Conservation & Environment

This disease has killed a million trees in California, and scientists say it’s basically unstoppable

Posted by on May 3, 2016 @ 11:02 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Healthy forests are especially important at a time of climate change — they’re an incredible tool to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Dead forests, on the other hand, can light the spark for wildfires, which are already showing a long-predicted uptick in activity.

In California’s coastal forests, health is anything but good. Since 1995, a fungal pathogen that causes a phenomenon dubbed ‘sudden oak death’ (a far catchier name than that of the pathogen itself, Phytophthora ramorum) has taken out millions of oak and tanoak trees, particularly along the coast extending northward from Monterey County. That includes areas of Marin County, Sonoma County and Big Sur.

The pathogen is a fungus that affects different trees differently, and not all are susceptible. It will tear through a forest and kill some trees while leaving others standing.

But in some trees, the pathogen causes tree trunks to crack open a ‘canker’ and literally bleed out sap. The disease is actually related to the pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine in the 1800s.

“Millions of acres of land have been affected in coastal California,” says Richard Cobb, a postdoc at the University of California, Davis, who studies the disease. “It spreads via wind and rain, and it’s made some really big jumps to different parts of the state and into Oregon. It probably spread into California via the nursery trade. And it has been moved around the country a lot, also within the nursery trade.”

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Study identifies wildest corridors between key protected areas in U.S.

Posted by on May 3, 2016 @ 8:35 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Development of natural areas in the United States, coupled with expected changes in climate, have increased the importance of migration corridors that connect protected natural areas. Large, connected wild lands reduce the isolation of animal and plant populations and allow for migration and movement that can help preserve populations of wild species and enhance genetic and ecosystem diversity.

“Our analysis identifies the most natural or wildest linkages between large protected areas across the lower 48 states,” says lead author Travis Belote, research ecologist with The Wilderness Society in Bozeman, Montana. “We don’t focus on habitat needs of any particular species, but rather believe that the most number of species will have the best chance to move around using the wildest linkages between protected areas.”

“Our hope is to move from an aspirational vision of connected protected lands to actual conservation priorities that allow animals and plants to find the best natural linkages between national parks and wilderness areas.”

“The wildest linkages between protected areas likely serve as our best bet for allowing all of nature’s diversity to shuffle around as the climate changes. We hope that all species will benefit from these natural corridors. From squirrels to wolverines to plants that depend on animals for dispersal, limiting development along the wildest linkages may give the greatest number of critters the best chance to move. Some species may need these corridors this week, and others may benefit over many generations.”

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Cradle of Forestry Presents Garden Day May 7

Posted by on May 2, 2016 @ 8:38 am in Conservation | 0 comments

The Cradle of Forestry invites the public to learn about the Cradle’s gardens on Saturday, May 7, 2016 and lend a hand preparing them for the growing season. While working alongside interpreters, visitors will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss goals, successes, and challenges to which all gardeners in Western North Carolina can relate.

The day’s schedule includes:

  • 10:00-11:30 and 1:30-3:00: first plantings in the heritage garden along the Biltmore Campus Trail.
  • 11:30-1:00: cleaning up the Cradle’s National Wildlife Federation certified backyard wildlife habitat and pollinator garden.
  • 3:30-4:30: Why Are We Letting the Grass Grow: indoor presentation focusing onthe Cradle of Forestry’s efforts to convert lawn areas to meadow, followed by a walk outside to see what is growing in these areas.

Admission to the Cradle of Forestry is $5 for adults and free for youth under 16 years of age. America the Beautiful passes, Golden Passports and Every Kid in a Park passes are honored. Admission includes the new film, First in Forestry: Carl Alwin Schenck and the Biltmore Forest School, hands-on exhibits, a scavenger hunt, a firefighting helicopter simulator, historic cabins and antique equipment on two paved trails. It also includes the Adventure Zone, an activity designed to reach children with autism and engage young families. Lunch is available for purchase from 11:30-2:30 from Hobnob at the Cradle.

The Cradle of Forestry is located on Hwy. 276 in the Pisgah National Forest along the Forest Heritage National Scenic Byway, six miles north of Looking Glass Falls and four miles south of the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 412. For more information call (828) 877-3130 or visit www.cradleofforestry.com.

