http://www.nps.gov/news/ This feed provides the latest national-level news releases from the National Park Service. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:00:10 EDT http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=924 From the beginnings of our nation to this very day, brave Americans have fought to protect our country and defend the principles on which it was founded. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=923 You might not believe it at first, but time travel is possible. Here in southern Idaho, you can find yourself back in the Pliocene Epoch, 3 to 4 million years from the current day. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=920 Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historical Park, Vermonts only national park, offers year round opportunities to explore history, ecology, and art in the scenic foothills of the Green Mountains. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=921 Move over digital maps and interactive displays, make room for that green roof, recycled glass countertop, low flow toilet, and passive heating system. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=919 The National Park System has gained a new park, Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial in Concord, Calif. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=918 Teachers who have helped their students grasp the key dates, places, events, and people in Civil War history now have the chance to flesh out one of the periods most prominent individuals, Abraham Lincoln. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=917 A hikers paradise replete with archeological wonders, Effigy Mounds National Monument in northeast Iowa brings together the highlights of parks like the Great Smoky Mountains and Chaco Culture, places with lots of acres or big reputations. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=916 There is an old saying popular with park rangers and campers “take only pictures and leave only footprints” when you are enjoying the great outdoors. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=915 Welcome to one of many unique sites within the National Park System, a place where disguise comes into play. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=914 On the heels of the PBS presentation of Americas Best Idea, a documentary on the national parks by Ken Burns, the National Park Service has developed the website Plan Your Visit to Americas Best Idea: Fall, winter, Spring 2009 to 2010 to help visitors find activities, events and commercial services at NPS areas during the fall, winter, and spring months. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=913 National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis is announcing the appointment of Dr. Gary Machlis as the first ever Science Advisor to the Director. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=912 As the holiday honoring the 15 century explorer Christopher Columbus approaches, why not do a little exploring of your own. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=911 Looking for a way to improve your childs mental and physical health. Look no further than your nearest park or natural area. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=910 Come to this town on the Erie Canal and look straight on at a revolutionary. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=909 Millions of Americans are tuning in this week to watch Ken Burns latest PBS film The National Parks: Americas Best Idea. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=908 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today praised the Senates confirmation of Jonathan Jarvis to be director of the National Park Service. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=906 In “To Autumn”, an ode that draws together images and sounds of the season to capture its essence, the Romantic poet John Keats addresses fall as the “close bosom friend of the maturing sun.” http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=905 National Park Service Chief Archeologist and Departmental Consulting Archeologist Francis P. Pierce McManamon is retiring from the agency he has worked for over the past 32 years. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=904 Standing on the deck of a British vessel, Francis Scott Key watched helplessly as ships from the greatest navy in the world rained shot and shell on Fort McHenry, the little fort protecting the city of Baltimore, Maryland. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=903 There is plenty to see at this peaceful destination in Texas Hill Country. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=902 The National Park Service recently presented its 2009 Environmental Achievement Awards to three parks and three concessioners that incorporated high environmental standards into their operations. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=900 Hot Springs, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon National Parks will be the first sites commemorated in a new quarter dollar program announced today by the U.S. Mint. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=899 Past and present are woven together in Lowell. While preserving the history of this 19 century mill town, the national historical park that shares its name with the city merges with contemporary Lowell to draw visitors of all ages to a place that once drew women and immigrants eager for work. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=898 Join the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation in making Americas Best Idea the national parks even better. