National Parks Gallery - Park News

Weekly Legislative Activities Report

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 00:00:06 -0600

The Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs puts out weekly reports on hearings, new legislation and other activities on the Hill. This report covers the week ending on Friday, September 27th. In order to obtain the full text of any of the bills that appear below, click on the following link: http://thomas.loc.gov/ . That will take you to Thomas, the Library of Congress legislative tracking system. Enter the bill number in the “Search ...

Urban Night Sky Inspires Visitors - John Muir National Historic Site

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 00:00:06 -0600

During every full moon night in the summer and fall, ranger staff at John Muir NHS gather park visitors – mostly local urban dwellers - at the busy intersection of California Highway 4, Alhambra Avenue and Franklin Canyon Drive. From there they hike a mile to the 640-foot summit of Mt. Wanda to view the full moon rise and contemplate the beauty and serenity. The 326-acre mountain in the city of Martinez was named by Muir for his eldest daughter. It’s where...

Today’s Almanac – September 30, 2013

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 00:00:06 -0600

The Skies

Park Holds 16th Annual Naturalization Ceremony - Charles Pinckney National Historic Site

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 00:00:06 -0600

Charles Pinckney National Historic Site held its 16th annual naturalization ceremony on Constitution Day. On Tuesday, September 17th, Federal District Judge Richard Gergel administered the Oath of Allegiance to 111 new citizens from 52 countries. The National Park Service and the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services have partnered to enhance citizenship ceremonies by holding them in national parks throughout the country. Since 1997 these ceremonies have been held annually on ...

Medal of Honor Recipients Convene At Gettysburg - Gettysburg National Military Park

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 00:00:05 -0600

Each year, the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, comprised solely of Medal of Honor recipients, gathers in a different city in the United States to celebrate its annual convention. The Gettysburg community hosted 45 of the 79 living recipients of the nation’s highest honor for military valor last week for the 2013 convention. Four days of events were organized by Bob Monahan of Gettysburg and timed to coincide with the 150th annive...

Chattahoochee River NRA Hosts Naturalization Ceremony, Volunteer Projects, and Secretary of Interior for National Public Lands Day - Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 00:00:05 -0600

On Saturday, September 28, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area hosted multiple events in observance of National Public Lands Day, including a naturalization ceremony, volunteer projects, a teacher workshop, and a visit from Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. At Hewlett Field in the Island Ford unit of the park, 72 new citizens took the oath of citizenship in the first-ever naturalization ceremony held at Chattahoochee River. “Many other national parks host natu...

Annual Naturalization Ceremony Held At Tumacácori

Mon, 30 Sep 2013 00:00:05 -0600

For the third year in a row, the beautiful courtyard garden area of Tumacácori’s Spanish Colonial mission served as the backdrop for a naturalization ceremony on September 17th, Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. This year, thirteen candidates were sworn in as new United States of America citizens. The new citizens, all from Mexico, including 90-year old Concepcion Gutierrez. “What could be more American than becoming a new citizen...

Kennesaw Mountain on CNN Student News - Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 00:00:07 -0600

On September 5, 2013, Park Rangers Benita Duling and Amanda Corman represented the National Park Service and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park on CNN Student News’s Career Connections. CNN Student News provides middle and high school students with an uninterrupted ten-minute daily news program, which is free throughout the school year. Through brief educational glimpses into National Park Service careers, students are encouraged to follow their passions and never give u...

“Kennesaw: One Last Mountain” Premier - Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 00:00:07 -0600

On the evening of September 22, 2013, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park debuted its newest park film “Kennesaw: One Last Mountain” at The Earl Smith Strand Theater in downtown Marietta, Georgia. In preparation for the Sesquicentennial of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, the new film depicts personal accounts of soldiers and civilians affected by the events which occurred 150 years ago. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park partnered with the Kennesaw Mountai...

Today’s Almanac – September 27, 2013

Fri, 27 Sep 2013 00:00:09 -0600

The Skies

Students Performing Community Service Honor Fallen Firefighters

Fri, 27 Sep 2013 00:00:08 -0600

On Wednesday, September 25, Brandi Browning, a NPS employee with the Department of the Interior Medical Standards Program, worked with a group of college students from the College of Western Idaho (CWI) on a community service project in the Wildland Firefighters Monument at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho. The monument features vegetation typical of the Great Basin, a waterfall, and a walking path lined with stones inscribed with the names of wildland firefi...

Memorial Service Set For Chuck Caha - Death Valley National Park

Fri, 27 Sep 2013 00:00:08 -0600

Charles (Chuck) Caha, 64, passed away on September 19th while grading a section of backcountry road in Death Valley National Park. Caha was born in David City, Nebraska, and had been a resident of Pahrump, Nevada, for the past 22 years. He served in the U.S. Navy, and was a Vietnam veteran. Chuck was considered by his peers to be the best heavy equipment operator in the park. He was a great family man who loved to party hard and had a gift of gab. He was happiest behind the...

