-Teresa Shumaker On a sunny January afternoon, I visited Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area... I parked and walked around one barricade that leads to the majority of the park following a worn foot path. Walking down the road, as it steeply followed the ridge to the Eel River, it was noticeable that nothing heavier than footsteps has ventured down this far in a while. Crisp maple leaves covered the road, amplifying tiny birds hopping along as they stayed a respectable distance from me while foraging... As the sun was setting, the scene was true to the review. In a valley between two mountainous peaks rolled the shallow river. A babbling brook sound was missed with the rustle of leaves; nothing else could be heard.
As the sun began to set, I left to meet a group in Leggett who are organizing a nonprofit to attempt to save Standish-Hickey SRA. A sign in front of the town read: "Now entering Leggett, population 35;" there were 30 people at the meeting... "Standish-Hickey is land that came in as donations from people, in memory of family members," said Jill Palmer at a community meeting in Leggett. "It was given in trust." Representing a range of age, occupations and experience, the turnout demonstrated that this park is key to the livelihood of their community.
The only access to the west end of the park is over a seasonal bridge called a Bailey Bridge. It is taken down each fall when the rains start to swell the Eel River. Due to budget cuts, the bridge has not been erected in the past two seasons, cutting off access to the best part of the park... Hidden on the closed side of the park are miles of trails that lead through open prairies to the redwood forests, where the largest redwood tree, called "The Miles Standish," stands 225 feet tall and 13 feet in diameter.
With half the park closed the past two seasons and camping rates increased to $35 a night, locals were not surprised attendance has dropped... In May, just after the planned closure of 70 parks was announced, State Parks installed a gate, blocking public access to the swimming hole. "When they did that we knew it was illegal," Rosenthal said. "There was a deed from 1903 giving the public free access. I did some research, got the deed and got a lawyer and right before Christmas the gate was removed..." Most of the people who come here have three and four generations of entire families who have been coming to this park for over 50 years.
Using the average of 65,000 people visiting this park annually, Standish-Hickey brought $3,705,000 into the Mendocino County economy each year. "What can they conceivably save from closing this park?" Palmer asked at the meeting. "You can see what is left of our poor little town since the [lumber] economy has gone away," one lady mentioned at the meeting. "We don't have an economy without that park. It will ruin our little town; we will lose our little town.
-Jason Hoppin There is a shark at Seacliff State Beach, but it's likely to inspire more marvel than terror. The park's visitors center has welcomed a brand new baby swell shark. Born Jan. 22 and barely 6 inches long, the shark is the third to call the park home... Common to the waters of Monterey Bay and harmless to humans, swell sharks can grow to 4 feet long. The sharks prefer the bay's marine environment for its many crevasses, which the shark will tuck itself into before swelling to twice its normal size, a defense mechanism that thwarts predators.
The new shark does not yet have a name, and the park is taking suggestions. The shark's egg case, or "mermaid's purse" was a gift of the Seymore Center at Long Marine Lab... Seacliff hosted two prior sharks, which are still doing well. One now calls Long Marine Lab home, while the other is at Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco. The new baby shark is expected to stay at Seacliff for about 18 months.
-Grant and Kathy Webb, BirdingRVers
Kartchner Caverns is primarily made up of two large rooms that together cover just over 7 acres. The larger of the two rooms is called the Big Room. The second room is called the Rotunda\Throne Room due to the domed shape ceiling. It is amazing to look at these two non-descript little hills and realize what wonders lay under them.
[Volunteer] work is four 5 hour days, but the 5 hours is very loosely interpreted. Most weeks three of the 4 days is spent as "trailer" on tours. We make sure that no one wanders off, make sure no one touches any formations and to generally keep the group moving. With 17 – 20 visitors per tour there is no way the guide can see what is going on at the back of the group. The other part of the job is to evacuate anyone that needs to get out of the cave ASAP. This is usually due to claustrophobia, trouble breathing (the cave has 99% humidity and feels like 80 degrees) or crying babies. In my now 30+ tours I have only ever had to bring one person out and that was due to his being lightheaded... We both LOVE the job as we get 2 free cave tours a day and always see something new.
Our fourth day of work can be 2 more tours as trailer, man the front gate, work the visitor desk in the visitor center or Portal... The only thing about the front gate is it starts at 6:45 so that you ready to open at 7 AM. This generally means raise the flags and make sure the gate is open. We both think it is silly as the only people we ever see before 8:30 are park employees coming to work. Visitor desk starts at 7 AM but, again there weren't any visitors until after 8:30. Portal is basically being the doorman for the cave. You let groups into and out of the cave.