 

Large graffiti carved into famous red rock at Arches National Park

Posted by on May 1, 2016 @ 8:49 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Rangers at Utah’s Arches National Park were investigating large graffiti Thursday that was carved so deeply into a famous red rock arch that it might be impossible to erase, officials said. The carvings discovered earlier this month measure about 4 feet across and 3 feet high, park Superintendent Kate Cannon said.

The vandalism is part of a “tidal wave of graffiti” at Arches and other national parks in recent years, she said.

Two years ago, at least eight national parks in the West began the delicate task of cleaning up graffiti-like paintings left on famous, picturesque landscapes. The damage was discovered after images were shared on social media.

The Arches rock formation, commonly known as Frame Arch, is off a popular hiking trail where visitors can look through it and view the park’s iconic, stand-alone Delicate Arch. Cannon said the graffiti was etched so deeply that it might have taken at least an hour for someone to carve.

She said park workers can try to reduce the carving’s visibility by grinding down the rock around it, but that causes further damage to the surface. She said they could also try to fill in the etchings with some kind of material that blends in, but it’s unclear if that would be a permanent or unnoticeable treatment.

Defacing surfaces in the park is illegal and anyone caught can face up to six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.

Ed. note: Vandalism and defacement of our public lands is simply unacceptable. This unfortunate recent trend is truly alarming. It’s hard to imagine what the vandals are thinking as they destroy land that has been around for eons and belongs to all of us. Penalties should be increased as a deterrance, and if convicted the vandals should be required to repair their handiwork, no matter how long it takes.

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Volunteer opportunities available in Southern Utah national parks, forests

Posted by on Apr 28, 2016 @ 7:00 am in Conservation | 0 comments

As part of the National Park Service centennial, the Centennial Volunteer Ambassadors program, established in 2015, will be expanding to over 100 ambassadors during the 2016-17 season in an effort to connect people of all ages to their national parks and public lands. Multiple volunteer opportunities are available at national parks, national recreation areas and national forests in Southern Utah.

The Centennial Volunteer Ambassador program is a partnership between the National Park Service and the Student Conservation Association. The program was launched last year on a pilot run involving 70 interns — including college and high school graduates and veterans.

Its expansion in 2016-17 will further support the Department of the Interior’s Play, Learn, Serve and Work Youth Initiative to expand educational, volunteer and career opportunities for millions of young people and veterans on the nation’s public lands.

“Even as we celebrate the National Park Service’s first one hundred years, we are focused on the next one hundred and the next generation of conservation leaders,” National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said. “These Centennial Volunteer Ambassadors will share their passion for national parks and inspire people to develop their own connections to the great outdoors all across America.”

See available volunteer opportunities…

 

The story behind Prince’s low-profile generosity to green causes

Posted by on Apr 27, 2016 @ 9:13 am in Conservation | 0 comments

In the outpouring of media coverage after Prince’s death at the age of 57 last week, fans around the globe began to learn more about the notoriously private star — including that he gave away a lot of money. Van Jones — the activist, author, former Obama administration official, and current CNN commentator — revealed that Prince had secretly supported Green For All, a group working to fight climate change and bring green jobs to underprivileged populations.

Jones helped distribute Prince’s resources when he didn’t want the attention, including providing solar panels for families in Oakland. The families never knew who their benefactor was.

As a Jehovah’s Witness, Prince wasn’t permitted to advertise his good works. But even without his spiritual tradition, Jones says Prince would have been modest about his giving. “He thought it was in poor taste for these celebrities to get millions of dollars and then write a check and have their publicists all over the media bragging about it,” Jones said. “He was like, ‘This is ridiculous. We get enough attention. We’re celebrities.’”

Jones says that what Prince really cared about was humanity. “He cared about life and love and freedom,” Jones says. “His politics were not red. They were not blue. They were purple. He had a mind that let him see answers — musically, spiritually, even politically. Rather than argue about global warming, he said, ‘Let’s help kids put up solar panels.’”

