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National park rangers highlight ‘world changing’ impact of litter

September 10, 2024
It’s been said time and time again: don’t litter. That rule is especially important for the more uninhabited areas of America. Now, a new social media post by national parks rangers is highlighting why.

Rangers with Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico shared a photo of an empty Cheetos bag left behind in what’s known as the “Big Room.” The only thing visitors are allowed to bring with them into the caverns is plain water to not attract critters that don’t belong there, so the litter is also dangerous to the ecosystem.

Rangers say this single Cheetos bag can be world-changing for the cave.

The processed corn in the chips was softened by the humidity of the cave, creating the perfect environment microbial life and fungi. That attracts bugs, which then take the microbes and fungi to other parts of the cave, and they spread, which can become a big problem that is “completely avoidable.”

Carlsbad Caverns rangers say it took them 20 minutes to carefully remove the Cheetos bag and molds from the caverns’ surfaces.

The Big Room at Carlsbad Caverns National Park was formed millions of years ago and is the largest single cave chamber by volume in North America.
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National Park Foundation receives historic $100 million donation

August 26, 2024
The National Park Foundation received a historic $100 million donation from Lilly Endowment Inc., marking the largest single gift ever for U.S. national parks. Currently, the National Park Foundation is amid taking donations for its “Campaign for National Parks,” aiming to raise $1 billion for park preservation efforts.

“From majestic mountains to vibrant coral reefs to the Lincoln Memorial, national parks embody a tapestry of breathtaking landscapes, diverse ecosystems, and rich cultural heritage,” the National Park Foundation said in a statement. “But these cherished places are facing a growing number of challenges, threatening what they have offered visitors for more than a century.”

The president and CEO of the National Park Foundation says this $100 million gift will significantly bolster their efforts to preserve America’s parks.

According to a news release, the gift will go toward inspiring the next generation of park stewards, conserving and preserving threatened parks and wildlife, ensuring a world-class visitor experience, and telling a more complete story of America.

The National Park Service had a $3.3 billion budget in the 2024 fiscal year.

The CEO emphasized that this grant would allow the foundation to strengthen efforts to ensure national parks are accessible for everyone, for generations to come, by promising to enhance programming and ensure the long-term viability of the nation’s parks, monuments and historic sites.
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Biden designates national monument at site of 1908 race riot in Springfield

August 16, 2024
President Joe Biden signed a proclamation on Friday, Aug. 16, designating a national monument at the site of the 1908 race riot in Springfield, Illinois, 116 years to the day of the tragedy. The proclamation dedicates more than 1.5 acres of public land for the monument.

During the ceremonial signing in the Oval Office, President Biden marked the historic violence that unfolded in former President Abraham Lincoln’s hometown on Aug. 16, 1908. During the riot, several Black residents were killed, and dozens of Black homes and businesses were destroyed by a white mob.

The events unfolded after two incidents. First, a Black man was accused of killing a white man. Tensions grew, when a month later, another Black man was accused of raping a white woman. The alleged rape victim later admitted that she lied about the rape to coverup an extramarital affair she was having with a white man.

The accusations would prompt thousands of rioters to rampage through Springfield in search of the two Black men who had been jailed. The attackers were eventually stopped by Illinois militiamen after they were ordered to intervene.

Outrage over the violence led to the creation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In 2023, the group asked President Biden to recognize the two-acre site. This led to a National Park Service study of homes burned during the 1908 riot and other remaining structures from the attack.

Biden’s authority to designate the land comes from the 1906 Antiquities Act, which most recently has been used to create national monuments on public land. This is Biden’s second time using the act to preserve a site crucial to the Civil Rights Movement. Last year, he established the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument.

The president’s proclamation also comes six weeks after the deadly police shooting of 36-year-old Sonya Massey, a Springfield resident.

“Sonya’s death at the hands of a responding officer reminds us that all too often Black Americans face fears for their safety in ways many of the rest of us do not,” Biden said in a statement. “Sonya’s family deserves justice.”
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Famous Utah landmark ‘Double Arch’ collapses

August 12, 2024
A popular landmark in Utah is no more. The Glen Canyon National Recreation Area’s “double arch,” also known as the “hole in the roof” or “toilet bowl,” collapsed into Lake Powell’s Rock Creek Bay Thursday, Aug. 8.