-Kirsten Dize Harford County has bragging rights on a newly named Maryland State Champion tree. Dan Wilson, a volunteer with the Maryland Big Tree Program, recently discovered a sweet birch tree, also referred to as a black birch, deep in the Harford County part of Gunpowder Falls State Park... The tree stands about 100 yards north of the blue trail... and is measured at 115 feet tall and 10 feet, 1 inch around with a crown spread of 45 feet... The tree is assigned a point value of 247, which is determined by the circumference in inches, plus the height in feet plus one-fourth of the average crown spread in feet.
According to American Forests, the Harford County tree is the tallest tree of its species on record and the largest of its species ever recorded in Maryland. "The United States Champion is located in New Hampshire at 266 points. The Maryland champion appears healthy and could seize the national title in future years," the release states.
-Brad Dickerson There were around 50 local youth who turned out at Myrtle Beach State Park Saturday morning to participate in a day-long pond restoration project. The project was a partnership between the state park and the Department of Juvenile Justice. Many of the teens were working to complete community service hours. “The project brings the youth out to a state park to give back to the community and to get the kids outdoors to do a project that will enhance the wildlife of the park,” said park manager Jerry Ives.
-Mary, Chasing Some Blue Sky
Spring Mountain Ranch State Park is not too far out of town if you live in southwestern Las Vegas as I do... I couldn't believe it was so close!.. Once I did find the state park, I pulled up to the entrance only to realize that it was a "self-service pay station" i.e. put money in an envelope and drop it in a hollowed out 2x4. This as you can imagine requires cash or check and a writing utensil. Seriously?.. Luckily there was a little town with an ATM just a mile back down the road. They also let me borrow a pen.
Once we did get there though, it was such a lovely area... If you head in the opposite direction of the Ash Loop Trail, you come across a turquoise colored lake. It's just a short jaunt around but there are trails that branch off throughout the park.
-eileeninmd, Viewing Nature with Eileen
The weather had been mild and it was a lovely day to be outside taking a walk. Our first hike was on the trail to the waterfalls from the parking close to the lake... There is also an easy boardwalk trail to view the falls, we also walked this trail so we could see a different angle and view of the falls.
-Pam Cox Sycamore Shoals State Park may be "small in acreage, but it is huge in history," said park manager Jennifer Bauer... The series of events that unfolded at Sycamore Shoals was critical to state and national history in the 18th century.
Sycamore Shoals and the Watauga River Valley Area was the site of one of the earliest settlements outside of the original 13 English colonies. The Watauga Association, the nation’s first majority-ruled form of government, was born in 1772 - years before the Declaration of Independence. In 1775, the area was the site of one of the nation’s largest land deals - the Transylvania Purchase which, ultimately led Daniel Boone to blaze the Wilderness Road... More than 1,200 Cherokee spent weeks at Sycamore Shoals debating the merits of the proposal. Cherokee warrior Dragging Canoe was firmly against the deal, but he was overridden by Chief Little Carpenter. Dragging Canoe vowed to drive the pioneers from the native land, forcing the pioneers to build Fort Watauga for their protection.
Often deemed the most significant event of Sycamore Shoals’ history was the muster of the Overmountain Militia Men who fought and defeated a Loyalist army at the Battle of King’s Mountain. The victory of the Overmountain Men at King’s Mountain is considered by many historians to be a turning point in the Revolutionary War.
A study of state parks for the North Carolina legislature details how closing the parks from December through February could save more than two million dollars a year. Thirty nine state parks would be involved in that temporary shutdown every year... The savings would amount to about 28 cents per person in North Carolina but even that is disputed by some.
Ranger Jon Griffith at the South Mountains State Park said closing the parks, even temporarily is not so simple... Maintenance issues don't take a holiday and winter time is tough on buildings, water supplies, the trails and more at the park he said. Reopening the park after a three month shutdown could not happen overnight either said maintenance workers. "It would take quite a bit of work," said one man.
The study has not been written into a bill to be considered by the General Assembly yet and there is no word when that might happen, if ever.
-Amélie, Lost in Traducción On our way to Bryce Canyon, we spotted Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park on a regional Utah map in a diner. It wasn't too far out of our way and we debated on whether it was worth it... There was quite a bit of snow out there and I was worried we probably wouldn't be able to see any dunes because they would be buried under the snow. Luck was on our side that day and lo and behold, we were able to see the dunes... When we entered the park, there was quite a lot of snow with pink sand peeking through.
