Parktips – March 2010

Parktips is a monthly compilation of newsworthy items and story ideas from the National Park Service. A new edition is posted on the first week of each month at http://www.nps.gov/news/index.htm. Just click on the Story Leads link to access Parktips. You can view past issues of Parktips. You can also receive a personal copy of Parktips, via e-mail or fax, by registering at our website.

Endangered World and 80.15 W

(Florida) — The installation Endangered World: Biscayne National Park and the exhibit 80.15 W by artist Xavier Cortada are now on view at Biscayne National Park’s Convoy Point and the Dante Fascell Visitor Center. Both works of art call attention to the impact that humans can have on animals.

Cortada conceived of the installation, which members of the local community executed, and created the works on paper that make up 80.15 W. This exhibit and Endangered World mark the International Year of Biodiversity declared by the United Nations and help Biscayne count down the time to BioBlitz—a 24-hour inventory of the species in the park, sponsored by National Geographic—on April 30 and May 1. For more information, please contact Gary Bremen at 305-230-1144 ext. 007.

Get Ready to Run This Spring!

(Pennsylvania) — The Young Friends of Valley Forge and REI Conshohocken will co-sponsor a clinic, “Introduction to Running,” on Tuesday, March 2 at

7 p.m. at REI Conshohocken. If you’re thinking about running your first 5K or 10K but are unsure how to get started, this clinic is for you. Join the Young Friends of Valley Forge, who are training for the fifth annual Valley Forge Revolutionary 5-Mile Run, and REI for this “Intro to Running” clinic.

Essential gear, including footwear and clothing, will be discussed. Come out to learn more about training programs and workout ideas as well as to discover great local places to run. The Young Friends of Valley Forge will be on hand with information about the Revolutionary Run. Learn more at http://valleyforge.org/info/rev-run/. For more information, please contact Graham Dellinger 610-783-1062.

Help Test Yosemite’s Water Quality

(California) — Individuals who care about water quality can volunteer in Yosemite National Park’s program for monitoring the Merced River.

Volunteers sample water for nitrates and phosphorous. Volunteers participate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the first Wednesday of every month except December and February. The next date is March 3. Please see http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/naturalfeaturesandecosystems.htm. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Fiesta de Saguaro

(Arizona) — Saguaro National Park will host the fourth annual Fiesta de Saguaro on March 6, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the park’s Rincon Mountain (East) District. The event highlights the Hispanic history, culture, and heritage of Saguaro National Park and the surrounding area.

Activities include craft demonstrations, traditional Mariachi music and Folklorico dancing, children’s arts and crafts, and guest speakers.

Traditional Mexican food will be available for purchase. For more information, please contact Melanie Florez at 520-733-5151.

Backcountry Tours at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

(Arizona) — In honor of the Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month in March, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument will host special tours of the park’s backcountry area that is normally closed to the visiting public. Highlights include the Prehistoric Ballcourt, Compound B, and an ancient roasting pit or “horno.” The tours will be offered on Saturday and Sunday mornings, starting on Saturday, March 6 and ending on Sunday, March 28. For more information, please contact Superintendent Karl Cordova at 520-723-3172.

Women’s History Month in National Parks of New York Harbor New York — The National Parks of New York Harbor are celebrating Women’s History Month with a variety of special programs. A musician specializing in historic songs will recreate Jenny Lind’s performance at Castle Garden, now Castle Clinton National Monument. Women’s suffrage is the subject of a discussion being held at the Fort Wadsworth Visitor Center in the Staten Island Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area on March 6. On March 12, visitors to St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site can learn about lives of women in 18th-century America based on symbolism and inscriptions on gravestones, including several in the historic burial yard at St. Paul’s.

Join the National Park Service at Federal Hall National Memorial on March

22 for “Symbols, Soldiers, Spies,” a day filled with tales of triumph and tragedy as National Park Service rangers and costumed re-enactors bring to life the women who helped shape 18th-century North America. For more information, please contact Mindi Rambo at 212-668-2208 or mindi_rambo@nps.gov.

Celebrating the Life of Dolley Todd

(Pennsylvania) — Independence National Historical Park and the National Constitution Center celebrate Dolley Madison: America’s First Lady. In honor of Women’s History Month and the enduring legacy of Dolley Todd Madison, the Todd House will be open for special tours on Monday, March 8 between 1 and 5 p.m. Built in 1775, the Todd House was occupied from 1791 to 1793 by lawyer John Todd and his wife, Dolley Payne. Following her husband’s death in 1793, Dolley married James Madison. At 6 p.m., the National Constitution Center hosts Dolley Madison: America’s First Lady, a 90-minute portrait from PBS’s American Experience. Following the screening, there will be a short conversation with executive producer Catherine Allan, producer and director Muffie Meyer, writer Ronald Blumer, and historian Holly Shulman, director of the Dolley Madison Project at the University of Virginia. For more information, please contact Jane Cowley at 215-597-0060 or visit www.nps.gov/inde.

King of the Lobby: Sam Ward, Longfellow’s Friend of Half a Century

(Massachusetts) — Author Kathryn Allamong Jacob, curator of manuscripts, Schlesinger Library at Harvard University, speaks about her newest book, King of the Lobby: The Life and Times of Sam Ward, Man-About-Washington in the Gilded Age. Ward was a statesman, orator, and author and one of Henry Longfellow’s closest friends. Ward’s major impact on American history, however, came from his role as a lobbyist in Washington. Book sales and signing to take place on Wednesday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Longfellow Carriage House. Please call 617-876-4491.

Night Prowl at Sandy Hook

New Jersey — Set out from the Sandy Hook Visitor Center to explore a habitat on a nighttime hike from 7 to 9 p.m. on March 13. For more information, please call 718-354-4606 or e-mail GATE_Public_Affairs@nps.gov .

Eighteenth-Century Tea and Fashion Show

(New York) — On Sunday, March 14 at 1:30 p.m. in the Saratoga Town Hall, numerous volunteers and staff from Saratoga National Historical Park will present an afternoon tea and fashion show. The show will feature clothing worn by lower, middling, and upper class men, women, and children of the late 1700s. The program (Project Runaway) will also include music and visual images to enhance the atmosphere of the time. A social “tea”

follows, in which treats using original 18th-century recipes will be served. The event is a “Friend-Raiser” cosponsored by the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. For more information, please contact Gina Johnson, Chief of Interpretation, at 518-664-9821 ext. 227.

Grand Canyon Hosts Third Annual Alternative Spring Break

(Arizona) — Grand Canyon National Park will host the third annual Alternative Spring Break program sponsored by the Student Conservation Association (SCA), in partnership with American Eagle Outfitters. Grand Canyon is the only site hosting an SCA Alternative Spring Break program this year. The program gives college students the opportunity to spend their spring break volunteering in one of America’s iconic national parks.

Students will work with park and SCA staff on a variety of projects directly leading to the preservation and protection of Grand Canyon’s natural and cultural resources. The two one-week sessions begin on March 15. For more information, please contact Kassy Theobald, Restoration Biologist, Grand Canyon National Park, at 928-638-7857 or kassandra_theobald@nps.gov.

Puzzles of Dorchester Heights: Washington Ends the Siege of Boston

(Massachusetts) — Historians agree that placing artillery on the hills of the Dorchester peninsula was decisive in forcing the British military to evacuate Boston on March 17, 1776. But why had it taken so long for either army to seize that high ground? What was General Washington’s role in setting strategy? And what other factors were important at the end of the siege? Dr. Robert Cameron Mitchell, professor emeritus, Clark University, presents this talk on Wednesday, March 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Longfellow Carriage House. Please call 617-876-4491.

Return to Battle of Monmouth Via Archeology

(Pennsylvania) — On Thursday, March 18, 2010, archeologist Dan Sividich presents “Archaeology at Monmouth, the Battle after Valley Forge.” On June 28, 1778, the two great armies of the American Revolution clashed on the plains of Monmouth Courthouse in the largest battle of the war. By using metal detectors, computer mapping, and new field techniques, archeologists have established previously undocumented aspects of the conflict, including the location of Proctor’s Artillery, the gun to which Molly Pitcher attended. The presentation, part of the Friends Lecture Series at the Chapel, will give the audience a comprehensive look at battlefield archaeology being conducted at Monmouth Battlefield State Park. For more information, please contact Nancy Loane at nancyloane@comcast.net.

First Bloom Garden Ceremony

(Louisiana) — Since last fall, students from Thibodaux, Louisiana, and the surrounding area have participated in the national First Bloom program at the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. The students have worked with rangers at the center, learned about native plants, and planted the gardens at the center. Stop by for some green thumb fun on March 20 as the kids put the finishing touches on their work and learn a few garden tips to take home. The garden dedication ceremony is at 11 a.m., followed by refreshments. For more information, please contact the Wetlands Acadian Cultural Center at 985-448-1375.

