Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Archive for the ‘National Park Service’ Category
America’s Wilderness
Friday, February 3rd, 2012
Simply beautiful! A National Park Service salute to the 1964 Wilderness Act:
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
National Park Service Funds Trail Projects in 22 States
Thursday, January 26th, 2012
The National Park Service announced today that nearly one million dollars in trail grants will be awarded to 14 trails in 22 states and Washington DC.
The 2012 Connect Trails to Parks Awards will provide a total of $934,000 to 14 projects where national historic and scenic trails intersect with national parks and other federal facilities. The projects will restore or improve existing trails and trailhead connections, provide better wayside and interpretive services, encourage innovative educational services, support bridge and trailhead designs, and provide planning services for important trail gateways.
Many of the projects reflect National Park Service priorities such as expanding outreach, connecting to youth, enhancing urban recreation, promoting healthy lifestyles, and upgrading interpretive materials as outlined in the agency’s A Call to Action: Preparing for a Second Century of Stewardship and Engagement. In addition to operating 397 parks across the United States and its territories, the National Park Service plays a vital role in overseeing the 52,000-mile National Trails System.
The Connect Trails to Parks program is designed to increase awareness, appreciation, and use of the nation’s federally-designated system of trails. The years from 2008 to 2018 have been declared "A Decade for the National Trails" ramping up to the trails system's 50th anniversary in 2018. Many of these projects will help specific trails and their related federal facilities to achieve goals associated with this commemorative decade.
One award of note for the Smoky Mountains region is the $64,200 grant for the "Implement Appalachian Trail Leave No Trace Initiative".
You can view all of the trail grants by clicking here.
I'll be honest, as I looked over some of these projects I couldn't help but think that this money could've been spent more wisely. $57,200 for a "Children’s TV Program About the Ice Age Trail". Are you serious? This is how we're spending our tax dollars? I don't know, what do you think?
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
The 2012 Connect Trails to Parks Awards will provide a total of $934,000 to 14 projects where national historic and scenic trails intersect with national parks and other federal facilities. The projects will restore or improve existing trails and trailhead connections, provide better wayside and interpretive services, encourage innovative educational services, support bridge and trailhead designs, and provide planning services for important trail gateways.
Many of the projects reflect National Park Service priorities such as expanding outreach, connecting to youth, enhancing urban recreation, promoting healthy lifestyles, and upgrading interpretive materials as outlined in the agency’s A Call to Action: Preparing for a Second Century of Stewardship and Engagement. In addition to operating 397 parks across the United States and its territories, the National Park Service plays a vital role in overseeing the 52,000-mile National Trails System.
The Connect Trails to Parks program is designed to increase awareness, appreciation, and use of the nation’s federally-designated system of trails. The years from 2008 to 2018 have been declared "A Decade for the National Trails" ramping up to the trails system's 50th anniversary in 2018. Many of these projects will help specific trails and their related federal facilities to achieve goals associated with this commemorative decade.
One award of note for the Smoky Mountains region is the $64,200 grant for the "Implement Appalachian Trail Leave No Trace Initiative".
You can view all of the trail grants by clicking here.
I'll be honest, as I looked over some of these projects I couldn't help but think that this money could've been spent more wisely. $57,200 for a "Children’s TV Program About the Ice Age Trail". Are you serious? This is how we're spending our tax dollars? I don't know, what do you think?
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Free Admission to All National Parks from January 14-16
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
The National Park Service announced yesterday that all 397 national parks across the country will offer free admission from January 14 through 16 to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Additionally, several parks will be holding special events to honor Dr. King over the three-day weekend.
The National Park Service will also waive admission fees on 14 other days in 2012:
– National Park Week (April 21 to 29)
- Get Outdoors Day (June 9)
- National Public Lands Day (September 29)
- Veterans Day (November 10 to 12)
Please click here to read the entire national park press release.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
Additionally, several parks will be holding special events to honor Dr. King over the three-day weekend.
The National Park Service will also waive admission fees on 14 other days in 2012:
– National Park Week (April 21 to 29)
- Get Outdoors Day (June 9)
- National Public Lands Day (September 29)
- Veterans Day (November 10 to 12)
Please click here to read the entire national park press release.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
NPS Introduces Online Water Safety Lessons
Sunday, July 17th, 2011
Heading to the water is a great way to beat the heat of summer. However, it is important to take precautions. Before hitting the beach, have the kids play two new National Park Service Junior Ranger WebRanger games to learn about rip currents and general water safety. They can be found at http://www.nps.gov/webrangers.
According to the Great Smoky Mountains website, drowning is one of the leading causes of death in the park.
“Millions of people every year enjoy swimming, fishing, paddling, and boating in national parks,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “However, regardless of age, every person needs to be properly prepared around water. This point was reinforced last month at Lake Meredith National Recreation Area. A seven-year old girl enjoying the waves on an air mattress was swept out into rough waters and flipped off the mattress. She survived only by staying calm and recalling instructions from a swim class she took last year. She floated on her back and tread water for 17 minutes until a rescue boat could reach her. Although exhausted, she was OK because she knew what to do in an emergency situation.”
