Parks across the country have seen record-breaking numbers of visitors this summer, even as we continue to grapple with the impacts of COVID-19. I’m sure you’ve seen the images; visitors lined up to hike at Zion National Park, heavy traffic at Yellowstone National Park and big crowds in Arches National Park. Here in Maine,
Member Op-Ed: Off-highway vehicles in national parks is a bad idea
Mike Lee’s bill to allow off-highway vehicles in national parks is a bad idea By Cordell Roy | Special to The Tribune U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, recently introduced two bills in the Senate — S.1526 and S.1527 — that have to do with allowing off-highway vehicle use in our national parks. S.1526,
Member Op-Ed: Clean up orphaned wells for Chaco, all national parks
Clean up orphaned wells for Chaco, all national parks BY TOM VAUGHAN/CHACO CULTURE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, SILVER CITY RESIDENT Published: Saturday, July 31st, 2021 at 3:32pm Updated: Friday, August 6th, 2021 at 3:33pm During my 22 years with the National Park Service, I spent four years as superintendent of Chaco Culture National Historical Park in
Member Oped: Precious landscapes need protection from orphaned wells
Precious landscapes need protection from orphaned wells Aug 8, 2021 By DENNY HUFFMAN From Yosemite National Park in the west to Great Smoky Mountains and Virgin Islands National Parks in the east, I was privileged to work with the National Park Service for 34 years, helping to protect our country’s most treasured natural and
Member Op-Ed: Biden’s “America the Beautiful” plan is well-timed
While the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be on the retreat, our time spent at home has demonstrated just how important the great outdoors are to Americans. After spending months in lockdown, a road trip to a national park — or even a hike through a local park — feels like a much needed physical, emotional,
Member Op-Ed: America the Beautiful initiative is right on time
President Biden’s plan will combat some of the worst impacts of climate change in Colorado By Sheridan Steele – June 30, 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic has reaffirmed for me just how lucky I am to live in Colorado. As households across the country spent months in lockdown, a trip to the great outdoors provided
Member Op-Ed:Biden’s America the Beautiful Plan will help ensure national parks are protected, accessible
Biden’s America the Beautiful Plan will help ensure national parks are protected, accessible Bill Wade | Special to Tucson Sentinel.com | Jun 29, 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic has very visibly demonstrated just how important parks are to Americans. With households across the country spending months in lockdown, a trip to the great outdoors provided much
Member oped: Restore protections to Grand Staircase-Escalante
By Noel Poe | Special to the Tribune | June 22, 2021 Throughout my 37-plus years with the National Park Service, I have had the privilege to work in national parks across the country. While each park is different, one of the common threads linking them together is the dedication of local communities and
Member oped: Drilling near Dinosaur NM is a Mistake
Dinosaur National Monument Visitor Center By Nick Eason | Special to The Tribune Reflecting upon a 30-year career with the National Park Service (NPS), I’ve had the good fortune of working in some of America’s most iconic landscapes. Of all these prominent places and memories, Dinosaur National Monument is my most treasured and
Member Oped: Let park managers manage their national parks
Donald A. Falvey: Let park managers manage their national parks Zion National Park should restore the timed entry ticket system for its shuttles. By Donald A. Falvey | Special to The Salt Lake Tribune | June 22, 2021, 11:00 a.m. Flashback: A National Park Service superintendent’s conference in the 1990s. The regional director called me
Op-Ed: Rebecca Harriett: A welcome initiative to protect our parks
By Rebecca Harriett Jun 13, 2021 West Virginia is a state that values access to the great outdoors. It’s a place of incredible beauty, full of opportunities to hike, canoe, hunt, fish and swim. And for West Virginians — and Americans across the country — the COVID-19 pandemic has very visibly demonstrated just how important
Coalition Op-Ed: People are flocking to national parks — yet understaffed parks continue struggling financially
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of taking a trip out west to visit several national parks in Utah, including Arches and Canyonlands. I have spent years working with national parks; first as a National Park Service (NPS) Ranger and now as the executive director for the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks,
Biden administration must build-up the National Park Service
BY PHIL FRANCIS, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR — 12/19/20 As we begin to close the book on 2020 and start a new year, it’s a good time to reflect on where we’ve been and where we need to go. I served our country and the American people in the National Park Service (NPS) for over 40 years,