Start of Sitka’s Centennial Year

(Alaska) — Designated Sitka National Monument on March 23, 1910, Sitka National Historical Park is the oldest park in Alaska and among the oldest in the United States. This month, the park celebrates its 100-year anniversary, with events on March 21 and 23 kicking off an entire year of celebrations. On March 21, a Raven’s Tail Robe, woven by nationally acclaimed artist Teri Rofkar, will be dedicated and presented to the park.

An original and true form of Tlingit art, these woven robes tell stories and preserve aspects of Tlingit culture. On March 23, the park will open an exhibit of historical photography by E.W. Merrill, depicting life in Sitka in the early 1900s. Dance events by Tlingit and Russian dancers are planned. Information on the centennial is available at http://www.nps.gov/sitk/100-year-anniversary.htm. For interviews, please contact Superintendent Mary Miller at 907-747-6281.

Grand Canyon National Park to Celebrate Archeology Day

(Arizona) — On Saturday, March 27, Grand Canyon National Park will celebrate Archeology Day. This event provides park visitors with the opportunity to learn more about native peoples who inhabited the Grand Canyon long ago. Visitors can gain a greater understanding of what archeologists do and how their work informs an understanding of the past.

Archeology Day will feature a series of special, family-friendly activities at Grand Canyon Visitor Center between the hours of 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., including opportunities to make clay pinch pots and split-twig figurines and to “sift for artifacts.” There will also be two special evening programs associated with the event: Vanishing Treasures archeologist Ian Hough will share new archeological research in Grand Canyon on March 26, and Park Guide Jennifer Onufer will share her experiences on an archeology trip down the Colorado River on March 27. The event website is http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/arch_day.htm. For more information, please contact Libby Schaaf, Supervisory Park Ranger, at 928-638-7641.

LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour

(Texas) — On March 27, visitors to the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park can go on a bicycle ride originating and ending on the LBJ Ranch. Participants may choose from a variety of routes that span seven distances from the ranch into the Texas Hill Country. The longest distance is 100 km. Pre-registration information is available on the internet at www.lbj100bicycletour.org. Luci Johnson will lead an intimate tour of the LBJ Ranch that afternoon. For more information, please contact Liz Lindig at 830-868-7128 ext. 231 or Sherry Justus at 830-868-7128 ext. 245.

Women’s History Month Program: Necessity the Mother of Invention (West Virginia) — Women of Harpers Ferry employed inventions of the Industrial Revolution in their everyday lives. Special exhibits and demonstrations at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park will feature the town’s manufacturing and technological advances in such areas as gardening, preserving food, and manufacturing fabric. The Women’s History Month Program will take place on March 27 and 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Lower Town. For more information, please call 304-535-6224.

Celebrate Spring at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve!

(Louisiana) — In the Barataria Preserve’s wild wetlands, enjoy “Spring in the Swamp” on Saturday and Sunday, March 27 and 28, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Try canoeing on a brief paddle with a ranger. Meet underwater creatures via dip net, and explore the trails on guided walks. “Spring in the Swamp” is free.

For more information, please contact Jim MacDonald 504-689-3690.

Historian David Hackett Fischer to Speak on American Revolution New York — Acclaimed historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Hackett Fischer, a distinguished Professor at Brandeis University, will deliver the annual Aronson Memorial Lecture about the American Revolution at 2 p.m. on March 27 at St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site. For more information, please contact Mindi Rambo at 212-668-2208 or mindi_rambo@nps.gov.

2010 Snow Surveys Begin at Yosemite

(California) — Yosemite National Park has begun its 2010 snow surveys.

Measurements are collected four times per year at carefully chosen locations called snow courses. Snow surveys reflect varying levels in precipitation based on climate and changes in climate. The final snow survey is April 1. For more information, please see an online source for the California Cooperative Snow Surveys, http://cdec.water.ca.gov/snow/index.html. Also for more information, please contact Jim Roche at Jim_Roche@nps.gov or 209-379-379-1446 or Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Meet Abydosaurus mcintoshi

(Colorado, Utah) — Researchers working in Dinosaur National Monument have excavated fossil remains of a previously unknown dinosaur, Abydosaurus mcintoshi, a large plant-eater. The fossils include the only complete sauropod skull in the Western Hemisphere from the last 80 million years of the Age of Dinosaurs—a rare and informative find. For more information, please contact Dan Chure at 801-703-1267.

NC Traditions on the Air

(North Carolina) — The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area (BRNHA) is partnering with WNCW radio to develop and broadcast a new series called Living Traditions Moments. These two-minute vignettes, which will air on Fridays just before 8 p.m., highlight stories about the people and traditions of the North Carolina mountains and foothills and about how these treasured traditions are being kept alive. For more information, please contact Kathleen Callahan Durcan, Assistant Coordinator for National Heritage Areas, 202-354-2268.

Exploring the Home Port: New Bedford Whaling Premieres Television Series

(Massachusetts) — On February 14, 2010, during a celebration of the 192nd birthday of Frederick Douglass, New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park premiered the first episode of its new television series, Exploring the Home Port. The first episode, “The Life and Times of Frederick Douglass in New Bedford,” explores Douglass’s life in New Bedford, including his escape, name change, work, and political activities. The episode will air on New Bedford Cable Access throughout the month of March. Future episodes will explore diverse themes and stories associated with the park. For more information about New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, please call

508-996-4095 or visit www.nps.gov/nebe.

New Bedford Whaling Expands Costumed Interpretation

(Massachusetts) — Lucy Bly and Judy Roderiques, seasonal rangers at New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, bring the 1850s to life each month as Ruth and Abby, the wives of former whalers. This special program had previously run during summer only. Bly and Roderiques have carried out extensive research, and focus on a distinct topic or area each month.

Recent appearances have included demonstrations of needlework, stories from around the world about monsters of the sea, and the moral dilemma of the

Fugitive Slave Law and abolitionism. For more information about New

Bedford Whaling National Historical Park’s programs, please call

508-996-4095 or visit www.nps.gov/nebe.

Quest for Treasure

(Ohio) — A new type of treasure hunt is coming to the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway, which stretches from Cleveland through Akron and Canton to New Philadelphia. Volunteers and teachers are needed to get the new family-oriented recreational program off the ground. Questing involves following a rhyming trail of charming clues and a curious map to find a hidden box. Participants log their finds and collect unique stamps in passport-like booklets while gaining a richer sense of place. For more information, please contact Kathleen Callahan Durcan, Assistant Coordinator for National Heritage Areas, at 202-354-2268.

Yosemite to Study Sky-Island Flora

(California) — In 2010-2012, Yosemite National Park staff will be conducting a botanical inventory of the park’s sky-island floras. These specialized plant communities occupy dry, cold plateaus at the crest of the Sierra Nevada from Yosemite south to Sequoia-Kings Canyon. The plants of these sites are highly vulnerable to the drying and warming predicted by many climate forecast models. Data gathered from this project will assist park managers in protecting resources. For more information, please contact Alison Colwell at Alison_Colwell@nps.gov or 209-379-3295 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Commemoration of Women’s History Month

(Pennsylvania) — Visitors to Independence National Historical Park are invited to celebrate Women’s History Month 2010. A free program will be offered on Saturdays and Sundays in March at 2 p.m. in the Franklin Court Underground Museum. This program, led by a park ranger, highlights the contributions of women to the founding of our nation. For more information, please contact Jane Cowley at 215-597-0060 or visit www.nps.gov/inde.

Hike in the Footsteps of Revolutionary War Soldiers (New Jersey) — The Jockey Hollow and New Jersey Brigade areas of Morristown National Historical Park offer 27 miles of trails through the historic encampment site of George Washington’s army. Winter brings the opportunity to hike or snowshoe to replicas of soldier huts and to envision the sacrifices made by the 10,000 Continental Army soldiers encamped there during the hard winter of 1779 to 1780. The park’s revised, full-color brochure includes trail routes, topography, photos, and descriptions of the hikes, which range from the easy Primrose Brook trail to the strenuous New Jersey Brigade trail. For more information, please contact Jamie Keller, Acting Chief of Interpretation, at 973-539-2016 ext. 210.

New Bedford Whaling NHP Begins 13-Week Volunteer Training Course

(Massachusetts) — New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is currently offering a free 13-week course on local history and culture as well as on the basics of customer service and connecting visitors with the park. Although geared towards current and potential volunteers, the course is open to any member of the public interested in learning more about the local area. There are workshops on the history of whaling, historic structures within the boundaries of the park, the basics of interpretation, and front-desk training and customer service. There is also a crash course on themes and a special training for those planning to assist with educational programs. For more information about New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park’s volunteer program, please call 508-996-4095 or visit www.nps.gov/nebe.

Woodcock Watch

New York — Come to Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge to attend a short indoor presentation and then watch the remarkable American woodcock perform his courtship display in the evening dusk. For more information, please call

718-354-4606 or e-mail GATE_Public_Affairs@nps.gov.

