News from May 2023


Park Announces Plans for 2023 Summer Fishing Season

News Release: Pecos, NM: Pecos National Historical Park will offer summer fishing permits for the Pecos River within the park boundaries. The 2023 summer fishing season will begin June 8th and end July 31st. Please note that summer fishing hours will be from 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.


Podcast 066: Why Historic Preservation? Talking with Historic Preservation Students about their career choices

News Release: SCAD Student Introductions. Davis Allen: Hi I’m Davis, I am a senior undergraduate student, and I am from Atlanta, Georgia. Derek Llamas: I’m Derek Llamas, I’m also a senior undergraduate student. I’m from Waynesboro, Georgia, I’m also the president of SPA. Jaime Dail: I am Jaime, and I am a second...


Wapato

News Release: “the most valuable of all their roots is. The Wappetoe, or bulb of the Sagitifolia or common arrow head, which grows in great abundance in the marshey grounds of that butifull and fertile vally on the Columbia  commenceing just above the quick Sand River  and extending downwards for about 70 miles.  this bulb forms a principal article of trafic between the inhabitents of the vally and those of [the] Sea coast."-William Clark, Jan. 22, 1806.


Reclamation issues snowmelt forecast for North Platte River Basin

News Release: MILLS, Wyo. - The Bureau of Reclamation has prepared the May snowmelt runoff forecasts and operating plans for the North Platte River Basin.



Interior and Agriculture Departments Invest $2.8 Billion to Improve Public Lands and Support Conservation Efforts Across the United States

News Release: WASHINGTON - The Departments of Interior and Agriculture today announced a proposed $2.8 billion in funding for fiscal year 2024 authorized by the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) to improve infrastructure, recreation facilities, public lands access and land and water conservation.


Cadillac Summit Road reopened to the public

News Release: Bar Harbor, Maine - Cadillac Summit Road reopened today as paving and culvert replacement work on the road pauses for the summer season. Because of the road’s uneven surface, bicyclists and pedestrians are encouraged to use caution when travelling on the road.


Chris Wilcox selected as new chief for NPS Fire and Aviation Management

News Release: Christopher “Chris" Wilcox, former chief for the Branch of Fire Management with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), has been named as the new chief for the National Park Service (NPS) Division of Fire and Aviation Management. The position was previously held by Bill Kaage who retired in July 2022. Chris is the first to encumber the division chief role as a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES).


Girl Scouts use Girl Scout Cookie Boxes to Create National Park Designs

News Release: Have you ever considered how Girl Scout cookie boxes could be used for something other than the cookies themselves? In March of this year, six teams from the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas in grades 6-12 partnered with local architects and engineers in Dallas Texas to compete in a design contest that transformed Girl Scout cookie boxes into National Park-themed structures.


2023 Memorial Day Weekend Luminaria at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery

News Release: FREDERICKSBURG, VA - On Saturday, May 27, 2023 the National Park Service will host the 28th annual luminaria at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery. The program runs from 8 pm to 11 pm, and is free to the public. In the event of rain, the luminaria will be moved to Sunday, May 28.


Trading Post Open House and Museum Exhibit Opening

News Release: Pecos, NM: Join us on Sunday, May 14th between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. for an open house and exhibit unveiling at Pecos National Historical Park’s recently rehabilitated Trading Post. Interactive, family-friendly exhibits will be sure to appeal to visitors of all ages. Come get a sneak peek at this long-awaited addition to the park, enjoy some refreshments on the front porch, and enjoy a 10% discount at the park’s Western National Park Association bookstore.


Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Provide Updates to Estimated Reopening Dates Ahead of the Memorial Day Weekend

News Release: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks personnel continue to make progress with snow clearing, damage repairs, and all the various tasks associated with recovering from a historic winter season. Memorial Day weekend is the usual kick-off to summer in the parks, but unfortunately this year, access to the world’s largest tree (by volume) and the surrounding Giant Forest and Lodgepole area won’t be open in time.


NEW Traffic Pattern beginning Saturday, May 27

Beginning Saturday, May 27th, visitors to the Smith Bridge parking lot will be directed by NPS employees or volunteers to park in the large field near the corner of Brandywine Creek Road and Ramsey Road on weekend and holidays.


1907 Steam Tugboat Hercules Will Visit Drydock Facility for Preservation Work

On Wednesday, May 17, 2023, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park’s 1907 steam tugboat Hercules will leave its Hyde Street Pier berth under tow for a visit to a drydock facility in Alameda, CA. While in drydock, Hercules, a National Historic Landmark (NHL) vessel, will undergo preservation work including cleaning, painting, and other maintenance.


Little Kinnakeet Life Saving Station

News Release: This complex is located just north of the Hatteras Island village of Avon, originally called Kinnakeet, and is one of two life saving stations protected by Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The 1874 station has been beautifully restored. Little Kinnakeet was one of the first seven life-saving stations...


Sacagawea Sees the Ocean

News Release: “We were told when she [Sacagawea] got back, a lot of people treated her mean. The reason they treated her mean is because they thought she was just a crazy lady because of this one story when she actually saw the ocean. She said she saw this ocean that it was so wide it was like the whole land was covered...


Public Input Sought on Comprehensive Site Management Plan for Mt. Wanda

News Release: MARTINEZ, Calif. - The National Park Service (NPS) is pleased to start the 30-day public review and comment period for the Mt. Wanda unit at John Muir National Historic Site’s Comprehensive Site Management Plan (CSMP)/Environmental Assessment (EA). The 370-acre planning area is an important part of the...


1907 Steam Tugboat Hercules Will Visit Drydock Facility for Preservation Work

News Release: San Francisco, CA - On Wednesday, May 17, 2023, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park’s 1907 steam tugboat Hercules will leave its Hyde Street Pier berth under tow for a visit to a drydock facility in Alameda, CA. While in drydock, Hercules, a National Historic Landmark (NHL) vessel, will undergo preservation work including cleaning, painting, and other maintenance.


How To Make Salt

News Release: Joseph Field, William Bratton, and George Gibson, members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, spent the winter of 1805-1806 making salt near a Clatsop-Nehalem village on the Oregon coast.


Spring Newsletter 2023

News Release: From The Superintendent: Late spring is a wonderful time of year at our two parks, not only because of the colorful flowers and trees blooming in our beautiful landscapes, but also because of the re-opening of visitation at Blackstone River Valley NHP and the many in-person programs and special events...