As we left the sand dunes, we noticed there were thousands of animal tracks near the plants. It turns out the animals come out at night to play while the humans are sleeping. One of the best times to visit the dunes is at sunrise because there is a better chance of catching a glimpse of some of these animals.
An 18-year-old man has died after falling nearly 200 feet from a cliff at Sleeping Giant State Park in Hamden. Authorities say Tobias Engel of Hamden was pronounced dead Sunday night at Yale-New Haven Hospital. He had sustained several broken bones.
The man was hiking in the so-called “chin” area of the park when he fell at about 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Other hikers heard the man fall and called 911. Rescuers say that Engel was conscious and waving at them when they found him. More than a dozen emergency responders climbed up the large hill to get to the man.
-Pocket Ranger Brimming with mystery, history and natural beauty, the caves you’ll find throughout Missouri are like giant mouths beckoning us to come in and explore their cavernous interiors.
Fisher Cave at Meramec State Park: We like to think of Fisher Cave as Mother Nature’s mansion, offering room after room of geological wonders, that many of us have never seen before or will never see again. Even more fascinating are the animal tracks and claw marks so perfectly preserved in the cave’s interior as if to say, “we were here,” a message from the past wildlife to the cave’s present dwellers.
Graham Cave at Graham Cave State Park: In this modern age of technology where food can be zapped and put on the table in a matter of minutes, it is easy to forget about man’s humble beginnings as hunters and gatherers, rather than texters and tweeters. Graham Cave at Graham Cave State Park reminds us of these days of foraging, when hollow caves were more than just for exploring—they were homes. Travel through this cave system to retrace the footsteps mankind took tens of thousands of years ago, and uncover the mysteries of their days.
-Tom Wharton A year after being threatened with loss of general funds and park closures, Utah State Parks received high marks from legislators and auditors Tuesday at a budget hearing. Under the current plan, the agency’s budget would remain the same next year. Though much of the agency’s budget will be supported by user fees, State Parks would receive $4 million in general funds and an additional $2.8 million from one-time restricted funds. No parks are slated for closure.
A year ago, a legislative audit suggested possible park closures, reductions in general tax dollars to state parks, privatization of some parks and better business practices... Acting State Parks Director Fred Hayes told legislators that his agency reduced its budget by $3 million a year ago, eliminated 23 full time positions, combined management of individual park units and experimented with privatization at three facilities. He requested more fee flexibility from legislators in the future.
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-Ellen Meder South Carolina has set a goal that no other states have been able to consistently achieve: creating a self-sustaining park system. Gov. Nikki Haley asked Duane Parrish, the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism director to get the Palmetto State’s 49 state parks running in the black, without the assistance of the general fund. Parrish and Phil Gaines, the director of the State Park Service, are confident that by the end of 2013 that long-discussed goal will be reality. For years, only the state’s five coastal parks brought in more money than they cost to run, but now that number is up to 10.
Right now the parks make $20 million in revenue each year which is about 83 percent of their budget... There have been staffing cuts in that time, but Gaines attributes recent headway to the online reservation system that launched in 2005 and lets people sign up for campsites and cabins more easily, while letting park rangers focus on helping the public in person... Plus, like any hotel, the parks are able to change prices based on demand, which according to Gaines makes self-sufficiency attainable. “We’re set up to be flexible and market-driven and not all states are that way. When we talk about market-driven pricing people are concerned about us raising prices, but one of the most important things about it is it also allows us to run specials and reduce our prices when demand is not at its peak,” Gaines said. That means if there’s a cancellation, instead of a cabin sitting empty all weekend, the parks department will reduce the rate and use social media to get the special out to eager campers.
But one fee has gone up. In January the cost of a statewide parks passport, which grants holders free entrance for the entire family for a year at any park, was increased to $75 from $50. The department also added an “in-land only” pass for $50 that excludes the five coastal parks... Gaines acknowledges that the parks cashed in on the Great Recession when people had less money to spend on vacations. But he thinks the new visitors were “surprised, impressed and want to come back.” He said trying to get repeat visitors is more important to becoming self-sufficient than focusing on revenue.
Different parks have the freedom to try creative ideas, like renting out space at the Caesars Head overlook on Fourth of July at night, when the park is normally closed, to view several Upstate cities’ fireworks shows. Cheraw State Park offered free golf one slow weekend last year, but made a profit on lodging and the gift shop.