Park rangers believe changing water levels and erosion from waves in Lake Powell contributed to the collapse, however they cannot pinpoint the exact cause. Rangers said no one was hurt when the double arches came down.

The National Parks Service said the double arch was formed from Navajo sandstone dating back about 190 million years. Officials also said park rangers will work to preserve other landmarks around the Lake Powell area.
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Yosemite National Park urges visitors: Don’t bury toilet paper!

July 11, 2024
In a recent Facebook post accompanied by compelling photos, Yosemite Park officials issued a plea: “DON’T BURY TOILET PAPER!” The images capture the park’s natural beauty — flowing water, majestic mountains and serene greenery — but also reveal the unsightly presence of used toilet paper near Rancheria Falls.

The park emphasized that burying toilet paper poses several problems. The used paper is exposed to weather, it can take 1-3 years to decompose, and animals may dig it up and use it for nesting.

“Ew,” the post said.

With over a million visitors trekking through Yosemite between June and August, proper restroom etiquette is crucial. The park advocates following the “Leave No T r ace” ethics to preserve the wilderness and create lasting memories, not messes.

Yosemite’s website provides detailed guidance on handling nature’s call.

“Don’t be embarrassed; everyone must go sometime,” a woman featured in the park’s video reassures visitors. “Just do it correctly outdoors.”

Given that many campsites and hiking trails lack restrooms, here’s the National Park Service’s recommended process:

Choose a site:

Select an area at least 200 feet from water or off the trail, allowing human waste to decompose naturally and minimizing disease spread.

Dig a cathole:

Create a hole 6 to 8 inches deep and 4 to 6 inches in diameter.

Proper disposal:

After use, fill the hole with original dirt and cover it with leaves and debris. Do not put toilet paper in the hole or nearby. Instead, pack out used toilet paper in a sealed plastic bag or container and dispose of it properly.

By adhering to these guidelines, the National Park Service said visitors can help keep all national parks clean and healthy.
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After backlash, feds reverse plan to remove William Penn statue in Philly

January 9, 2024
The National Park Service is walking back its plan to remove a statue of William Penn. The purpose of the plan was to revitalize the Philadelphia park and make it more “welcoming, accurate, and inclusive” for visitors.

The government agency planned to expand its Native American history and rehabilitate the park that is located at the historical figure’s former home.

William Penn is known as the founder of Pennsylvania, a state rich in early U.S. history. Way before the freedom of religion was enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, Penn dreamt of a colony where Quakers, along with all kinds of Christians, could come together and worship freely.

The statue of Penn that the National Park Service planned to remove is on display at Welcome Park, a park dedicated to Penn and named after the ship he took to Philadelphia.

The park service said the proposal to rehabilitate the park was released “prematurely” and did not get a complete “internal agency review” before its release.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, D-Pa., said he was in touch with the Biden administration to correct the decision.

Other statues around the country have toppled in a recent movement to remove certain historical figures who had ties to slavery or the Confederacy during the Civil War.

The National Park Service said it still plan to revitalize Welcome Park but will draw up a new plan that leaves the Penn statue in place.
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Removing the Confederate statue won’t change Arlington’s complicated history

December 19, 2023
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order to halt the removal of the Confederate memorial scheduled to take place this week at Arlington National Cemetery. Judge Rossie Alston Jr. is waiting to hear more from both parties before he makes a decision about extending the order past Wednesday, Dec. 20.

“The removal will desecrate, damage and likely destroy the Memorial longstanding at ANC as a grave marker and impede the Memorial’s eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places,” the organization Defend Arlington said in its suit.

Why is the statue being removed?

In 2022, an independent commission recommended to Congress that the statue be taken down as part of an effort to remove Confederate names from military bases and assets. However, the statue wasn’t put there merely to honor the Confederacy.

Why was it erected?

The statue was erected during Reconstruction in an effort to aid reconciliation between the North and South.