Related posts

• Parktips – October 2009 (0)
• Parktips – February 2010 (3)
• Parktips – December 2009 (0)
• Parktips – January 2010 (2)
• Parktips – November 2009 (0)

News Release

February 18, 2010

Contact: David Barna, 202-208-6843, david_barna@nps.gov

New Firearms Law Takes Effect Monday

National parks now subject to state and local firearms laws

WASHINGTON – A change in federal law effective Monday, February 22, allows firearms in many national parks. People who can legally possess firearms under federal and state law can now possess those firearms in the national parks in that state. The new law (Sec. 512 of P.L. 111-24) was passed by Congress and signed last May by the President.

Prior to February 22, firearms have generally been prohibited in national parks – except in some Alaska parks and those parks that allow hunting.

State and local firearms laws vary. Visitors who would like to bring a firearm with them to a national park need to understand and comply with the applicable laws. More than 30 national parks are located in more than one state, so visitors need to know where they are in those parks and which state’s law applies.

“For nearly 100 years, the mission of the National Park Service has been to protect and preserve the parks and to help all visitors enjoy them,”

National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis said. “We will administer this law as we do all others – fairly and consistently.”

Federal law continues to prohibit the possession of firearms in designated “federal facilities” in national parks, for example, visitor centers, offices, or maintenance buildings. These places are posted with “firearms prohibited” signs at public entrances. The new law also does not change prohibitions on the use of firearms in national parks and does not change hunting regulations

Park websites have been updated to include links to state firearms laws to help visitors understand the law and plan accordingly.

-NPS-

Sec. 512 of P.L. 111-24, an amendment to the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act of 2009, also directs the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to follow state and local firearms laws in national wildlife refuges.

Related posts

• Parktips – February 2010 (3)
• National Park Service Parktips – March 2010 (1)
• Shackelton Named to National Leadership Team (0)
• Parktips – October 2009 (0)
• Parktips – November 2009 (0)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 3, 2010

Contact: David Barna (202) 208-6843

Gerry Gaumer (202) 208-6843

Shackelton Named to National Leadership Team

WASHINGTON – National Park Service (NPS) Director, Jon Jarvis announced

today that Steve Shackelton has been selected as the associate director for

visitor and resource protection. Shackelton, who has been chief ranger at

Yosemite National Park for the last eight years, will assume his duties in

March in Washington, DC. As associate director, he will manage national

fire, aviation, law enforcement, resource protection, wilderness,

regulation development, public health, emergency medicine, and search and

rescue programs. He replaces Karen Taylor-Goodrich who is now

superintendent of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California.

“Steve brings incredible field experience mixed with Washington know-how to

this position,” said Jarvis. “He will be a key member of the leadership

team that sets the policies and direction for the entire National Park

Service. As our national chief ranger, Steve will step up the infusion of

science, law, and technology into all disciplines of ranger activities and

ensure that fire management, wilderness, and other programs have the best

information possible as we face a changing climate and other factors that

impact park resources.”

Shackelton will also concentrate on improving workforce conditions –

especially in the area of employee education, and crafting formal programs

to diversify the ranger workforce.

Shackelton has served as superintendent of Pinnacles National Monument in

California and in Washington, DC, in the NPS Office of Legislative and

Congressional Affairs and the U.S. Senate as part of the NPS Bevinetto

Fellowship.

He spent nine years in Alaska and five years in Hawaii in resource

protection management positions. He began his NPS career at Grand Teton

National Park in Wyoming as a ranger working in fire, search and rescue,

emergency medicine, and law enforcement; and six summers as a firefighter

on the Sierra National Forest in California.

Shackelton has bachelors and masters degrees in Criminology from California

State University, Fresno, and a Masters of Public Administration from the

University of Alaska, Anchorage. In 1990, he completed the FBI National

Academy executive management program and served as a Congressional Fellow

from 1997 through 1999. In 2005, he finished the federal Senior Executive

Candidate Development Program – an 18-month program in the Department of

the Interior, completing a detail assignment with the University of

California and time at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and the

Stanford Graduate School of Business, Executive Development Program.

Shackelton currently lives in Yosemite and Mariposa with his wife, Jane,

and has a daughter, Dana, at the University of California-Davis, School of

Veterinary Medicine.

-NPS-

Related posts

• Parktips – January 2010 (2)
• Parktips – February 2010 (3)
• Parktips – October 2009 (0)
• Neubacher Named Superintendent of Yosemite National Park (1)
• National Park Service Parktips – March 2010 (1)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 2, 2010

Contact: David Barna (202) 208-6843

Gerry Gaumer (202) 208-6843

Neubacher Named Superintendent of Yosemite National Park

WASHINGTON – Don Neubacher has been selected as the new superintendent of Yosemite National Park in California. Neubacher takes over from David Uberuaga who has been acting superintendent since Mike Tollefson retired last year.

Yosemite National Park is one of the icons of the National Park System.

Set aside as a national park in 1890 because of the spectacular tract of mountain-and-valley scenery in the Sierra Nevada, the park preserves stunning waterfalls, meadows, and forests that include groves of giant sequoias, the world’s largest living things. Yosemite National Park welcomes more than three million visitors annually and is home to one of the most complex ecosystems in the world.

“Don is a seasoned manager who has proven himself time and time again to be an exceptional leader,” said National Park Service (NPS) Director Jon Jarvis. “He brings a thoughtful approach to the vast range of issues faced by a modern park manager in protecting park resources, providing quality experiences to our visitors, and motivating a highly professional staff.

Yosemite is a high priority position, and I appreciate Don taking on this new challenge.”

“I also want to commend Dave Uberuaga for his stellar work leading Yosemite during this year-long transition,” said Jarvis. “Dave stepped into one of most complex assignments in the National Park System and never missed a beat. He got up to speed quickly, moved negotiations along on the largest concession contract in the system, and provided the day-to-day leadership that our partners and employees need to care for Yosemite.”

“Yosemite National Park has an inspired staff that has been a leader in preserving one of the nation’s most sacred treasures,” said Neubacher. “I look forward to working with park staff and the many partners and interested groups to ensure Yosemite’s future is unimpaired for generations to come.”

Neubacher has been superintendent at Point Reyes National Seashore for the past 15 years. During his tenure, he was responsible for completing a number of important initiatives including the Giacomini Wetlands Restoration Plan/EIS, the Fire Management Plan, the Coastal Watershed Restoration Plan/EIS, and the implementation of the park’s Land Protection Plan.

A 28-year veteran of the National Park Service, Neubacher has previously served as deputy general manager of the Presidio of San Francisco, chief of visitor services at Point Reyes, education program administrator at Point Reyes, seminar coordinator for the Coastal Park Association, natural resources lecturer for Humboldt State University, and park ranger at Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska.

Neubacher is a 2006 graduate of the Senior Executive Service training.

Honors and awards include: the Sierra Club Resource Conservation Award in 2008, the NPS Director’s Award for Wilderness Stewardship (2005), the Department of the Interior Environmental Achievement Award (2002), Superintendent of the Year/ Pacific West Region (2001), Meritorious Service Award, Department of the Interior (2000); and Superintendent of the Year, Natural Resource Management, Pacific West Region (1998).

Neubacher is a graduate of the University of California-Davis where he received a bachelor of science degree in planning and management and Humboldt State University in Arcata, California where he received a master’s degree in natural resource management.

Related posts

• Parktips – January 2010 (2)
• Parktips – February 2010 (3)
• National Park Service Parktips – March 2010 (1)
• Shackelton Named to National Leadership Team (0)
• 2008 Director’s Report Highlights NPS Activities (0)

Parktips – February 2010

Parktips is a monthly compilation of newsworthy items and story ideas from the National Park Service. A new edition is posted on the first week of each month at http://www.nps.gov/news/index.htm. Just click on the Story Leads link to access Parktips. You can view past issues of Parktips. You can also receive a personal copy of Parktips, via e-mail or fax, by registering at our website.

Conversations on the Edge

(Arizona) — Grand Canyon National Park’s Division of Science and Resource Management will present monthly community lectures in Flagstaff in collaboration with the Grand Canyon Association and Northern Arizona University’s Cline Library. The Conversations on the Edge lecture series will feature resource specialists from the park speaking about monitoring, managing, and preserving Grand Canyon’s natural and cultural resources for present and future generations. The lectures will take place the first Wednesday of every month, February through May, 2010. This year’s speakers will include Acting Cultural Resources Program Manager Ian Hough, Vegetation Mapping Coordinator Mike Kearsley, Hydrologist Steve Rice, and Wildlife Biologist Brandon Holton. All of the lectures are free and open to the public. On February 3, Mr. Hough will speak on “Extreme Cultural

Landscapes: New Archeological Research in Grand Canyon National Park” from

7 to 8:30 p.m. For more on this year’s Conversations, please contact Allyson Mathis, Science and Education Outreach Coordinator, at 928-638-7923 or visit http://www.nps.gov/grca/naturescience/srmlec09.htm.