Read full story…

 

NFF Supports Muddy Water Watch in Two Southeast National Forests

Posted by on Apr 27, 2016 @ 8:21 am in Conservation | 0 comments

NFF Supports Muddy Water Watch in Two Southeast National Forests

To address sediment pollution in the Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests, MountainTrue developed a program called Muddy Water Watch. The program closes illegal roads and repairs roads and trails that cause sediment impact to waterways.

Using funds from the National Forest Foundation Matching Awards Program, work was done to close and repair roads that negatively impact water quality in Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests. With the grant they worked on four different road sections, totaling more than nine miles of Forest Service Roads. They significantly reduced erosion by closing more than 35 illegal roads and eliminated access for off-road vehicles to prevent further damage to the landscape.

U.S. Forest Service roads often had sediment erosion problems. When this happened, the team stepped in to help repair the roads that were impairing water quality. In addition to the illegal roads that were closed, this project significantly reduced erosion by building 78 water bars, fixing six large mud holes, fixing four ditches, repairing five culverts, restoring three stream segments, and installing two gates, which will allow for seasonal closure for more than three miles of road.

Each of these sites has seen a dramatic reduction of sediment thanks to the efforts, and thus an overall improvement in water quality in the French Broad River watershed. Each site will be monitored over the next several years to make sure the work was effective and additional work is not needed.

Cite…

 

AmeriCorps Project Conserve Seeking 2016-2017 Service Year Applications

Posted by on Apr 24, 2016 @ 8:17 am in Conservation | 0 comments

AmeriCorps Project Conserve Seeking 2016-2017 Service Year Applications

AmeriCorps Project Conserve 2016-2017 position descriptions are up. This Carolina Mountain Land Conservancy program places members in service with one of 18 host site organizations working to protect the unique natural resources of the southern Blue Ridge Mountain region.

Each member will serve 1,700 hours during an 11 month term, from September 1st through July 31st. During their terms of service, members will promote conservation through education, volunteerism and direct service.

In addition to serving on individual projects outlined by partnering sites, members participate in 1 to 3 required trainings and service days with the full Project Conserve team. Trainings may cover a broad range of topics including conflict resolution, forest management, trail construction, invasive plant identification, and disaster preparedness.

Members earn a living stipend of $12,530 over the 11-month term of service. Upon successful completion of the program, each member will also receive an education award of $5,775. This award can be used to pay off existing school loans or apply for future education. Other benefits include health insurance and childcare assistance.

Learn more here…

 

George Masa and the birth of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Posted by on Apr 23, 2016 @ 10:11 am in Conservation | 0 comments

George Masa and the birth of Great Smoky Mountains National Park

In 2015, more than 4 million non-local visitors flocked to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, reaffirming its place as the system’s most visited location. Yet how many of those visitors had ever heard of the diminutive but energetic Japanese immigrant whose remarkable photos and tireless exploration of the Smokies played a key role in the park’s creation? And how many understood the chain of sacrifices and dislocations triggered by the decades long campaign to bring this national treasure into being?

From the beginning, the park was seen as an economic engine, and as the National Park Service celebrates its centennial this year, the success of that vision is much in evidence. Until the 1920s, however, the idea of a large Southern national park was little more than a dream. And it took 15 years of fundraising, legislative wrangling, legal battles and tireless promotion by advocates in both North Carolina and Tennessee before the 522,427-acre Great Smoky Mountains National Park was officially dedicated in 1940.

Near the center of this movement stood Masahara Izuka, a hiker and photographer with a mysterious past and a dubious grasp of the English language. Better known as George Masa, his adopted name, he was responsible for mapping, surveying and documenting the future park’s features, as well as promoting its value both to surrounding communities and the country at large.

Relentlessly egged on by Masa and many others, residents of Asheville and other cities around the region enthusiastically supported the project. Meanwhile, those actually living within the park boundaries were forced off their ancestral lands in the name of a prosperity and progress they may not have shared in. 75 years later, those efforts and sacrifices have left an enduring legacy of scenic beauty and environmental conservation in Western North Carolina.

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SAHC helps Rocky Fork State Park acquire tract for public access

Posted by on Apr 23, 2016 @ 7:35 am in Conservation, Hiking News | 0 comments

SAHC helps Rocky Fork State Park acquire tract for public access

Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy helped celebrate Earth Day with the closing of an exciting new project which will enable more people to learn about and enjoy the incredible Rocky Fork region. They worked with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to purchase a 1-acre tract to facilitate public access for Rocky Fork State Park.