Member Oped: Great American Outdoors Act is worth celebrating, especially in Maine
In a year full of unexpected challenges and extreme partisanship, I am particularly grateful for a cause for celebration. The recent Great American Outdoors Act has provided just such an opportunity. With an eye on the future, both houses of Congress have passed legislation recognizing the importance of preserving and protecting our irreplaceable natural
Member OpEd: A call for authorizing Curecanti National Recreation Area
A call for authorizing Curecanti National Recreation Area Posted to The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel Aug 14, 2020 As a group, we have a combined 26.5 years of experience as superintendents of Curecanti National Recreation Area and a collective 179 years of service with the National Park Service. With the benefit of this extensive background,
Member Oped: Leasing Plans Threaten Utah’s National Parks
The Salt Lake Tribune 7/1/2020 By Phil Brueck | Special to The Tribune As we continue to navigate the fallout from the pandemic and work to establish a “new normal,” many of us Utahns are still focused on balancing the demands of our personal and professional lives, providing for our families and thinking about
Member Oped: Mount Rushmore Fireworks A Bad Idea
Opinion by Cheryl Schreier July 1, 2020 at 4:20 p.m. EDT Cheryl Schreier was superintendent of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial from 2010 to 2019. It has been more than 10 years since fireworks were last seen at Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The fireworks were canceled in 2010, my first year as superintendent of the
Member OP-ED: Killing bear cubs and wolf pups in their dens on NPS lands in Alaska is wrong
Many people would agree that hunting methods such as killing black bear mothers with cubs in their dens, “harvesting” grizzly bears over bait, “taking” female wolves and coyotes and their pups during denning season, are deeply offensive, particularly on public lands, like the national preserves managed by the National Park Service in Alaska. Yet, Secretary David Bernhardt’s Interior Department
Member OP-ED: The outdoors is a good getaway amid pandemic. Just not the Grand Canyon. Don’t reopen it yet
Grand Canyon National Park is an icon. It attracts visitors from all over the world who flock to the South Rim and other viewpoints within the park that offer a glimpse of the famous Canyon. As the pandemic continues to impact our lives, when social distancing is still the name of the game, reopening this
Member Oped: Halt oil and gas lease sales and protect Carlsbad Caverns
Rick Smith and Cherry Payne, Coalition to Protect America’s Parks Published Carlsbad Current-Argus May 14, 2020 Each year, over 450,000 people visit Carlsbad Caverns National Park to marvel at otherworldly cave formations and the flying rivers of Mexican free-tail bats departing each evening for their nightly meal. The park is recognized as a national treasure and
Member OpEd: Oil and Gas Lease Sales Should be Paused During the Pandemic Crisis
Opinion: Oil and gas lease sales should be paused during the coronavirus crisis – Sheridan Steele Special to The Colorado Sun The COVID-19 pandemic has swept through the United States and changed our daily lives. Complying with orders from city, state and national leaders, those who are able to in Colorado are staying home to
Member OpEd: Airport board failed on heli-tour question
When I read Jackson Hole Airport Board President Jerry Blann’s Guest Column in last week’s News&Guide, it was clear that on April 24 the board would vote to permit Wind River Aviation to base its operation at the airport, which is located inside Grand Teton National Park. Essentially he was telling the community the board
Member OP-ED: Secretary Bernhardt Must Close Shenandoah
Shenandoah National Park welcomed nearly 1.4 million visitors in 2019 and the park attracts a particularly high number of visitors during the spring season. So in the middle of a global pandemic, when social distancing and statewide stay-at-home orders are the name of the game, it defies all logic and common sense to keep this
Member OP-ED: We must protect Utah’s Red Rock landscapes
By Cordell Roy | Special to The Salt Lake Tribune Published: 3/29/20 In this time of national emergency, it may seem relatively trivial to concern oneself with anything other than our own personal and community well-being. However, the well-being of our environment and public lands that contribute to Utahns quality of life is also experiencing
Coalition OP-ED: No one at the helm of America’s national parks
Theresa Pierno is president and CEO for the National Parks Conservation Association. Phil Francis is chair of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks and former superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway. It has been just over three years since President Trump took the oath of office, and the lack of permanent leaders in this