Book Publication Party for Ten Hills Farm

(Massachusetts) — Celebrate the release of Catherine S. Manegold’s newest book, Ten Hills Farm: The Forgotten History of Slavery in the North, with an illustrated talk given by Manegold and hosted by Longfellow National Historic Site. This free event will be held on Wednesday, February 3, 2010, at 6:30 p.m. in the Sherrill Library (third floor) on the Lesley University/Episcopal Divinity School campus. (The campus is next to Longfellow NHS, at the corner of Brattle and Mason streets in Cambridge.) The evening will include book sales and a book signing. Seating is limited, and reservations are required. Please call 617-876-4491 to reserve a seat.

For more information, please contact Nancy Jones at 617-876-4491.

23rd Annual Whale Watch Weekend & Intertidal Life Festival at Cabrillo

(California) — Each year, an estimated 20,000 gray whales in the Eastern Pacific herd return from Alaskan feeding waters to warm, shallow lagoons in Baja California to give birth and find mates. Their roundtrip migration is the longest of any mammal in the world. Cabrillo National Monument will hold its 23rd annual Whale Watch Weekend and Intertidal Life Festival on February 6 and 7, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This educational, family-oriented event celebrates the return of migrating Pacific gray whales to Point Loma and the intertidal life found in the tide pools on the monument’s western shore. This year’s festival will also celebrate the ribbon-cutting for the park’s new Kelp Forest and Whale Overlook and will coincide with the park’s hosting of the temporary exhibit “Sea of Cortez.”

In addition to whales and sea anemones, this exciting weekend will feature guest speakers, films, and a puppet show. For more information, please contact Rick Jenkins at 619-523-4573 or Rick_Jenkins@nps.gov.

Discover a People “Hidden in Plain Sight” at Ellis Island (New York) — From February 6 through May 9, 2010, the Ellis Island Immigration Museum will host the interactive exhibit “Hidden in Plain

Sight: The Basques.” The exhibit presents object-based learning opportunities about the unique origins, language, and history of the Basque people; the factors that pulled them from their homes; the legendary tales of these immigrants; Basque contributions in the United States and the world; and the unprecedented cultural connection that pushes them to keep expanding, rather than diminishing, the transcontinental exchange. Basques have rarely been recognized for their historic contributions or cultural distinctiveness. As they passed through Ellis Island, well-meaning officials often disregarded Basques’ nationality, names, and heritage.

Today, even though Basque politicians, scientists, sports figures, business executives, artists, and movie stars may be prominent throughout the United States and in many nations around the world, they are still not often recognized as being Basque, perpetuating their being “hidden in plain sight.” This exhibit is organized by the Basque Museum & Cultural Center (BMCC), the Basque Autonomous government, and the Boise State University Basque Studies Center. The exhibit is suitable for visitors ages nine and older. For more information, please contact Mindi Rambo at 212-668-2208.

Discover the Story of the Buffalo Soldiers Bicycle Corps (New York) — Join a National Park Service ranger for a talk about the African American infantry soldiers who rode bicycles from Montana west to Yellowstone National Park and east to St. Louis, Missouri, in the 1880s.

This Black History Month program will take place in the visitor center at Ft. Wadsworth in the Staten Island Unit of Gateway National Recreation Area from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 6. For more information, please contact Mindi Rambo at 212-668-2208.

Farmyard Children’s Program

(Virginia) — On February 6 at 2 p.m., kids can see and learn about the types of animals on an 1850s farm at Booker T. Washington National Monument. The program features activities and a walk with Ranger Ann. There will also be a 28th birthday celebration for “Go” the horse. For more information, please contact Ranger Ann Jensen at 540-721-2094.

“Nearest Place to Nowhere: The Life of Dr. Booker T. Washington”

(Virginia) — A park ranger presentation at Booker T. Washington National Monument reveals struggles and challenges faced by Washington as he rose “up from slavery” to become a leader in black education and a spokesman for the economic progress of African Americans. The presentation will be at 2 p.m. on February 7. For more information, please contact Ranger Betsy Haynes at 540-721-2094.

Lincoln at Cooper Union

(West Virginia) — Throughout February, Black History Month, a special exhibit entitled “Abraham Lincoln at Cooper Union: Prelude to Emancipation”

will focus on Abraham Lincoln’s 1860 speech against the expansion of slavery. This exhibit will open on Sunday, February 7, 2010, at 2 p.m. on the second floor of the John Brown Museum on Shenandoah Street in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. Mr. Jim Getty will give a presentation as Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States. A ribbon-cutting ceremony opening the exhibit will follow Mr. Getty’s presentation. For more information, please contact Kim Biggs at 304-535-6024.

Manzanar Barracks Groundbreaking Set for February 13, 2010

(California) — The National Park Service, Friends of Manzanar, and Manzanar History Association invite the public to attend a groundbreaking event at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 13, 2010. From 1942 to 1945, Manzanar War Relocation Center confined more than 10,000 Japanese Americans in 36 blocks. Each block included 14 barracks buildings, a mess hall, a recreation building, latrines, and laundry and ironing rooms. After the war, the buildings were sold for scrap lumber or relocated. In 1997, in consultation with the Manzanar Advisory Commission, former internees, historians, and others, the National Park Service approved the development of Block 14 as a “demonstration block” to interpret daily life in the camp.

In fiscal years 2009 and 2010, Congress approved funding for reconstructing Barracks 1 and 8 on Block 14. A restored World War II mess hall that was moved to the site from Bishop Airport in 2002 will open to visitors later this year. After the groundbreaking for the barracks, Manzanar History Association will provide light refreshments in the mess hall. Later that day, the National Park Service invites former internees to gather informally with visitors in the Manzanar Interpretive Center to share their memories and experiences. The events are free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Alisa Lynch or Nancy Hadlock at

760-878-2194 ext. 2711 or ext. 2716.

Presidents and African American History

(New York) — Please join the National Park Service from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 13 at St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site for talks and re-enactments commemorating Presidents Day and African American History Month (February). Events will include appearances by Presidents Washington, Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, as well as talks about Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. In addition, there will be special activities for children. For more information, please contact Mindi Rambo at 212-668-2208.

Fire Island National Seashore Participates in Great Backyard Bird Count (New York) — On Saturday, February 13, a ranger will guide a three-hour, three-mile bird walk through the 613-acre William Floyd Estate in Mastic Beach on Long Island. During this program, led by naturalist MaryLaura Lamont, all observed bird species will be tallied and submitted to the annual Great Backyard Bird Count, a citizen science project hosted by the National Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology ( www.birdcount.org). Fire Island National Seashore’s free program starts at

9 a.m. Additional winter hikes and programs are offered at the Fire Island Lighthouse and the Wilderness Visitor Center on Fire Island. For more information, please contact Paula Valentine at 631-687-4859 or visit www.nps.gov/fiis.

Annual Boy Scouts of America Pilgrimage

(Pennsylvania) — On Saturday, February 13, 2010, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Valley Forge National Historical Park will host the 97th Anniversary George Washington Birthday Encampment and Pilgrimage of the Boy Scouts of America. In this event—the oldest continuous annual Boy Scouts event in the world—scouts will march to several specially-designed outdoor theme sites.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Elise Cleva at 202-208-6843 or Elise_M_Cleva@nps.gov.

Fort Barrancas by Candlelight

(Florida) — Gulf Islands National Seashore will present a candlelight tour of Fort Barrancas on Saturday, February 13 from 5 to 7:15 p.m. Small groups will depart the visitor center every 15 minutes for the hour-long tour.

Costumed interpreters will present the history of Pensacola during the Civil War at different stations inside the fort. In addition, the Fort Barrancas Visitor Center, with new museum exhibits, audiovisual programs, and a bookstore, will be open. Visitors should call 850-455-5167 for tour reservations, which are required. For more information, please contact Gail Bishop at 850-934-2608 or Stanley Lawhead at 850-934-2629.

Xavier Cortada’s “Endangered World” at Biscayne National Park

(Florida) — Miami artist Xavier Cortada will mount a major installation at Biscayne National Park’s Convoy Point this winter and spring. “Endangered

World: Biscayne National Park” will feature 360 brightly colored flags lining the roads and trails at Convoy Point for over a mile, each representing one degree of the planet’s longitude. Individuals and organizations will adopt an endangered or threatened animal that lives at that longitude and paint an image of the animal on one of the flags. At the same time, participants will commit to an “eco-action” that directly or indirectly mitigates the plight of that animal. The flags will be on display from February 14 to May 1, 2010, for the 10 weeks leading up to BioBlitz, National Geographic’s 24-hour count of as many living things as possible in Biscayne National Park. The flags will then become a part of an “Endangered World” traveling exhibit that will go to other national parks around the country. For more information, please visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/bisc, contact Ranger Gary Bremen at 305-230-1144 ext. 007, or e-mail Project Manager Arielle Angel at participatory.artprojects@gmail.com.