“This 1-acre tract is a critical acquisition because it contains the only public access into Rocky Fork State Park,” said SAHC Executive Director Carl Silverstein. “We are proud to have been able to work with the State of Tennessee and other partners over the past decade to conserve the 10,000-acre Rocky Fork watershed. This recent acquisition is an integral part of these efforts, as it will afford public access for visitors to enjoy trails and trout streams in this stunning area.”

Rocky Fork State Park lies within a half mile of the Appalachian Trail and contains a system of existing and planned public trails for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding, including a future connection to the Appalachian Trail.

The park also contains pristine mountain streams, including Rocky Fork Creek, Flint Creek, South Indian Creek and the headwaters of Long Branch. The main branch of Rocky Fork, designated as a TN Exceptional Stream, flows through the recently acquired 1-acre tract.

The 2,036-acre State Park, together with approximately 8,000 adjoining acres now owned by the U.S. Forest Service, comprise the 10,000-acre Rocky Fork watershed. SAHC worked from 2006-2012 to protect this iconic area, in partnership with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), The Conservation Fund (TCF), the State of Tennessee, and the U.S. Forest Service.

Read full story…

 

National Park Visitor Spending Contributes $32 Billion to Economy

Posted by on Apr 22, 2016 @ 10:22 am in Conservation | 0 comments

National Park Visitor Spending Contributes $32 Billion to Economy

Spending by a record number of national park visitors in 2015 provided a $32 billion benefit to the nation’s economy and supported 295,000 jobs, according to a report released by NPS Director Jonathan B. Jarvis.

“The big picture of national parks and their importance to the economy is clear,” Jarvis said of the $16.9 billion visitors spent in communities within 60 miles of a national park. “Each tax dollar invested in the National Park Service effectively returns $10 to the U.S. economy because of visitor spending that works through local, state and the U.S. economy.

“This is especially significant news to the gateway communities where national parks can be the community’s primary economic engine,” Jarvis said. “While we care for the parks and interpret the stories of these iconic natural, cultural and historic landscapes, our neighbors in nearby communities provide our visitors with important services like food and lodging and that means hundreds of thousands of local jobs.”

The report comes on the heels of a major policy speech delivered by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell earlier this week. The Secretary called for greater investments in national parks and public lands to prepare for the next century of conservation. The address, delivered during National Park Week, also called for a course correction in conserving America’s public lands; made an argument to make our national parks more relevant to an increasingly diverse and urbanized country; and called for implementing smarter, landscape-level planning to support healthy ecosystems and sustainable development on public lands.

On a more local level, the report also shows that 17,834,698 visitors to national parks in North Carolina spent $1.19 billion in the state in 2015. That spending resulted in 19,984 jobs and had a cumulative benefit to the state economy of $1.67 billion.

 

Koch Brothers Help Fund Anti-Grand Canyon Monument, Pro-Uranium Mining Efforts in Arizona, Tax Documents Show

Posted by on Apr 22, 2016 @ 7:43 am in Conservation | 0 comments

A string of dark-money organizations with ties to the billionaire Koch brothers is helping Arizona politicians and special-interest groups fight the popular Grand Canyon National Heritage Monument proposal, tax documents show.

The money trail begins with a conservative political advocacy organization funded in part by Charles and David Koch and their vast donor network, and ends with a coordinated ground campaign intended to undermine public support for the monument.

The proposed monument, which would grant federal protection to 1.7 million acres of land in the Grand Canyon watershed and permanently ban uranium mining in the area, is supported by environmental organizations, native tribes, and the public – 80 percent of the public, to be precise. Yet a handful of powerful Republican politicians and industry groups are hellbent on killing it, and they’re apparently using money from the Koch brothers’ donor network to do so.

“The thing that’s so fascinating to me,” Greg Zimmerman (the man who discovered the dark money connection) says, “is that the polls show [the monument] is overwhelmingly popular across Arizona, and yet the political establishment in the state is so diabolically opposed to it.”

He says he always was baffled by these “politicians going against their constituents” until he realized “the connections between the political establishment and billionaire industrialists. Then it starts to make sense.”