Incident Management Preparedness Pays Off

Fri, 27 Sep 2013 00:00:08 -0600

For the staff of Rocky Mountain National Park, Thursday, September 12th, will be a day to remember. Rain had been falling for days and that day it was particularly heavy. Flooding forced campground and employee evacuations; search and rescue operations, both in the park and local communities, were in full swing; Highways 34, 36, and 7 were closed and downtown Estes Park was flooding. Like their neighbors throughout the region, park employees were faced with damage to their ...

Areas Reopen As Flood Recovery Continues - Rocky Mountain National Park

Wed, 25 Sep 2013 00:00:05 -0600

Three trails and some areas of Rocky Mountain National Park on the east side that were impacted by the flood reopened for public use yesterday. Meanwhile, the first of a pair of convoys with heavy equipment essential for infrastructure repairs crossed over Trail Ridge Road from the west side of the park, necessitating a temporary closure of that highway.

Here’s an overview of what’s reopened:

Hidden Valley – The nature trail loop, pi...

Today’s Almanac – September 24, 2013

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 00:00:06 -0600

The Skies

Sister Park Agreement Signed With Thai Park - Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 00:00:06 -0600

Great Smoky Mountains National Park last week signed an agreement establishing a sister park relationship with Khao Yai National Park in Thailand. It’s the park’s first such arrangement. Superintendent Dale Ditmanson and Khao Yai National Park Superintendent Krissada Homsud signed the agreement on September 20th in a ceremony at park headquarters. Although not exactly twins, the two parks share a number of similar resources and protected area management and operational...

NPS Career Academy - Vision statement

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 00:00:06 -0600

Don’t let the Service become just another government bureau. Keep it youthful, vigorous, clean, and strong.
-Horace Albright, 2^nd Director of the NPS, upon his retirement The National Park Service Career Academy Vision Statement The NPS Career Academy provides an environment for professional development and lifelong learning to promote excel...

Naturalization Ceremony Held At Colorado National Monument - Colorado National Monument

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 00:00:05 -0600

Forty naturalization candidates from twenty countries became citizens of the United States of America at Colorado National Monument on September 17th. It was on the edge of one of the monument’s spectacular canyons that U.S. Magistrate Judge Gordon P. Gallagher convened a special outdoor session of the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado and administered the oath of citizenship. Fittingly, “American the Beautiful,” sung by Destinee Reed...

Fourth Annual Naturalization Ceremony Held - Point Reyes National Seashore

Tue, 24 Sep 2013 00:00:05 -0600

Twenty candidates from a dozen countries became new citizens during a ceremony at Point Reyes National Seashore on Friday, September 20th. This was one of many naturalization ceremonies taking place in national parks during Citizenship Week under a partnership between the National Park Service and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

The countries represented by the candidates this year included Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Guatemala, Kenya, Mexico, Ne...

Weekly Legislative Activities Report

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 00:00:05 -0600

The Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs puts out weekly reports on hearings, new legislation and other activities on the Hill. This report covers the week ending on Friday, September 20th. In order to obtain the full text of any of the bills that appear below, click on the following link: http://thomas.loc.gov/ . That will take you to Thomas, the Library of Congress legislative tracking system. Enter the bill number in the “Search ...

Today’s Almanac – September 23, 2013

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 00:00:05 -0600

The Skies

Northeast Regional Office Receives 2012 Coastal America Partnership Award

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 00:00:05 -0600

The National Park Service received a 2012 Coastal America Partnership Award for its conservation work and participation in the Musconetcong Wild and Scenic River Restoration Partnership, last Friday. The Partnership is an 11 member work group comprised of Federal, State, and local governments and Non-Governmental Organizations. The Coastal America Partnership Award, the highest level award granted by the Coastal America Program, was awarded by NOAA to all 11 members of the partne...

Flood Recovery Operations Continue In Park - Rocky Mountain National Park

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 00:00:04 -0600

Staff continue to examine the condition of facilities and trails within Rocky Mountain National Park to determine which areas can be reopened following this month’s flooding. Debris is being removed and facilities are being cleaned where needed. A facilities management team is assessing the scope and scale of the flood damage and risk to park facilities, roads, and infrastructure as an initial step in determining long-term repair and rehabilitation needs. Here is a breakdown...

Death Of Park Employee Chuck Caha - Death Valley National Park

Mon, 23 Sep 2013 00:00:04 -0600

Park employee Charles (Chuck) Caha died at Death Valley on Thursday, September 19th. Chuck worked with the roads and trails crew as a heavy equipment operator. He was grading West Side Road, repairing flood damaged areas, and did not return at the end of the day to the maintenance complex. Late on Thursday afternoon, Chuck was found by his coworkers unresponsive on West Side Road. Chuck, 64, had worked at the park since 2009 and was highly respected for his assistance ...

Tribal Student Interns Reconnect To Public Lands - Parashant National Monument

Fri, 20 Sep 2013 00:00:05 -0600

Native youth employment programs at Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument have wrapped up another successful season. The interns spent the summer experiencing natural and cultural resource management career options and exploring some of the traditional homelands of the Southern Paiute, now encompassed within the monument boundaries. Maiya Osife served as an intern in interpretation and worked to create and distribute a