Sad state of our National Parks-II

[Yosemite_Sam1]

Again, this is not political. It is to our interest as RVers and for Camping World business to have an outstanding national parks that usually provide the cheaper camping facilities and best places to visit and see.

Just recently been to one of the most popular national park and the results of funding cuts (7%), fund diversion ($22 million for the frivolous July 4 parade) and distorted priorities or even hostility towards the environment (area around Sequoia National Park are set to be opened for oil explorations).

The symptoms of these are all over. Campsites opening late, maintenance not being done, exodus of park rangers and unfilled positions. One very obvious situations on the two camps I've stayed are slots marked unavailable because it's inaccessible when a simple mini dozer could have graded the dirt road, closing of all toilets because of unapproved requisitions and requests for repairs of pipes for the water system...

I've written the top federal department responsible -- not even a form letter acknowledgement of my concerns.

Maybe if more of us...

[JRscooby]

monkey44 wrote:
JRscooby - I understand we need to police our own as well, but mostly because they know and blatantly disregard the rules and guidelines.

Are you saying that Americans are too stupid to be educated? Or, like seams to be the opinion of many, Americans should be free to choose which they should obey, and what rules others must obey?

Regards the other nations education. What we've seen on our travels most often is an inability for visitors from foreign nations to read warnings and signs, or to understand guidelines. A bison or elk in rut is an extremely dangerous animal, as we've seen lately on nightly news clips.

Last fall, we found a young woman (22-23 age maybe) opening a new box containing a Drone w/camera and preparing to fly it over the Grand Canyon - Illegal in national parks. We tried to explain why no drones, and she could be arrested if she flew it. Language barrier interfered, allowing no communication. I spent about twenty minutes, and found another person that spoke her language and English, we explained to him, he translated (I think so anyway) -- she packed up her box and left.

We hiked the canyon trail for awhile and back. When we returned, same woman was in a different space and trying to get the drone to fly over the canyon again, but having little luck because it was new, and she had NO training. That's just one example of the problems we face in our parks. I imagine she lost it ... so now we probably have an expensive drone and camera rotting and rusting in Grand Canyon somewhere.

or somebody picked it up along with other trash, and carried it out

The tragedy of this kind of ignorance means at some point, NPS will likely fence off the roads, meaning fence in the wildlife, and turn the national parks into a zoo-like experience. OR, perhaps tour only with a bus or trolley.

I'm not saying we should not try to help the ones from across the borders, but if 1 out of 100 comes from another country, they will likely do a limited amount of harm.
OTOH, if the person in charge of the people you think might restrict our access is of the opinion the government should not own land, or that all government owned land ought to be fracked until it shakes like Oklahoma we will be the last to see the parks.
The congress critters have most all left DC. They have offices in their home district. They won't meet with you? Then do they deserve to represent you?

[BillyBob_Jim]

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:

Charlie D. wrote:

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:

BTW, I met a woman and her children (no husband around) in Touloumne Meadows who told me after she found out that I live just 3 hours away and would camp and visit there at least yearly, on how lucky I am to have these where in "Texas, there is nothing."

I don't understand why someone from Texas would make that statement. Perhaps ignorance on her part. We have 13 National parks, forests, recreational areas and monuments in Texas and 51 state parks. Been to many of them and each has it's uniqueness and beauty.

I don't know myself. I was fly fishing and her kids are wading along the shallow side. I am reasonably good looking. Maybe she just wanted to start a conversation. LOL

Or maybe she did not think you were good looking at all, and did not want you to have any clue where she was from, so she said Texas when she is actually from Connecticut LOL.

[Charlie_D_]

Charlie D. wrote:

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:
I was fly fishing and her kids are wading along the shallow side. I am reasonably good looking. Maybe she just wanted to start a conversation. LOL

:h:B

[Charlie_D_]

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:
I was fly fishing and her kids are wading along the shallow side. I am reasonably good looking. Maybe she just wanted to start a conversation. LOL

[Yosemite_Sam1]

Charlie D. wrote:

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:

BTW, I met a woman and her children (no husband around) in Touloumne Meadows who told me after she found out that I live just 3 hours away and would camp and visit there at least yearly, on how lucky I am to have these where in "Texas, there is nothing."