Read full story…

 

Search & rescue team gives Multnomah Falls some much needed TLC

Posted by on Apr 21, 2016 @ 8:15 am in Conservation | 0 comments

At 620 feet, Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in Oregon. It’s awe-inspiring, making it one of the most popular destinations in the Pacific Northwest. Each year, 2 million people visit the dramatic, two-tiered falls, taking pictures from all angles, but very few get to see it suspended on a rappel rope, from below the footbridge.

Tony Hobkirk and his search and rescue team received a rare call – rappel off Multnomah Falls and pick up trash. Hobkirk says the Forest Service asked Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue to remove a drone that had crashed on the cliff wall near the lower falls.

“It’s incredibly beautiful there,” Hobkirk said of rappelling from the footbridge. “You don’t get to hang from places like that very often.”

Hobkirk says the challenge wasn’t picking up trash; he says his team had to rappel correctly and quickly because they had to temporarily close the hiking trail. “We don’t get to do this stuff very often,” he said. “There were hundreds and hundreds of people there, all taking pictures of us and watching us.”

“We found a lot of random things you would expect to have people drop off the bridge there when they were up there by the falls and taking pictures,” he said. He says they found sandals, sunglasses, clothing, cans, food wrappers and a cellphone, which they’ve turned over to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office. They also safely removed the drone.

Read full story…

 

Shenandoah wildfire grows to 3,000 acres, shuts down 12 trails and Skyline Drive

Posted by on Apr 20, 2016 @ 10:05 pm in Conservation | 0 comments

Shenandoah National Park is on fire and the blaze is growing. The National Park Service said that 3,000 acres have been charred since the fire started on April 16, 2016. Officials don’t know what sparked the fire, but they think it was likely human-caused.

The smoke from the confusingly-named “Rocky Mount” fire could be seen on visible satellite imagery. Photos show orange-brown smoke wafting above the park and the hillsides glowing orange at night.

Skyline Drive is closed between mile 65 around Swift Run Gap and mile 79, Loft Mountain. Four miles of the Appalachian Trail are closed due to the fire, and 12 other Shenandoah trails have been closed indefinitely.

“We are stationing people around the fire and putting in containment lines, the Virginia Department of Forestry is putting in dozen lines in various places around the fire, and we’re just trying to hold it in the park,” Sally Hurlbert, a ranger with the National Park Service said. “We won’t let it get out of the park.”

“It is very steep terrain, wooded with a lot of mountain laurel so that is part of the reason why the fire is burning pretty hotly, because leaf litter and mountain laurel are, cause fire to move through an area pretty quickly,” Hurlbert said.

Cite…

 

Appalachian Trail reopens in Shenandoah National Park

Things are slowly returning to normal at Shenandoah National Park, where trails are starting to open back up following the Rocky Mtn Fire of 2016. According to Park Superintendent Jim Northrup, the section of the Appalachian Trail closed by the Rocky Mtn Fire 2016 has finally opened back up to hikers.

Several other trails have also been reopened, including: Furnace Mountain Trail, Trayfoot Mountain Trail, Blackrock Trail, Doyles River Trail, Jones Run Trail, Browns Gap Fire Road, Madison Run Fire Road. Also open is the Doyles River Cabin.

Details here…

 

Fees proposed for North Carolina’s DuPont State Forest to help manage growth

Posted by on Apr 20, 2016 @ 8:42 am in Conservation | 0 comments

Fees proposed for North Carolina’s DuPont State Forest to help manage growth

DuPont State Recreational Forest’s popularity has been increasing rapidly, and forest leaders say that growth is putting a strain on their ability to accommodate visitors. At the annual meeting of Friends of DuPont State Forest, members heard about a fee proposal that would bring in revenue for more amenities to help shoulder the growing load of visitors.

The proposed fee schedule would raise money for much-needed improvements, said Forest Supervisor Jason Guidry, who stressed that the fee schedule was just a draft.

The fee schedule would include higher fees for higher-use areas that have the most impact and greatest needs, namely Hooker Falls and High Falls. They account for roughly 75 percent of the forest’s traffic. A daily fee would be instituted of $8 per vehicle Monday through Thursday, and $12 on weekends and holidays. For large vehicles and buses, a $20 fee would apply Monday through Thursday and $30 on holidays and weekends.