BioBlitz: For the Love of Diversity

(Florida) — Family Fun Fest is a free public program held at Biscayne National Park on the second Sunday of every month from December through April. Each month, the festival highlights a different aspect of the park’s diverse resources at five hands-on activity stations located around the Dante Fascell Visitor Center. This month’s event (on February 14 from 1 to

4 p.m.) is titled “BioBlitz: For the Love of Diversity.” The United Nations has declared 2010 the “International Year of Biodiversity,” and National Geographic is joining with Biscayne National Park later this spring for BioBlitz, a 24-hour, all-species biodiversity count for the park. Be among the first to see the new “Endangered World” art installation; discover how biodiversity is like a box of chocolates; and find out, in Episode 3 of

Climate: 911, if superheroes Buffer Boy and The Colorizer can protect Biscayne’s animals from Dr. Verduga’s evil plans to warm the planet and change it forever. For more information, please contact Ranger Gary Bremen at 305-230-1144 ext. 007.

The 2nd Pennsylvania

(Pennsylvania ) — On Sunday, February 14, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors to Valley Forge National Historical Park can see the 2nd Pennsylvania Regiment at the Muhlenberg Brigade huts. There will be musket-firing programs and cooking demonstrations. Ranger-led walks to the Muhlenberg Brigade huts take place at 10:20 a.m., 12:50 p.m., and 2:20 p.m., with musket and artillery programs at 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3 p.m.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Barb Pollarine at 610-783-1032.

Sagamore Hill Announces Free Programs February 14 to 21, 2010 (New York) — Sagamore Hill will be open every day the week of Presidents Day, including the holiday itself, February 15, and will offer a variety of free programs, activities, and exhibits. Check out the new exhibit at the Old Orchard Museum about the history of the West Wing of the White House.

Go on a guided nature walk. See special guests, including President Roosevelt who, portrayed by James Foote, will offer his interpretive portrayal of TR and an exclusive “storytime program” for children. In addition, children’s book author Leslie Kimmelman will read her book Mind Your Manners, Alice Roosevelt and be available to sign this work about the rebellious young Alice, the president’s eldest daughter. Visit Sagamore Hill’s website, www.nps.gov/sahi, and, starting February 1, download a podcast developed especially for Presidents Day week about Theodore Roosevelt and his historical assessments of U.S. presidents who preceded him. For more information, please contact Noreen Hancock at 516-922-4788.

Washington’s 278th Birthday Celebration

(Pennsylvania ) — Valley Forge National Historical Park will celebrate George Washington’s birthday on Monday, February 15, 2010, from 10 a.m. to

2 p.m. Visitors can meet portrayers of Martha Washington and General Washington in the visitor center while listening to period music by the Colonial Revelers. Children can make their own tri-corner hats and design birthday cards for the general in the Encampment Store from 10 a.m. to noon. After the card- and hat-making, Mrs. Washington will present, for tasting, a birthday cake baked from her own original recipe. Children may also enlist in the Continental Army. General Washington will review and lead the young troops in marching and maneuvering drills executed according to General Von Steuben’s training manual. The events are free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Kimberly Szewczyk at

610-783-1014 or Kimberly_Szewczyk@nps.gov.

Storytelling by Royal Shiree

(Virginia) — On February 20 at 7 p.m., Booker T. Washington National Monument celebrates Black History Month with this special program. Royal Shiree takes storytelling to a new level by sharing her experiences of teaching history to fifth graders. With humor and dramatic flair, Royal takes the audience on a fascinating journey in time. For more information, please contact Ranger Timbo Sims at 540-721-2094.

Thirsting for Knowledge? Try “Tapping into Science”

(Washington) — A new series of monthly presentations, Tapping into Science, is exploring current science in the North Cascades. An approximately 30-minute presentation is given on the last Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen (601 West Holly Street, Bellingham, Washington). The second program in the series will be “Thirsty Mountain Tops: Decline of Frost-Brewed Glaciers” on February 24. Two-thirds of the glaciers in the lower 48 states are in the North Cascades. What does glacier monitoring tell us about their, and our, future? Dr. Jon Riedel, a geologist at North Cascades National Park, will present. For more information, please contact Charles Beall at 360-854-7302.

Winterfest

(Alaska) — Denali National Park and Preserve, its partners, and the Denali Borough communities will celebrate all that is special about our longest season during the 10th annual Winterfest Celebration from Friday, February

26 through Sunday, February 28. The schedule will include an array of events for all ages, interests, and abilities, outdoors and indoors.

Activities will include sled-dog rides, a ranger-guided snowshoe walk, ice carving, and a snow-sculpting contest. The complete schedule of activities will be posted at www.nps.gov/dena in early February. For more information, please contact Kris Fister at 907-683-9583 or kris_fister@nps.gov.

Yosemite Renaissance XXV Juried Exhibition Opens

(California) — The 25th Yosemite Renaissance exhibition opens on Saturday, February 27, 2010, at the National Park Service Yosemite Museum Gallery.

This annual exhibit encourages diverse interpretations of Yosemite and the environment of the Sierra Nevada. This year’s competitive exhibit was selected from a record number of entries. Forty-two paintings, prints, photographs, and sculptures by artists throughout the country will be on display. The exhibit hours are 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. daily. The official opening will be preceded by an opening reception and an awards presentation from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, February 26. The public is cordially invited to attend this reception. The exhibit continues through May 2. For more information on Yosemite Renaissance and its programs, please visit www.yosemiterenaissance.org.

An Evening with the Painting

(Pennsylvania) — On February 27 from 5 to 7:30 p.m., visit Gettysburg National Military Park and learn about the history and conservation of the Gettysburg Cyclorama painting. The evening includes an opportunity to spend time viewing the Cyclorama. For tickets, please visit www.gettysburgfoundation.org or call 877-874-2478. For more information, please contact Gettysburg National Military Park at 717-334-1124 ext. 8023 or visit www.nps.gov/gett.

Sitka NHP Readies for Centennial

(Alaska) — March marks the start of the centennial year for Sitka National Historical Park in southeast Alaska. Sitka was established as a national monument on March 23, 1910. The park includes the site of the 1804 fort and battleground that saw the last major Tlingit Indian resistance to Russian colonization. The park also features the 1842 Russian Bishop’s House, the best-preserved architecture of the colonial period. The park will mark the anniversary with the carving of a new totem pole beginning in January and will host anniversary events on March 21 and 23. For more information, please contact Dusty Kidd at 907-747-6281 and check http://www.nps.gov/sitk/100-year-anniversary.htm.

Unexpected Discovery in Castillo San Felipe del Morro (Puerto Rico) — A group of maintenance employees of the San Juan National Historic Site were removing ground from a shoreline trail of Castillo San Felipe del Morro when they found three buried, historical medals that had disappeared almost 18 years ago. In February 1992, the Military Museum, then located in El Morro, was vandalized, and a Spanish carbine of 1898, along with the three medals, was stolen. A month after the museum break-in, the carbine was recovered, but the medals, in spite of all the investigative efforts, could not be located. All those interested in seeing the historical medals, which were awarded by the Spanish government to Colonel José Antonio de Iriarte y Travieso, commanding official of Castillo San Felipe del Morro, in recognition of merit and valor in combat during the 1898 Spanish-American War, are welcome to visit the Cultural Resources Division, located in Castillo San Cristobal. The division is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, please contact Elise Cleva at 202-208-6843 or Elise_M_Cleva@nps.gov.

A Whaling Adventure

(Massachusetts) — New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is launching a new online activity for children. The program, A Whaling Adventure, uses flash animation and a combination of historic images, quotes, paintings, illustrations, and audio clips to introduce young visitors to the whaling story. Learn about the people and places you may have found in a whaling port of the 1850s by peeking inside blacksmith and cooper shops, a whaleman’s chapel, homes, and other locales in the “home port” section of the activity. After exploring the home port, set sail on a whaling voyage around the world and explore foreign ports in the Azores, Cape Verde, Hawaii, and Alaska. For more information about New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, please call 508-996-4095 or visit www.nps.gov/nebe.

Yosemite Hands-On to Protect Bears

(California) — Yosemite National Park managers work to protect the American black bear. The challenge: human errors can easily affect the species. Humans may approach too closely or store food improperly.

Yosemite’s 2009 Interdivisional Bear Team accomplished 210 night patrols;

38,573 vehicle inspections; and 4,607 campsite inspections. In addition, the bear team mitigated 7,862 food storage violations; wrote 1,954 food storage warnings and gave 1,065 verbal warnings; and impounded food 54 times. The team also set 239 bear traps, captured 21 individual bears, placed radio collars on 12 bears, and received 25 reports of bears hit by vehicles. Bear activity in 2009 peaked in August, with 124 bear incidents.

In more than 535 total incidents, financial damage amounted to more than $80,000, half of which was to cars in parking lots. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Thousands Became Yosemite Junior Rangers in 2009

(California) — In 2009, more than 27,000 children became Yosemite Junior Rangers, compared with 15,000 in 2008 and 6,000 in 2007. The 2009 increase is due to an increase in daily Junior Ranger programs given by the park’s summer interpretive rangers and supported by a Yosemite Fund project.

Yosemite offers books for two age groups (ages seven to 13 and ages three to six) and in multiple languages. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Tom Medema at 209-372-0291.

