild and Scenic River in 1987.

Investigation of a sexual assault of a minor in Lassen Volcanic National Park has resulted in arrest of Vernon Lee Williamson, Jr.

Short-term closure planned for section of Hurricane Ridge Road October 19 from 8:00 to 11:00 A.M; blasting and boulder removal to occur near Milepost 11.5.

Whiskey Bend Road will close to all use, including foot, bicycle and stock travel.

JoshuaTreeNP: Kick off the climbing season at Climbers Coffee. Bring your own mug to Hidden Valley CG this Sat or Sun @ 8 am. http://t.co/IdSv5mQg – br

Please join park and local officials from the Tusheti Protected Areas in Georgia for a special program at the Estes Park Museum on Thursday, October 20 at 7:00 p.m.

A new plan designed to relieve traffic congestion and improve safety at Yellowstone National Park’s historic North Entrance has been approved.

Beginning on Monday, October 17, the lobby at the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center in Rocky Mountain National Park will be closed through the winter for a major remodeling project. Park rangers will still provide information to visitors from a temporary office trailer in the front parking lot of the visitor center.

In response to requests, the National Park Service is extending the public comment period for the Climbing Allocation for Mount McKinley Environmental Assessment (EA) through Monday, October 31, 2011. The extension will ensure that the public has adequate time to comment on the allocation of climbing permits between commercial guided climbing operators and independent, non-guided climbers on Mount McKinley.

Lassen Volcanic National Park to hand ignite burn piles October 3 through October 17.

The bodies of three people found inside of a recreational vehicle that burned at the South Entrance to Grand Canyon National Park have been identified as those of Anthony Dehaven and his two juvenile children.

Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Science and Resources Management

Dr. David Caron, a distinguished professor in Marine Environmental Biology at University of Southern California (USC), will discuss how harmful algal blooms can disrupt food webs, poison susceptible species, and present human health risks at the October “Shore to Sea” lecture at Channel Islands National Park.

A habituated gray wolf believed to be conditioned to human foods was killed by Yellowstone National Park staff October 8.

Beginning the week of October 10, 2011 the removal of hazard markers and regulatory buoys maintained by Voyageurs National Park will begin, as weather conditions allow.

Backcountry areas and hiking trails in the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park will be closed on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from October 18 – December 22 to accommodate the park’s elk reduction effort.

Due to high winds and low relative humidity, the size of the fire increased to approximately 300 acres as of October 8, 2011; it remains at that size. Cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity is helping to slow the spread of the fire.

Mammoth Cave National Park rangers will show kids the ins and outs of firefighting on Saturday, October 15. Thirty-minute activities run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., are free of charge and open to the public.

Cumberland Gap Tunnel celebrates its 15th anniversary. Reception will focus on the theme “Drive to the Future, Restore the Past”