When former President William McKinley kicked off his Peace Jubilee in Atlanta, Georgia, after the Spanish-American war, he stated, “In the spirit of fraternity we should share with you in the care of the graves of Confederate soldiers.”

On June 6, 1900, Congress appropriated $2,500 to have Confederate soldiers reinterred at Arlington National Cemetery. Ultimately, more than 400 Confederate soldiers were buried in a designated section called Section 16.

Arlington National Cemetery describes the statue as “a nostalgic, mythologized vision of the Confederacy” containing “highly sanitized depictions of slavery.” That includes a depiction of an enslaved woman holding a white officer’s infant and an enslaved man following his owner to war.

Arlington’s official historical record also shows the statue and the interment of Confederate soldiers was intended to show the South that America was one nation. Even if this Confederate memorial is removed, reminders of America’s complicated history will remain.

Robert E. Lee’s history at Arlington

Arlington was built on the former property of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. His home remains there to this day as a memorial that honors him for “his role in promoting peace and reunion after the Civil War,” according to the National Park Service.

Lee abandoned the property after Virginia seceded from the Union, and the U.S. government confiscated the estate. An Army general authorized the property for use in military burials, partly hoping to deter Lee from ever returning.

Down the hill from Lee’s old mansion lies Section 27 — the designated resting place for Black people and poor white people from 1864 until 1948, when former President Harry S. Truman desegregated the armed forces with an executive order.

Approximately 5,300 “colored troops” and African American “freedpeople,” as identified by Arlington Cemetery, were buried there.

For these reasons and more, Arlington considers itself to be a microcosm of American history.

The AP contributed to this report.
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Fatalities climb at national parks as visitors grow, funding and staffing lag

April 21, 2023
“As I was walking in with my client, a hiker was standing on a cliff and stepped backwards and fell off, and was killed right in front of us,” American Alpine Institute Director Jason Martin said.

Martin has been an avid climber for 31 years.

It’s not just freak accidents taking the lives of park visitors. Raging rivers, wild animals and severe weather can also be deadly. As national parks see more visitors, there are also more accidents and fatalities.

“That’s probably the biggest hazard for everybody being out and unprepared. Not having the right clothing, not having the right food. Being out unexpectedly, not preparing properly. Not having a map, not having the training to use the map. And going to a place that is maybe less well known.”

Martin says in the last 5 years, the sport of mountain climbing has skyrocketed.

“The number one reason is the Oscar-winning film ‘Free Solo,’ but also the access to climbing gyms in every major metropolitan area,” Martin said.

And with more climbers, comes more casualties.

“So when it comes to climbers, the biggest hazard for climbers is falling. And when we talk about falling climbers, technical climbers are using ropes. And so the way that they use the rope, if they’re using the rope appropriately, a fall is not a big deal. But if they’re newer and they’re not using the rope appropriately, sometimes, a fall could be quite catastrophic,” Martin said.

“I think it’s a lack of experience,” Steph Abegg said. Abegg is a data analyst who has been climbing for 28 years.

“Maybe the biggest danger is people who are going out there who just don’t quite know what to do and things aren’t picture perfect. So if the weather turns or if they happen to trip and get a little injured or if the elevation is a little bit more difficult to handle than they thought it would be. I guess I feel like a lot of the accidents and stuff occur from people who were a little bit in over their heads,” Abegg said.

Abegg says stricter regulations don’t always mean safety.

“You have to get your permit so far in advance that you don’t even know if the weather’s gonna be good. And then you have this permit for this certain date, and you just go because you have it and the weather’s not good. And that bad weather and bad conditions lead to accidents,” Abegg said.

“There’s a limited amount that they can do given the staffing issues that the national parks have right now. It’s hard because they have a lot of budget constraints. And so not every park has a helicopter, for example, on call very easily. Some parks share a helicopter to pick up an injured person. And so it would be great if they had more funding, so they had the ability to monitor this stuff. Is it the park’s fault that a tree branch fell out of the tree and hit somebody? Or that a rock fell off of a mountain,” Martin said.
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- ‘People make mistakes’: Danger follows as more people visit national parks
- Why North Cascades has the highest death rate among US national parks
Why North Cascades has the highest death rate among US national parks

April 10, 2023

North Cascades National Park in Washington has the highest death rate among all national parks in the U.S. According to the National Park Service, North Cascades had 3.7 deaths for every 100,000 visitors from 2007 to 2021. That’s more than three times the rate of the next deadliest site, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Reserve in Alaska.