The WebRanger activities present scientifically sound information but in a child-friendly manner. The water safety module includes information about appropriate floatation devices and swimming locations. The rip current activity teaches children how to identify and escape from this common shore hazard. Even the most seasoned swimmer cannot go against a rip current. It is important to stay calm and swim parallel to the beach until free of the current. If unable to swim out of it, remember that rip currents only travel about 50 yards before dwindling.
The games were developed by the country’s leading experts on water safety, including scientists and practitioners from the National Park Service, U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and U.S. Life Guarding Association.
"These interactive games are the result of an incredible collaboration between many groups interested in increasing awareness and saving lives,” Jarvis said. “We want everyone to enjoy the outdoors and we want everyone to go home safely.”
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
According to the Great Smoky Mountains website, drowning is one of the leading causes of death in the park.
“Millions of people every year enjoy swimming, fishing, paddling, and boating in national parks,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. “However, regardless of age, every person needs to be properly prepared around water. This point was reinforced last month at Lake Meredith National Recreation Area. A seven-year old girl enjoying the waves on an air mattress was swept out into rough waters and flipped off the mattress. She survived only by staying calm and recalling instructions from a swim class she took last year. She floated on her back and tread water for 17 minutes until a rescue boat could reach her. Although exhausted, she was OK because she knew what to do in an emergency situation.”
The WebRanger activities present scientifically sound information but in a child-friendly manner. The water safety module includes information about appropriate floatation devices and swimming locations. The rip current activity teaches children how to identify and escape from this common shore hazard. Even the most seasoned swimmer cannot go against a rip current. It is important to stay calm and swim parallel to the beach until free of the current. If unable to swim out of it, remember that rip currents only travel about 50 yards before dwindling.
The games were developed by the country’s leading experts on water safety, including scientists and practitioners from the National Park Service, U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and U.S. Life Guarding Association.
"These interactive games are the result of an incredible collaboration between many groups interested in increasing awareness and saving lives,” Jarvis said. “We want everyone to enjoy the outdoors and we want everyone to go home safely.”
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
New NPS State-by-State Web Pages Launched
Thursday, March 10th, 2011
The National Park Service yesterday launched a new state-by-state suite of web pages to communicate the breadth of the Service’s work. Although many people think of only national parks when they think of the NPS, the agency’s work touches almost every county in the country – regardless of its proximity to a national park. Truth is, communities invite the NPS to work with them and help them by providing expertise and grants, reviewing tax credit projects, and making surplus federal land available for parks and recreation facilities – and more.
The goal of the pages is to tell the full story – what the NPS does in 394 parks and a multitude of national programs that benefit communities.
In addition to parks, this first phase of the project features nine programs and includes “by the numbers” statistics for 10 additional programs. The phase one programs are the:
* Land and Water Conservation Fund
* American Battlefield Protection Program
* Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance
* Save America’s Treasures
* Preserve America
* Certified Local Governments
* Federal Lands to Parks
* National Register of Historic Places
* Historic Rehabilitation Tax Incentives.
* More programs will be added in future phases.
The pages include a beta version of an interactive map that shows national parks and additional layers that show national program activities. Because it’s a beta version, the NPS will continue to refine and improve the map, including making parks more visible. The list view is another way to explore the map layers.
From the new pages, we learn, for example, that Tennessee has 12 National Park units that saw 7,898,557 visitors in 2010, and generated $501,305,000 in economic benefits through tourism (in 2009). We also learn that 176,478 hours were donated by volunteers in 2010.
Comparatively, North Carolina has 10 National Park units that received 17,093,464 visitors in 2010, and generated $707,241,000 in economic benefits through tourism in 2009. Volunteers donated 103,790 hours to national parks in the Tar Heel state in 2010.
The site provides a lot more data, and links to individual park units, for those interested.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
The goal of the pages is to tell the full story – what the NPS does in 394 parks and a multitude of national programs that benefit communities.
In addition to parks, this first phase of the project features nine programs and includes “by the numbers” statistics for 10 additional programs. The phase one programs are the:
* Land and Water Conservation Fund
* American Battlefield Protection Program
* Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance
* Save America’s Treasures
* Preserve America
* Certified Local Governments
* Federal Lands to Parks
* National Register of Historic Places
* Historic Rehabilitation Tax Incentives.
* More programs will be added in future phases.
The pages include a beta version of an interactive map that shows national parks and additional layers that show national program activities. Because it’s a beta version, the NPS will continue to refine and improve the map, including making parks more visible. The list view is another way to explore the map layers.
From the new pages, we learn, for example, that Tennessee has 12 National Park units that saw 7,898,557 visitors in 2010, and generated $501,305,000 in economic benefits through tourism (in 2009). We also learn that 176,478 hours were donated by volunteers in 2010.
Comparatively, North Carolina has 10 National Park units that received 17,093,464 visitors in 2010, and generated $707,241,000 in economic benefits through tourism in 2009. Volunteers donated 103,790 hours to national parks in the Tar Heel state in 2010.
The site provides a lot more data, and links to individual park units, for those interested.
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
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