Yosemite Tallies Its Battle Against Invasive Plants

(California) — Yosemite National Park’s invasive plant crew technicians treated 156 gross-infested acres (27 acres in wilderness) in 2009. On the whole, invasive plant ecologists recorded 805 acres (285 in wilderness) of non-native plant infestations. Using GIS, the invasive plant crew mapped

2,664 points, lines, and polygons of invasive plant infestations and treatments in 2009. Yosemite’s removal efforts focus on the control of nine high-priority species: yellow star-thistle, Himalayan blackberry, spotted knapweed, bull thistle, common velvet grass, cheat grass, French broom, Italian thistle, and perennial pepperweed. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Acadia National Park Adult Education Courses

(Maine) — Acadia National Park staff will offer two adult education courses in the local communities of Bar Harbor and Ellsworth, Maine. New this year for the Bar Harbor sessions will be three outdoor activities:

tips on weathering the cold winter safely and in comfort, learning about the signs of animals in the winter, and a geology walk. Topics for the Ellsworth session will include forest ecology, fire ecology, history of the carriage roads, and history of Downeast Maine. For more information, please contact Ardrianna McLane at 207-288-8733 or Kate Petrie at 207-288-8808.

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Write “subscribe npsnews” in the body of the message. You should receive a confirmation message shortly thereafter. Contact: NPS Communications Office, 202-208-6843.

For the latest news and press information from the National Park Service, visit www.nps.gov and select the “More News” link.

Related posts

• National Park Service Parktips – March 2010 (1)
• Parktips – January 2010 (2)
• Parktips – October 2009 (0)
• Parktips – November 2009 (0)
• Parktips – December 2009 (0)

Sean_O’Meara, Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, Sean_O’Meara@nps.gov, 206-220-4240 Elise Cleva, NPS Headquarters, Elise_M_Cleva@nps.gov, 202-208-6843

January 27, 2010

Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park

America’s Best Idea: National Park Getaway

SEATTLE – In less than three weeks, figure skaters will be spinning, lugers sliding, and skiers racing cross-country and whizzing down-mountain for gold. That metal—even when not in the form of a medal—can inspire people to leave home, travel great distances, and perform Olympian feats like climbing a snow-covered slope with a bundle of supplies strapped to one’s back. The gold discovered in 1896 in the valley of Canada’s Yukon River prompted “stampeders” to do just that. Thousands of these men and women poured into Seattle in the last years of the 19th century, and today a national park commemorates their experiences. This week’s National Park Getaway provides more information about the Seattle component of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, which also has a location in Skagway, Alaska.

The National Park Getaways series helps people find new places to reconnect with nature, history, family, and friends. This week’s feature plugs you into American history, taking you back more than a century and preparing you to visit Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park. At the park, your imagination can fill in the bustle and sensory overload of Seattle’s streets in the 1890s. This city formed a point of departure for many northbound gold rushers. Some of them found lodging in the Cadillac Hotel, which is situated in the Pioneer Square National Historic District and now houses the park museum and visitor center. In the hotel, you can take advantage of the park’s interactive features, view exhibits about the gold rush, and trace the stories of several men and women who sought gold.

Touch-screens show visitors passages from the journals and personal accounts of gold rushers.

If you will be following the footsteps of 19th-century stampeders—arriving in Seattle and then heading north—with the difference that your destination is Vancouver and the Winter Games, rather than Canadian gold fields, stop by Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park, the 33rd park featured in the National Park Getaways series.

To see previous getaways, please visit www.nps.gov/getaways. To journey backward in time and strike the intangible gold of a great experience, come visit the Seattle branch of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.

Related posts

• Parktips – January 2010 (2)
• National Park Service Parktips – March 2010 (1)
• Parktips – November 2009 (0)
• Parktips – February 2010 (3)
• Parktips – December 2009 (0)

Parktips – January 2010

Parktips is a monthly compilation of newsworthy items and story ideas from the National Park Service. A new edition is posted on the first week of each month at http://www.nps.gov/news/index.htm. Just click on the Story Leads link to access Parktips. You can view past issues of Parktips. You can also receive a personal copy of Parktips, via e-mail or fax, by registering at our website.

Outdoor Activities on New Year’s Weekend at Fire Island (New York) — Guided nature hikes and lighthouse tower tours are among the special activities offered at Fire Island National Seashore to help start 2010 off on the right foot. On New Year’s Day, the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society is offering a naturalist-guided hike to acquaint visitors with barrier islands. The hike will be at 10 a.m. Throughout the afternoon, the society will provide guided tours of the Fire Island Lighthouse. A 192-step climb to the top of the light station tower affords a spectacular view of Fire Island. Reservations are required for Fire Island Lighthouse programs (631-661-4876), and nominal program fees are charged. On Saturday, January 2, a free, three-hour, three-mile ranger-guided hike into the Fire Island Wilderness starts at 9 a.m. For more information, please contact Paula Valentine at 631-687-4859 or visit www.nps.gov/fiis.

January 2010 Proclaimed Volcano Awareness Month

(Hawai’i) — The County of Hawai’i proclaimed January 2010 Volcano Awareness Month. Throughout the month, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, and the University of Hawai’i-Hilo will sponsor guided hikes, evening talks, teacher workshops, and other programs focusing on the importance of understanding and respecting the volcanoes on which we live. Volcano Awareness Month begins on Saturday, January 2 at 10 a.m. at the Jaggar Museum Overlook.

For more information, please visit http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/ or contact Mardie Lane at mardie_lane@nps.gov or 808-985-6018.

Join the Continental Army

(Pennsylvania) — On the first Saturday of each month from January to April 2010, from 11 a.m. to noon, children ages six to 12 are invited to “enlist”

in the Continental Army at Valley Forge National Historical Park. A period-costumed interpreter musters in the recruits, who learn how to stand, march, and drill like soldiers. The program is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact Kimberly Szewczyk at

610-783-1014 or Kimberly_Szewczyk@nps.gov.

Gulf Islands National Seashore Offers January 2010 Programs

(Mississippi) — Ranger-led programs are offered each week in Ocean Springs. All programs are free and open to the public. On Sunday, January 3, learn about sea turtles. Which species might you see in our own coastal waters? What do they eat? Join a ranger to find out more about these creatures in a program suitable for all ages. Meet at the William M.

Colmer Visitor Center auditorium at 2 p.m. On Sunday, January 10 at 2 p.m., we will show the film Aliens of the Sea. The leafy sea dragon, pipe fish, and other wonders of the deep appear on our new, large screen. The 50-minute film will be shown in the William M. Colmer Visitor Center auditorium. On Saturday, January 16, join a volunteer naturalist, Dr.

Libby Graves, and a park ranger for Winter Bird Walk at 8 a.m. What birds live in Davis Bayou in the winter? Which are only passing through? Join us to learn the answers to these questions and more. Dress for the weather and bring binoculars if you have them. A few pairs of binoculars will be available to borrow. On Saturday, January 23 at 1 p.m., discover the plants and animals that thrive in our southern marshes. Meet at the William M. Colmer Visitor Center for Boat Davis Bayou and enjoy the salt marsh with a ranger on a flat-bottomed boat. You must sign up prior to this 45-minute tour. On Friday, January 29 at 6 p.m., explore the park by moonlight. Learn about nocturnal animals, phases of the moon, moon lore, and making the most of human senses in reduced light. Meet at the campground amphitheater for this one-hour event, the Full Moon Fever walk.

Dress appropriately for the weather and bring binoculars if you have them.

For more information about the above material, please contact Susan Blair at 228-230-4106.

Battle of New Orleans Recurs

(Louisiana) — Cannons will roar at the 195th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans. Visitors are invited from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Friday, January 8 and from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 9 to Chalmette Battlefield (part of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve).

The battlefield is located at 8606 West St. Bernard Highway, Chalmette, Louisiana. Over 100 living history experts dressed as British and American troops and civilians from 1815 will present military drills, cannon and musket firing, and craft and cooking demonstrations. On Friday at 7 p.m., St. Bernard Parish will host a reenactment of the night battle fought on December 23, 1814. On Saturday evening, visitors can experience “the night before the battle” on a lantern tour of British and American camps. All events are free except for the lantern tour. For more information, please call 504-589-2636 ext. 1 or visit www.nps.gov/jela.

Gettysburg National Military Park Winter Series

(Pennsylvania) — “Gettysburg: Perspectives on the Battle and Campaign,” a series of free, one-hour programs on Saturdays and Sundays, begins on January 10 at the Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitor Center’s Ford Education Center. The lectures will be at 1:30 p.m. on January 10, 16, 23, 24, and 30 and on February 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, and 28. For more information, please go to www.nps.gov/gett or call

717-334-1124 ext. 8023.

“Winter Signs” Programs

(Montana) — Glacier National Park will offer guided snowshoe walks.

Participants can explore the winter environment and find out how plants and animals survive the rigors of winter. These free weekend programs begin on Sunday, January 10 and run through Sunday, March 21, 2010, at 10:30 a.m.

and 1:30 p.m. For more information, please call the Apgar Visitor Center on weekends at 406-888-7939.

Happy Birthday Hammie!