I don't understand why someone from Texas would make that statement. Perhaps ignorance on her part. We have 13 National parks, forests, recreational areas and monuments in Texas and 51 state parks. Been to many of them and each has it's uniqueness and beauty.

I don't know myself. I was fly fishing and her kids are wading along the shallow side. I am reasonably good looking. Maybe she just wanted to start a conversation. LOL

[Charlie_D_]

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:

BTW, I met a woman and her children (no husband around) in Touloumne Meadows who told me after she found out that I live just 3 hours away and would camp and visit there at least yearly, on how lucky I am to have these where in "Texas, there is nothing."

I don't understand why someone from Texas would make that statement. Perhaps ignorance on her part. We have 13 National parks, forests, recreational areas and monuments in Texas and 51 state parks. Been to many of them and each has it's uniqueness and beauty.

[Yosemite_Sam1]

tomman58 wrote:
We see our national parks being sold off to oil rigs in pristine lands, oil and mining being sold in our other parks, coal runoff being put back in our streams, air quality under attack and climate change being ignored. The parks are ours not any particular administration. Any monies gathered by making our enviroment worse should be dumped back into the parks it is the least the thieves of the public could do.

The latest appointment is a lawyer and such person.

It seems to be the pattern too. Their appointments are foxes being made in-charge of the henhouse.

It would also be a violation of the law. National Parks, unlike National Forests, are no longer subject to natural resource exploitations. In fact, we should extend such protections to national forests and national monuments. Life would really suck if that happens and I understand why you would be like this.

[Yosemite_Sam1]

DallasSteve wrote:

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:

It appears I cannot also get help from members of this forum despite the possible benefits they will get out of a well maintained campgrounds.

So I just have to keep pressing in somewhere.

Give this man and his "non-political" original post about the "frivolous" July 4th parade the Nobel Peace Prize (before he gives it to himself). He's the rootin-tootinest "non-political" park saver on the forum.

You must be from the deepest part of Texas not to know that Nobel Peace Prize for this thing.

From my dad or other oldies: If you can't lift a finger to help, don't obstruct. I don't know about heckling though.

BTW, I met a woman and her children (no husband around) in Touloumne Meadows who told me after she found out that I live just 3 hours away and would camp and visit there at least yearly, on how lucky I am to have these where in "Texas, there is nothing."

I commiserate if this is your wife and she left you to move to California -- or somewhere near Yosemite.

[DallasSteve]

Yosemite Sam1 wrote:

It appears I cannot also get help from members of this forum despite the possible benefits they will get out of a well maintained campgrounds.

So I just have to keep pressing in somewhere.

Give this man and his "non-political" original post about the "frivolous" July 4th parade the Nobel Peace Prize (before he gives it to himself). He's the rootin-tootinest "non-political" park saver on the forum.

[ppine]

The current administration has no respect for the NPS system. This is temporary and can be reversed. We made it through James Watt and we will make it through the current mess.

Fifty years ago I was like plenty of other people, and visited the NPs first. They were less crowded then. I moved out here and quickly learned to avoid peak times in the Parks, and spend more time in adjacent areas no one has ever heard of.

[tomman58]

We see our national parks being sold off to oil rigs in pristine lands, oil and mining being sold in our other parks, coal runoff being put back in our streams, air quality under attack and climate change being ignored. The parks are ours not any particular administration. Any monies gathered by making our enviroment worse should be dumped back into the parks it is the least the thieves of the public could do.

[lane_hog]

I wonder how many of the people here complaining about the state of the National Parks are using reduced rate passes vs. the $80 annual pass, and taking advantage of the 50% discount on camping.