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=897 Imagine opening your prescriptions and pulling out a vial of bromide water drawn from a spring in Oklahomas Platt National Park. In 1911, the superintendent shipped his parks liquid assets to people following their doctors orders. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=896 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today announced that the federal government has reached agreement with all of the landowners for all properties needed for the construction of the Flight 93 Memorial in western Pennsylvania. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=895 Monuments speak. “Paris,” proclaims the Eiffel Tower silhouetted against the city skyline. “Sydney!” exclaims the white “fins” of the citys opera house. And, there’s no mistaking “San Francisco,” as soon as the Golden Gate Bridge comes into view. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=894 We call it “mighty.” We recognize the elf-like shape its course traces in the middle of our country. We’ve imagined Huckleberry Finn and Jim traveling along it, and we’ve plugged its name between numbers as we’ve counted to 10 more slowly than we would have otherwise. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=893 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the national parks are seeing more visitors in 2009 than a year earlier, according to visitation information collected by the National Park Service. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=892 If you think you need a computer to get Yahoo, think again! Logoff and head to Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area to see Yahoo Falls – the tallest waterfall in Kentucky. Unexpectedly rugged, yet within reach, the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River, preserved as wild and free flowing, alternately roars and calmly flows as it finds its way north from Tennessee into Kentucky. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=891 The National Park Service third entrance fee free weekend of the summer is August 15-16. All 391 national parks across the nation will offer free admission to all visitors. “Americas national parks have always been popular vacation spots,” said Acting National Park Service Director Dan Wenk. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=890 The National Park Service (NPS) has released a preferred alternative addressing elk management at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The proposal calls for reducing the elk herd in the park from the current level of about 900 animals to a sustainable level between 100 and 400 animals using qualified NPS staff to lead teams that include skilled volunteers. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=889 There is a gem in Diamond awaiting your discovery. Come experience a place where a man born into slavery and then orphaned found inspiration in nature and became one of the nation’s preeminent scientists. While George Washington Carver is famous for transforming peanuts into products such as ink, paper, soap, and massage oil, his commitment to “the greatest good to the greatest number of my people” made him truly inspiring. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=888 Just ten miles north of Baltimore, visit the home that was the largest private home in the country. In addition to its size, Hampton further distinguished itself by producing iron instead of cotton, and as the place where Hamptons Ridgely family freed over 300 enslaved people in one of the largest emancipations in Maryland’s history. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=887 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Senator Susan Collins today highlighted $8.3 million in projects at Acadia National Park funded under President Obamas economic recovery package that will bring jobs and economic growth to Maine. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=886 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today that the National Park Service will reopen public comment on a proposed interim rule, first proposed last November under Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, to manage snowmobile and snowcoach access at Yellowstone National Park for the next two years. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=885 Need a break from big city rock-and-roll? Unwind by skipping rocks and rolling through the countryside by bike or train at Cuyahoga Valley National Park, just a short drive from Cleveland and Akron. It’s a great place to enjoy the waning days of summer before they pass you by. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=884 After carefully considering the issue of uranium mining near Grand Canyon National Park, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar has decided to segregate nearly 1 million acres of federal lands in the Arizona Strip for two years while the Department evaluates whether to withdraw these lands from new mining claims for an additional 20 years. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=883 A walk in the park is free this weekend! Everyone is invited to national parks across the country for the second of three free admission summer weekends. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=882 Just 40 minutes from the bright lights of the Las Vegas strip, Lake Mead National Recreation Area offers two lakes, stunning desert scenery, and plenty to keep you busy or help you unwind. From kayaking to fishing, hiking to horseback riding, the park has something for everyone. You can even opt for a houseboat vacation – where there is always a lakefront view! http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=881 The rich frontier and American Indian history of Pierre and Fort Pierre, South Dakota is featured in the newest National Park Service Discover Our Shared Heritage travel itinerary. The on-line itinerary, which can be printed as a guide, is available at www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/pierre_fortpierre/ http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=880 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today praised President Obamas announcement that he intends to nominate Jonathan Jarvis to be director of the National Park Service. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=879 If the Fourth of July weekend put you in a celebratory mood, ride that wave of pride and patriotism to Boston… home to many of the stories that made your eyes bug out when you were a kid. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=878 The American crocodile, the Channel Islands fox, and the Hawaiian goose are just a few of the endangered species that could benefit from a partnership established today between the National Park Service and the American Museum of Natural History in New York. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=877 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and the American Revolution Center (ARC) today announced that the National Park Service has reached a historic agreement to develop a national museum dedicated to the American Revolution. The National Park Service signed a land-exchange agreement with ARC to establish this museum at Independence National Historical Park. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=876 Seattle is cool…but glaciers are cooler still. More than 300 of them can be found in the rugged mountain peaks of North Cascades National Park Complex, a two latte drive from Pike’s Market. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=874 Ready to get away to 17-century New Mexico? Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument offers the adventure and romance of the old Southwest. With a rich history and location, a scenic, peaceful drive from Albuquerque and Santa Fe, this park is a great choice for a getaway. Explore the ruins of 350-year-old colonial churches and take in the breathtaking landscapes that wrap history and nature up in one excellent package. http://data2.itc.nps.gov/release/Detail.cfm?ID=873 http://data2.itc.nps.gov/release/Detail.cfm?ID=873 The National Park Service announced the award of 33 grants totaling $1.36 million to assist in the preservation and protection of significant battlefield lands. This years grants provide funding at endangered battlefields from the King Philips War (1675-1676), Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Second Seminole War, Mexican-American War, Civil War, World War II and various Indian Wars. Awards were given to projects in 23 states or territories entailing archeology, survey, mapping, documentation, planning, education and interpretation. http://data2.itc.nps.gov/release/Detail.cfm?ID=872 http://data2.itc.nps.gov/release/Detail.cfm?ID=872 For the official kickoff of President Obamas United We Serve initiative on June 22, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will participate in a service event at Shenandoah National Park. He will join volunteer and youth groups helping to remove exotic plants that are harmful to the natural environment. Announced by President Obama this week, the United We Serve initiative is a call to all Americans to volunteer in their communities. http://data2.itc.nps.gov/release/Detail.cfm?ID=871 http://data2.itc.nps.gov/release/Detail.cfm?ID=871 A new web feature, www.nps.gov/getaways, launching today, will highlight one, of the almost 400 national parks, every week this summer to help families find places to run off that extra energy or just relax and enjoy some fresh air. Of course, national parks are also great places to learn and keep the brain energized over the summer too (but dont tell the kids!). The first park in the series is Prince William Forest Park (www.nps.gov/prwi) in Triangle, Virginia. Just outside of Washington, DC, this gem is full of history and hiking trails, wildlife and solitude. Visit this weekend and pay no entrance fee. The park is planning special kids crafts, tours, talks, and hikes to celebrate! More information can be found at http://data2.itc.nps.gov/release/Detail.cfm?ID=871. http://data2.itc.nps.gov/release/Detail.cfm?ID=870 http://data2.itc.nps.gov/release/Detail.cfm?ID=870 What better way to celebrate Independence Day this year than by visiting a National Park? The National Park Service has made available, in time for the Fourth of July, a website to assist visitors as they make plans to visit national parks this Independence Day. More information can be found at http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/inde/celebrate.htm. http://data2.itc.nps.gov/release/Detail.cfm?ID=869 http://data2.itc.nps.gov/release/Detail.cfm?ID=869 The National Park Service will offer three fee-free weekends this summer to encourage Americans seeking affordable vacations to visit these national treasures. National Park Service sites across the country that charge fees for entry will waive these entrance fees during the weekends of June 20-21, July 18-19, and August 15-16, 2009. Many park partners including tour operators, hotels, restaurants, gift shops, and other vendors will offer additional discounts and special promotions on those dates. More information on the fees and discounts can be found at http://www.nps.gov/findapark/feefreeparks.htm. http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=868 http://home.nps.gov/applications/release/Detail.cfm?ID=868 Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar recently designated 22 trails in 13 states as newly recognized National Recreation Trails, adding more than 525 miles of trails to the National Trails System. More information can be found at http://data2.itc.nps.gov/release/Detail.cfm?ID=868.