(New York) — Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, known to friends and colleagues as “Hammie,” served as the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury and created the foundation for the economic development of the new United States. Join the National Park Service (NPS) on January 10, 2010, at Morris Jumel Mansion in New York City from noon to 5 p.m. for a birthday bash for the man on the $10 bill. The day will include re-enactors portraying Alexander Hamilton and other people of the Revolutionary War era, a presentation by a NPS ranger on Hamilton Grange National Memorial, and period music. This free event is suitable for all ages. For more information, please call 212-668-2208 or e-mail mindi_rambo@nps.gov.

Revolutionary Birthdays

(Pennsylvania) — George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thaddeus Kosciuszko—what do all of these men have in common? Winter birthdays!

Come celebrate with Independence National Historical Park. In the beautiful Second Bank of the United States at 420 Chestnut Street, a park ranger can take you on special birthday tours of the portraits in the exhibit “People of Independence.” All of the following tours are free and run from 1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. The bank is easily accessible via the west side entrance ramp. The tours begin on Saturday, January 16 and Sunday, January 17, 2010, with “Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin.” Despite his 304 years, Franklin remains ageless in his many portraits. The tour features Ben, his many friends, and some of his enemies. On Sunday, February 7, 2010, come out for “Generally Speaking—Celebrate Thaddeus Kosciuszko’s Birthday.” On the tour, see Kosciuszko and other notable foreign generals who helped America win independence. Also join us on Saturday, February 13 and Sunday, February 14, 2010, for “The Many Faces of George Washington.”

Celebrate Presidents’ Day weekend with this special tour of Washington portraits. The portrait gallery also features images of Martha Washington and the first president’s many friends and comrades. Join a park ranger to see the generals, diplomats, and congressmen he knew. For more information, please call 800- 537-7676 or visit www.nps.gov/inde.

Victory at Cowpens Commemorated

(South Carolina) — On January 16 and 17, 2010, re-enactors will bring the 18th century to life at Cowpens National Battlefield. To celebrate the 229 th anniversary of the decisive American victory over the British on January 17, 1781, at Cowpens, the park staff is planning free activities from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The park is planning demonstrations of 18th-century weapons and Revolutionary War cavalry; ranger-led battlefield walks; author talks; book signings; a guided, lantern-lit walk; and the arrival of the participants in Morgan’s March. Visitors should dress appropriately for the weather. A detailed event schedule is available at http://www.nps.gov/cowp/planyourvisit/events.htm, and information on Morgan’s March is available at http://www.palmettoconservation.org/. For more information, please contact Donna Davis at 864-461-2828.

Friends of Valley Forge Park Speakers Series

(Pennsylvania) — On Thursday, January 21, 2010, Harvard doctoral student and Bruce A. Baky Fellow Phil Mead presents “Joseph Plumb Martin: Radical Founder.” (Martin was a soldier in Washington’s army.) The presentation will be held at the Washington Memorial Chapel. For more information, please contact Nancy Loane at nancyloane@comcast.net.

Frost Faire

(New York) — Saratoga National Historical Park will host its 15th annual Frost Faire on Saturday, January 23 from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reminiscent of 18th-century “frost faires,” in which people would gather for warm treats and outdoor activities, Saratoga’s free, family-friendly event boasts wintertime fun, past and present. The Frost Faire will offer a bonfire, hot refreshments, a nature hike, snow-shoeing, Native American storytelling, the chance to tube the “Big Hill,” and more. For more information, please contact Gina Johnson at 518-664-9821 ext. 227.

Explore Grounds of William Floyd Estate at Fire Island on January 23 and 24 (New York) — Winter is often the best time to explore the William Floyd Estate, a 613-acre remnant of the ancestral home of one of New York’s four signers of the Declaration of Independence. Ranger MaryLaura Lamont will guide hikers down paths long-used by the Floyd family to access the old bay. Along the way, as participants pass fields and woods, mounds and ditches, cultural plantings and freshwater creeks, they will learn about the natural and cultural history of this landscape. Sunday’s program

focuses on the identification of winter birds. Walks of three miles

roundtrip are offered on both Saturday and Sunday, January 23 and 24, from

9 to 11 a.m. Both programs are free. For more information, please call the William Floyd Estate at 631-399-2030 or visit www.nps.gov/fiis.

“Pets, Parks, and You”

(Texas) — To open the new exhibit “Bred to Death” in the Abrazos Gallery, located in the visitor center, Chamizal National Memorial is sponsoring “Pets, Parks, and You,” a free, pet-friendly public event on the memorial grounds on Saturday, January 30, 2010, from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. This event will provide information that will make pet-ownership rewarding and will highlight the role pets play in experiences in national parks and the impact of feral animals on public lands. Chamizal National Memorial is partnering with local organizations, including the City of El Paso Department of Public Health, Valley Feed & Supply/Pet’s Barn, the Humane Society, and Animal Rescue League, to provide the public with an enjoyable and educational morning of tips on how to choose the right pet and be the best pet owner possible. For more information, please contact Dora Veracruz Martinez at 915-532-7273 ext. 128.

How to Be a Citizen Scientist at Santa Monica Mountains NRA

(California) — On Saturday, January 30 at 2 p.m., join Brian Haggerty and Dr. Susan Mazer as they show how citizen scientists are observing the effects of climate change on plants and animals and contributing their research to the scientific community. Citizen science is a simple, fun way that families, classrooms, and scout groups can benefit the planet. The lecture will be held at the National Park Service Visitor Center in Thousand Oaks, Calif. For more information, please call 805-370-2301.

Candlelight Tours of Fort Barrancas

(Florida) — Gulf Islands National Seashore will present free candlelight tours of Fort Barrancas on Saturdays, January 30, 5 to 7:15 p.m., and February 13, 5 to 7:15 p.m. Costumed interpreters will present the history of Pensacola during the Civil War at different stations inside Fort Barrancas. In addition, the Fort Barrancas Visitor Center, with new museum exhibits, audiovisual programs, and bookstore, will be open. Reservations are required, and visitors should call 850-455-5167 for tour reservations.

Small groups will depart the visitor center every 15 minutes for the hour-long tour. Visitors should arrive about 15 minutes before their assigned tour time. Although the fort will be well-lit with candles, visitors may bring a flashlight. The entrance to the fort includes a steep, 90-yard walkway, and visitors must use narrow staircases to access different levels of the fort. Parking is limited, so car-pooling is recommended. Visitors should enter the Naval Air Station through the back gate on Blue Angel Parkway and dress appropriately for winter weather. For more information, please call 850-934-2600 or visit www.nps.gov/guis.

Winter on the Moon

(Idaho) — The staff of Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve created a vibrant winter interpretive program now in its 10th year. The popular winter activities and events provide visitors with an incentive to visit this winter wonderland, where chances to snowshoe abound. For a complete listing of events and activities offered in 2010, please visit http://www.nps.gov/crmo/planyourvisit/events.htm. For more information, please contact Ted Stout at ted_stout@nps.gov or 208-527-1330.

Sitka NHP Readies for Centennial

(Alaska) — The new year marks the start of the centennial year for Sitka National Historical Park in southeast Alaska. Sitka was established as a national monument on March 23, 1910. The park includes the site of the

1804 fort and battleground that saw the last major Tlingit Indian resistance to Russian colonization. The park also features the 1842 Russian Bishop’s House, the best-preserved architecture of the colonial period. The park will mark the anniversary with the carving of a new totem pole beginning in January and will host anniversary events on March 21 and 23. For more information, please contact John Quinley at 907-644-3512.

Filling Prescriptions for Activity

(Nationwide) — The Washington Post article “Take a hike and call me in the morning” (November 17, 2009) calls attention to the growing number of doctors who are telling their patients to get more active—and to how parks, rivers, and trails help efforts to get people to exercise. All over the country, doctors are prescribing physical activity. Programs like Prescription Trails in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Prescription for Physical Activity along the upper Connecticut River valley in New Hampshire and Vermont; and the Arkansas River Trail’s Medical Mile project in Little Rock enable patients to get the tools and information they need to get active close to home. For more information, please contact Alan Turnbull at 202-354-6930.

Distinct Great Gray Owl Population

(California) — New evidence suggests that the Sierra Nevada is home to a genetically distinct great gray owl population, as compared to great gray owls outside of California. Yosemite is the southernmost range and last sanctuary of almost all of California’s great gray owls. Researchers estimate that there are only about 200 to 300 individuals in California, and about 75 percent of the state’s population resides in Yosemite. Please see http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/birds.htm. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Snowshoe Hiking

(Wyoming) — Grand Teton National Park will conduct ranger-led snowshoe hikes during January, February, and March. These two-hour excursions offer the chance to learn about winter ecology, the historic Murie Ranch, and park wildlife while experiencing a classic mode of winter transportation—wooden snowshoes. A trek into the park begins each day at 1:30 p.m. from the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Moose, Wyoming, and all skill levels are invited. A donation of $5 for adults and

$2 for children ages eight to 12 is requested. Reservations are required.

Snowshoes are provided. Please call 307-739-3399 to secure a spot. For more information, please contact Jackie Skaggs at 307-739-3393.