Recreation officials say 4,200 acres of land along the shores of Lake Huron have become Michigan’s newest state park. Rockport State Park is north of Alpena and includes a deep-water protected harbor, a 300 acre old limestone quarry, a series of sinkholes, a dedicated Natural Area (Besser Natural Area), and a variety of vegetative cover. The park also features a boat launch facility and several opportunities for recreation. The property had been managed as part of the state forest system before being transferred to the Parks and Recreation Division. Administration of the park will be handled by nearby Harrisville State Park.
The South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation announced this month its goal to raise $2 million, beginning in May, to fund the first phase of the Blood Run State Park master plan in an effort to fast-track the project... Jeff Scherschligt, president of the Parks and Wildlife Foundation, sees a public-private partnership as the ideal model for safeguarding the Blood Run National Historic Landmark, a rugged strip of wooded hills and prairie south of Sioux Falls along the Big Sioux River, by developing it as a new state park with an emphasis on its Native American past. “That model just seems to get things done,” he says. “Instead of taking 10 years to become reality” if park proponents rely on uncertain federal funding, by raising money independently “we hope to accomplish it in five and get the economic benefits, the tourism, people visiting, the jobs,” Scherschligt says.
Efforts to preserve Blood Run have been ongoing for four decades... The river bottomland in South Dakota and adjacent Iowa prairie is the most important Oneata archeological sites in the U.S. Between about 1300 and 1750, tribes from the Oneata Native American group, including Omaha, Ioway, Ponca, Oto and what is now the Yankton Sioux Tribe, occupied the site and held ceremonies and large social gatherings there... What remains was at risk of being swept up in the Sioux Falls area’s burgeoning residential development.
Ultimately, it may be possible to secure as many as 2,000 of the approximately 3,000 acres identified as a National Historic Landmark for a new state park... By focusing on its Native American history, a Blood Run park will be virtually unique, says... a Blood Run advocate... “It gives urban Indians and reservation people a place like it was 1,000 years ago, with sacred hills... The hope for some portion of these lands is if the past can be explained to Native people today, they can connect better to themselves and the rest of us can connect to them better."
-Ruth Carol and Glenn Cushman You never know what may pop up when you go for a nature walk. To our astonishment, a lush, brown, furry creature with a little white "bib" swam toward us near the shore of Pelican Pond in St. Vrain State Park several years ago... It was a mink, the first we had ever seen in Colorado... Trails circle most of the park's 10 ponds now open to the public and named for birds you might find here. Pelican Trail follows the perimeter of the largest of the ponds. It's our favorite, as it veers away from the roads and offers a bit more wildness than the others. Five additional ponds, including Blue Heron Reservoir, will eventually be opened to the public, possibly later this year.
Formerly this state park, called Barbour Ponds, consisted of old gravel pits filled with groundwater and was badly over-used. During the past 12 years, the ponds and the riparian corridor have been largely restored, and extensive work has been done to control noxious weeds. Now, St. Vrain State Park contains 152 acres of water and 604 acres of recreational land -- campgrounds, picnic areas and trails. If you're searching for serenity, however, St. Vrain State Park, located at the intersection of noisy Interstate 25 and Colo. 119 and near a busy commercial corner, may not be the place to go. Soon the din may be augmented by drilling for oil and natural gas.
-Carlos Alcalá Want to run a state park? The agency will hold workshops in five cities – beginning in West Sacramento – over the next four weeks to teach people how they might be able to swing an operating agreement for one of the 70 parks on the chopping block... Prospective operators with management know-how and an identified funding stream could take over running a park... There are at least 14 such groups looking at park operations... "It is imperative that as many partners as possible step up to keep these places open."
They wouldn't be able to run it as a private club or exploit natural resources – like opening a new mine at Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park, one of the threatened sites. "We would frown on that," [CSP spokesman] Stearns said. "They would soon be talking to a park ranger." The workshops are something of a proactive approach – helping others take the initiative. "They're basically a kind of technical guide program," Stearns said. Those who attend will learn about partnership eligibility, application processes, financial plan requirements and more.
-Adrian Glick Kudler Last summer, Venice-based Touraine Richmond Architects finished up a visitors center building at the Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area in the San Bernardino Mountains (after various troubles related to wildfires, bald eagles, and recessions). Filmmaker Evan Mather made this short film "Pavillion Dans Les Arbres" about the project.
-Aaron London With the ominous strains of John Williams' theme from the movie "Jaws" playing in the background, a group of residents got a first-hand look at what to watch out for when enjoying fun and sun in Flagler County's surf. The "Dangers of the Deep" program at Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area at Flagler Beach attracted about two dozen eager students who came armed with a lot of questions for Park Services Specialist Lauren Swanson. "This program is not designed to make you afraid of the beach, but to make it more relaxing," Swanson said. "Florida's beaches are generally really, really safe, but there are things to be concerned about."