Lower fees of $6 per vehicle and $20 for large vehicles or buses is proposed for lesser-used areas like Lake Imaging, Fawn Lake, Guion Farm, Corn Mill Shoals and other trailheads.

A proposed annual fee of $30 for North Carolina residents and $70 for out-of-state residents was also included in the proposal.

Read full story…

Update April 20,2016 @ 19:00

Plan to charge admission fees at DuPont State Forest on hold

Rep. Chuck McGrady, (R-Henderson), says instead of the fees, the state should appropriate more money.

“If you put fees in place, they would not generate as much money as a direct appropriation would, if we are capable of going there,” McGrady told News 13.

McGrady says the legislative session begins next week, and members of the general assembly have already expressed interest in helping out DuPont State Forest.

 

Fire Danger High Across North Carolina

Posted by on Apr 19, 2016 @ 6:54 am in Conservation | 0 comments

The U.S. Forest Service and the North Carolina Forest Service are warning the public of high fire danger across North Carolina.

Fire danger is high across the state due to lack of rainfall in recent weeks and low humidity. Conditions across North Carolina are forecasted to remain dry for the next couple weeks.

April typically marks the height of wildfire season in North Carolina. This year, with limited rainfall throughout March and April, forests are especially receptive to spreading fires. Concern is highest in Western North Carolina where trees have not fully leafed out.

Both agencies would like to remind the public to use caution in any outdoor burning. “The public is an important partner in fire prevention,” says Riva Duncan, Fire Management Officer for National Forests in North Carolina. “Right now, with fire danger at critical levels, we are urging the public to use common sense when it comes to outdoor burning.”

99% of wildfires in North Carolina are human caused, with the greatest number caused by back-yard debris burning. Even when burn-bans are not in effect, conditions may not be advisable for outdoor fires. The public is discouraged from lighting campfires and burning yard waste during periods of low humidity or high winds.

Both the U.S. Forest Service and North Carolina Forest Service are currently responding to multiple wildfires across North Carolina.

 

Volunteer work day at the Blue Ridge Music Center

Posted by on Apr 18, 2016 @ 1:13 pm in Conservation, Hiking News | 0 comments

We’re at the beginning of another Blue Ridge Parkway season, and it’s time to start preparing the Blue Ridge Music Center area for visitors. The Fisher Peak Chapter of FRIENDS of the Blue Ridge Parkway is planning a workday on Saturday, April 30, 2016 from 10 a.m. til noon with a hot dog cookout immediately following the work activities. FRIENDS will be providing the “dogs,” toppings, bottled water, ice, cups, plates. Participating volunteers can bring a side dish or dessert, and non-alcoholic drink.

Some workers will clean out leaves and dirt from the water drains on 3 miles of hiking trails. Others will spread mulch and pull unwanted plants in the natural areas. Everyone is asked to bring work gloves and possibly sun protection or rain gear depending on the weather. A hard steel rake or garden hoe would be helpful if you have one.

Directions: From the Blue Ridge Parkway, turn into the Music Center main entrance near milepost 212.8, then turn right just before the entrance gate onto Foothills Road, and then left at the bottom of the hill onto Stage Road. Park behind the amphitheater which is on the left a couple hundred yards farther.

Bring a friend. Get involved with planning Chapter events. If you have questions, contact the Chapter at [email protected] or call 276-237-7124.

 

5 state parks that should go national

Posted by on Apr 18, 2016 @ 8:46 am in Conservation | 0 comments

For nearly 40 years, Craig Pugsley has worked at Custer State Park in South Dakota’s magnificent Black Hills, greeting guests and answering their many questions as they enter the visitors center. Other than asking about the bathrooms, one of the most common comments is, “I can’t believe this isn’t a national park.”

“People are struck by the size, the diversity of landscape and the quality of our facilities,” Pugsley said. “Our resources are similar to or exceed many national parks, so the confusion is natural and we take it as a compliment.”

This year, as travelers from around the world celebrate the 100th birthday of our country’s national park system, let’s take time to visit five of the best state parks that could be — or should be — national parks.

See the list…