Discounts for seniors and the disabled mean less money to be used in the parks, yet the vehicles they drive have the same impact on the roads and their RV's occupy the same amount of space that a "full price" visitor's would...

[monkey44]

JRscooby - I understand we need to police our own as well, but mostly because they know and blatantly disregard the rules and guidelines.

Regards the other nations education. What we've seen on our travels most often is an inability for visitors from foreign nations to read warnings and signs, or to understand guidelines. A bison or elk in rut is an extremely dangerous animal, as we've seen lately on nightly news clips.

Last fall, we found a young woman (22-23 age maybe) opening a new box containing a Drone w/camera and preparing to fly it over the Grand Canyon - Illegal in national parks. We tried to explain why no drones, and she could be arrested if she flew it. Language barrier interfered, allowing no communication. I spent about twenty minutes, and found another person that spoke her language and English, we explained to him, he translated (I think so anyway) -- she packed up her box and left.

We hiked the canyon trail for awhile and back. When we returned, same woman was in a different space and trying to get the drone to fly over the canyon again, but having little luck because it was new, and she had NO training. That's just one example of the problems we face in our parks. I imagine she lost it ... so now we probably have an expensive drone and camera rotting and rusting in Grand Canyon somewhere.

The tragedy of this kind of ignorance means at some point, NPS will likely fence off the roads, meaning fence in the wildlife, and turn the national parks into a zoo-like experience. OR, perhaps tour only with a bus or trolley.

[JRscooby]

First, I want everybody to know and understand that this post is placed by somebody that 56 years ago, when the school system decided I should try to get more out of 7th grade by trying again, I decided to quit wasting my and the school system's time. The more educated of you might have a different view. But I think it is better if we think about the way others look at things.

monkey44 wrote:
I'd like to see this remain open to discuss the conditions of the parks. If we begin taking political pot-shots at individuals, we're aiming at 'closed' topic.

You are likely right about the "closed". But funding for public parks in a country that claims to be a democracy is, and must be, a political. And in this country we are taught "We do not discuss politics in polite society" so we get to the point where politics can not be discussed politely. Which means the only exchange of ideas can happen is thru ads. IMHO, the lack of politeness is the reason sites must have, and enforce rules about political discussion.

I've been camping and visiting national parks for too many years to count - well, don't want to count - and many are degrading due to crowds and due to visitors treating wildlife like a petting zoo.

Education of our visitors is paramount to our parks remaining a viable resource for watershed and wildlife habitats. Please educate yourself, and others, particularly visitors from other nations.
It's on US to save the parks and the wilderness areas they protect. WE own the parks, not the Feds, not the States, not the Vendors.

While I agree, we need to " educate yourself, and others," I'm not so sure about the "particularly visitors from other nations." I think the percentage of visitors form other nations compared to the home grown slobs is small enough we should more focus on the natives.
IMHO, a equally, and maybe more important thing to educate ourselves about the opinions and and philosophy of the people appointed to run the agencies responsible for managing the public land. I posted

"And like many others, let's put "Acting" in the title, so no need to publicly discuss the non-qualification for the job."

not to poke jabs at anybody, but to point out that in times past the heads of the agencies had to be confirmed by the Senate. But the hearings for confirmation let the small percentage of people that believe politicians should be watched see the appointee may not be right for job. And also see their Senator vote for the unqualified. And if that is remembered, somebody might lose their job. So to protect jobs, we just call them "Acting Head of ..." so no hearings or vote needed.

[DFord]

The numbers of people today that feel disposing of their trash is beneath their status is extremely disappointing. What's so hard to understand or makes them think they're too good to pick up and pack out their refuse? The attitude of so many citizens all across our nation today is just plain disgusting. They have no respect for nature or others that will be using the space they're occupying at a later time. In fact, they seem to take pleasure in trashing the place and leaving it a mess. The state of our present culture is dismal. Some children just never learn to clean up after themselves and it may be worse than that.