“North Cascades National Park is unlike many other parks, in that you can enter the park without a park pass. You don’t need to go through a booth. A lot of people enter the park and just go hiking or backpacking or climbing, mountaineering. Even things like canyoneering and things like that, trail running. Immediately people are further away from the trailhead, or away from services than they are in a lot of other parks,” Jason Martin, executive director of the American Alpine Institute, said.

Martin has been climbing for 31 years.

“There’s a higher number of people who are actively going into that park for more adventure recreation. The North Cascades is one of the few parks without a lot of easily accessible things for people who are visiting the park just as tourists,” Martin said.

Between 2007 and 2021, 14 people died in North Cascades, when an average of just over 25,000 people visited annually. But 25,000 visitors is considerably less when compared to more well-known parks like Lake Mead, Yosemite or the Grand Canyon. Those had a higher number of deaths, but a lower death rate than the cascades.

“I’ve climbed all over the Western United States but yet my two major injuries and accidents have occurred in the North Cascades so the terrain is rugged that probably plays into it quite a bit,” Steph Abegg, data analyst for LongPath, said.

Abegg has been climbing for 28 years.

“There’s a lot of weathering in the North Cascades, it’s quite a wet climate. And so the granite there is kind of fractured and blocky and just a lot of freeze thaw and water, and so things will break off a lot easier there than most places I’ve climbed,” Abegg said.

In 2009, her climbing partner had to be rescued from a mountain after a boulder, the size of a washing machine, broke loose and broke his leg mid-climb. One year later, the same thing happened to Abegg, but she broke her ankle.

“North Cascades, the rock quality isn’t great. I had a few other close encounters with large rocks that could have been bad and were near misses, and I ended up moving. I love climbing and I wanted to stay alive and healthy and uninjured. I ended up moving to Colorado to find a little better rock.” Abegg said.

“The more training you have, the lower the likelihood is that you will have an accident. But it can still happen. Nobody’s saying that mountain climbing is safe,” Martin said.

Follow this series to find out the hazards every park visitor should be aware of in part three.
‘People make mistakes’: Danger follows as more people visit national parks

April 4, 2023

The national park business is booming back to pre-pandemic levels. According to the National Park Service, 312 million people visited one of 63 congressionally designated national parks across the U.S in 2022. That’s 15 million more than in 2021. But with more visitors comes more accidents and fatalities.

“Anybody can get hurt if they’re in the mountains, no matter whether they’re an expert or beginner. The mountains are always moving, rocks fall, snow slides, people trip, people make mistakes. All these things are possible,” Jason Martin, executive director of the American Alpine Institute, said.

Martin has been climbing mountains for 31 years.

“I think that there are more mountain climbers coming to the national parks, that’s for sure. But most of the visitors that go to national parks are day tourists in the national parks. There’s a set percentage that does more adventuring further away from the road. And then of that percentage, there’s a smaller percentage that will do some type of climbing type thing,” Martin said.

According to PSBR Law, a firm that analyzed data it received via a Freedom of Information Act request from the park service, there were a total of 2,727 deaths at U.S. national park sites between 2007 and 2018. That’s 8 deaths per 10 million visits. 81% of those deaths were male. The No. 1 cause of death was drowning, followed by motor vehicle crashes. Falls and slips were fourth.

“These types of things happen in the mountains, regardless of who you are. It doesn’t matter how strong you are, how fit you are, how good you think you are with your backpack, with your climbing gear, or how strong of a climber you are. Anybody can make a mistake. And anybody can get hurt or worse,” Martin said.

In part two of this series, Straight Arrow News will visit the park with the highest death rate in the U.S to investigate why it has a mortality rate three times higher than the second highest site. The park isn’t Yosemite or the Grand Canyon, it’s actually the North Cascades National Park in Washington.