-Derek Moore State officials intend to re-open Sugarloaf Ridge State Park on a limited basis Friday, a surprise given concerns that the park could remain closed indefinitely because of budget cuts. The 4,000-acre park east of Kenwood was shut down in early December for the first time in its 48-year history.
The change underscores the challenges of trying to shut a state park to the public. At Sugarloaf, a safety hazard has been created with people parking outside the gates and along the shoulders of narrow Adobe Canyon Road. The park also has lost revenue from not collecting parking fees, [district superintendent] Rodriguez said. There also have been problems with people dumping trash inside the park and letting their dogs run off-leash, she said.
But Rodriguez insisted that those problems were not the only reasons why she made the decision to re-open Sugarloaf sooner than expected. She cited as other factors the return of staff members who had taken time off, the addition of more volunteers and being able to shift resources from other locations. She said the park’s restrooms will be cleaned on a regular basis and that volunteers will patrol the trails. She hasn’t decided yet whether to re-open the visitor’s center... Campgrounds remain closed for the winter. Rodriguez said she did not know whether those sites will re-open as usual in the spring.
-Mark Scheer and Don Glynn Reversing an earlier decision and turning away from a well-established policy barring stunting at the Falls, the Niagara Parks Commission on Wednesday agreed to let the daredevil Wallenda walk a wire across the gorge between the Table Rock area in Canada and Goat Island in Niagara Falls State Park on the American side... “This decision was approved in part in recognition of the role that stunting has played in the history and promotion of of Niagara Falls,” said NPC Chairman Janice Thomson... “We have made it clear that this is a very unique one-time situation.”
The American aerialist would likely cross the falls on the June 15-17 weekend, but those dates could change... In granting clearance to Wallenda, the commission, which is responsible for managing public property on the Canadian side of the Niagara River, agreed to allow one “qualified stunter” at the Falls every 20 years... Last year, the New York State assembly passed a one-time exemption to its ban on stunts that will allow Wallenda to use Goat Island as one of the endpoints for the highwire act. Today's NPC decision was needed to give Wallenda permission to use its Table Rock area as the other endpoint.
The commission’s decision was hailed by local state lawmakers who pushed Canadian parks officials to grant permission for the walk. “I’ve said right from the beginning that this walk has the potential to bring millions of dollars to the Niagara Falls area,” said state Assemblyman John Ceretto, R-Lewiston... “A premiere event by a true professional like Nik Wallenda will attract tourists on an international level.”
Drilling for oil and gas in state parks and other conservation lands would be on the table for the first time if companion bills proposed in the state House and Senate meet with the Legislature's approval. That means areas such as the 70,000-acre Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park could eventually be home to oil wells as well as endangered orchids and other species such as the endangered Florida panther, and drilling in the 23,000 Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed could be allowed as well as hiking.
The bills would allow state land management agencies to enter into public-private partnerships with a business entity to develop oil and gas resources on onshore state lands, under specified conditions. One is that the deal would have to provide near-term revenue to the state... The bills pertain only to exploration and drilling in uplands, which include pine flatwoods, dry prairies, Florida scrub habitats and others. Wetlands are exempt.
-Mark Prado Assemblyman Jared Huffman introduced legislation Monday designed to offer strategies aimed at preventing state parks from being closed... Among the provisions of the new bill: • Formation of an advisory council compact that guarantees an ongoing level of state funding for operations and maintenance of state parks. • Creation of a State Park Enterprise Fund to develop fee collection equipment and technologies to increase park visitation and revenues. • Creation of a state park environmental license plate with fees going toward support of state parks. • An option for taxpayers to purchase an annual state park access pass when they file their state tax returns. • A requirement that the state Department of Parks and Recreation be more transparent on how it evaluates and selects specific parks for closure. There would be a cap of 25 state park units that could be closed from 2012 to 2016 without legislative approval. The bill will be considered by the Assembly at a policy committee hearing later this session.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is offering a reward for information about the death of a 23-year-old woman whose body was found more than two years ago in Runestone State Park. OSBI says it will pay up to $5,000 if information leads to the arrest and conviction of a suspect in Jody Wilson's death - though investigators still aren't sure if her death was accidental or a homicide.
Wilson's body was found May 8, 2009, by a paraglider flying over the state park in LeFlore County. The medical examiner's office identified the body as Wilson's but doctors could not determine a cause of death because of decomposition. Wilson's vehicle was found a month later at the Pig Out Palace parking lot in Henryetta.
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