Facilities Open, Visitors Welcome at National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa) — The visitor center and administrative offices for the National Park of American Samoa in Pago Pago have reopened. They are now located at the Haleck building in Ottoville, part of this U.S. Territory, eight miles from their former location, which was completely destroyed during the 8.3 earthquake and tsunami of September 29, 2009. Scientists, rangers, archivists, cultural resource experts, and forest crews from the park have been working throughout the islands since the tsunami, assisting village residents; removing debris and trees; monitoring the condition of natural resources, including the largest intact coral reef system in Polynesia; and restoring cultural artifacts damaged by the tsunami. For more information about visiting the National Park of American Samoa, please e-mail NPSA_Info@nps.gov, visit www.nps.gov/npsa, or call 684-633-7082.

Members of the media should contact the Pacific West regional office of the National Park Service at 510-817-1300.

Yosemite Panoramic Imaging Photo Project

(California) — A 3.8-gigapixel photographic map of Yosemite Valley reveals nature’s beauty in one photograph approximately 50 feet wide. The Yosemite Panoramic Imaging Project, a partnership between the National Park Service and xRez Studio, has stitched together a single image of Yosemite Valley by utilizing gigapixel panoramic photography with LiDAR-based digital terrain modeling and three-dimensional computer rendering. Initially designed for geologic study, the image shows the granitic complexity of Yosemite Valley’s walls while conveying the artistic value of the rugged landscape.

Please see http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/panoramic.htm. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

Artist in Residence Receives Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant

(Florida) — Everglades National Park is pleased to announce that Sarasota artist Kathy Wright has been awarded a Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant in the amount of $25,000 in support of her Everglades Project, a series of paintings based on her experience as Artist in Residence (AIRIE) in the Everglades National Park during December 2008 and November 2009. For more information, please contact Linda Friar at 305-242-7714.

Boyd Evison Fellowship Applications Available

(Wyoming) — Applications are available for the 2010 Boyd Evison Graduate Research Fellowship. Supported by donations to the Grand Teton Association, the Evison Fellowship provides whole or substantial support for new graduate studies that increase public awareness of the importance of science to parks and of parks to science. Fellowships average $5,000 to $10,000 per project and may include housing at Grand Teton. In addition to a summary report or publication, students will be expected to provide one or more educational products to communicate information beyond the scientific audience. Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals for research of the intangible and disappearing attributes of Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, and public or private lands surrounding the Greater Yellowstone Area.

Applications for the 2010 Boyd Evison Fellowship must be postmarked by February 12, 2010; the recipient will be announced on April 15, 2010. For further information or to request an application, please write to Boyd Evison Graduate Fellowship, Grand Teton Association, P.O. Box 170, Moose, Wyoming 83012. Applicants may also phone Jan Lynch, executive director of the Grand Teton Association, at 307-739-3406, or Grand Teton National Park Chief of Science and Resource Management Sue Consolo Murphy at 307-739-3481. Members of the media should contact Public Affairs Officer Jackie Skaggs at 307-739-3393.

New Yosemite Nature Notes Film

(California) — “Tuolumne River,” the seventh installment in the Yosemite Nature Notes film series, has been released. Yosemite Nature Notes is a series of video podcasts that tells unique stories about the natural and human history of Yosemite National Park. In this eight-minute episode, explore the Tuolumne River from its glacial headwaters at 13,000 feet down through Tuolumne Meadows and into the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne.

Scientists and rangers describe the power this river has over the landscape and visitors. Please see http://www.nps.gov/yose/photosmultimedia/ynn7-tuolumneriver.htm. For more information, please contact Scott Gediman at 209-372-0200 and Niki Nicholas at 209-372-0472.

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Write “subscribe npsnews” in the body of the message. You should receive a confirmation message shortly thereafter. Contact: NPS Communications Office, 202-208-6843.

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For the latest news and press information from the National Park Service, visit www.nps.gov and select the “More News” link.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Dec. 22, 2009

Contact: David Barna (202) 208-6843

Carol McCoy (303) 969-2096

Ed Kassman, (303) 969-2146

National Park Service to revise non-federal oil and gas regulations

WASHINGTON – On November 25, 2009, the National Park Service published in

the Federal Register (74 FR 61596) an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

to obtain early public input to help the Agency in its effort to revise its

Servicewide regulations governing the exercise of non-federal (both private

and state held) oil and gas rights in parks at 36 CFR Part 9, Subpart B.

Nonfederal oil and gas rights exist in units of the National Park System

because 1) the rights predate the creation of the units, 2) they are

encumbrances on lands added to parks through boundary expansions, or 3) in

Alaska, the rights are part of the selections made by Native Corporations

under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Currently, 13 of the 392

park units servicewide have active non-federal oil and gas operations.

The National Park Service first promulgated the 9B regulations more than 30

years ago. The regulations have not been substantively revised since.

These regulations, as described under the current rule, are “designed to

insure that activities undertaken pursuant to these rights are conducted in

a manner consistent with the purposes for which the National Park System

and each unit thereof were created, to prevent or minimize damage to the

environment and other resource values, and to insure to the extent feasible

that all units of the National Park System are left unimpaired for the

enjoyment of future generations.” The regulations require a prospective

nonfederal oil and gas operator to submit and obtain National Park Service

approval of a plan of operations, and post a bond prior to commencing

activities inside park boundaries.

Through this Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking the National Park

Service hopes to obtain public input on the following topics:

*Options for bringing exempt operators (currently 53% of operations

servicewide) under the umbrella of the regulations,

*Ways to enhance the incentives for operators to develop their oil and gas

rights in parks by using directional drilling techniques from surface

facilities located outside park boundaries,

*Alternative methods of assuring that the NPS is protected in the event an

operator defaults on its operational and reclamation obligations,

*Ideas on how to improve operating standards,

*Ways to assure regulatory compliance, including enforcement; and

*Reaction to possible access fees for crossing federally owned land in

parks.

The Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking comment period is open for a

total of 60 days and closes January 25, 2010. The 13 units of the national

park system affected by non-federal oil and gas operations are Alibates

Flint Quarries National Monument (TX), Aztec Ruins National Monument (NM),

Big Cypress National Preserve (FL), Big Thicket National Preserve (TX), Big

South Fork National River and Recreation Area (TN, KY), Cuyahoga Valley

NP(OH), Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site (ND), Gauley River

National River (WV), Lake Meredith National Recreation Area (TX), New River

Gorge National River (WV), Obed Wild and Scenic River(TN), Padre Island

National Seashore (TX), Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve(KS)

For further information please contact Carol McCoy, Chief, Planning,

Evaluation and Permits Branch, National Park Service, Geologic Resources

Division, 303-969-2096, or Ed Kassman, Regulatory Specialist, National Park

Service, Geologic Resources Division, 303-969-2146.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 11, 2009

Contact: Kathy Kupper (202)208-6843

National Park Service Honors Employees

for Cultural Resources Work

WASHINGTON – National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis today presented the

2008 Appleman-Judd-Lewis Awards for excellence in cultural resource management to H. Thomas McGrath, Jr., Dr. Jeanne Schaaf, and Robert Fox.

“This prestigious award recognizes the lasting contributions made by these employees in the preservation of cultural resources,” said Jarvis. “Their accomplishments are a result of years of unquestioned commitment, never constrained by job description or position, but guided by ability, intellect, passion, and dedication.”

Tom McGrath has been the superintendent of the National Park Service Historic Preservation Training Center in Frederick, MD since 1989. Under his leadership, the center has preserved significant structures including barns, cabins, lighthouses, canals, ships, fortifications and historic houses. The high standards to which he holds himself and his talented staff have ensured that these cherished cultural resources will last well into the future. McGrath has overseen the center’s expansion into an independent Learning and Development Center that now includes maintenance skills training, construction safety training and development, project management, and technical advice on preservation techniques and maintenance.

Jeanne Schaaf, the chief of cultural resources for Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Aniakchak National Park and Preserve, and Alagnak Wild River, all in Alaska, received the cultural resource management specialist award. She supervises a program that encompasses eight million extremely remote, but culturally rich acres. She has balanced and directed a multitude of projects that document local history, ethnography, and archeology. Her four-year salvage excavation of threatened Mink Island in Katmai produced new information about prehistoric coastal ecosystems and resource utilization over time. She demonstrated that fully developed maritime cultures with ocean-going boats were already in place in Alaska 8,000 years ago.

Robert Fox from Weir Farm National Historic Site in Connecticut received the maintenance specialist award. He has served as the facility manager at the park since its inception in 1990. For the past 19 years he has assumed duties far beyond those of the typical facility manager. With limited resources, he laid the framework for the development of projects that stabilize, preserve, and make accessible many of the park’s structures and cultural landscapes.

Each recipient received an engraved crystal plaque and a $2,500 cash award.

The Appleman-Judd-Lewis Awards were established in 1970. They are named for three well-respected, long-time National Park Service employees: historian Roy E. Appleman, historical architect Henry A. Judd, and curator Ralph H. Lewis.

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