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YELLOWSTONE |
IN THE NEWS TODAY: Protecting Yellowstone -- by Bruce Gourley Public Meetings About Winter Use Proposal -- by NPS New NPS Intermountain Director Named -- by NPS New Accessible Trail Dedicated in Glacier -- by NPS NEW! Daily Environmental News -- from ISyndicate |
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ROAD REPORT
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 PROTECTING YELLOWSTONEby Bruce Gourley Yellowstone is a national treasure which is owned by the American public. Protecting Yellowstone is the responsibility of the American public. This weekly feature will help identify and explore the issues which are crucial to the ongoing, healthy existence of the "Crown Jewel" of America's National Park system. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (YNET) -- Within the past few years, several steps have been taken to further secure the ongoing health of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The government's purchase of a large portion of the former Church Universal and Triumphant's ranch just north of the Park is one example. The halting of the New World gold mine just outside the northeast portion of the Park is another example. Last month another step was taken in the ongoing process of protecting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Although the event was little noticed, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded an $800,000 grant to Yellowstone Ecosystem Studies to study the effects of various activities on the Yellowstone River from the Park to Livingston, Montana, fifty miles down river. Yellowstone Ecosystem Studies is a non-profit Bozeman-based environmental research and educational organization. The purpose of the government grant is to study how such uses of the Yellowstone River as logging, forest fires, grazing, stream stabilization and subdivision development are affecting the physical and biological features of the river. The goal is a healthier river system. The Yellowstone River, which originates in the Yellowstone National Park, is America's largest undammed river, but it is nonetheless threatened by development and stream control efforts throughout its length outside of the Park. YES already has extensive experience doing stream research in the Park's Lamar River watershed. Protecting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is important, for it directly impacts Yellowstone National Park itself. Click here to voice your support for Yellowstone!
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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS Ralph Maughan
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PUBLIC MEETINGS
ABOUT WINTER USE PROPOSAL National Park ServiceYELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. (NPS) -- The National Park Service (NPS) has announced the locations for a series of meetings that have been scheduled to accept public comment on the Draft Winter Use Plan/Environmental Impact Statement for the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. The meetings have been scheduled for the following dates and locations: October 14 - Idaho Falls, ID October 21 - West Yellowstone, MT October 23 - Livingston, MT October 26 - Cody, WY October 28 - Jackson, WY November 3 - Lakewood, CO All meetings will be held from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., with the exception of the Livingston meeting which will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Members of the public will each be offered five minutes to offer their substantive comments on the various alternatives contained in the Draft Winter Use Plan/EIS. The meetings will be chaired by a hearing officer, and park managers will be on hand to listen to the comments expressed by audience members during the meetings. Public comments will be recorded by a court reporter, with the resulting transcript included as part of the official record of the planning process. There will be no formal presentations or question and answer period. On August 15, 1999, the complete Draft Winter Use Plan/EIS was made available to the public via the Internet (www.nps.gov/yell/technical/planning) for a ninety-day review and comment period--double the length of time required by departmental policy and thirty days longer than required by the settlement agreement. At the time of the Internet release, it was noted that printed copies of the complete document would be available to the public after September 15. Unfortunately, printing and shipping difficulties delayed the availability of the printed document. Therefore, the public comment period has been extended until December 1, 1999. Written comments can be submitted to: Clifford Hawkes, National Park Service, 12795 West Alameda Parkway, Lakewood, CO 80228. |
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INTERMOUNTAIN REGION DIRECTOR NAMED by National Park Service WASHINGTON, D. C. (NPS) -- Director Robert Stanton has announced that Karen Wade, currently superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park (TN, NC) and one of the agency's most experienced executives, has been selected to become the next Regional Director of the Intermountain Region, headquartered in Denver, Colorado. The assignment is effective October 25, 1999, and a replacement for the superintendent post is currently under review. As Intermountain Regional Director, Wade will oversee 86 diverse park units dispersed throughout an eight-state region that includes Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming. The region is home to some of the Nation's oldest and best-known natural national parks including Yellowstone (WY, ID, MT) and Grand Canyon (AZ), and cultural treasures such as Mesa Verde National Park (CO). "Karen Wade was our choice for this important position because of her dynamic leadership abilities, especially in natural resources management," said Stanton, who recently unveiled the Natural Resources Challenge, a plan for revitalizing natural resource programs in national parks. "Throughout her career, Karen Wade has been a strong, energetic leader, and has demonstrated innovation and wisdom in handling many challenges," said Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. "She also has shown courage in standing by tough decisions to protect parks under her care while building strong community support for conservation goals. We are very fortunate to have such a capable manager to fill this very challenging position." Wade, a 26-year NPS careerist and Colorado native, has served as the superintendent of Great Smoky Mountains National Park since July 1994. The half-million-acre park contains the largest tract of unbroken forest in the Eastern United States. It also is the most visited national park in the National Park System (which includes 378 sites), hosting more then 9 million visits in 1998. Under her direction, the park entered into a long-term partnership with hundreds of scientists to survey every living organism (more than 100,000 species) to develop a natural resource plan for protection. The effort earned her the Service's prestigious Superintendent of the Year Award in 1998. "This type of scientific survey has never been undertaken on such a scale anywhere in the world." said Stanton, "It will serve as a model for future projects in other national parks and protected areas." Wade previously served as superintendent of America's largest national park, the 13-million acre Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (AK). She has held other superintendent and park management posts at Guadalupe Mountains National Park (TX), Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine (MD), Hampton National Historic Site (MD), Shenandoah National Park (VA), and the Appalachian Trail Project Office (DC). |
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NATIONAL PARK DEDICATES NEW WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE TRAIL by National Park Service GLACIER NATIONAL PARK, Mont. (NPS) -- Running Eagle Falls Accessible Nature Trail, the first wheelchair accessible path on Glacier National Park's eastern side, was recently opened to park visitors. The trail commemorates the life of Running Eagle, a Blackfeet warrior, who was the only female tribal member to go on a four-day fast to suffer, dream, pray, and find her medicine. High above the waterfall, her vision was obtained. The trail was funded by a grant from the American Airlines/National Park Foundation "Miles for Trails" program. Money from visitor entrance fees also paid for the construction of an accessible restroom near the trailhead. Female Blackfeet tribal members helped write the story of story of Running Eagle and translated the text into the Blackfeet language through funding provided by Glacier Park Associates. |
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